Top dorms at ISU

[CynadoAlley]

I live in Maple this year and I love it. I have friends in Willow and Larch and I have heard both good and bad things about them. Larch is definitely the worst of the 3, IMO. When I go visit my friends in Willow there is never a dull time. MWL is great though, there is always something to do and it is fairly close to everything on campus.

P.S. Seasons is great the first couple weeks, but after that it gets old, FAST.
P.S.S Ignore the guy above me that says Maple is full of fun haters.

Agreed, I live in Maple as well (Walls house) and it is what you make of it. That goes for any dorm for that matter. Maple may be a bit more strict than Larch/Willow but you can see why pretty quickly, and if you think not enough goes on there, then take a 30 second walk to Willow or Larch.

The niceness (individual bathrooms, sink in rooms, etc.) makes Maple my top pick for ya.

 

[packthejack23]

So rumor has it that Maple is the best dorm with eaton and martin close second and third. Is that true??

 

[BCClone]

Wish I could have lived in maple when I was in college. It was all female back then. could have been the lone rooster. Don't know if its unisex now.

 

[Al_4_State]

So rumor has it that Maple is the best dorm with eaton and martin close second and third. Is that true??

What do you mean by "best"?

Those are the dorms with the newest and nicest amenities. They're also the least fun.

"Best" is going to be up to your preference in what you want from a dorm experience. If you want optimal comfort and aren't that interested in socializing/partying, Maple/Eaton/Martin are a good choice. If you want something out of Animal House, look to Larch/Willow or Friley/Helser (would depend on the floor on the last two). Old RCA would probably be a middle ground.

 

[k123]

What do you mean by "best"?

Those are the dorms with the newest and nicest amenities. They're also the least fun.

"Best" is going to be up to your preference in what you want from a dorm experience....

Agree with this. Nicer dorms are great right when you move in, but the nice amenities are usually there for more privacy, which has trade offs. If that goes too far your dorm loses the spontaneous interaction that is the point of dorm life. Figure out where on that spectrum you want to be, it depends on personality.

For that reason, I still recommend Old RCA (BWR, etc) as a good middle ground.

 

[CyFan51]

It depends on what your major is. Engineering-west side of campus, anything else- east side. Eaton and Martin are very nice, but $$$. People still party in those dorms, but things are much more secluded. MWL has the dining center right there so you only have a minute walk. People do party in those dorms, mostly Willow and Larch, but it isn't anything too insane if you are looking for something quiet. I would personally suggest Willow because it just had new windows and AC units put in this past summer. Larch is basically the same, but the windows and AC units are ancient. Maple is the nicest of the three, but there is a lot more security and it is less social. Whatever you choose you can't go wrong because it is IOWA STATE and there is CyRide! Good Luck!

 

[Al_4_State]

Agree with this. Nicer dorms are great right when you move in, but the nice amenities are usually there for more privacy, which has trade offs. If that goes too far your dorm loses the spontaneous interaction that is the point of dorm life. Figure out where on that spectrum you want to be, it depends on personality.

For that reason, I still recommend Old RCA (BWR, etc) as a good middle ground.

Exactly.

And I think some people seek that privacy/lack of interaction. Nothing wrong with it, it's just that if you ask someone for the "best" dorm, that's pretty god damn subjective.

There is no "best" dorm. It's all dependant on your preferences.