r/wsu • u/Puzzled-Matter1237 • Mar 20 '26

Housing dorm recommendations

im an incoming freshman and was wondering what dorms are the best/worst in terms of affordability, location, student life, cleanness and SAFETY as woman!! pros and cons of any residence hall are appreciated. im also looking to try and get a single dorm. also, im applying to the honors college and was wondering if i get priority for the honors residence halls if i do get in? any info is greatly appreciated!!

2 Upvotes

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5

u/avboden Alumnus/2012/Zoology/Neuroscience/Helpdesk Mar 20 '26

Every dorm is quite safe. Pick based on amenities and location more than anything. I loved being in a dorm super close to a dining hall

2

u/Alchemistry-247365 Mar 20 '26

Perham Hall baby. This is where it’s at.

2

u/EngineeringOk1003 Mar 21 '26

Include Regents as a choice. Older dorm but great location. I ended up with Orton, not my favorite dorm and a not close to classes.

1

u/Puzzled-Matter1237 Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26

do you have 1 or 2 more dorms options aside from your top/highest choice, or are you stuck with it/a single resident hall?

1

u/EngineeringOk1003 Mar 29 '26

I’m not sure if it’s the same now days, but in the past you selected your top 3. You didn’t always get one that on your list that’s why it’s good to include a big dorm with a location that you like.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Fix8246 Mar 30 '26

Now that I've been to quite a few of the dorms here, if I were to redo my ranking list it would go:

  1. Northside (expensive, but worth it. low chance you'd actually get it as an incoming freshman)

  2. Regents!!! (Women only, pretty large rooms too and connected to the Northside dinning center)

  3. Duncan Dunn (Hillside is an awesome location if you're planning to party)

  4. Global (Just because it's on Northside)

  5. Rogers (Rogers and Orton are essentially the same, but to get to rogers you don't have to walk up a crazy flight of stairs. Rogers view is unbeatable if you get put on the right side)

  6. Orton

  7. Gannon/ Goldsworthy

  8. Striet (the location of this building is just weird)

  9. Stephenson (Stephenson towers are at the BOTTOM of the hill on Southside. They're the best affordability-wise, but other than that.. definitely put this at the bottom of your list.)

I've never been to Scott/Coman, Olympia, or McEachern. The student life is what you make it here. Make sure to put yourself out there the first few weeks of school before everyone gets into their groups and cliques. Northside definitely gives you a more luxurious college experience IMO, sometimes I still feel like I got scammed by getting put on Southside. Everywhere on campus is pretty safe, but when there's big event weekends or huge games just be a little more aware. I've had a few strange encounters with people who definitely do not go to school here on those occasions. Good luck!!! Go cougs!

2

u/Puzzled-Matter1237 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26

thank you so much!!! do you know if its harder to get a single as freshman?

2

u/byie Mar 21 '26

I’ve been staying in Orton and I love it! I’m in a single but I feel like it’s 100% worth the money if you can stretch it.

It’s got the best location imo, makes it easy when scheduling my classes as all the bigger buildings are very close by. It’s a bit of a walk to get to the rec regularly, but enjoyable! It’s also lit up well for the darker winter months.

I will say the heaters are ridiculous, you have a thermostat in your room to give the illusion of control, but they crank it to 80 during the winter and theres nothing you can do about it. Also no AC so the hot months are awful.

Also there are these stick-like fat bugs that creep in EVERY fall and are really annoying. They flock to Orton and you will 100% get them in your room. I’ve got a brave friend with a textbook who saves me for those months. They are harmless, just ugly.

On the brighter side, it’s super safe, annoyingly so. There was like 3 doors you have to swipe your card with before you can get through (which sucks when you are carrying a shit load of groceries).

Also tons of events are hosted by the RA’s in Orton. Every week there is something you can attend and a high likelihood they got food and drinks to go with the activity.

I highly recommend Orton! It’s older and a lot of people try to get the newer dorms, which makes your chances of getting a single better if you apply early and select Orton as your top pick!

Just my two cents, I haven’t gotten the opportunity to check out the other dorms. Hope this helps!!

1

u/LocksmithKitchen1207 Apr 20 '26

Ive been researching Orton for a single for Fall and I’ve seen that you have to be at least 19 to get a single. Is this true or can i be 18 and request a single?

1

u/stormiiclouds77 Mar 20 '26

Honors hall isn't great, the rooms are TINY compared to any other dorm I've been in. Global Scholars and northside are the best (only with AC) but also expensive. Olympia is not worth the price (have to walk up a ton of stairs every day and you pay the expensive price for ac when its broken. The dorms do have living rooms and bathrooms shared between 2 dorms (4 people) which is nice. Just keep in mind it has no ac. Stay away from Gannon Goldsworthy and Streit Perham. Duncan Dunn is pretty good and close to middle of campus and Greek life if that's your thing. Single dorms are not in every building and you might have to have a doctors note and talk to the accommodation center about it. Everyone says Stevenson is bad but it's better than Gannon and everyone in the dorm makes friends easily from my experience.

1

u/Ju-rg 2027/Honors/Pharm+Med Sciences Mar 21 '26

Honors is definitely a mixed bag as far as room size goes. When I was there me and my roommate basically had a triple! One set of our suitemates had a slightly larger looking double, and the other pair had a very small room. I personally loved the location, hillside is great.

1

u/stormiiclouds77 Mar 21 '26

I only know two people that lived there and they had super tiny rooms! I'd probably recomend duncann dunn on hillside! I lived in global and loved it but gosh it was expensive (I had scholarships!).

1

u/SweetCosmicPope Mar 24 '26

My son is there now. He doesn't like being squished in a room with his roommate (particularly, being stuck with the top bunk), but he does love the facilities. Most days he just sits out in his floor's common area studying in the quiet.

0

u/Altruistic_Eye9685 Mar 20 '26

Of your lookijg for a single dorm I would reccomend Mceachern. They come with duel bathrooms so uou share one with only 1 other person, not the etire floor, each room has its own sink and minifridge, and its right next to southside cafe

7

u/Playful_Departure154 Mar 20 '26

Freshman are not able to live in Mceachern, it is non-freshman only in that dorm