<p>I live in Birnkrant; needless to say I'm extremely biased when I say that it's the best freshman dorm on campus. I think Birnkrant's better maintained than New/North and is still pretty social, but the amount of socialization really depends on your floor. The location, like New/North, is really convenient for those who want to study in Leavey or Doheny and then want to get dinner afterwards. The location's also great for those taking a lot of humanities and social sciences classes, excluding psychology.</p>
<p>As for singles, a good friend of mine lives in my floor's single and wishes that she had the whole roommate experience. Then again, she also has a lot more space and privacy, but that also means that she has to pay more each semester. It's nice having a roommate when you're first expanding your social network, so it really depends on how much effort you put in when it comes to getting to know people.</p>
<p>umm.. this may be a dumb question, but i'd just like to make sure: in order to participate in a special interest community, do you have to live in the dorm that has it? i want to participate in WISE, but am leaning more towards birnkrant than new... sorry if the answer is blatantly obvious :</p>
<p>If I apply for housing but don't get into the buildings I want, can I decline? I'll be an international grad student, btw if that makes any difference.</p>