Senior Edition: Which Columbia dorm should you live in?

The apple of every rising senior’s eye. If you have a decent lottery number as a rising senior, you have a chance at getting one of EC’s two-person flats or suites (townhouse or high rise). There are not a lot of disadvantages about EC—the only thing is that there aren’t more rooms.

Claremont is a great option for juniors and seniors with groups that range from three to seven people. You’ll have a decent shot at a single, and the kitchens and bathrooms aren’t half bad. The downside to Claremont is that some people complain that it’s a bit of a walk from campus, but I guess “far” is relative.

Hogan is a great option for seniors who want a single in a suite. There is a spacious kitchen, bathroom, and a common space in each suite, and to top it all off, it’s really close to campus.

Just two words: All. Singles. However, you can’t pick into River during in-person selection—it’s only open for online selection, and since groups do not have to stick together during online selection, there’s a chance that your group will not be able to find a string of singles right next to each other.

Though Ruggles is usually the apple of all juniors' eyes, it's also a good option for rising seniors. You have a really good chance to get any size suite you want: 4- 6-, or 8-person. It's proximity to campus might be a turn-off, but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Symposium is one of the lesser-known dorms and is located on 113th Street. It’s a brownstone, which will give you a pretty authentic ~NYC apartment~ vibe. The only bad thing about Symposium is that there are only eight rooms up for selection, so if you miss out on it, Watt or Woodbridge aren’t bad alternatives.

Watt is a good option for rising sophomores with really good lottery numbers or for juniors who want to give apartment living a try. There are a bunch of different room types in Watt—studio singles, studio doubles, one-bedroom apartment doubles, and two-bedroom apartment doubles. The best of all: Each apartment has its own kitchen, meaning that max two people will be using it.

With one side facing Riverside and the Hudson, Woodbridge is probably the ~ultimate~ New York apartment building. It’s a good option for seniors and juniors who want to share a one- or two-bedroom apartment with one of their closest confidants. Watch out for dorms facing inwards to avoid getting shafted.