UC Living Learning Communities + Dorm Living for Freshman

Hi! So I just accepted Cincinnati, and I’m trying to fill out my housing application, and I could use some guidance.
I’m interested in maybe joining a Living Learning Community, but I really just want to live in Honors Housing (I’ve already been accepted to the honors program, no worries). But the only LLC that seems like it might be the Honors Housing in semi-disguise is one called the Emerging Global Citizen Scholars LLC. But I’m not sure, because it’s advertised as an LLC for ‘innovators’ and ‘leaders for tomorrow’ and all that stuff. Which I’m not really into. Can anyone tell me about what that LLC is really like? Is it just the Honors Housing, but they’re trying to make it sound all prestigious and pretentious? Is it actually prestigious and pretentious? Any inside perspective would be greatly appreciated!

Additionally, if there are any freshman hall in particular that is best in terms of facilities, architecture, or just general new-ness and comfort, I’d love to hear about which dorms you all think are best. I’m really just looking for which halls have the most comfortable bathrooms (preferably dorms with jack and jill bathrooms or something of the like, I’m really afraid of communal bathrooms tbh), if anyone can shed some light on which dorm halls they think are best. Thank you in advance!

I don’t know about the LLCs but I can give you some thoughts on housing. In addition to accepting, you have to register for orientation before being allowed to fill out the housing application.

Freshman can live wherever they want, as long as they can find a room at selection time. The better and newer dorms that are suite-style with kitchens and other amenities get picked first by upperclassmen, but there are sometimes rooms here and there. It is easier to get into the nicer dorms as a single versus a roommate group.

The predominantly freshmen dorms - Calhoun, Siddall, Dabney and Daniels - have communal bathrooms. Those dorms are, frankly, disgusting and in great need of renovation. Some dorms have jack and jill bathrooms - Turner and Schneider come to mind, there might be others. If you go on the housing website, they describe the different dorm configurations. My daughter lived in Calhoun this year and it was okay, but she is looking forward to getting into a much nicer dorm next fall.

There are other options available besides dorms - UC recently contracted with The Deacon, which are luxury apartments. Check out the housing website to see descriptions of the various communities.

It is all dependent on what is available at your selection time slot. As an honors freshman, I think you get a better time slot despite committing to housing late. But do fill that out ASAP. Housing time slots are based on the week you fill the housing app out, but being an honors freshman might help you.

I know for sure there are floors in Morgens reserved for honors business freshmen since it’s near the business school - they have kitchens, but as a freshman you are required to have a full meal plan unless you have allergies. Once you get into the app it will allow you to pick from certain floors in dorms (ie, a non-honors freshman cannot get into an honors floor, and a non-STEM freshman cannot get into a STEM floor).

I will add that communal bathrooms are just fine, and nothing to be afraid of. I lived through four years of them back in the Stone Age, lol.

My daughter actually preferred it - a bit of anonymity in terms of habits, and it got cleaned daily. The jack and jill bathrooms were cleaned once a week, but if you didn’t move all your stuff out of it they wouldn’t clean it. I also have heard that the suite bathrooms do not lock, so a guest in the other room can use the bathroom and then access your room.

I will say that every time I used her communal bathroom, it was clean.