Tulane University of Louisiana Top Questions

Describe the dorms.

Allison

The dorms are typical dorms, for the most part. They are fairly small (except for Paterson), but you still have plenty of room for what you want to do. Only Freshmen and Sophomores are guaranteed housing, unfortunately. The freshmen dorms are Monroe (where I lived! Yay MO7!), Sharp, Butler (honors), JL (all girls), Paterson (I worked there) and Wall (you have to apply). The pictures online do NOT do the dorms justice. Trust me. They are a little better than the pictures. Also, keep in mind the only freshman dorm that doesn't have community bathrooms is Wall. Monroe is 12 stories (it sucks moving in there, trust me, but y'all don't have to lift a finger for any freshman dorm!), with kitchens on MO6 and MO12. It's usually co-ed by wing, but GUYS CANNOT USE GIRL BATHROOMS AND VICE VERSA! I think it's actually illegal. And you'll get a write-up. I think that MO was pretty cool, even though it wasn't my first choice. Monroe and Sharp are considered the "party dorms." Sharp! It has two sides- one 7 stories (Sharp Tall), and one is 4 stories (Sharp Short). I've never actually been in there, but I don't think it's too bad from what other people have told me/pictures I've seen. But please, for the love of all things good and pure, don't play frisbee in the hall. That happened to Sharp Short 1 my freshman year, and the whole first floor got flooded because it knocked off the sprinkler head. Everyone hated that kid. Butler, as I said, is the honors dorm. Don't let that fool you, though. You will still get the typical freshman experience. I personally don't think the rooms are that nice, but they aren't that bad. You'll stay in them during summer orientation. That's pretty much all I know about that dorm... JL! Or Josephine Louise, is the all girl dorm. I've never been in there, but unless you WANT to be surrounded by girls at all hours, go for it. Also, you may have a chance of winding up there if you apply to a popular dorm late. On the plus side, it has a sink. Paterson was pretty sweet. It's the Wellness dorm, but that doesn't really mean anything. All the people there were pretty chill. I worked at the front desk and pretty much learned everyone's faces by the first month. It has 3 floors: 1st is guys, 2nd is girls, and 3rd is guys. Girls, if you want Paterson, APPLY EARLY! Trust me. And it's one of the two co-ed dorms that have a sink. Trust me. That's pretty nice. Oh! And sophomores live on the balcony. Finally, Wall. It's also a freshman/sophomore dorm, but you have to apply. I've seen pictures, and the rooms are AMAZING! I said to myself that I didn't want to fill out another application, especially for a room, but I wish I did. The rooms are huge and nice and have a suit style bathroom.

Jessie

There is a big difference between the freshman dorms. There are really nice dorms (that cost a little more in room and board) and dorms that are your typical skeezy college dorm. I lived in Sharp, which was totally gross, but I met awesome people on my floor and I never regretted it. The dorm was old but the social life was way better than the newer, quieter dorms. Wall is the new dorm, and it has big, modern rooms and private bathrooms. If you think you can't handle sharing bathrooms with your floor and having a dated dorm room, you should consider this option.

Paige

There are a lot of options for the freshman dorms. The 2 main ones on campus are Sharp and Monroe. I lived it Sharp and loved it! Both are co-ed and right next to each other. These are basically the "party" dorms, where people will go to pre-game before going out usually. They all are 2 people in a room with a communal bathroom on the floor (shared only girls or only boys). It is not the nicest dorm, but the most fun. Then there is the all girls dorm, J.L., which is so beautiful. It looks like Hogwarts. It is close to the Boot (the main bar), but far away from the rest of campus. It is 2 girls per room and I have heard really good things about living here. Butler is the honors dorm, much quieter. It is co-ed and also 2 per room, really old dorm and not very nice. Patterson and Wall are freshman and sophomore dorms. They are nice and I'm pretty sure they have suite style living (2 rooms, with 2 in each, attached by 1 bathroom). If you are looking for the overall freshman experience I would suggest Monroe/Sharp because of its location and it is all freshman. If you are looking for a nice dorm J.L/Wall/Patterson. If you are looking for a quiet place to do work, Butler.

