Best dorm?

[YoungMUFan4]

i just got into marquette, what dorm would you suggest?

[MUfan12]

It depends what you're looking for to be honest. If you want the crazier atmosphere go with McCormick, but the rooms are tiny. Mashuda is nice, quieter, but kinda isolated. I lived in Carpenter and really liked it. It was a nice balance, it wasn't a library, but it wasn't McCormick either. People still had their doors open. O'Donnell (all male dorm) I've heard mixed reviews on, some people loved it, others not so much.

Nicest rooms are Straz and I've heard Abbotsford, although I'm not sure if those are open to all freshmen.

[🏀]

Don't kid yourself, have the college experience and live in McCormick. I lived in Carpenter Tower my freshman year, and it is a morgue compared to McCormick.

Everybody has a great McCormick story, and the people living there have THE best time. Their food is also pretty good the last time I had it.

[EmJ5]

I'm a freshman at Marquette this year and I live in McCormick. It gets pretty crazy and it's never quiet so if you are not big on partying it's probably not for you. Although it gets crazy sometimes I love McCormick because of the location, and even though the rooms are small and the atmosophere is... interesting to say the least... you meet a lot of people the first few weeks and there is always something going on. The food isn't great but, honestly, most of the food on campus isn't good, so it's nice to have a cafeteria inside your dorm.
I'm gonna say McCormick is the way to go, unless you want to try for Abbottsford to have a giant room.

[🏀]

I'm a freshman at Marquette this year and I live in McCormick. It gets pretty crazy and it's never quiet so if you are not big on partying it's probably not for you. Although it gets crazy sometimes I love McCormick because of the location, and even though the rooms are small and the atmosophere is... interesting to say the least... you meet a lot of people the first few weeks and there is always something going on. The food isn't great but, honestly, most of the food on campus isn't good, so it's nice to have a cafeteria inside your dorm.
I'm gonna say McCormick is the way to go, unless you want to try for Abbottsford to have a giant room.

The library is for studying.

[mu_hilltopper]

West Hall is the best dorm, hands down.

[Marquette Gyros]

I vote for O'D, which is where I lived, but like MUfan12 said, it all depends on what you're looking for.

If you want a crazy, Ohio State/VA Tech couch-burning, "COLLEGE!!!!1" shouting, fire-alarm pulling living experience, by all means go with McCormick.  Great location, good food, and good times when you combine 800 coeds that just got out of high school.  Craziness ensues.

If you want a quiet, apartment-style residence, choose Carpenter.  Consistently favored by engineers, the dorm has earned its reputation as a quiet, laid-back place to stay.  Nap-time approved and endorsed.

If you were the salutatorian of your high school class, broke 33 on your ACT, don't mind living across a bridge from what might as well be the rest of civilization, and long for occasional make-out sessions with emo girls from Indianapolis that want you to save the planet with them, then Straz Tower is your place.  Plus side -- there's a gym in your building and the food is legendary.

If you want to hang out with sophomores, eat bad, greasy food, and walk forever to all of your freshman-year classes in Marquette Hall, Mashuda is your place.  A bonus of this place is that it's close to the epicenter of off-campus parties, 17th and Kilbourn.  Of course, it's not as close as O'Donnell. Or McCormick.  Damn.

Finally, yeah, it's not the best place to meet girls, but there is no place in the world that will hone your sh*t-talking, prank-pulling, Gyros-eating, hoops-playing, or beer-drinking abilities like O'Donnell Hall.  At the end of the day, isn't that what freshman year is all about?


(Disclaimer.  Abbotsford wasn't a dorm for most of my college career.  I hear it's money. YMMV.)

[IAmMarquette]

McCormick. No question.

Fire alarms (19 before Thanksgiving my sophomore year) are for Schroeder (definitely live there too).

As mentioned above, if you need a quiet place, Raynor/Memorial are just across Wisconsin Ave.

[Steak]

Carpenter was only open to Sophomores when I was in dorms (2005).

Abbottsford was the best. Good people (but not too crazy), great rooms.
McCormick's cafeteria will be open the latest, plus what everyone else said.
Straz is nice, but a very far walk.
OD is another long walk, and it's guys only. If you do end up there, most guys end up liking it anyway (whether they picked it  or not)

[MUfan12]

If you were the salutatorian of your high school class, broke 33 on your ACT, don't mind living across a bridge from what might as well be the rest of civilization, and long for occasional make-out sessions with emo girls from Indianapolis that want you to save the planet with them, then Straz Tower is your place.  Plus side -- there's a gym in your building and the food is legendary.

LOL... that's hilarious. But painfully true.

[chapman]

I vote for O'D, which is where I lived, but like MUfan12 said, it all depends on what you're looking for.

If you want a crazy, Ohio State/VA Tech couch-burning, "COLLEGE!!!!1" shouting, fire-alarm pulling living experience, by all means go with McCormick.  Great location, good food, and good times when you combine 800 coeds that just got out of high school.  Craziness ensues.

That's the first time I've ever heard anyone say the food at McCormick is good.  None of the dorm food is good, but I think McCormick fries everything but the ice cream. 

[Marquette Gyros]

That's the first time I've ever heard anyone say the food at McCormick is good.  None of the dorm food is good, but I think McCormick fries everything but the ice cream. 

Keep in mind that the O'Donnell cafeteria was my point of reference.  Apparently breakfast was their best meal, but I'm not a morning person, so I never found out. 

All I know is that the pizza and burgers served at McC are miles ahead of O'Donnell grilled cheese sandwich after O'Donnell grilled cheese sandwich.

