Question about Olin Hall (WashU)

[JustBreathe]

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Does anyone know if the rooms we stayed in the night before the interview were regular singles or large singles?

 

[Starvin Marvin]

Does anyone know if the rooms we stayed in the night before the interview were regular singles or large singles?

I really have nothing constructive to add to this, but I would really really hope that those rooms were regular and not large. I thought it was small as it is, couldn't imagine being crammed into anything smaller than that.

 

[stherling]

yeah i can't imagine they have smaller rooms than what i stayed in. don't think the furniture would fit 😛

Does anyone know if it's possible to request specific floors? I know some floors are co-ed and some aren't, some have kitchens, some don't..... is it just luck of the draw? When I was there one of the first years said to make sure to live on an odd numbered floor (because of the kitchens), but I don't see any way to make that request.

 

[QofQuimica]

yeah i can't imagine they have smaller rooms than what i stayed in. don't think the furniture would fit 😛

Does anyone know if it's possible to request specific floors? I know some floors are co-ed and some aren't, some have kitchens, some don't..... is it just luck of the draw? When I was there one of the first years said to make sure to live on an odd numbered floor (because of the kitchens), but I don't see any way to make that request.

Ha, I'd rather live on a floor without a kitchen. You have no idea what nasty food some of your dorm-mates will be cooking and stinking up the kitchen floors with....

 

[kirexhana]

Ha, I'd rather live on a floor without a kitchen. You have no idea what nasty food some of your dorm-mates will be cooking and stinking up the kitchen floors with....

eh, i guess it's a blessing to have eaten chinese food all your life. you learn not to distinguish between gross and good. 😉

 

[stherling]

eh, i guess it's a blessing to have eaten chinese food all your life. you learn not to distinguish between gross and good. 😉

amen, brother 🙂

and well... i need to cook to save $$, so convenience overrides potential bad smells anyway 😛 ultimately i suppose it won't make a difference. i don't see why we don't get to pick though, since obviously some people want to be near kitchens and some don't.

anyway, i'm pretty sure i'm gonna live at Olin, since it's far and away the cheapest option available. who's with me? 🙂

 

[kirexhana]

amen, brother 🙂

and well... i need to cook to save $$, so convenience overrides potential bad smells anyway 😛 ultimately i suppose it won't make a difference. i don't see why we don't get to pick though, since obviously some people want to be near kitchens and some don't.

anyway, i'm pretty sure i'm gonna live at Olin, since it's far and away the cheapest option available. who's with me? 🙂

hell yea! although, i think i'm opting for the suite. as much as i'd love to get to know you guys, i need my own bathroom. 😀

 

[JustBreathe]

hell yea! although, i think i'm opting for the suite. as much as i'd love to get to know you guys, i need my own bathroom. 😀

I'm torn between a large single and a suite. I want to save money, but I don't know if I can deal with community bathrooms again...

 

[kirexhana]

it's a 1000 more for a year of privacy and place to put your bathroom stuff and you have to clean it yourself(?). tough choice. 🙁

 

[Saluki]

I'm not going to Wash U, but as someone who has lived in dorms for 8 years, I'd encourage you not to worry about the community bathroom aspect. Rooming with an intelligent group of future med students will help deter the grosser parts of community bathrooms- drunks puking their guts near and on the toilet, people who try to wash food down a small drain with no disposal, etc. And really I think that the community bathroom isn't a bad deal- it's nice when you have a million things to do not to have to worry about scrubbing the toilet and gettign the grime off the shower wallls... I sure as heck wouldn' t pay a 1,000$ more a yr to live in a suite in their dumpy dorm. At that point, I think you're better off moving off campus...

 

[stherling]

when i was there the bathrooms were extremely clean. I was quite surprised.... I lived in a dorm for 3 years in undergrad and bathrooms there were NEVER clean.

and.. i hate to burst all these bubbles, but apparently you all missed the line on the application form that said "Students will only qualify for suites if they have resided at Olin Residence Hall for at least ONE academic year."

so we're choosing between singles, large singles, and DOUBLES. egads. 🙂

 

[browniegirl86]

I thought that the rooms we were in weren't in the same part of the building where most of the students lived. Maybe I'm confusing it with another school. Who knows.

I'm not living in Olin because I have a dog . . . who wants to share a 2/1 with me?

 

[ND2005]

I'm just a lowly waitlister here, but Olin hall really turned me off. I've never been in a more institutional feeling dorm. That was the one negative about my visit.

WashU would have to pay me to live there...not the other way around.

 

[browniegirl86]

I'm just a lowly waitlister here, but Olin hall really turned me off. I've never been in a more institutional feeling dorm. That was the one negative about my visit.

WashU would have to pay me to live there...not the other way around.

The one at JHU was WAAAAAY worse. Worst dorm I've been in in a long time, and I've lived in some pretty crappy dorms (Monroe @ Tulane pre-renovation, Jester West @ Texas).

 

[stherling]

ND2005, I have to agree with you on the institutional feeling. It didn't leave a great impression on me either. That said, a lot of the first years I met said they enjoyed living there, and my tour guide actually lived there for all 4 years! Also, I've gotta say, at $350/mo it's pretty damn cheap AND convenient. 'Sides, it's the people that make the difference! 🙂

 

[ND2005]

ND2005, I have to agree with you on the institutional feeling. It didn't leave a great impression on me either. That said, a lot of the first years I met said they enjoyed living there, and my tour guide actually lived there for all 4 years! Also, I've gotta say, at $350/mo it's pretty damn cheap AND convenient. 'Sides, it's the people that make the difference! 🙂

I think a lot of it is just me. I lived in a dorm in undergrad for 4 years, and I'm ready for bigger and better. I'm definitely done sharing bathrooms, not having my own kitchen, etc. I'll pay the extra monthly money -- it'll make me feel so much more comfortable to have my own apartment to come home to.

 

[stherling]

So... I got my Olin room assignment -- it was waiting for me when I got back from the revisit weekend. I emailed the housing folk to ask if I was on a co-ed/single-sex floor and to confirm that the 10th floor didn't have a kitchen (*sigh*) and also to ask if it was possible to request a floor change, and whether there was a deadline for that. I mean, I applied pretty early, so I can't imagine they've filled their rooms already.

But this is the response I got:

"That is the only room that works for your dates."

Ok. 1) That didn't even answer all the questions I asked (and it's not like there were that many). 2) My 'dates' are for the academic year! How is that possible? It's not like I asked for an early move in or anything.

Anyway. I emailed them back to clarify all that... just wanted to vent. And also to see if anyone else got their room assignment already. I was a little surprised I got mine so soon!