<p>I'm bored right now, so if anyone has any questions they should ask away. As a freshman about to finish my first semster, I can probably answer many questions you might have at this point.</p>
<p>How do we pick/get assigned to dorms?</p>
<p>Also which ones to choose if we can choose?</p>
<p>One of the great things about MIT is that you have so much more control of your experience than you would if you went somewhere else. You pick your room and your roommate. Here's how it works: Over the summer you'll get a book with all of the residences. You then enter the housing lottery, where you rank every dorm (frosh have to live in dorms, damn krueger). You are then assigned a dorm. Most people get their first or second choice. You live there for a week with a temporary roommate, and then get to enter the readjustment lottery where you can opt to switch to a different dorm. You pick your room and roommate (or get a single) through in house rush. </p>
<p>Your second question deserves its own post, which I will begin working on shortly.</p>
<p>thanks. Can you send me or post your email address. Mine is <a href="mailto:jschaefer@andover.edu">jschaefer@andover.edu</a></p>
<p>Thanks,
Justin</p>
<p>ok, now on to your second question. Where to live?</p>
<p>Frosh have to live in dorms because of a moron who drank himself to death a few years back. He kind of ruined a lot of stuff for us, but hey, it's still a lot better here than it is at most other places. </p>
<p>My opinion, like everyone's, is biased of course. I know there are a few other 08s on this board who will give their opinion too. This is just my opinion. </p>
<p>There is a divide between east and west campus. I'll start with west campus. </p>
<p>Baker House: What the 07s told us was that if you want to recreate high school, live in Baker. I pretty much agree. That's all I'll say about Baker. </p>
<p>BC- Some pretty cool people live there. It seems to be one of the quieter dorms. I don't know much else about it. </p>
<p>Next House-A lot like Baker. It's mostly freshman, and it is FAR AWAY. </p>
<p>New House- Never hear anything about it (I realize at this point I have been absolutely no help. I thought I knew more about these places than I do)</p>
<p>Man, I'm going to stop this because it isn't going as well as I had thought it would. I don't have much to say about most houses. I'll just get right into the good stuff. </p>
<p>East Campus-The best place IN THE WORLD. Have you seen the movie Real Genius? The dorm in that movie is what EC is like. These are the most creative people you'll ever meet. You have to see it to believe it. </p>
<p>Bexley-Right across the street from 77. Great location. I've only been in there once, but it seems really cool. There's a lot of great art. Pretty funny entry in the Residence guide if I remember correctly. </p>
<p>Senior Haus- Like EC, a great place. I can't wait for steer roast. </p>
<p>Well, I hope someone else can do a better job, because I sure suck at this. Anyway, you can probably figure out where I think you should live, but don't let that influence anything too much. A great thing about this whole system is that houses have identities. You just have to find one that fits you best.</p>
<p>if anyone goes to CPW, that is one of the best times to go look around at dorms. It's a lot easier to get into the dorm of your choice the first time, than try to do the reassignment lottery.</p>
<p>hey JLfromMIT, by any chance live in EC? where in EC are you? I'd like to second that EC is the best place in the world.</p>
<p>Yeah, that's a good point. Try to know where you want to live before the housing lottery. </p>
<p>Also, be careful with RBA (you'll learn more about this later). I have a friend who didn't know what he was doing in the housing lottery and put next house down as his second choice. He ended up getting it and he couldn't participate in the reassignment lottery because of RBA.</p>
<p>redsoxfan, I'd rather just answer questions here if that's ok with you.</p>
<p>I would email you, but you go to andover. </p>
<p>just kidding</p>
<p>but seriously </p>
<p>no I'm just kidding. Ask here</p>
<p>Is MIT good about giving financial aid?</p>
<p>Are there food courts in dorms, which ones? How good is the food? (a friend of mine lives in BC and thus has no food court)</p>
<p>I know that if you don't get enough financial aid you can meet with them and they'll sometimes adjust your aid. I don't know how they compare to other schools. </p>
<p>There are dining halls in Next, Baker, and Simmons. I think the food is pretty good-you can eat somewhat healthy if you desire to. Food is harder to come by on the east side of campus, so a lot of people cook for themselves. Getting together a little cooking group can be a lot of fun ifyou have the time.</p>
<p>haha i know who you are, jl.</p>
<p>If you can wait a little I'll do a search of housing threads on the old forum. I know there were several. Here's one: <a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/discus/messages/8/81517.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/discus/messages/8/81517.html</a></p>
<p>Also, my son, who was severely allergic to the stove at home, has taken up cooking as his new favorite EC. He cooks several nights a week with his floormates, and spends most of his money at the grocery store. He thought he would hate not having a dining hall but he hasn't missed it at all.</p>
<p>oh yeah smiliekat? what gave me away?</p>
<p>do you go here?</p>
<p>Ok, that's all I can find. For some reason I can't find the archives for MIT.</p>
<p>Open the old MIT forum and do a browser page search for "2004 Archive". It's buried somewhere in the middle of all the posts because some folks replied to threads within it, thus driving it up from the bottom. :)</p>
<p>Ok, Thanks</p>
<p>Though I haven't yet received my decision, I thought I'd ask a question on behalf of those who have been admitted. I've looked all around and I guess this is one thing I haven't yet found the answer to. When you move to MIT, do you trade in your driver's license for a Massachusetts one? Are you legally declared a Massachusetts resident if your parents live out-of-state .... or if not automatically, can you choose to be?</p>
<p>You keep your home state residency. College students can register to vote as there is no residency requirement.</p>
<p>Okay, that makes sense. Hypothetically, if you're over 18 and really didn't want to keep your home state residency, could you call your full-time residence your dorm and get a driver's license/whatever else in the state your school is in? hmm...</p>