The Freshman Dorm Guide
By: Claire Wong ‘23
It’s housing season and there are so many options! There are so many to chose from and so many different styles. Here is a guide to all the reputations, amenities, and everything you need to know about each freshman dorm!
Before we begin, every dorm has a few of the same amenities:
Most dorms have a customer service center (CSC) in the lobby of its building.
CSC is where you can print, rent out vacuums, pick up mail/packages, and get in contact with a staff member regarding lockouts and other housing questions. If your dorm does not have a CSC in its lobby (Birnkrant, Marks Tower, Marks Hall, Trojan Hall), your neighboring dorm is where you will go.
If you do decide to live in any of the following dorms, you will be required to get the Freshman Meal Plan - which includes unlimited swipes to the dining halls.
Birnkrant
(I lived here my freshman year and absolutely loved it)
Dorm Style: Traditional
Communal bathrooms
Live with 20-40 other students on your floor (typically 20 guys and 20 girls per floor)
Double and Triple rooms
No A/C - Yes I know sounds horrible, but I never found it to be a problem
Dorm Environment:
Known as “8 Floors of Open Doors”
Used to be the honors dorm
Very social dorm - Great balance between social and academics
Nearest Dining Hall: EVK
Location: Near McCarthy Quad and Leavy Library
Other Amenities:
24 hour Starbucks
Building access to New North
Fluor Tower
Dorm Style: Suite
4 doubles per suite = 8 people per suite
Each suite shares a bathroom and a living room space
Sink in the living room space
A/C and heat in each room
Dorm Environment:
Quieter than the communal/traditional dorms, but floors tend to be more social than other suite-style dorms
Great dorm for people who plan to spend a lot of time in their dorm
Where a lot of the athletes tend to live
Large floor lounges
Nearest Dining Hall: Village Dining Hall
Location: Near Lyons Center and SCA
Other Amenities:
Cafe 84 (Starbucks)
Music Practice Room
Communal kitchen on the lobby floor
McCarthy
Dorm Style: Suite and Loft
Double and single rooms
Each suite shares 1-2 bathrooms and living room space
A/C and heat in each room
Dorm Environment:
Honors Dorm - must have a merit scholarship to live here
Newest spaces - built in 2017
Largest dorm spaces for freshmen housing
Large outdoor patio spaces
3-4 large lounges on each floor
Nearest Dining Hall: Village Dining Hall
Location: USC Village
Other Amenities:
Indoor bike parking
New North
Dorm Style: Traditional
Double and single rooms
Select dorms have personal sinks in the room
Communal bathrooms
Live with 20-40 other students on your floor
No A/C - Yes I know sounds horrible, but I never found it to be a problem
No elevators, only stairs
Dorm Environment:
Known as the “party dorm”
Where people who plan to rush in the Spring live
Very social dorm, always something going on
Nearest Dining Hall: EVK
Location: Near McCarthy Quad
Other Amenities:
Small gym in the building
Parkside (A&H, IRC)
Dorm Style: Suite
Double and single rooms
Each suite shares 2 bathrooms and a living room space
Sink in the living room space
A/C and heat in each room
Dorm Environment:
Known as the quietest dorm on campus
Known as “Parkside Darkside” - farthest from central campus
Good for people who need a personal, quiet space to concentrate
Great dorm for people who plan to spend a lot of time in their dorm
Large floor lounges
IRC is typically where international students dorm
Nearest Dining Hall: Parkside Restaurant
Location: Nearest to Viterbi and Roski buildings
Other Amenities:
Close to the Expo Line metro station
South (Pardee, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Trojan Hall)
Dorm Style: Traditional
Communal bathrooms
Live with 30 students of the same gender on your floor
Double and single rooms
No A/C - Yes I know sounds horrible, but I never found it to be a problem
Dorm Environment:
A social dorm - tends to be a less social/more quiet dorm than Birnkrant and New North
A good mix of social and academics
Thin walls, oftentimes hear your neighbor
Nearest Dining Hall: EVK
Location: Near McCarthy Quad and Marshall School
Other Amenities:
Large 2nd-floor lounge at Pardee
Small gym in Marks Tower
Access to all other buildings in South
Additionally, check out https://www.instagram.com/uscadmission/ for dorm tours!
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