Minnesota
Minnesota sets a Big Ten campus right in the Twin Cities, with the Mississippi running straight through the middle of it. It's also one of the coldest schools in the country, so a true parka and real boots aren't extras — they're the whole assignment.
What to wear in Minneapolis, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Move-in (Aug) | 75–85°F | Warm, humid. Summer clothes plus a fan (AC varies by hall). |
| Sept–Oct | 40s–70s | A fast cool-down and gorgeous fall. Sweaters, a jacket. |
| November | 20s–40s | Cold sets in early, first real snow. A serious coat, hat, gloves. |
| Dec–Feb | single digits–20s | Among the coldest campuses anywhere; wind chills well below zero. Parka, insulated snow boots, thermal base layers. |
| March | 20s–40s | Still wintry; the thaw comes late. |
What Minnesota lets you bring
- One fridge ≤4.3 cu ft and one microwave ≤700W
- UL-marked extension cords / power strips
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Personal A/C units (rooms aren't wired for them)
- Open-element appliances (air fryer, hotplate, rice cooker, etc.)
- E-scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards
- Cannabis — banned on campus even though it's legal statewide
These come from Minnesota's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Minnesota
- 01Apply early — even before admission
Submit your housing application + $75 fee
Assignments are made by the date your $75 Housing Application Fee is received — so apply early, even before you're admitted or committed. Earlier applicants are far more likely to land a preferred building or room type. First-years are guaranteed a bed if they meet the deadlines and accept any space offered.
- 02Priority date ~March 1
Pick a Living-Learning Community (optional)
March 1 is the priority date for the 30+ LLCs, each in a designated area of a specific building, at no extra cost. Many fill before March 1, and your LLC can dictate your building, room, and sometimes roommate — accepted students hear in early June. If you and a friend both want in, check that you both qualify.
- 03Confirm with the $200 guarantee
Lock your spot with the housing guarantee
Admitted first-years pay their enrollment confirmation fee plus a $200 housing guarantee (credited to fall charges) to secure a bed in University housing. Availability narrows fast, so confirm promptly to stay eligible for your preferred roommate requests.
- 04Changes accepted until ~May 15
Add roommates and refine preferences
You can log back in until around May 15 to update preferences and form a roommate group without affecting your original application date. Roommate requests are mutual — enter your roommate's Internet ID and they must accept. No request? Use Roommate Search (opens in spring) or let Housing match you from your application answers.
- 05Assignments by end of July
Get your building, room & roommate
Guaranteed students receive complete assignment details and roommate info by the end of July. (Apply after the guarantee deadline and you may not hear until mid-August, possibly in expanded/temporary space.) Coordinate the shared items once you know your hall.
Where you'll live at Minnesota
The Superblock
Four large residence halls packed into a four-block space by the medical center — the highest concentration of students on campus and the undisputed social hub, especially on weekends. Almost entirely first-years. If you want to be where everything's happening, this is it.
Fully renovated in 2019 — five floors, 756 residents, its own dining hall, singles/doubles/triples sharing common bathrooms (~5 rooms per bath). Modern and central to the Superblock energy.
The three other Superblock towers — high-energy, traditional first-year halls with common-floor bathrooms. Frontier and Territorial share an identical interior; the whole cluster is where Superblock weekends happen.
Dinkytown
Halls on the edge of the famous Dinkytown neighborhood — college-town coffee shops, late-night eats, and the Varsity Theater steps away. A great mix of social energy and easy access to off-campus food and culture.
The newest residence hall (opened 2013) — 600 beds, mostly doubles, with a Fresh Food Market dining concept and a prime Dinkytown-adjacent location. Modern and consistently a top first-year pick.
Sanford Hall sits in the historic, century-old Knoll area near the humanities buildings; Wilkins is the adjacent apartment-style option. Quieter and characterful, still walkable to Dinkytown.
West Bank & East River
Halls slightly removed from the Superblock crush, for students who want a more laid-back base. Both have their own dining and a quick walk or transit ride to the heart of campus across the Washington Avenue bridge.
The lone West Bank residence hall — large, with its own dining, near the arts and Carlson business buildings. A self-contained community a bridge away from the East Bank core.
A criminally underrated hall right next to Coffman Memorial Union with its own dining hall — central location, though note it lacks AC, which bites in warm early weeks. Houses central Housing staff too.
St. Paul Campus
A quieter, green campus a free campus-connector bus ride from Minneapolis, centered on agriculture, food, and natural-resource sciences. A calmer, tight-knit alternative for students whose interests or classes lean that way.
The St. Paul campus residence hall — laid-back and community-focused, surrounded by the St. Paul student union and green space. Best if you want a quieter first year and don't mind the bus connector to Minneapolis.
The Minnesota move-in checklist
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Minneapolis logistics, sorted
Don't pack the skis
Winter is the priority
AC varies
Minneapolis & around
Dinkytown
The iconic college-town district hugging campus — coffee shops, cheap eats, bookstores, and the art-deco Varsity Theater. Where students and visiting families wander and grab a bite.
Stadium Village & Huntington Bank Stadium
The restaurants and sports bars along Stadium Village turn into giant tailgating parties on Gopher football Saturdays. Williams Arena (basketball) and Mariucci (hockey) are right there too.
Weisman Art Museum & Northrop
The Frank Gehry–designed Weisman overlooks the Mississippi with a free, striking collection; Northrop Auditorium hosts concerts and dance. Both are easy on-campus visit stops.
Minnehaha Falls & the river
A short trip to a 53-foot waterfall in one of Minneapolis's oldest parks, plus the Mississippi River trails and the Chain of Lakes — the city is famously green and walkable.
Where to stay near Minnesota
Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis
On campus, by Huntington Bank StadiumThe on-campus hotel (formerly The Commons) with Gopher-and-Prince–themed decor, a Topgolf Swing Suite, a Starbucks attached, and the light rail right out front. A five-minute walk to the stadium — the most convenient base, and Alumni Association members get a discount.
Stadium Village & Dinkytown hotels
Walk to campusDays Hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites, University Inn, and Home2 Suites cluster around Stadium Village — walkable to campus, the medical center, and the stadium, several right on the Green Line light rail.
Downtown Minneapolis hotels
~10 min by light railDowntown's full hotel selection is a quick, scenic Green Line ride away — a good overflow for graduation and big weekends, with the convention center, restaurants, and nightlife at hand.
Minnesota gear & gifts
Minnesota — links & contacts
- Housing & Residential Life: Visit page