University of Michigan Freshman Dorms: A Comprehensive Guide

Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Michigan! As you prepare for your first year, settling into your new home away from home is a crucial step. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of freshman dorm life at U-M, covering everything from move-in logistics to residence hall essentials and insider tips.

Move-In Information

Mark your calendar for student move-in, which takes place August 20-24, 2025. As you sign your housing contract, you will be able to select a specific time slot for a day and time to move-in from time slots available.

Navigation and Check-In

We recommend use of a navigation app (like Waze) to assist you in navigating to Ann Arbor. You will need your Mcard at Check-in. If you have not received your Mcard yet, you will receive your Mcard at check-in.

Unloading and Parking

After unloading, please move vehicles away from the building to post check-in parking. The university typically converts several lots to free parking for move-in. Make sure to park in a legal spot, as private lots around town are known to tow unauthorized vehicles.

Room Inventory and Repairs

Be sure to complete your online Room Inventory Form (RCI). If your room requires any repairs, report them using the online FIXIT form. Residents are responsible for the condition of the space upon move-out so this form is an important one to complete. Visit the M Housing policies page for further information about what to expect regarding the condition of your living space at move-out.

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Settling In

Begin unpacking and getting settled into your room. We are happy to have you on campus and have a great semester. Go Blue!

Residence Hall Essentials and Insider Tips

The typical room in a residence hall only has a few outlets, often in difficult spots behind beds or desks. Having a power strip, as well as a number of extension cords, will allow you to plug in as many lamps, lights, and devices to charge as you need.

Space-Saving Solutions

These can be a great help whenever you need to condense your things for travel, particularly if you are an out-of-state student and will be flying more frequently. Additionally, for the changing seasons in Michigan, it is helpful to be able to compress your summer clothes down to store away once the weather grows colder, and then vice-versa with your bulkier winter clothing once the weather warms up again. Residence hall life is all about saving space wherever you can!

Organization

There are plenty of styles of jewelry organizers that work well in a residence hall. However, I would specifically recommend one that can travel well and fit easily on any surface - the simpler the better. A wide flat box with a glass top, divided by square cubbies to sort earrings, necklaces, rings, etc. is fantastic for organizing, and easiest to travel with, as it just slides into a box or suitcase.

Cleanliness and Comfort

As a Californian coming to Michigan, I was not prepared for walks to and from class in the rain, snow, and slush. Of course, it is up to personal preference, but if damp carpets bother you, having a mat by your door is a game changer for cleaning off shoes and keeping your room clean whenever you have friends over. Plus, it’s an opportunity for a bit of personality - choose a mat with a fun message or decoration!

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While candles are not allowed in residence halls, a light room spray or fresh flowers can be a great touch for a small room! Some sort of subtle, herbal air scent will freshen up your residence hall room and make it cozy and inviting. Obviously, make sure it’s a scent both you and your roommate(s) are happy with, and be sure to open your window regularly for fresh air and circulation.

Convenience

A phone wallet that attaches to the back of your phone makes residence hall life far more convenient. Since U-M buildings often require swiping your student Mcard for access, as well as residence hall buildings and bathrooms that require your key card, having these accessible on the back of my phone constantly saved me time and effort. You’ll want to keep both of those cards on you at all times, and a phone wallet makes that particularly easy. The inexpensive phone wallets sold at the M Den come in a number of colors, all stamped with the Michigan M!

Additional Tips

Power Strips: Essential for maximizing limited outlets.
Vacuum-Sealed Clothing Bags: Great for travel and seasonal storage.
Jewelry Organizer: Keeps jewelry organized and travel-ready.
Mat by the Door: Helps keep the room clean during inclement weather.
Room Spray/Fresh Plants: Adds a touch of freshness and coziness.
Phone Wallet: Convenient for carrying essential cards.

Residence Hall Options

Michigan Housing serves as home for undergraduate students, graduate students, and students with families. Facilities include 18 residence halls as well as nearly 1,500 apartments located on North Campus. Each residence hall is a unique community that fosters a sense of belonging and helps students connect with others. Here's a breakdown of some of the residence hall options:

Central Campus

Betsy Barbour: A women’s residence hall in the heart of Central Campus, a small community of around 120 women, and shares its facilities, staff, and community spaces with Helen Newberry Residence Hall.
East Quad: A mixed-gender, undergraduate residence hall, home to approximately 850 students.
Fletcher Hall: The smallest residence hall on campus, houses approximately 75 students.
Helen Newberry: The oldest all-female residence hall on campus, houses about 110 women.
Henderson House: A unique cooperative community that houses 28 undergraduate and graduate women. Sophomores through graduate students are welcome to apply. Residents will be part of a small, close-knit community and share household responsibilities like cooking and cleaning.
Martha Cook: An all-women hall that is home to 140 students who have found friends and a home on campus for over 100 years.
North Quad: Combines living and learning for approximately 450 undergraduate students.
Oxford: A mixed-gender community made up of seven small apartment houses, set in a woodsy, quiet residential neighborhood a few blocks from Central Campus.
South Quad: A vibrant community located on Central Campus near the Michigan Union. This mixed-gender building is home to roughly 1,170 mostly first-year students.
West Quad: A mixed-gender residence hall that is home to around 1,100 upperclassman and first-year students. It’s conveniently connected to the Michigan Union and is across the street from the South Quad Dining Center.

