<p>75% of orientation is pointless. If you're debating whether ot not to go to a particular event, you can be fairly certain that you won't be missing anything important if you skip it.</p>
<p>Thanks, farmmom! I appreciate the advice. Okay, I'm definitely checking out FroSoCo. I'd prefer a quiet dorm as opposed to a loud one.</p>
<p>me too! 'cept i'm kinda iffy about the applications process... what is it, just a form?</p>
<p>It is an additional form/question/essay that is part of the normal housing packet. Another nice thing about applying to Frosoco is that you are really applying to a specific dorm. Whereas in the regular housing selection process, all you can do is rank order your preference for the TYPE of dorm you want (i.e. all-frosh, 4-year, etc.), not the specific building. </p>
<p>The campus tour guide (who was a junior) that we had when visiting the school had this advice: If you are a female, go for an all female floor if you want to have ANY chance at all of a semblenance of cleanliness! LOL!</p>
<p>I was just thinking about this yesterday! Not only would the bathrooms be much, much cleaner, but the floor would be quieter, too. Also all-frosh dorms tend to be rowdier than others in general so that's a double plus. </p>
<p>Thanks, farmmom! Your advice is invaluable. Now I just need to wait for my darn admit packet to arrive... and then the housing booklet... urgh. I waited months for an admissions decision and now I can't even wait for a bunch of housing forms. Pathetic :p</p>
<p>I would tend to disagree with farmmom's statement that all-female floors tend to be cleaner. Do you know what happens when a whole floor of girls are forced to use one bathroom? I live on an all-guys floor and it is generally pretty clean. The custodians do a great job of keeping the dorms (especially the bathrooms) clean.</p>
<p>Also, while its true that all-frosh dorms tend to be rowdier, i would strongly STRONGLY recommend choosing an all-frosh dorm to live in. Check out this article that was in the Daily a couple days ago:</p>
<p>Your dorm will become your house, and your dormmates your extended family. It is great to be able to establish a large group of friends in your same grade first. I really think it is a lot easier to make lasting friendships with people who are experiencing the same things you are going through, and that happens most in an all-frosh dorm. If you are thinking about a 4-year dorm cuz you like the idea of having upperclassmen there to ask for advice and stuff since they've been through it, remember that all-frosh dorms are staffed by upperclassmen! In my dorm (Rinconada), we have six very diverse (ranging from sophomore to senior) upperclassmen living with us (a computer advisor, a health advisor, and an academic advisor, in addition to three RAs). They are very approachable whenever anyone needs advice.</p>
<p>Also, the freshmen dorms really aren't as rowdy as you might think. Aside from the occasional weekend parties and maybe some music coming from down the hallways, it is not hard to do homework in your room. Each dorm also has a quiet computer cluster where people often study too. There's also the library.</p>
<p>Really, I can't stress enough how much better all-freshmen dorms are. I get the sense around here that the students in all-frosh dorms seem to be enjoying their Stanford experience more.</p>
<p>It is so good to see another point of view shared on this post so that readers can hear a variety of opinions upon which to make their own decisions. I would be a bit skeptical of a 4-class dorm too. Doesn't seem like that would have been the first choice of any junior or senior so I wonder how welcoming they would be or how likely they would be to extend themselves to freshman. However, it is a very different deal at Frosoco which is a hybrid of the two and was not mentioned at all in the linked article (like I said in my OP, it's the best kept secret at stanford). The freshman and sophomores at Frosoco seem to completely intermingle so you get the advice and assistance from peers who have just lived through the same experience while still having lots of freshman around as well. </p>
<p>Also, the comment about the all female floor was not my advice but something I was passing on from the stanford student guide. Just thought her comment was laughable.</p>
<p>Well, but don't get your heart set on an all-frosh dorm because they are so over-subscribed and a lot of kids who want them will not get them. My son was extremely lucky to be in one. Be sure, when you fill out your housing preference form to rank ALL the choices. Only ranking one or two and saying that is all you will take (e.g., "do not want ethnic theme housing, do not want 4-class dorm, etc.") is a pretty sure way to end up with one of the choices you did not list. (This is a quote from last year's seminar on housing during admit weekend, from a Top Administrator). </p>
<p>Cingular has a special deal with Stanford in exchange for placing a bunch of their towers on Stanford land, or so I have heard. That is why they give a student discount and it is why the reception for cingular (and merged AT&Ters) is so great. </p>