Paige

There are a lot of options for the freshman dorms. The 2 main ones on campus are Sharp and Monroe. I lived it Sharp and loved it! Both are co-ed and right next to each other. These are basically the "party" dorms, where people will go to pre-game before going out usually. They all are 2 people in a room with a communal bathroom on the floor (shared only girls or only boys). It is not the nicest dorm, but the most fun. Then there is the all girls dorm, J.L., which is so beautiful. It looks like Hogwarts. It is close to the Boot (the main bar), but far away from the rest of campus. It is 2 girls per room and I have heard really good things about living here. Butler is the honors dorm, much quieter. It is co-ed and also 2 per room, really old dorm and not very nice. Patterson and Wall are freshman and sophomore dorms. They are nice and I'm pretty sure they have suite style living (2 rooms, with 2 in each, attached by 1 bathroom). If you are looking for the overall freshman experience I would suggest Monroe/Sharp because of its location and it is all freshman. If you are looking for a nice dorm J.L/Wall/Patterson. If you are looking for a quiet place to do work, Butler.

Ryan

Ah the dorms. The one thing every college student either fears or looks forward to. Well first off I must say the dorms are very nice! Much nicer than I was expecting when I started. Community bathrooms are really not as bad as you think either. The dorms are sizable enough for 2 people to fit comfortably, as long as you don't overpack of course. Each floor and wing has at least one RA residing there to help with all your needs on campus. Use them. They're invaluable resources. The bathroom is cleaned daily and always kept clean. Your room is your own responsibility however. There is free internet and cable to keep you occupied during your down time if you so desire. I came into Tulane dreading the dorm life but now that I've had a taste of it, I couldn't imagine being there without it.

Chelsea

The dorms range from really nice and brand spanking new, to fairly disgusting! I, for whatever reason, elected to slum it both Freshman and Sophomore year. The rooms were fairly similar, with one roommate and a fairly large, single room. Sophomore year I lived with seven girls in a suite-style dorm with a bathroom in the middle. This was a very strange and hormone-laden experience. I knew all of the girls beforehand, but it was still a very difficult situation as there was NO privacy. There are also apartment style dorms for upper-level students as well as much nicer suite-style options in which you only have one room connected to yours through a bathroom. There is also the new Sophomore Honors dorm, which I have not yet seen but it's alleged to be really nice! I now live off campus and it's a vast improvement.

Zoe

The dorms at Tulane are so great! They provide an awesome way to meet new people, especially during your first year. When I was a freshman I lived in Sharp. I loved being able to walk down the stairs and walk into any of my friends' rooms. Sharp was extremely social and fun. The RA's were great and made of feel comfortable and were always there if we needed help with anything. Now, as a sophomore, I live in Mayer. Mayer is great because I live with my best friend but we each have our own room and just share a bathroom. It is so nice to have our own bathroom and especially to have our own space but still have each other just on the other side of the door. Dorms at Tulane are very nice and I think they are pretty spacious in comparison with other schools. We are so lucky to have such great dorms at Tulane!!

Michael

Compared to other universities, pretty good all around. You won't be blown away by luxury suites, but the basics are always there. Just built some really nice brand new ones, but still have a few beat down ones. definitely not something to make you avoid coming here. most people end up living off-campus as soon as they can though.

Matthew

The Freshmen dorms are loud, obnoxious, ugly, and old...and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here's a breakdown. Monroe/Sharp: If you want the generic, insane, college freshman these are absolutely it. I lived in Monroe, and loved every second of it. Basically these dorms are 12, and 7 floors high respectively, with each floor housing half girls and half boys, separated by a common area. What the means is that all students there are surround by both sexes, all of whom are new and just want to have as much fun as possible. If you don't know or don't care where you live, choose Monroe or sharp as your two options. You won't regret it. Butler: Kind of a Mo/Sharp wanna-be. It's fine and I know of lots of people who are still friends from there. Wall: The honors dorm. The rooms are super nice and new, but things are awfully quiet. If that sounds more like your style (and hey, more power to you) this will fit nicely. JL: The all girls dorm. This school has more girls than guys and a majority of the excess ends up here. Most JL girls tend to not spend much time there, instead moving in with Monroe or Sharp friends, and only going back to sleep. Also, if you bring a boy there, he must ALWAYS be with a girl or risk being arrested. I've dated a couple girls here so I have soft spot for it really. Basically, if you're a girl, get your living orders in ASAP. That will make it more likely you don't get bumped into one of the "other" dorms. Best of luck!