<p>How are the dorms in the Balch Hall in Cornell? How are their conditions (I know it has been there for a long time)? How are the bathrooms? Is it more convenient for girls to live in an all women hall than coed?
If we request to live in Balch, will we still be assigned to other halls if too many people sign up for it?
I haven't visited the campus yet and I plan on doing so next Monday. So I really appreciate your help! :)</p>
<p>Rooms are generally quite large unless you are unfortunate enough to be stuck in a forced double (aka a single). I’d say for an old building, the condition is alright. Trust me, if you request to live in Balch, you’ll be put in Balch. A whole ton of girls who didn’t even request Balch were put there (including me). </p>
<p>Hope this helps somewhat.</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>thx! 
and what would say if we compare balch to being a randomly assigned freshman hall?</p>
<p>It definitely has its own perks and downsides. For one, since it is an all girls dorm, you’re going to have to find other opportunities to meet guys. And also, there’s no A/C in Balch, unlike some of the newer dorms such as Court/Kay/Bauer. But the rooms in Balch are generally spacier than those in other dorms. You either have a sink in your room or you share a sink with an adjacent room. It’s also the closest dorm to Central Campus. Some people love Balch. Others hate it.</p>
<p>I live in Balch right now and I love it! While the doubles vary in size, the singles are quite large. Yes, it’s an old building, but the lack of AC really isn’t a problem…the rooms tend to stay pretty cool by themselves, and you can also bring a fan or open the windows. The sink is a major convenience, as are the two large closets - enough space for your entire wardrobe + extra storage! The bathrooms are generally pretty clean, and the showers are nice because each stall has a changing area. Also, along with the usual items, your room will come with a large bookshelf, vanity table, two mirrors (one hanging, one full-length), a nightstand that doubles as an extra drawer/shelf, and an armchair and ottoman.</p>
<p>:O
all those extra items come with the dorm (double)?! if you apply double but get single instead, will they still charge you at the rate of a single? </p>
<p>and i was also wondering, is balch as diverse? (ethnicity-wise)</p>
<p>What you do on your housing application is you indicate your order of preference among the following options: single, double, townhouse apartment, triple, and quadruple from 1 to 4. You’ll be charged for whatever room you end up with regardless of what was your first or last preference. Although I know that some people who didn’t even have single listed as one of their four options got one. They then called up the FA office and they agreed to give them more aid; however, if you select single as one of your preferences, then if you end up with one you’ll be charged for one with no additional financial aid.</p>
<p>You don’t actually have to list all four options. I listed single, single, single, double, and I know somebody who listed double, double, double, single lol.</p>
<p>I am planning to room in Balch, although many people have warned me against it. I am a private person and I love my space. So I think Balch is the way to go. The extra space is a perk for me :)</p>
<p>^ I think you’ll love Balch! I’m like you - a private person who likes my own space, haha.</p>
<p>I graduated from Cornell a loong time ago. I did not request it, but was assigned to Balch as an incoming freshman. I had the most awesome room, which was a single connected by a small room with a sink, to another single. This other person I considered my “roommate” even though we had our own room. So it was like the best of both worlds. The location was wonderful for getting to classes. I was in the School of Arts and Sciences. I don’t think most women meet guys especially through their dorms. I think it is more through your classes and activities. At any rate, I loved Balch and wished that I could have lived there all 4 of my years. Unfortunately, we could not get our rooms back going into Junior year, so I moved to Collegetown!</p>
<p>I just finished my freshman year and I went through the same situation. I didn’t request Balch OR a single, so I was less than enthusiastic when I arrived in August. That mindset quickly changed when I noticed how spoiled I was with my single that was nearly twice the size of singles in the other new dorms. Also, the room came with two gigantic closets, a desk, a bookshelf, side table, and dresser. My floormates became my best friends, and we had no problem forming a group of both guys and girls to hang out with. I would say that my room played a huge role in helping me adjust to the college life.</p>
<p>how many closets are in a double?</p>