University of Virginia - Campus HousingCollege Prowler3.08

Campus Housing:

B-

(explain this grade)

Comparable Schools'
Campus Housing Grades:

Quick Stats

Undergrads Living on Campus

43 %

Number of Dormitories

10

Number of Campus-Owned Apartments

2

Best Dorms

  • Lambeth Dorms for upperclassmen
  • McCormick Road Residence

Worst Dorms

  • Hereford

College Prowler Take

Most students agree that the dorms on McCormick Road are the place to be your first year. Despite the small double rooms, they are far more social, and the location is much more convenient for classes and other activities. In the hall-style dorms, students always have something to do and someone to hang out with. In terms of quality, the dorm facilities at UVA are pretty standard. Because there are definitely those dorms that many don’t want to live in, and because the housing office is not very courteous (especially to those students who must move back on campus after being off campus), it’s best to get out of campus housing after a year or two. For incoming students, whether they be transfers or first-years, and those who aren’t ready for their own apartments yet, UVA’s dorms are more than adequate.

Many students, no matter where they live, are happy with campus housing. A lot of it depends on who you live with, rather than where you live—some people luck out with an awesome roommate, while others aren’t so fortunate. Generally, though, people who luck out by being in a dorm that's close to all of their classes tend to be the happiest. Some students make their lifelong friends in their first year dorm, others don't. If by chance you get stuck in an undesirable dorm, there’s really nothing to fear. Simply make the best of it: go in with a good attitude, be friendly and open, and chances are you’ll end up loving where you are. UVA is so big that odds are you’ll find someone you enjoy hanging out with. UVA's housing department understands that not every pairing will be a match made in heaven, so changing dorms isn't too difficult.

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Students Speak Out

Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:

sunshinejimmy says:

University of Virginia 2013

Social Sciences

Old Dorm Rocks

A

Old Dorm is the best place for first-year students because it`s close to bus stops, student restaurant, gym, and classes (especially for Engineering student)! Do not be fool by its name; old dorm does not mean "lame."

Campus Housing: March 09, 2010
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Anonymous says:

All of the dorms are pretty nice,...

All of the dorms are pretty nice, but if you stay on campus, do not get a single room because they are too small to live in.

Campus Housing
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Anonymous says:

Just don’t live in Hereford or...

Just don’t live in Hereford or Gooch/Dillard, because those are really far away. I think sometimes people get moved there as a punishment.

Campus Housing
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Anonymous says:

Live in the old dorms on McCormick...

Live in the old dorms on McCormick Road. They have cooler people, and it is much closer! If you get new ones on Alderman, it isn’t the end of the world. I lived in old, so I am biased.

Campus Housing
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Anonymous says:

Dorms are very nice. I would...

Dorms are very nice. I would choose McCormick Road dorms—they are doubles, hallway-style. Alderman is suite-style with five doubles all attached to a large common room. They are all good, but I like McCormick Road best because that’s where I lived.

Campus Housing
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Interested in
Virginia?

Facts

What You Get

  • Air-conditioning (Hereford, Faulkner, and Brown only)
  • Computer labs
  • Ethernet access
  • Faculty advisors (Brown and Hereford only)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Mailroom
  • Residential advisors
  • Snack bars
  • Study lounges
  • TV lounges
  • Vending machines

Room Types

  • Doubles
  • Singles

Bed Types

  • Single; twin extra-long

Also Available

  • Coed dorms
  • Apartments for married or single students
  • Special housing for international students
  • Fraternity/sorority housing
  • Residential colleges
  • New dorms are currently being constructed along Alderman Road.
  • Theme housing (French-, German-, Russian-, and Spanish-speaking houses and a multilingual language house)

Cleaning Service

Yes

Dormitories

Alderman Rd. Residence Area (13 dorms: Balz, Cauthen, Tuttle, Dunnington, Fitzhugh, Dunglison, Courtenay, Lile, Maupin, Webb, Watson, Dobie, and Woody Houses)
Floors: 3 floors each
Number of Occupants: Over 1600 total residents
Bathrooms: Three commodes and 2 showers (for each 10-person suite)
Coed: Yes
Residents: All freshmen
Room Types: 5 doubles per suite (4 suites per floor)
Outside, the suites on each floor are connected by one long balcony. There are also large meeting/study lounges, a computer lab, library, mailroom, Tuttle coffee house (in Tuttle), an ATM machine, and more. Each bedroom in Cauthen and Woody is furnished, including two beds and two wardrobes.

Bice House (9 apartments)
Floors: 7
Number of Occupants: 245
Bathrooms: Private (full-baths)
Coed: Yes
Residents: All upperclassmen
Room Types: Doubles and triples
Each apartment has its own kitchenette with new cabinetry, sink, stove, and a refrigerator. A computer room is also provided for convenience, and there is a laundry room on the ground level.