[reesiecup210]

McCormick for sure. Every freshman should experience it. Whether you like to drink or not. You'll meet a ton of people and have a blast doing it. Central location. 800 other freshman around you. The other dorms are fine, but McCormick has the best social life.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Mccormick
Schroeder
house
1 bedroom apt after getting burnt out on cleaning up after a party every weekend.

[IAmMarquette]

McCormick for sure. Every freshman should experience it. Whether you like to drink or not. You'll meet a ton of people and have a blast doing it. Central location. 800 other freshman around you. The other dorms are fine, but McCormick has the best social life.

Exactly. We basically moved our entire wing in McCormick to the same wing in Schroeder. I ended up living with half of those guys jr. and sr. year, too. You don't have to be Joe College to appreciate McCormick.

[drewm88]

Carpenter: If you're an engineer, and want to hang out with engineers, live here as a freshman. I wouldn't recommend it.

Straz: Can only get in as a frosh if in the honors program, which makes it somewhat like Carpenter. However, key differences: Huge rooms, a/c, more freshman than CT (about 100 total), GIRLS (barely any at all live in CT frosh year), best food on campus, a gym downstairs, bob's barbershop.

Abbottsford: Huge rooms, central location.

McCormick: Your cafeteria stays open till midnight, and, oh yeah......it's a giant freaking party.

OD: Also lots of fun. Just fewer girls around.

Anywhere you live, chances are very good you will love it. But if you want my advice......live in Cobeen 

[mosarsour]

Or, if you can get in, Humphrey. I was there for 2 years and you can really get to know some of the ball players.

[jutaw22mu]

pretty much everyone gets mccormick, no matter what you put.

[Boognish_MU]

pretty much everyone gets mccormick, no matter what you put.

I didn't and I was in OD... which turned out to be better

[spartan3186]

It doesn't really matter where you end up. I was in OD but spent most of my time 1st semester in McCormick (and by most of my time I mean all of my time other than when I passed out at OD for the night). 2nd semester I spent a lot more time at OD playing poker with the guys. Different experiences, both experiences I'll never forget. I'm not going to try to tell you about the other dorms as I would not be a good judge having not spent much time there. Some advantages to both

McCormick- Of course you have the CoEd thing which is really nice, but its all about who you meet. Even if in OD just meet some girls and spend time with them. They also have a rep for having the most lenient RA's the ones in OD suck big time, they try to run it like bootcamp. Its also a non-stop party. Lots of crazy stuff going on all the time. Things I've seen/done in McCormick include: throwing water baloons and Student Safety from a 5th story window, kegs thrown out the window, full out lacrosse games in the hallway, full out football games in the hallway, lots of drinking etc etc

OD- It was a ton of fun when I was there and a lot of my best friends lived in my wing, you'll defft form strong friendships. We played a ton of poker my frosh year, like 8+ hours a day. Not as many crazy stories from the dorms themselves and most of the nights with the guys I don't really remember (not by choice).

Long story short: You'll have an unforgettable experience no matter where you are. It's all about who you meet not where you live.

[🏀]

We played a ton of poker my frosh year, like 8+ hours a day.

That's a lot of poker. Were you playing with Amo?

[muwarrior87]

McCormick food has improved leaps and bounds in the last year. They got the old dining manager from the Been and he's great. Food is 10 times better this year there than in the past.  I was a CT engineer my frosh year and those floors are fun. Not close to McCormick rowdiness but still we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

The rest of Carpenter, however, is pretty quiet, but next year who knows since all but two RA's will be exiting the building will get a whole new feel.  It was nice having my own bathroom though, that's for sure.

If you love being one of the guys and male bonding is one of your personal favorite pasttimes, go with OD.

The Abbottsford is the high end by far for incoming frosh.  Rooms are massive, good location on campus...but ya gotta get lucky to get into there since it's not that big of a res hall.

Like others have said, Straz is for the brains. It's nice having the rec Plex right there though...no long walks in the cold if ya want to go workout.

Each has it's advantages. I'd avoid Mashuda as a freshman just because it's so far out of the way and not too many frosh end up there.  Best of luck finding a place and hope you have a great start to a new chapter in your life next fall.

[IAmMarquette]

i just got into marquette

Congrats, by the way.

[spartan3186]

We played a ton of poker my frosh year, like 8+ hours a day.

That's a lot of poker. Were you playing with Amo?

He played with us on occassion yes. He was super super super aggressive and did not really care if he lost money haha. That kid was addicted to gambling, I also saw him playing Poker at Potowatami when he was a freshman (I was playing Bingo) I still don't know how he pulled it off, I suppose he looks older than he is

[Marquette Gyros]

We played a ton of poker my frosh year, like 8+ hours a day.

That's a lot of poker. Were you playing with Amo?

He played with us on occassion yes. He was super super super aggressive and did not really care if he lost money haha. That kid was addicted to gambling, I also saw him playing Poker at Potowatami when he was a freshman (I was playing Bingo) I still don't know how he pulled it off, I suppose he looks older than he is

I'll give the secret away because I'm over 21 now and don't really mind if anyone from Potowatomi finds this, but the trick is to enter the casino on the second floor, act like you're going to play bingo, and deftly sneak into the poker room (which is right at the back of the bingo area, for those that aren't familar with the place).

There's also a bank of escalators leading from the bingo area to the main casino floor that allows you access to video poker, slot machines, and ultimately, table games.  The escalators deposit their passengers well inside security.

See, you never know what you'll learn when you click on a "best dorms" thread...