Hill Neighborhood

Alice Lloyd: A mixed-gender residence hall.
Couzens Hall: A mixed-gender residence hall.
Mary Markley: A first-year, mixed-gender residence hall.
Mosher-Jordan Hall: Also known as "MoJo," is a first-year, mixed-gender residence hall.
Stockwell: A mixed-gender residence hall.

North Campus

Baits II: A mixed-gender, first-year residence that houses approximately 570 students. It’s near Pierpont Commons, Bursley Residence Hall, Michigan Engineering, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and other academic units.
Bursley: A mixed-gender residence hall for about 1,270, mostly first-year students. It’s on North Campus near Pierpont Commons, Michigan Engineering, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and many other academic units.
Northwood I & II: Offer furnished apartments to single grads who wish to live alone or with a roommate.
Northwood IV & V: Offer students a lively and warm community and is an ideal place for students with families; the large Community Center has lounge areas and games, and hosts events all season long.

Graduate Housing

Munger Graduate Residences: Located on Central Campus, were designed specifically for graduate and professional-level students from a variety of cross-campus disciplines. Furnished apartments include six or seven single-occupancy bedroom suites, each with a private bathroom.

Room Assignment Process

To secure on-campus housing in your first year at the University of Michigan, you will need to complete a few tasks between April and August. Applying for housing is the first step and lets Michigan Housing know you want to live on campus in your first year.

Application

The housing application typically opens to matriculated first-year students in early April. Students admitted to U-M before May 11 usually have until May 11 to submit their housing application. After May 11, applications are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Students admitted to U-M from May 11 onward are welcome to apply for housing, and are encouraged to submit applications as quickly as possible.

When you apply for housing, you will:

Provide important housing information, such as phone number, emergency contact, and missing person contact.
Indicate housing preferences, such as preferred campus and room type.
Learn how to request accommodations for health and disability, religious observance, or gender-based needs.
Have the opportunity to apply to Michigan Learning Communities (MLCs) and Theme Communities.
Choose the method that you get your room assignment: have Michigan Housing assign you using your application preferences or assign yourself to a room through the Room Selection process.
Answer a set of roommate-matching questions.
Search for potential roommates and form roommate groups with desired roommates.

Room Assignment Options

For new first-year students, if eligible, Michigan Housing allows you to decide how you get your room assignment. You have two options:

Have Michigan Housing Assign You: Michigan Housing will use your housing application preferences, including campus, room type, roommate groups formed, and roommate matching questions to assign you to a room that meets as many of your preferences as possible. This option may be beneficial if you do not have strong preferences around specific buildings and rooms, may feel overwhelmed by the research required to learn about specific residential communities and choose a specific room, and are comfortable with Michigan Housing taking your campus, community, and room type preferences to assign you to a room that meets as many preferences as possible.
Assign Yourself a Room: If you desire and are eligible to assign yourself to a room, you will receive information and instructions on the process during the following timeline: Early June: receive your designated Room Selection date. Mid-June: participate during your designated date in the Room Selection process to select your room in the Michigan Housing portal. Rooms will be available for selection beginning at your selection time slot. As other students select spaces, there will be fewer available rooms to select. Students who form roommate groups will be able to select spaces on behalf of the entire group. However, there is no guarantee of room availability that fits the size of a roommate group. This option may be beneficial if you have the desire to research Michigan Housing residence halls and room types, are prepared to quickly identify alternative options if a desired room has been selected by another student, and have strong preferences towards specific buildings and rooms.

Regardless of how your room assignment is created, in late June you will receive an offer to submit a contract for the space you assigned yourself or that Michigan Housing has assigned you to.

Contract and Move-In Time Slot

Students who received a housing contract on June 3 will have until Monday, June 8 at 11:59 PM EDT to submit their housing contract and confirm their on-campus housing assignment for the 2026-2027 academic year. When you submit your contract, you will also pick your time slot for move-in. Students in a roommate group will receive the same date and timeslot.

Important Considerations

No priority in room assignment is given to students who complete a housing application earlier than others.
Once you choose from the available options and complete your housing application, you will not be able to change your assignment method.
All available first-year buildings and rooms are available through both options. Choosing one option over the other does not guarantee you will receive or choose more desirable housing.
MLC applications take precedence over roommate requests.
Accommodation for a student’s housing assignment because of a disability or chronic health condition supersedes all other requests including roommates.
Michigan Housing is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate.

Additional Resources and Tips

Laundry

Laundry machines are located in every undergraduate residence hall. Residents can use an app to make a mobile payment or they can use cash at the machines.

