Singles are very rare, and if you hoped to get one via medical requirement, there are medical forms for your doctor to fill out and have reviewed. It is very unlikely a freshman, regardless, would be given one. North has quads, which are two rooms each with two people, a tiny entryway/room and a bathroom to share. They do have doubles (two single rooms) but those are for RAs with a spare room for disasters, etc. I do know people who have gotten a single for medical reasons but I don’t think “needs sleep” is going to work. (Chemo was the student I know of)They are the smallest dorm area but also close to the creamery and Forum. West, as has been mentioned, is where most of the engineers dorm.
If your freshman is an engineering prospect, “social” is going to be limited. They are a weed-out program and will push students hard.
@carrottopcurls2
My daughter sounds exactly like your son. She will also be a Freshman Engineering student and I was curious about Freshman getting a single because my D also has a health issue so she usually needs to go to bed pretty early. I am
wondering about a quiet dorm as well.
@carrottopcurls2 Yes that is possible to have a single, he just needs to fill out the medical housing accommodation request forms with his doctor. I would recommend West for engineering and a quieter dorm, but it is majority upperclassman so they are less inclined to make friends than other freshman majority areas. But the plus sides are the location in proximity to classes, big rooms, nice bathrooms, and almost everyone around you being similar majors. Pollock is about 50% freshman and everyone is incredibly friendly/talks to everyone. However it is a bit nosier depending on which dorm it is. The plus sides are the location being central on campus and close to downtown, the diversity of majors, and the dining hall/dining options in the area. There is an Engineering SLO I believe in Pollock. My recommendation is the same for you @jmsstb I love Pollock, but West is also incredibly nice. It all depends on what you value most.
Thanks so much @LM3232! West sounds like a good fit for my son. There are two SLO’s in Pollock for engineering and it too sounds like a possibility. However, my son didn’t love the super small rooms and the older condition of the dorm. He will need to research this a bit more before he selects something. We will also contact his doctors about the form. Worth a shot but I also want him to decide if he wants to go this route or not.
@carrottopcurls2 No problem! Yeah the rooms are small in Pollock, but most people who live there don’t find it too much of an issue. The dorms definitely are older, but having lived in Pollock, I never found it to be troubling compared to friends in renovated dorms, for me the pros outweigh the cons. Either housing area is incredible and a great choice! When he makes his housing request he has to put a first and second choice, so as long as he is content with getting either it should be all good.
@LM3232 So true about Pollock! Everyone has loved their living experience there, especially those in certain SLOs. What are your thoughts about living in North? What students live there?
@carrottopcurls2 In regards to Pollock, my son (Engineering major) is interested in being part of EASI or FISE, but concerned with room size there (he is 6’1"). Thoughts? non-issue. I have a DD who is a senior in college (different school) and I told my son that the bed size will not change, but room size could. He is debating this with East as of today.
@Chazer The beds are all the same length, I have many friends in Pollock even taller than your son who have no problem living here. Room sizes vary among the halls and housing areas though, but the ceilings are tall enough in every dorm hall.
@carrottopcurls2 It is true, Pollock is such a great area that a lot of people love including myself! North is very small. From my experience with friends who live there it seems that they like other housing areas more, but then again others absolutely love it, it all depends on what a person values. If it is close to their classes and they want a quiet small environment it is great! But if you want to be very social, or closer to downtown and the center of campus, or have more dining options it isn’t the best choice for you. It is very far from downtown, but closer to certain class buildings. Lots of business, landscape architecture, and Agriculture students live in North. It is very quiet and doesn’t always have much going on, the dining hall is the smallest out of all of the dining halls. I wouldn’t recommend it for a freshman though in my opinion, there are other housing areas that seem a better fit for your son.
My son lived in North for three of his four years. Carpet, ac, semi private bathrooms, lots of SLO related to environmental, ag, arts. There’s a brand new dorm and it is directly behind the A&A building and the Palmer Art museum so lots of those students live there, but it’s about 1/3 freshmen. He was not any of those majors but never felt out of place, but he’s a very independant person. He had many friends who used their suite to crash between classes since it is closer to central campus than East or West. (again , “closer” is a super relative term). The rooms are bigger than West and quieter, generally, than East (but everything is) and quieter than South (which gets lots of noise from town).
People tend to overstate the social aspect of any dorm. (Except for East, which is loud and busy by dint of being so huge) You spend less time in your dorm than you think. You make most of your actual friends at LEAP or in whatever organizations you join. So don’t obsess about dorm; start thinking about what groups you might join instead. ALL dorm rooms pale in comparison to the one a student grew up in. NONE of them will be particularly close to a freshman’s classes (which you can’t predict very well anyway)
So after attending accepted students day, my son (Engineering admit) is now going to decide on Pollock or West due to the Engineering special living. It is evident to us that it is recommended to do the Engineering special living with identified the advantages of doing so. My son is a Varsity sports person and very outgoing, so not worried about him meeting others or participating on clubs. Any thoughts on the Pollock versus West outside of the obvious that West has a smaller Freshman percentages?
@Chazer One isn’t better than another. West probably has the most engineering students, has big rooms, and it’s a very pretty area.
Pollock is centrally located, and there will be more freshmen. I think the SLO in Pollock is only for first year students. E-House is in West, and if admitted, I think he would have the option to live there for as many years as he wants
My son is not in engineering, and loves living in renovated East, but I can see how living in one of the SLO’s would definitely be beneficial for engineering students.