On-Grounds Housing - First Year and Beyond: Part One

Well hello there, loyal fans. This topic is one of utmost importance when coming to

college: where you’re going to live. You’ll definitely live in a dorm in your first year

at UVa, but as a second-year and after that, you have a lot of options on-Grounds and

in C’ville. In this first installment of a two-part entry, we’re covering all of UVa’s on-

Grounds Housing options for first-year students, including our residential colleges!

First-Year Dorms

First year dorms are split up into a few groups, we’ll describe each one below!

Old Dorms

Old Dorms on McCormick Road - via housing.virginia.edu. 

The oldest dorms on Grounds (second only to the Lawn), these dorms have a lot of

character, and as of this year, they’ll also have AC! Old dorms are located closest to

central Grounds, and are directly across from science and engineering buildings. Their

location makes them desirable, especially now that they have AC. Being newly renovated,

close to grounds, and still having that red brick and white trim we all love? Old dorms

are hard to beat. 

New Dorms 

These dorms are some of the nicest dorms you will ever lay eyes on. These dorms will

make you feel like you’re living in a luxury hotel, 100% of the time. While a little further

away than old dorms, these buildings also have ELEVATORS, an amazing advantage

when you’re feeling tired. They also have great views from their higher floors, and fantastic

study spaces for all the students in each dorm to use. Overall, new dorms are a really great

place to be, especially since you’re right next to O-Hill, one of UVa’s dining halls.

Gooch-Dillard 

Spacious room in Dillard - via housing.virginia.edu.

Ah, my first-year home. These are the furthest away first-year dorms, but they make

up for it in amenities. Instead of one room on a hall, you get a room, a living room, and

an AMAZING bathroom that you only have to share with five people. There are three bus

stops here, Runk dining hall (unquestionably the best dining hall at UVa), and it’s close to

the stadium, which makes football game days a breeze. Gooch-Dillard may be far away,

but we’ve got beautiful dorms and delicious dining. 

The Motels (CDF)

Cauthen, Dunglison, and Fitzhugh make up our last chunk of dorms, which we call the

motels. Honestly, the motels do not have the same advantages as the other dorm groupings.

Being the last dorms on-Grounds without AC is tough, and the location is closer than Gooch-

Dillard, but not by much. These dorms are set to be demolished, so we may have to say

goodbye to them soon, but most of us are not too sad to see them go. 

Residential Colleges

Residential colleges are dorms for first, second, third, and fourth years. Each of these

dorms requires an application, and has a specific dorm theme. 

Hereford

Students working in the garden at Hereford - via news.virginia.edu. 

Hereford is a sustainable living community. Residents of this college have a community

garden, biodegradable dining containers at Runk Dining Hall, and practice other

sustainability measures. They get one academic credit for being residents here, which is

awesome! The rumor is that they have timed showers, but we’re not sure. This dorm is hall-

style, like new and old dorms. 

International Residents College (IRC)

70% of residents here are International students. The IRC is a really popular place to

live for all, because you can have your own room here. Located across from the Central

Grounds garage (near the bookstore), you have great access to all of Grounds if you

choose to live here. 

Brown College

Sample single dorm room - via housing.virginia.edu. 

Brown College is a little harder to describe, but they have a lot of really cool things.

Every year, they host “Hauntings on the Hill,” a haunted house for students at Halloween.

They have single bedrooms as well, and are the most centrally located dorms. You know

you want to live here if you enjoy their application, which has questions like Draw a

map of your mind or If you were a moth trapped in the internet and they only way to

escape was to find love, what would you put on your dating profile?

Check out UVa Housings’s website (link below) for full photos of all the dorms. They

can be a great resource for any questions, but always feel free to reach out to us here at

Hoostories! Keep checking our blogs for more information about UVa.

Signing off,

Abby S. 

Link to housing: https://housing.virginia.edu/