UIUC Housing

I will be an incoming freshman at UIUC this coming fall, and I was wondering about housing. I’ve decided that I want to be in the Ike, either north or south. I want a social dorm, and I am not really interested in living in a substance-free community. I would also like to have a co-ed dorm as well. I am also going to be a business major, so would the Business LLC be a good option? I am just wondering which is the best dorm for an incoming freshman like myself.

My son was on the 4th floor of Wassaja as a freshman last year, where the Business LLC is now. Very nice dorm, newest on campus. The layout isn’t as inherently social as a typical dorm, because it’s not one long hall of [open] doors like Nugent. Instead, it’s arranged into pods that seem fairly quiet when I’ve been there. They do seem to have a lot of activities so I guess it’s what you make of it. If you’re in an LLC, maybe that offsets the more isolated pod design. On the plus side, you get single use bathrooms, usually only shared with your roommate and maybe one other room, through technically you can use any bathroom.

Anybody any advise on the Engineering LLC housing? What are the LLC dorms for engineering?

https://housing.illinois.edu/living-options/living-learning-communities

@illinoisx3 thank you so much for sharing this information. Do you know is there an LLC for engineering (boys) or which dorm houses most of the engineering students. Asking as my son is in engineering. In the link you sent I did not see any dedicated LLC for engineering boy students.

@AAA124555 as far as I know, that is the complete LLC list.

Many engineering students choose ISR because it is the closest dorm to the engineering campus. It’s an older, traditional dorm and be advised that the cafeteria is closed for remodeling so students will have to eat at another residence hall cafeteria or the temporary facility at the Illini Union until completion. By fall of 2020, with the new cafeteria and remodeled dorm rooms, it should be much improved.

If you are not opposed to private university approved housing, Newman Hall is a great location if they still have any openings.

Nugent and Wassaja are newer dorms. Nugent houses the honors LLC if your son is in the James or Campus honors programs, but space is limited and not guaranteed. My son is in Wassaja and is an engineering student. It’s a nice, modern dorm but it’s quite a bit farther from the main quad and engineering campus. Campus buses stop right outside though and are free of course.

@illinoisx3 thank you so much for this information. Any idea how long is the bus ride from Wassaja to the engineering campus?

5-10 minutes using yellow or purple lines from Ike to main quad or engineering campus. You can check here- https://mtd.org/maps-and-schedules/plan-trip/ . There’s an app that even lets you see when the next bus arrives so you don’t have to stand at the bus stop in the rain or cold for 10 minutes. My guess is that at least for a year or two, most classes will be in the main quad or in the engineering buildings along Green St., rather than farther north. Unlike some other universities, it’s really all the same campus as there is no real separation. The main quad is just south of Green St while the Bardeen Quad is just north and the Beckman Quad with the New ECE building and Beckman Institute being farther north but all continuous. They do sometimes call the Beckman/Bardeen areas the Engineering “campus” though.

My guess is by the time most of your son’s classes are in the Engineering quads, your son will have moved into an apartment in campus town or north of Green street that may be even closer than ISR. My son will be in an Urbana apartment next year and much closer to his classes that are mainly at Loomis Lab and Altgeld.

@illinoisx3 thank you very much very valuable information. We are still waiting for the Financial aid to get updated so that we can see the total cost of attendance as we are OOS and then will accept our offer as my son is very committed to go to UIUC.

No problem, it’s definitely not like Minnesota or Michigan where the two campuses are farther apart. The walking time from the Bardeen Engineering Quad to the Main Quad is a couple blocks or maybe 5 minutes if you are hustling between classes and don’t get stuck at a stoplight;-)

My daughter incoming freshmen for Engineering prefer all women housing. She is vegetarian and has some food allergies too. Can anyone recommend which one will be best fit.

Here’s the site with single gender chosen-- https://housing.illinois.edu/Living-Options/Residence-Halls/Compare-Options#/amenity14

There are 2-- Barton (my d lived there her freshman year) and Busey is another. There is a larger food hall (called Ikenberry Commons) with more variety close to Barton than Busey. However, she would be able to eat at any place on the meal plan.

Great. That’s helpful @mybstnw

Allergies don’t seem to make any real difference in terms of priority or privilege regarding housing selection, specifically when angling to try to get something with AC, which kind of surprised me. I.e., you’re not going to land a spot in Wassaja on a claim of allergies. Might be a consideration with getting along with a roomate…as in will they respect to keep allergens out of the room. Chinese takeout rules at UIUC.

Re food allergies, check out the dietary special needs page in the housing and dining section; dining services offers services and resources to meet dietary restrictions. I can’t imagine that Ikenberry Commons wouldn’t cover any conceivable dietary need.

@illinoisx3 quick question I saw that Wassaja is a Business LLC community, how did your son like to stay with the business though he was an engineering student, can you please let me know.

@AAA124555 My son lived on the 4th floor of Wassaja last year, before it was converted to the Business LLC. When the Business LLC started this year, he received priority housing selection and moved to the 3rd floor. So, I have no information about the LLC, sorry!

@illinoisx3 thank you very much for letting me know. Then which housing do most of the engineering kids tend to live? Any idea or advise.

Many engineering students choose ISR because it is the closest dorm to the engineering campus. It’s an older, traditional dorm and be advised that the cafeteria is closed for remodeling so students will have to eat at another residence hall cafeteria or the temporary facility at the Illini Union until completion. By fall of 2020, with the new cafeteria and remodeled dorm rooms, it should be much improved.

@illinoisx3 one more question did your son joined any LLC. I see that there is no LLC for engineering students or am I missing something?