Connecticut College is home to 17 dorm buildings, some better than others. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of the best and the worst dorms on campus, as well as some personal anecdotes we would like to share.
Bottom 5:
- Lazrus
- Larrabee
- Johnson
- Ridges
- Branford
Our notes/stories:
Lazrus House did not only make it to the bottom of our list, but also that of Business Insider’s “Ugliest Buildings in Every U.S State.” Lazrus House was awarded a dishonorable mention, falling in second place behind The Pirelli Building in New Haven.
- Lauren Bryant ‘25
While I have never lived in any of these dorms, I agree that they are in the bottom 5 of worst dorms on campus. I have heard horror stories about Lazrus. Lazrus is ugly on both the inside and the outside. Apparently the dorm rooms are very small and cramped. Personally, I have never stepped foot in Lazrus, and I plan on keeping it that way.
- Sarah Hennig ‘24
Although I have not lived in Larrabee, my short visits to this dorm have made it so I never will. The hallways are cramped; it feels claustrophobic and suffocating to walk through the dorm. I can touch the ceilings and as someone who is 5’5’’ this is worrisome. The cinder brick walls feel sterile and the opposite of homey. And don’t even get me started on the bathrooms.
- Dalia Kaplan ‘24
This year, I am living in a single in Larrabee. While it is nice to have my own room and not have to worry about disturbing anyone, I would take a loud, messy, snoring roommate over this. Other than the strange stench that permanently lives in my room, the communal bathrooms are definitely the hardest part about living in this dorm. To give Larrabee the benefit of the doubt, it is in a reasonable location, across from Cro and Coffee Grounds, but overall, I would definitely not recommend trying to live here.
- Katie Madow ‘25
Top 5:
- JA (location, big hallways)
- Harkness
- Smith (bathrooms)
- Morrison (water bottle filler, lots of bathrooms, sizes)
- Windam (location)
Our notes/stories:
I was extremely lucky to live in Morrison my freshman year and experience the luxury of huge doubles, spacious bathrooms, and a water bottle filler. However, I’ve liked living in some of Conn’s other great dorms more. My sophomore year, Smith’s location was perfect, because all I did was walk to “Cro” for pre-packaged food and to the Athletic Center to get tested. I won’t say that I will fondly remember doing my online classes in that room in Central Campus next to my other friends living in the hallway, but it wasn’t the worst place to be.
My junior year Harkness single has been my absolute favorite of them all: I faced Tempel Green and had a great view of people lying on the grass in the sun, the white blanket of snow covering the campus in the winter, and could yell down to my friends walking on the sidewalk. My friends and I were in Coffee Closet almost every day doing work and the location next to JA was perfect for grabbing meals. My room was a great size, I loved my personal wall decor and being in an alcove with friends, and I could roll out of bed and just walk across the green every morning for my classes in South Campus. I would definitely try getting a Hark room sometime in your four years!
- Maria Sell ‘23
I was very lucky to live on the 4th floor of JA my sophomore year next to my close friends. The singles on the 4th floor are extremely large, and because it is the top floor, the ceiling is slanted, making it more homey, and the bathrooms were not the best compared to my previous dorm (Lambdin). Also, JA has its own dining hall on the first floor, which was very convenient for me when I had an early morning class and wanted to grab a quick bowl of cereal or bagel. While I was a bit hesitant about living in JA because it is in South campus and a sizable distance from Harris and some of my classes, I ended up loving the dorm. The walk to Harris is not as bad as I had thought it would be, and it was well worth it to live in such a big single my sophomore year next to my best friends.
- Sarah Hennig ‘24
My freshman year dorm in Morrisson confirmed the rumors that the Plex has the nicest dorms on campus. With up to six bathrooms on just my floor, filtered water bottle fillers, and double rooms with a wall in between you and your roommate, the plex was the place to be. Also, during rain storms or blizzards, I was able to stay safe and dry, as the dorms in the Plex are attached to Harris, our dining hall. Plex superiority!
– Katie Madow ’25