<p>There is a nice little corner family-owned grocery store on the south edge of campus called JJ&F. It is more expensive than Safeway but my son has been so grateful for it because you can get there in 5 or 10 minutes by bike for small loads of groceries. A lot of kids seem to keep breakfast provisions (milk, cereal, tea, etc.) in their dorms because you know how hard it is to get up in the morning in time for breakfast. </p>
<p>I have heard mixed reviews of Frosoco. The distance issue is a big deal to a lot of people, but not having to deal with the housing lottery until junior year is great. I think it too is oversubscribed though, so there are enough people who really like the concept that they have to turn people away (I believe). I sure wouldn't think about it if you are an athlete though--getting to early morning practices/workouts from such a distance, and often in rain or frosty mornings in winter, would be a complete drag.</p>
<p>My daughter currently is a freshman in frosoco, and she has loved the experience. But, like every living situation/dorm, it has its pros and cons. For her, the pros have been: two-room doubles, which is like having a single room (privacy when you want to sleep or study, yet still having a roommate right there when you want to talk or socialize); excellent food, barbecues every Friday night at Dean Bravman's house during the fall and spring; talks and dinners at the Dean's house once or twice a week (talks in the dorm lounge and dinner with 5 to 25 people) and some pretty incredible speakers (this week, it was a nobel laureate who invented gene splicing, for example); plenty of freshman (80 or so), and about 80 sophomores; guaranteed living situation for sophomore year (and the added bonus of junior and senior years being "preferred" housing draw years); quieter with less drinking/hard-core partying than all-frosh houses (this has been a plus for my daughter, but might be a negative for those who love the idea of large parties, loud music, and hard-core drinking); and finally, a big plus for her: very close to Roble gym, where most of the recreational p.e. classes take place (she has done several of those). The cons: it is farther from the center of campus than other freshman dorms, though nothing is more than a 20 minute walk or a 5 or 10 minute bike ride; even so, the perception that is far might keep friends from other parts of campus from visiting. According to my daughter, some current freshman are choosing to opt out of frosoco for next year because they find it perhaps somewhat limited socially--with only the 80 freshman and 80 sophomores. Yet, it is also true, as Patient says, that far more students apply for frosoco than there are spaces available, so if one really wants to live there, one should put care and thought into the application.</p>
<p>I have a son that is currently a freshman living in Frosoco and really likes the arrangements. He gets along great with his roommate-it seems like most people are pleased and consider rooming together again. The two dorms (Adams and Schiff) are small, but everyone knows everyone else and everyone is really friendly. Frosoco has lots of perks. Many of these have been mentioned from barbecues to DVDs that can be borrowed from Dean Bravman, the Dean even hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for Frosoco students stuck on campus during the holiday. They also have great house parents that are always there to help out and answer questions. There is "brownie night" each week, the Dean sends a bike quy once in a while to help with tuneups or other things you might need for your bike, the computer cluster is well equiped with printers and scanners etc. There is a communication person that will help you with your presentation or powerpoint. There are tutors for Chemistry (in house) and other tutors to help you. All the dorms have really nice new washers and dryers (for the first time this year a laundry fee is included in your fees so you don't have to have quarters to do the laundry)---It is not as hard to get a chance to use them in these smaller dorms. If you would like to find out more about Frosoco go to the frosco web site and read about what the drom has to offer on it's home page. You can also click on "photos" to view some of the activities. The "biographies" also give you great insight on they students that selected this dorm, how they like it and their other interests. I agree with farmmom that is a well kept secret and worth looking into.</p>
<p>My daughter is attending Stanford in the Fall. We are curious about the availability of turoring...frosh advising.....or assistance , if it is needed for a student w/ a mild learning difference.<br>
She worried that among the brightest in the nation the curve for classes will be out of this world. She has been a top 2% student at a college prep program....but it came through hard work and lots of over time.
