1. Thurston Hall: Living in Thurston is often described as the true freshman experience. Seeing as it is home to 1,116 freshmen, how can it not be? Maintaining its reputation as the liveliest freshman hall on campus, it offers spacious rooms, ranging from doubles to six-person suites, perfect for socializing. Considering its close living quarters, Thurston serves as a convenient place to meet new friends. The key to living here: find a secret study spot outside of your room.
2. Potomac House: Potomac House offers upscale living for freshmen, and is the second largest all-freshman dorm after Thurston, its neighbor down the street. Built in 2006, it is one of GW’s newest residence halls and the newest all-freshman living option. This hall houses 379 students on 10 floors of doubles with adjoining bathrooms. Because of its popularity in the housing pool, this hall is mostly comprised of early decision students. The trade-off for this like-new hall? Its closet space is limited.
3. Crawford Hall: Crawford Hall is first-rate when it comes to its location on campus. Positioned at the heart of H Street, students living in this residence hall enjoy easy access to all of the hot spots on campus: the Marvin Center, Kogan Plaza, Gelman Library and for those late-night study sessions, Starbucks. This residence hall houses 158 freshmen, mostly in doubles with one quad and one single per floor. Due to its small size, this hall has a communal feel. Passing by, you often see members of the Crawford family socializing in the lounge by the piano on the main floor.
4. Madison Hall: Madison Hall is a secret gem among GW’s freshman residence halls. Situated down the block from the Foggy Bottom Metro, across the street from Gelman Library and next door to Duques Hall – home to the School of Business and many freshman lecture classes – Madison Hall provides a central location for 222 freshmen. With spacious doubles, triples and quads on each floor, the rooms in Madison are quite comfortable. Don’t worry about buying bed risers for all those under-the-bed storage containers; most of the rooms in Madison have walk-in closets.
5. Mitchell Hall: Mitchell Hall is comprised exclusively of single rooms, housing students from all class years. It is located in close proximity to the Elliott School of International Affairs, Thurston Hall and the White House. This residence hall even has a 7-Eleven on its bottom level that is open 24 hours. The benefits of living in this hall include having your own personal space and getting the opportunity to make close ties with upperclassmen who can show you the ins and outs of campus. Mitchell residents can be seen socializing on the wrap-around porch out front or in the spacious and comfy common area on the first floor.
6. Lafayette Hall: Closed for renovation last year, Lafayette Hall will now return to the ranks of freshman halls. Accommodating 126 students in doubles with adjoining bathrooms, Lafayette is located on the corner of Eye and 21st streets, just steps away from the Marvin Center, CVS and the 2000 Penn shoppinc center. Don’t be fooled by this building’s historic fa?ade – underneath its 1920s exterior, Lafayette’s inside will be brand new and green, making it GW’s third LEED-certified residence hall.
A. West Hall: When it opened in 2010, West Hall had many students packing their bags on Foggy Bottom and moving over to the Mount Vernon campus. This brand new residence hall houses 287 freshmen and upperclassmen in singles and suite-style quads. West Hall is fully equipped with a black-box theater, recording studio, individual rehearsal spaces and ten student study rooms. Students living here have access to Mount Vernon’s main dining hall – with its very own Wawa milkshake machine – and fitness center located on the bottom levels.
B. Somers Hall: Recently renovated in 2002, Somers Hall houses 246 students in doubles with adjoining bathrooms, similar to the living style of Potomac. Somers is located at the heart of the Mount Vernon Campus, making it easy for its residents to check out the annual Oktoberfest or enjoy an outdoor movie screening on the quad. It also offers easy access to the Vern Express stop for the commute to Foggy Bottom.
C. Clark, Cole and Hensley Halls: Closely located to one another, these three smaller residence halls each have three floors. The living spaces consist mostly of doubles, with a few single rooms. Due to their small size, students living here develop a strong sense of community. Located right next to Eckles Memorial Library, residents in these halls don’t have too far of a journey back to their rooms after late-night study sessions.
D. Merriweather Hall: Another smaller residence hall similar in appearance to Clark, Cole and Hensley, Merriweather is an all-female first year living option on the Vern. It houses 43 students in suite-style doubles with shared bathrooms. Freshmen living in this hall get to know each other personally due to its intimate size.