Appliances

If you would like to rent an appliance for your room, including refrigerators and microwaves, contact College Products.

Furniture

Your modular furniture can be set up in any of four approved configurations. You may be happy with your current configuration, but if you want to make a change, please review and follow all safety requirements and assembly instructions. For safety reasons, only the configurations presented here are allowed. UM Dorms have modular furniture that allows the bed to be setup in one of 5 ways: Single Bed, Bunk Beds, Full Loft, Half Loft, Trundle Bed (L-shape) - Building Block Furniture Only. Baits has some rooms with each furniture set. Oxford has some rooms with each plus has some built-in furniture that may affect different bed layouts.

Textbooks

Textbooks ordered through the University’s course materials partner, Barnes & Noble, can be shipped for free to their locations in the Michigan Union and Pierpont Commons.

Insurance

We recommend that you register and insure all of your personal belongings. First check if your belongings are covered by an existing homeowners policy. If not, consider purchasing an individual policy.

Roommate Communication

If you would like to request a specific roommate, roommates should make sure their room preferences closely align. Information submitted via the roommate finder is a tool for students to find a roommate. Some roommate finder tool information is used by Michigan Housing to make housing placements.

Community Living Standards

When you sign your contract with Michigan Housing, you are agreeing to abide by the Community Living at Michigan (“CLAM”) standards and Terms & Conditions.

Additional Living Options

Michigan Learning Communities (MLCs): Provide smaller communities that focus on the exploration of a specific field of study. Students apply for Michigan Learning Communities in the housing application and will need to submit an essay.
Theme Communities: Offer residents a scaffold of new learning opportunities and collaborative activities. They allow students to pursue passions, explore new interests in a co-curricular setting, and prepare themselves to apply their learning to a complex and diverse world. Students apply for Theme Communities in the housing application and will need to submit an essay.
LiveWell | SubFree Theme Community: These rooms offer an additional measure of support for students who choose not to drink, smoke, or use illegal drugs.
Students with Disabilities and Health Accommodations: In partnership with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), we will work with students with a legally qualifying disability to meet their individual needs and will engage in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations.
Religious Observance: Michigan Housing is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive experience for all students. We recognize student observance of their faith tradition may require consideration for placement in on-campus housing.
Gender Inclusive Housing: We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive experience for all students. We offer a variety of gender-inclusive housing options.

Off-Campus Housing

Beyond the Diag (BTD) is the off-campus housing resource at U-M that helps students search for rental listings, find safety resources, and more. The 12 BTD neighborhoods located near North and Central campus are designed to connect students to important university resources and enhance their overall college experience. All students living off campus have the option to ride city buses for free using their Michigan ID. The ICC is composed of 17 houses in three areas on campus: Kerrytown, South Campus, and North Campus. Specific themes include vegetarian, international, a safe space for QTPOC, Good Times For All, themeless, and more!

Move-In Day Tips

Preparing for Move-In

Be strategic about packing: Unpack items that take less space unpacked, and leave items with lots of pieces or that take more space assembled in their original packaging.
Unpack at home: Bedding & Towels- Wash these at home to start off with clean sheets and towels. Refrigerators need to sit upright for at least 24 hours after being on their side, so unpack it to ensure it stands upright in your car. Small Appliances - Microwaves, coffee makers, and other small appliances (that meet UM dorm code) can all be unpackaged.
Leave in original packaging: Mattress toppers, shelving or other furniture (if assembling on site), and delicate items like TVs and monitors.
Pack strategically: Use zippered bags from comforters and blankets to hold bedding items and towels. Rectangular packing bags are great for clothing.
Pack a setup bag: Include power strips, cords, command strips, cleaning materials, tools, a fan, and water.

Getting to Campus and Unloading

Plan your route: Be prepared for road closures and one-way routing around campus on move-in days. Check the move-in routes for unloading.
Check-in: Have your student check in while you are in traffic.
Unloading Zone: Housing helpers will be there with blue bins to unload your car into. You have 30 minutes to unload your car.

Setting Up the Room

Coordinate with your roommate: Coordinate move-in times to rearrange furniture together in an empty room.
Arrange furniture: Rearrange any furniture including lofting the beds if desired.
Set up essentials: If you are in a room without air conditioning, you may want to setup your fan first. Also, consider plugging in your refrigerator even if it isn’t in the final position (after letting it sit upright).
Parent tasks: Furniture assembly and running cords to the desk are good parent tasks, leaving the student to do more of the decor and practical setup.

What To Bring/Buy

Packing Bags
Command Strips
Frog Tape (place under command strips to help protect the wall)
Rubbing Alcohol Wipes (clean walls before using frog tape or command strips)
LED Lights
Surge Protectors with long cords
Bedside Shelf

How Long to Stay

Consider an option like helping with some initial setup then giving your student a couple of hours on their own and then returning to help them finish once they figure things out.

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