Anyone have a student/friend at Stan. who feels its all UP Hill or who has a learning diff? tX</p>
<p>Geneva - </p>
<p>I hope someone will be able to help you with your questions about learning disabilities - I am sorry but I do not know about that issue. I wish your daughter the best of luck at Stanford.</p>
<p>I am the parent of a Stanford junior, and I would like to give my "tip" to incoming students. Unless they have vastly improved over the last few years, I cannot recommend the Student Agencies as a place to buy linens or bikes. We made the mistake of ordering these over the summer when they sent their ads to our home, as we thought it would be convenient to have these ready when we arrived from the East Coast. We were afraid that it would be difficult to purchase these things, as the stores might be sold out with so many arriving freshman. However, when we went to stores like Target and Walmart for school and room supplies, we saw that they were fully stocked with sheets, towels, quilts, and bicycles, and we could have easily bought these things.</p>
<p>As far as the linens from the Student Agency, although my order specified that they were to be picked up on arrival on campus, they were sent to my home in July. It took about 5 calls to the company (with hours on hold) to get them picked up by the shipper and returned. When I got my order on campus, it was missing the towels, and there was nothing they could do about it then, so I had to run to the store to get towels for my son and miss the opening convocation. They gave me only a very small refund for the missing towels, much less than what I paid to buy them at the nearest store.</p>
<p>As far as the bicycle which we ordered from the same agency, it was poorly put together and was nothing but trouble for my son. Even the lock was defective. He ended up buying one at Walmart which was much better during the middle of the year.</p>
<p>My son has ATT (now merged with Cingular) and it has been fine. There is an ATT store very near campus, in case a new phone is ever needed.</p>
<p>I am not sure what the "Student Agencies" are but I have heard that you can order items from "Linens and Things" or "Bed, Bath and Beyond" if you are traveling from far away and don't want to have to pack and ship these items. Hopefully someone will respond who has actually tried one of these stores. </p>
<p>Anyone know anything about storing items at Stanford over the summer? Like cost and location of the storage center, etc.</p>
<p>Tutoring-Undergraduates at Stanford are entitled to free tutoring. Most or all dorms have tutors and maintain a schedule of tutoring. Anyone interested in tutoring and the services available can contact the Center for Teaching and Learning. They have a web site that has very good information.</p>
<p>Bed, Bath and Beyond- This store has a registry program for students that we found to be invaluable. Usually the program goes into full swing around July 4th when most of the college stock has arrived. Anyone interested should check with their local store to see how early they can come in for the service. This is the way the program works. At your local store you are given a scanner and you scan any item that you would like to have when you get to your college destination. This can include anything from towels, heavy fan, shower caddy and linens to coat hangers. Because you are scanning the item, you are able to be very specific. For example: you can select a blue shower caddy, a special pillow, a specific foam mattress pad or black coat hangers. After you have shopped the store and scanned the items that you want, you meet with a store representative. They will print out your order and you will have a chance to go over it. We chose to pick our order up at a Bed, Bath and Beyond near Stanford (very convenient). We gave them a pick up date. That was it. Your local store sends your order to the Bed, Bath and Beyond closest to school. They collect your order and hold it for your pickup. You pay for the order when you pick it up. They did have a lot of orders on hold so if there is a problem with picking up the order I would be sure to call the store (pickup store) to let them know. This worked great for us. There was no additional charge for this service. We didnt have to get on the plane with mounds of stuff or send it UPS. The items were there for moving day.<br>
We found that Target, Container Store, Home Depot, Frys Electronics, etc. were within reasonable distance if you have a car.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman and although an all frosh dorm was his first choice he was put into a 4 class dorm. His experience has been great, he has made some close friends and visits the all freshman dorm when he needs the added energy. After seeing both worlds he is thankful he was placed in a 4 class dorm. It is quieter and more study friendly. He'll probably try for Toyon next year and have the all sophmore experience. My advise...don't despair no matter where you end up, it will work out.</p>
<p>Will I need a fan for my room, or will the outdoor breeze suffice?</p>
<p>bahamama, what great advice! You're probably right; it all works out in the end. I doubt any of the housing options are "bad". I have heard of some students who were initially very disappointed about being placed in an ethnic theme house not of their choosing. I never heard if they all ended up liking it or not. But I did hear about one case where the house has their own cook - who is fabulous. So, life can't be THAT bad! </p>
<p>nkay, my D has not needed a fan so far. The Bay Area rarely gets downright hot. And if it does, it does not continue day after day.</p>
<p>I wouldn't want an ethnictheme house! I think separating ethnicities is a silly thing - how are students supposed to learn from each other's respective cultures? </p>
<p>Can they put a non-Asian in an Asian theme house, for example? If not, then I'm safe - no Arabic theme houses at Stanford :D</p>
<p>The ethnic theme houses are supposed to have 50% people not from the ethnic group (or who did not request that dorm, I'm not exactly sure), and people not of the particular ethnic group can be assigned to them. My son is a junior and he was studying away from Stanford for the fall semester, so did not take part in the room draw last year. He was assigned to an ethnic theme dorm of an ethnicity different from his (he is caucasian). The dorm has worked out fine for him so far, and he already knows a lot of other people all over the campus from his first two years. I am not so sure about it being a great idea to put a freshman who did not request a special type of dorm, such as an ethnic theme dorm, into one.</p>