Almost every freshman lives on campus at the University of Mississippi, and the dorms are open to all sophomores and upperclassmen, as well. If you're unsure about which building is for you, this article will tell you the pros and cons of each Ole Miss dorm. (This article will be excluding apartments). Here are some things all dorms come equipped with: a laundry facility, ID card entry to your room, bathrooms cleaned frequently by custodial staff, doubles' rooms (only select dorms have single rooms), and a CA (Community Assistant) on every hall.
Traditional Halls:
All traditional halls are single-sex and contain hall bathrooms. Most traditional halls (except Deaton) do not have in-room thermostats, so you will likely have to stock up on fans during summer and blankets during winter. Also, most traditional halls (except Brown) will not provide you with a microwave and mini-fridge, so you will have to bring your own. No traditional dorms are open for breaks.
Let's start with the girls' dorms.
Crosby
It is located right between Sorority Row and Rebel Drive, so if you plan on being in a sorority, you have easy access to both streets. This is also the biggest girls' dorm, with 10 floors, so you're sure to know a good number of people in the building. The ground floor also contains the campus post office (though, not the package center) and a P.O.D. in case you need a quick snack or another convenience item.
It is also at the bottom of a hill, so if you're not a fan of walking uphill, it might not be for you.
Brown
Browntown is probably the oldest dorm on campus, now that Kincannon is out of use. If you live in this dorm, you will have direct access to the campus package center, located on the ground floor, in case you order lots of things from Amazon. Like Hefley, Deaton, and Stewart, you are also very close to the Student Union.
I'm not gonna lie, Brown is kinda crusty, but it has become cleaner since it became a girls dorm (it was a boys dorm for many years). The worst part about Brown is that it does not have an elevator. So, the first floor is the best floor to be on. Consider this: you may want to pack very light on move-in because you will have to lug all your luggage and furniture up the stairs upon move in. Also, the vending machine can be a bit stubborn.
Martin
Located just off Rebel Drive (which is close to many of the sororities), and part of the "Twin Towers" (along with Stockard), this dorm has a contemporary exterior, but a traditional interior. Plus, it shares a P.O.D. on the ground floor with Stockard, in case you need a snack. It is also the only girls' dorm with movable furniture (desks, dressers, etc.). These features are built-in for Crosby and Brown.
Now for the boys' dorms. The reasons there are more boys dorms is simply that the buildings themselves are smaller, so more are required.
Stockard
Everything I wrote for Martin, apply it to Stockard, just switch the names. It is exactly the same, but for boys. The two dorms are slightly separated from the rest of the dorms, but not too far removed.
Stewart
Located close to Crosby and the Student Union, Stewart is sometimes called the "Crosby of boys' dorms," though it is smaller than Crosby. It is a social dorm, but it is the only boys' dorm without movable furniture (desks, drawers, etc). The beds, however, are movable.
Hefley
Located between the Student Union and Brown Hall, Hefley is also the dorm closest to the Grove, though it does require a bit of walking. It is the second smallest dorm and has all the usual features of a traditional hall.
Deaton
The smallest of the traditional dorms, Deaton also has some unique features--one of which being that it is the only traditional hall with in-room thermostats. However, it is also the only traditional hall without study rooms, so there's really no place in the dorm to escape if you need to get away from your roommate.
Contemporary Halls:
All contemporary halls house residents of both sexes, but in different wings. Your ID card will only give you access to the side of the hall of your sex. If you try to use your ID card to get in the other side, access will be denied. All contemporary halls have in-room bathrooms, in-room thermostats, and microwaves and mini-fridges provided. All (except RH1) are located together in Ridges, near the Commons. Most of these are at least partially exclusive to Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) or Living Groups (LGs). You may need to qualify for these groups to be eligible for certain dorms. In my opinion, if you can afford the contemporary halls and are eligible, it is well worth the price.
RH1
This is the only contemporary hall not located in Ridges. Instead, it is located right next to Crosby, on the side closer to Sorority Row. It is also the only entirely General Community contemporary hall, meaning that if you can afford it, and reserve your room in time, you do not have to meet any additional requirements to live in this dorm.
RH2
While not 100% exclusive to sophomores and upperclassmen, this is the "sophomores & upperclassmen" dorm. Generally, freshman will not be placed into this dorm unless there is availability or through necessity. It shares a courtyard with RH3 and Minor Hall. It is open for breaks (such as Thanksgiving break and winter break)
RH3
This is the International Student Living Group Dorm, but it is also open to freshmen was a General Community. If you are an international student, you will be able to meet fellow international students in this dorm. That said, it is also General Community for freshmen, making this likely the most diverse dorm. It shares a courtyard with RH2 & Minor, and is also open for breaks.
Burns
Burns is home to the FASTrack LLC and the Early Entry Pharmacy LLC for freshmen. FASTrack students, if I'm not mistaken, provides students with a smoother transition into college, mentorship, and smaller class sizes, and Early Entry Pharmacy is just what it sounds like, students accepted early entry into the Pharmacy program. It shares a courtyard with Minor and Pittman.
Pittman
Students who live in Pittman have an advantage because not only do they have the dorm as a place to meet up and study, they also have the Honors College, located on Sorority Row. All students in Pittman are members of the Honors College, or HoCo, which requires an application, and acceptance is selective. Of all the dorms, this one might have the largest sense of community because there is a concrete thing all its residents share: the Honors College. It shares a courtyard with Minor and Burns, along with having its own parking lot.
Minor
Located between two courtyards, no matter which side of the dorm you happen to be on, you will have a nice view from your window, rather than a street or a parking lot. Minor Hall is home to both Provost Scholars (which is similar to Honors, without quite as much commitment) and General Community. Even better, Minor has a Papa John's and a POD located in its basement, so that's a major advantage of this dorm. Also in the basement are plenty of offices you might need to visit at one point or another, such as the housing office or the Panhellenic office. While residents of RH2, RH3, Pittman, and Burns all have easy access to the amenities of the basement (namely the POD and Papa John's), residents of Minor Hall don't even have to step outside to enjoy them. As contemporary halls go, this one gets you the most bang for your buck.
Residential Colleges:
Everything you read for Contemporary Halls, apply it to the Residential Colleges, or RCs. However, there are some add-ons that are exclusive to the RCs. All residents living in one of the RCs must be on the RC Unlimited Plus One Dining Plan (I will likely make an article on dining plans in the future) The RCs also have many single and quad dorm rooms, which contemporary halls do not. (Single rooms mean both the room and the bathroom belong to one resident, quad rooms mean that four residents each have their own bed room, but share two bathrooms and a suite-style living space). Singles and quads are initially reserved for sophomores and upperclassmen. The RCs also have their own cafeteria, the RC Marketplace, as well as their own libraries and classrooms.
Luckyday RC
Of the two Residential Colleges, this one is more academic. Many applicants are part of the selective Luckyday Scholarship program, and thus agree to participate in study hours and regular advising to fulfill the scholarship. This scholarship requires an application. It also has its own fitness room, which is open night and day.
RC South
As dorm activities go, the ones in RC South are more hands-on and frequent, but it's not like they are happening all the time. RC South also has its own computer lab. Perhaps the only negative thing about the RC (this goes for Luckyday, as well, since they are right next to each other) is that they are fairly separated from the rest of the dorms. Of course, the whole campus is rather compact, so they are not too far separated, but it would be a struggle to get on the move if you had a class in say, Guyton Hall.
I hope this information was helpful, and helps you choose which dorm you might want to live in, if that's what you're trying to do!
