The season is upon us. That’s right. It’s dorm picking season. Whether you’re looking at a double, triple, single, quad, or the coveted apartment, you can stick with me as I will be your guide to help you choose where you want to live next year!
This guide will be complete with descriptions of each dorm, the pros and cons, including the amenities, and a ranking of closeness to other important buildings.
1. Ham and MacGregor
Pros:
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Great heating
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Spacious closets
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Elevator
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Dining hall
Cons:
-
Linoleum flooring
-
Gets dusty easily (apparently)
-
The food’s sometimes not that great
-
Far from a lot of things and up a hill
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
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Kendall (great dorm for athletes)
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Equestrian center
-
The Green House
2. Torrey
Pros:
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Grab & Go Continental Breakfast
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Quiet
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Nice common room
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Spacious rooms
Cons:
-
Not the greatest exterior
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Not a well sought-out dormitory
-
Mediocre views
-
No dining hall
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Kendall
-
Clapp
-
Kendade
3. 1837
Pros:
-
Great view
-
Has a parking lot
-
Elevator
-
Big storage basement
Cons:
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No dining hall
-
Far from central campus
-
Linoleum flooring
-
Across the lake
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Prospect
-
Delles
-
Pratt
4. Abbey and Buckland
Pros:
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Really amazing brunches (crepes!)
-
Language floors
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Close to the parking lot
-
A lot of singles
Cons:
-
Near the road (noisey)
-
Inconsistent facade
-
Linoleum flooring
-
On the outskirts of campus
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
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Chapin/Mary Woolley Hall
-
Pratt
-
Mead
5. Brigham
Pros:
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Quiet
-
Nice views
-
In between campus and commons
-
A lot of singles
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Apartment
Cons:
-
Smaller rooms
-
Small dormitory
-
Near the road
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Safford
-
Skinner
-
Mary Lyon Hall
6. Creighton (New Dorm)
Pros:
-
New
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Full kitchen
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Big rooms
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Nice view
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Near parking lot
Cons:
-
Inconsistent facade with rest of campus
-
Far from many academic buildings
-
Little trunk area
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Rooke Theatre
-
Pratt Hall
-
Mead Hall
7. The Mandelles
Pros:
-
Beautiful common room
-
Amazingly spacious dorm rooms
-
Wood flooring
-
Majestic facade
Cons:
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Far away
-
No dining hall
-
Difficult to get a room
-
Sometimes loud
-
The hill!
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
1837
-
Prospect
-
Pratt
8. Mead
Pros:
-
Wooden floors
-
Central
-
Accommodates many students
-
Language floors
Cons:
-
Competitive to get
-
Near construction
-
No dining hall
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Rockies
-
Wilder
-
Pratt
9. Pearsons/Pearson’s Annex
Pros:
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In the village commons
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Near many academic buildings
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Wooden floors
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Annex – kitchen
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Parking lot
Cons:
-
Off campus
-
Not near a dining hall
-
Not near Kendall (gotta work out!)
-
Noisy
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
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Library
-
Dwight Hall
-
Mary Lyon Hall
10. Porter
Pros:
-
Spacious and beautiful, including the basement
-
Central location
-
Wooden floors
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Laundry room that’s not always busy
Cons:
-
No dining hall
-
*Basement does not have wooden floors
-
Old common room/kitchen
-
Noisy pipes
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Ciruiti
-
Blanch
-
AUX/Central Services
11. Prospect
Pros:
-
Dining hall that has culinary showcases to die for
-
Fireplaces in the common rooms
-
Fairly located
-
Great views
Cons:
-
Inconsistent exterior with the rest of the school
-
Non-private ground floor windows
-
Noisy
-
Have to walk up a big hill to get anywhere
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Willits
-
Art Building/Gamble
-
Central Services/AUX
12. Rockies
Pros:
-
Spacious rooms
-
Apartments
-
Centrally located
-
Dining hall
Cons:
-
Linoleum floor
-
Noisy/close to Chapin
-
Not the greatest basement
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Chapin/Mary Woolley Hall
-
Mead
-
Skinner
13. Safford
Pros:
-
Beautiful facade
-
Close to parking lot
-
Proximity to academic buildings
-
Wooden floors
Cons:
-
Well sought after
-
No elevator
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Brigham
-
Porter
-
Mary Lyon Hall
14. Wilder
Pros:
-
Dining hall
-
Wooden floors
-
Centrally located
-
On the green
Cons:
-
Noisy with construction
-
Well sought after
-
Not many singles
Top 3 buildings in the vicinity (closest first):
-
Blanch
-
Mead
-
Pratt
I hope this helped a little bit in deciding where you should live next semester, if you haven’t already chosen your dorm. If you’re a first year coming, let this guide help you be eased into what you should expect when coming to this school! Overall, Mount Holyoke’s dorms are accommodating and fairly spacious. There’s really nowhere you can end up and not find something great about it.