Brown College at Monroe Hill (12 Dorms: Davis, Smith, Mallet, Long, Venable, Gildersleeve, McGuffey, Harrison, Tucker, Holmes, Rogers, and Peters Houses)
Floors: 3–4 floors each, all connected by underground tunnels
Number of Occupants: About 300 students each
Bathrooms: 2 commodes and 1 shower shared by 4 people in adjacent suites
Coed: Yes
Residents: All freshmen
Room Types: Two single rooms in a suite
Study lounge, kitchen, computer lab, TV lounges, library, laundry facilities, air-conditioning, fireplaces. (Brown College requires a separate application in addition to the housing agreement form).

Gooch/Dillard Residence Area
Floors: 4 floors each
Number of Occupants: 655 students
Bathrooms: Private (2 baths)
Coed: Yes
Residents: All upperclasmen
Room Types: Six-person suites
Beds, desks with study lamps, chairs, and Venetian blinds are provided. There are two kitchens located in buildings 382 and 388, and there are laundry facilities in buildings 382 and 387. The Runk Dining Hall is just a few steps away.

Hereford (5 houses: Johnson, Malone, Norris, Weedon, and Whyburn Houses)
Floors: Each house has 3 floors plus a basement
Number of Occupants: 500 students (100 of which are first years)
Bathrooms: 1 bathroom in each hall
Coed: Yes
Residents: Freshmen and upperclassmen
Room Types: Single and double rooms (All first-years live in doubles).
The most diverse of all the dorms; air-conditioning, study lounges, computer lab, TV lounges, mailroom, dining hall, several laundry facilities.

La Maison Française (The French House)
Floors: 3 floors
Number of Occupants: 35–40 students
Bathrooms: Private
Coed: Yes
Residents: All classes
Room Types: Mostly doubles and singles
There are two washers and two dryers in the basement for residents’ use. Every resident is assigned a box for receiving US mail, (messenger mail needs to be retrieved in the French department).

Lambeth Residence Halls
Floors: 4 floors each
Number of Occupants: 840
Bathrooms: Suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: All upperclassmen
Room Types: Suites
Laundry machines, vending machines, study lounges, and computer rooms are provided, and each suite has its own kitchen.

McCormick Road Residence (10 dorms: Page, Emmet, Kent, Dabney, Bonnycastle, Hancock, Metcalf, Lefevre, Humphreys, and Echols Houses)
Floors: 3-4 floors in each dorm
Number of Occupants: about 1300 students (125 in each dorm)
Bathrooms: Several community bathrooms on each floor
Coed: Yes
Residents: All freshmen
Room Types: All double rooms (with the exception of 30 small single rooms)
Mailroom, “The Castle” snack bar (in Bonnycastle), vending machines, study lounges; McCormick is the most popular freshman housing option.

Munford/Gwathmey
Floors: 3 floors each
Number of Occupants: 125 in each dorm
Bathrooms: Ccommunity bathrooms on each floor
Coed: Yes
Residents: All classes
Room Types: Doubles and singles
A number of kitchens and beautifully furnished lounges provide great space for residents to come together for formal programs or informal socializing.

Sprigg Lane (Lewis/Huxton)
Floors: 3 floors each
Number of Occupants: 100 in each dorm
Bathrooms: Private
Coed: Yes
Residents: All classes
Room Types: Mostly singles
There is a study lounge with vending machines, and laundry facilities are provided. The rooms are furnished with beds, desks with chairs and bookshelves, and blinds or shades.

Campus-Owned Apartments

Copeley Apartments
Floors: 4 floors each
Number of Units: 150 students (total occupancy)
Bathrooms: Private (one full bath and one half bath per room)
Coed: Yes
Residents: All upperclasmen
Room Types: Apartments
Each apartment has a full kitchen (does not include utensils, pots, pans, etc.), and a carpeted living room area.

Faulkner Apartments (Hench, Mitchell, and Younger)
Floors: 4 floors each
Number of Units: 154 students (total occupancy)
Bathrooms: Private (full baths)
Coed: Yes
Residents: All upperclasmen
Room Types: Apartments
There’s a picnic area, laundry facilities, vending machines, and a computer room. All apartments are air conditioned and include free basic cable service in the living room.

Did You Know?

In an attempt to more fully integrate the student body, UVA's administration stopped allowing students to choose specifically where they want to live. You now get to choose if you would prefer to live in a hall-style or suite-style building, but incoming freshmen are no longer allowed to choose the specific location of their dorm. It has thus far been a successful initiative to debunk the age old stereotypes about "old dorms" versus "new dorms."

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