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Comparable Schools'
Campus Housing Grades:
Quick StatsUndergrads Living on Campus
80 %
Best Dorms
- Ridgewood
- The Mods
- The Village
Freshmen Required to Live on Campus
No
College Prowler Take
The quality and experience of on-campus housing at Brandeis really depends on whom you ask. Most people agree that East is the worst of the dorms, but many people who live there end up loving it because of the social opportunities. Since the rooms are small and dank, it is vital to have friends close by, so you always have a chance to get away. If you are alone at one end of campus while your friends are far away, you will be miserable. But if you live in a hall or a suite with all of your friends, you will probably have a great time no matter which dorm you're in. Unfortunately, the housing lottery makes it impossible to get the perfect arrangement, and you will most likely experience a huge bug or a broken heater that will ruin your view of your dorm at least once. Plus, the housing lottery can be source of broken friendships, with its strange proxy, pull in, and full suite requirements. Most juniors and seniors are able to find on-campus housing in great options such as the Village, the Mods, Ziv, and Ridgewood, but upperclassman housing is getting harder to come by, even with the added buildings. Although Brandeis has a commuter lounge, there are almost no commuter students (understandable given the terrible parking shortage), so most students actually need to live on campus. In order to fill beds during the spring when many juniors go abroad, Brandeis has now accepted a mid-year class. It is worth staying on campus after freshman year because all of campus housing, except for Grad and the Mods, are right on main campus. And for people living in Grad or the Mods, the BranVan drives around all day and most of the night to transport people to their dorms when they have to stay late on main campus. It is a testament to Brandeis’s on-campus housing that so many students choose to stay on campus. Students Speak Out
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Post your own reviews or take a survey on your school.
BraCH says: Brandeis University 2016 Psychology May 20, 2009  |
The freshman dorms at Brandeis...
The freshman dorms at Brandeis aren't the best. One dorm is usually renovated every year, but with the current financial/economic crisis, that may not continue at the same rate. The freshman dorms wouldn't be so bad if people just respected everything in the dorms, but unfortunately that's not the case. People in my dorm would vomit on the floor, make a mess in the lounges, and tear down posters and leave them on the floor when they are drunk. East apparently has bugs (the so-called "East bugs"), but it is a nice place to live. As for the Castle, it would be a nice place to call home, but it's not too nice on the inside, and it's notorious for being quiet and unsocial. Ridgewood is amazing because it is brand new! |
BraIL says: Brandeis University 2013 Social Sciences March 16, 2009 |
Ridgewood is new and...
Ridgewood is new and incredible—it's absolutely amazing. I've never had a bad living situation. East is old but quite charming, in my opinion. Ziv was the worst for me—tiny rooms with no kitchen, and they're for upperclassmen. |
BraSB says: Brandeis University 2014 English Language and Literature March 16, 2009 |
You're not going to get a great...
You're not going to get a great living situation until you're a junior. Due to the renovation of most freshman housing, I'd say the worst year for housing is sophomore year. However, this is somewhat compensated by the option to live in the Castle, reserved exclusively for sophomores. If you can get it, it's great. Off-campus housing is a pretty good option. |
BraPJ says: Brandeis University 2016 Computer and Information Sciences March 16, 2009 |
The new dorm is really nice, but...
The new dorm is really nice, but it is for the upperclassmen. The other dorms aren't that bad, although a forced triple is a little stuffy. |
BraJS says: Brandeis University 2013 History March 03, 2009 |
All first-year students live in...
All first-year students live in North or Massell. Half of the first-year halls have been renovated and half have not. Sophomores can live suite-style in Rosenthal or in traditional East Quad or the Castle. Upperclass housing consists of apartment-style Ridgewood, which only opened in 2009. The village, built in 2003, is a traditional dorm for upperclassmen and is very nice. Ziv has six-person suites. There's also Foster Mods and Charles River Apartments on campus. Charles River is really dilapidated so try to avoid that quad. |
FactsWhat You Get
- Bed
- Closet
- Desk and chair
- Dresser
- Mirror
Room Types
- Singles
- Doubles
- Triples
- Suites
Available for Rent
MicroFridges and TVs
Also Available
- There is no special-interest housing.
