Washington College
Washington College is a school the size of a large high school on the banks of the Chester River, in a Colonial-era river town that George Washington himself agreed to have it named after — he sat on its founding Board of Visitors, the only U.S. president ever to serve on a college board. Move-in lands in Eastern Shore late-summer humidity, and from your dorm window it's a five-minute walk down to a working waterfront where the sailing and rowing teams train.
What to wear in Chestertown, 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 20) | 65–86°F | Warm, humid Eastern Shore summer — afternoon thunderstorms roll off the Bay some days. Shorts and tees for move-in. |
| September | 58–80°F | Still summery early, breaking cooler by month's end. Light layers. |
| October | 46–68°F | Crisp and clear — the Chester River corridor's best month. Sweaters, a jacket for the water. |
| November | 37–57°F | Raw and gray, first hard frost. A real coat, hat, and gloves for the walk to class. |
| Dec–Feb | 25–46°F | Genuine Eastern Shore winter — damp cold off the river, occasional snow. Insulated coat and waterproof boots. |
What Washington College lets you bring
- A hand truck or stair-friendly cart — none of the five first-year halls has an elevator
- A small TV, though most students just stream from a laptop — full-size sets rarely survive the stairs
- 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
- Lofted bed frames — the frames adjust for under-bed storage but can't be raised into a loft
- Wall damage of any kind — posters only, no nails or adhesive hooks that mark the paint
These come from Washington College'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 Washington College
- 01April 1
Housing portal opens
New students get access to the housing portal with their Washington College username and password. That's where you complete the new-student housing application and note your preferred roommate gender.
- 02Through the summer
Roommate matching
Housing places you with a roommate based on the gender preference from your application — there's no deep lifestyle-matching questionnaire. If the pairing doesn't work once you're on campus, your Area Coordinator can help sort out a change.
- 03Mid-to-late summer
Assignment posts
Your hall and roommate's name land in the portal. Almost every first-year gets a double in one of five halls — Minta Martin, Reid, Caroline, Queen Anne's, or Kent — so plan on sharing a room.
- 04August 20
Move-In Day
Orientation and "Explore!" programming run August 14–25, with fall classes starting August 24. Central Services can't hold packages that arrive before your check-in date, so ship to land move-in week, not before.
Where you'll live at Washington College
First-Year Residential Experience
Nearly every first-year lands in one of five corridor-style halls scattered through the historic core of campus, matched into a double by gender preference on the housing application. It's old-school hallway-and-communal-bathroom living — the setup Residential Life leans on hard to build a tight-knit first-year class.
Four corridor floors and roughly 120 first-years make Minta the biggest hall on campus — co-ed by floor, common bathrooms, central heat, and new VRF air conditioning. No elevator; the Intercultural Center sits on the ground floor.
Built in 1896 and the first Washington College hall to house women, in 1923. Six singles, twenty-nine doubles, community bathrooms, and a basement rec room with a pool table. VRF air conditioning was added in a recent renovation; there's no elevator.
Traditional corridor living — one floor male, one female, one gender-inclusive — with a shared bathroom and lounge on each floor. Mostly doubles, a handful of singles.
Co-ed by floor, with individual hotel-style heating-and-cooling units in every room instead of central air. Seven singles, twenty-six doubles, tile floors, and laundry on each floor included in the room rate.
Thirty-six doubles split into two gender-designated wings per floor, each with its own small lounge plus a larger shared one. Same hotel-style A/C units as Queen Anne's.
The Washington College move-in checklist
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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
Chestertown logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a Washington College student
Washington College
300 Washington Avenue
Chestertown, MD 21620
Named for — and blessed by — George Washington
The Sophie Kerr Prize
Chestertown & around
Kent County Tourism
Kent County's tourism office — Chestertown itineraries, farm stands, and the wider Eastern Shore countryside around campus.
Main Street Chestertown
The downtown business association's guide to the historic district — 200-plus independent shops, galleries, and restaurants along a genuinely walkable, brick-sidewalked core.
Downtown & the Chester River waterfront
A five-minute walk from campus: Wilmer Park and the marina, the tall-ship replica Schooner Sultana, kayak rentals, and the waterfront promenade where the crew and sailing teams launch.
The Book Plate and Evergrain Bread Co.
One of the Eastern Shore's best independent bookstores and a bakery-café that both double as unofficial parents'-weekend meeting spots downtown.
Where to stay near Washington College
Comfort Inn & Suites Chestertown
Half-mile from campusThe college's own recommended pick — free hot breakfast, pet-friendly, in a shopping plaza a short drive from downtown and campus.
The Imperial Hotel
High Street, ~15-min walkAn 1903 Victorian landmark five minutes' walk from downtown's shops — eleven rooms, two suites, and The Kitchen at the Imperial, an award-winning restaurant, downstairs.
Great Oak Manor
Chesapeake Bay, ~15-min driveA 1938 Georgian manor on the Bay eight miles from campus — twelve rooms, water views, and an adults-only quiet that's a different world from move-in weekend.
Washington College gear & gifts
Washington College — links & contacts
- Residential Life: residential_life@washcoll.edu