Rating UMN Freshman Dorms: A Tiered Guide
As I wrap up on my freshman year and a new group of eighteen-year-olds enter the dorms fresh and full of hope, I have a few pieces of advice to offer. First, make sure you bring shower shoes; second, enjoy your freshman year! I've had a great, chaotic, and terrifying time. Here is my freshman dorm tier list based on my first-year experiences.
Pioneer Hall
Tier: A
The gold star of campus, “Pio” Hall boasts it’s own impressive dining hall—the largest on campus! It also features a recently innovated exterior and interior, offering a central location on campus to boot!
Centennial Hall
Tier: B-
“Centen” also keeps a suspiciously clean record with a centralized location and the only single rooms to be found in Superblock. Though it does not house its’ own dining hall, it does feature a market! For that reason, it keeps a fairly high score despite heating and air conditioning concerns inside an outdated interior.
Frontier Hall
Tier: C
Having neither its’ own dining hall NOR its’ own market, the only high point of this building is the location in Superblock—and, of course, the fact that it isn’t Territorial. Just be glad you’re on the East Bank Campus.
Territorial Hall
Tier: F
Don’t let the identical interior fool you, this building is no carbon copy of Frontier. The only way I could describe this dorm is an amalgamation of horrors. I can only imagine that the reason Joan Gabel went running for Pittsburgh is because she caught a whiff of the desperation and rage odors emanating from T-Halls’ corridors. It lives up to its impressive reputation and I will not elaborate further.
Comstock Hall
Tier: B
A criminally underrated residence hall on the UMN Campus. Not only does Comstock have its own dining hall, it is also found directly next to Coffman Memorial Union. For the reason of odd paint colors, however, it does land itself a slightly lower grade.
Sanford Hall
Tier: C
Though this building has a stunning exterior and its own dining hall, it misses out on points by being in an odd location and having no air conditioning. I sweat in pity for anyone residing here during the hotter months. God’s strongest soldiers.
17th Avenue
Tier: A-
17th is perfect—and horrible—with its’ Dinkytown location. It houses the student athletes and is right next to frat row. The good news is that you never will be bored; the bad news is that you will never know peace. However, it does have the best dining hall options on campus if you’re willing to take a trip, which secures its’ prime rating.
Middlebrook Hall
Tier: A-
The hidden gem of the UMN Campus, Middlebrook is the honors dorm and, though for some it may have an inconvenient location, it is right next to the arts departments and Carlson. It has semi-private bathrooms, as well as its’ own dining hall and market, which makes up for the location more than enough.
Bailey Hall
Tier: C-
Bailey does have its’ own dining hall but, unfortunately, it’s on the St. Paul campus, and that’s about all I have to say about it.