The Housing Guide

What residents say

“I’m an engineer and even though there aren’t that many engineers that live south, I’ve never had a problem getting to my class. It’s definitely worth being south to get to know people in Weinberg. Being above a dining hall is definitely my favorite part. If you live in Allison, you can go down to eat in your pajamas. When it’s really cold out you don’t even have to put a jacket on. And in terms of South Campus, Allison is the place where people normally hang out.”

Audrey Angelos, McCormick freshman

“Nobody here is expected to hold up one stereotype. Some people party, some people don’t. Some people love music, we have engineers living here too, and I really like that. The more north you go [on campus], the more science you see. But Allison is very nice and a lot of people want to live here. I think there’s less pressure to do the same thing as everyone else when you live in Allison. Everyone does their own thing and it’s no problem because you can still find people who are into the same things as you. And if you’re less inclined to join Greek life, South Campus is probably a good fit for you.”

Gabriella Johansson, SESP freshman

“I don’t have much to complain about. In comparison to a lot of other dorms, the showers are really nice. The community isn’t excellent, but I feel like that’s kind of on me, because I never go to any of the events organized by the programming board.”

Anand Raman, Weinberg freshman

“I love having laundry on every floor. I don’t have to bring my laundry up and down stairs or use an elevator. I can do it any time of the day because there’s usually no one else doing laundry at the same time. I never have to wait for a dryer or a washer - it’s amazing. If you’re looking for a really social dorm where you’re going to be best friends with everyone in your hall, this is not the place for you, but if you want a little bit of a social atmosphere and somewhere quiet to come home to at the end of the night, it’s a great place to live,”

Elizabeth Byrne, Medill freshman

What non-residents say

“Allison is by far the nicest dorm on campus. The facilities are a significant step up over everything else. Obviously part of that is the fact is that it's one of the newest dorms, but even compared to Shepard and 1838 Chicago it's a little bit nicer. I live in Elder right now and Allison makes it look like a dump. The rooms are much bigger and more inviting, not to mention they have closets and desks as opposed to dressers and tables. That said though, the atmosphere is a lot better up north, at least if you're a social person. In Elder, people are always in the halls, and just about everybody is outgoing and looking to hang out. I even leave my door open so my friends can drop by and say hi or pass some time. Whenever I go to Allison, I do not get the same feeling.”

Ben Krieger, Medill freshman

“I think [the community] is vibrant. I live in CCS/GREENHOUSE, and I don’t talk to anyone in my dorm except my roommate and my friend Joyce. From my perspective, it appears that Allison is more social. I like South Campus life more than North Campus life - I think the people are more laid back here and easier to connect with. And it’s also nice that South Campus is close to Downtown Evanston.”

Joel Alvarez, Weinberg freshman

“The bathrooms are really nice. I like how they have the extra room in front of the showers so you can change without getting wet. The size of the rooms is much nicer and the furniture even feels like it’s much better quality. But I feel like if Allison didn’t have the dining hall, it would be a lot less social. A lot of people just come through here.”

Luodan Rojas, Medill freshman