Cleaning Service
Halls and hall bathrooms are cleaned weekly. Students living in suites are responsible for their own cleaning, and students living in Rosenthal, Ridgewood, and Ziv are provided with a cleaning kit. Laundry rooms are cleaned when they get around to it. Trash service is provided to all students, as long as trash is taken to appropriate areas.
Dormitories
567 South Street
Number of Occupants: 30
Bathrooms: Shared by apartment
Coed: Yes
Residents: Sophomores
Room Types: Efficiencies, two-bedroom apartments
Laundry, open during intersession, shared kitchens.
Charles River Apartments
Bathrooms: Shared by apartment
Coed: Yes
Residents: Upperclassmen
Room Types: Efficiencies, two-, three-, and five-bedroom apartments
Shared kitchen and common area in each apartment. The renovated lounge is equipped with a DVD player, large couches, and a community kitchen. Programs such as dances, faculty lectures, and the popular Charles River Bake Off occur in the Commons during the year, providing students the opportunity to connect in an otherwise private community. Also features wet suite registration for students 21 and older.
East Quad
Floors: 6
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Residents: Sophomores
Room Types: Singles, doubles
Community kitchen, large common areas, hosts the East Quad Coffeehouse where “Easties” come together to perform, sing, read, and play for each other.
Foster Apartments (Mods)
Floors: Four-person apartments have three floors, six-person apartments have four floors
Number of Occupants: 4- or 10-person townhouses
Bathrooms: Two bathrooms shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Seniors
Room Types: Singles
Kitchen and common area shared by suite. Supervised by the Dean of Student Life who helps seniors prepare for their transition to life after college.
Massell Quad
Floors: Four buildings with four floors each
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Residents: Freshmen
Room Types: Singles, doubles, lofted (three people)
Community kitchen, lounges with foosball tables and television.
North Quad
Floors: 4
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Residents: Freshmen, sophomores
Room Types: Singles, doubles, triples, lofted (three people)
The Polaris lounge is a great place for group study, games of foosball, or just hanging out, and hosts a variety of quad-wide events.
Ridgewood Quad
Floors: 4
Bathrooms: Suite-style
Coed: Yes
Residents: Upperclassmen
Room Types: Four- and six-person suites
Ridgewood is the nicest and most environmentally friendly dorm on campus featuring huge, air-conditioned suites, full kitchen, and large common areas.
Rosenthal
Floors: Three buildings with four floors each
Number of Occupants: 8 in each suite
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Sophomores
Room Types: Suites
Large community lounge in each building. Rosenthal East is home to a private dance/aerobics studio and Rosenthal North is outfitted with a private gym, complete with cardio-workout machines and a practice room for student bands. There is also toilet paper and paper towel delivery.
Usen Castle
Number of Occupants: 120
Bathrooms: Communal
Coed: Yes
Residents: Sophomores
Room Types: Singles, doubles, suites
Castle is designed like a medieval castle. It has pie-shaped rooms, “secret” passageways, and great views of Boston. Cholmondeley’s, a coffee bar, is on the first floor.
Village
Bathrooms: Shared by neighborhood
Coed: Yes
Residents: Juniors and seniors only
Room Types: Singles, doubles
One of the newest residence halls on campus features neighborhood-style living with several rooms sharing a kitchen and lounge areas, including a quiet lounge for studying and an active lounge with TV. It also has handicap access and a multipurpose room with mirrored walls and cushioned floor.
Ziv Quad
Floors: 5
Bathrooms: Two bathrooms shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Juniors, seniors
Room Types: Six single rooms per suite
Each suite shares a large common area and kitchen in addition to the two bathrooms. Buildings are air conditioned, and suites can be registered as “wet” by students 21 and older.
Did You Know?It is said that there are secret underground tunnels connecting East Quad to the Castle.
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