University of Denver Top Questions

The dorms vary by the price the individual is willing to pay. The cheap dorms look like 70's apartments, while the more pricey option is brand new. The new dorms have a hotel-like decor and a very attractive outside. The old dorms are a waste of money.

Freshmen dorms on campus are really not that great. I did tour one small school in the Midwest where the dorms were narrow and dirty with white cinder block walls and white linoleum floors (it felt more like a haunted insane asylum than a place to actually live), and I have seen dorms that all come with their own balconies, bathrooms, and room service. DU's freshmen dorms are pretty plain, but they could be MUCH worse. I am personally a J-Mac fan (Johnson-Macfarlane Residence Hall), but many people also like Centennial Halls, which house a lot more students.They are really about the same. What I like about J-Mac is that every room has a HUGE window which makes for very bright rooms. Now as for sophomore and upper-classmen dorms, they are NICE. Nelson and Nagel halls are newer buildings that are simply BEAUTIFUL. I am actually looking forward to living in them next year. It is worth noting that all students are required to live on campus TWO years.

Freshmen dorms on campus are really not that great. I did tour one small school in the Midwest where the dorms were narrow and dirty with white cinder block walls and white linoleum floors (it felt more like a haunted insane asylum than a place to actually live), and I have seen dorms that all come with their own balconies, bathrooms, and room service. DU's freshmen dorms are pretty plain, but they could be MUCH worse. I am personally a J-Mac fan (Johnson-Macfarlane Residence Hall), but many people also like Centennial Halls, which house a lot more students.They are really about the same. What I like about J-Mac is that every room has a HUGE window which makes for very bright rooms. Now as for sophomore and upper-classmen dorms, they are NICE. Nelson and Nagel halls are newer buildings that are simply BEAUTIFUL. I am actually looking forward to living in them next year. It is worth noting that all students are required to live on campus TWO years.

Freshman year, DU provides typical dorm experiences. The buildings are older but not horrible. Centennial Halls is right next to the Ritchie Center so students get involved with athletics. The other freshman dorm, JMac is on the other side of campus and very convenient for walking to the Business school and science buildings. Because we have to live on campus for two years, the sophomore dorms are new and very nice. We even have an apartment on the top floor of a new dorm.

Freshmen dorms are pretty standard. I lived in JMAC which in my opinion is the best freshmen dorm. It is on the south end of campus and is close to everything except the rec center (which is still only a ten minute walk). The rooms are small but have more space than you would think. There is plenty of storage and surprisingly a lot of closet space. The bathrooms are communal which I was afraid of, but they were not bad at all. I never had to wait for a bathroom stall and only had to wait for a shower twice. Somehow, even with thirty girls sharing one bathroom, it all works out. The dining halls were average. Somedays, the food was really good and some days it was pretty bad! Overall, there is always something to eat--even if it's a bowl of cereal or a pbj. I was lucky to live off campus my sophomore year, but the sophomore dorms seem to be much better. They are big, suite-style, and have kitchens (communal or sometimes in-room).