<p>So I've been accepted ED to Newhouse, and now I get to start choosing a dorm... and there are LOTS of options. i've been told to stay away from flint and day because of stairs... watson because its a party dorm... lawrinson and saddler because they're in the middle of nowhere, and brewster and boland because they're in a sketchy area.</p>
<p>which dorms are the best for freshmen?? thanks!</p>
<p>I am so sorry but unless something has changed, Syracuse randomly assigns freshman to dorms…</p>
<p>On accepted student day they take you on tours of all the dorms but I’m not sure why since you don’t get to pick…you can, however, pick a roommate…</p>
<p>well i was under the impression that we can choose because the letter says i’ll be receiving information on housing “options.” so i took that to mean i could pick, but i guess ill find out eventually :/</p>
<p>very interesting…please come back when you get the info; would be very curious and interested if they actually got their act together and were allowing preferences…</p>
<p>Housing opportunities may also mean learning communities, which are usually associated with the same dorm year after year.</p>
<p>hello all, my daughter 12-10 email and letter stated that we would be receiving information regarding housing options - not that we were to officially start looking for housing. Unless this person was admitted to their first choice - then perhaps, it is indeed time to get into the swing of it. For us, however, we are not at that point. Again, Merry Christmas to all</p>
<p>i’m “replying” to my own post, after reviewing the letter - and mind you - d was not accepted to first choice school and has until may 1 to submit $ and acceptance form. however, and I’m quoting from the letter: once admission acceptance form has beeen received and advanced payment received, you will be granted access to the online housing and meal plan app (avail jan 24) where you can select your preferences. so Sdulisse - i guess, if you have been admitted to your first choice via ED, have logged on, signed and transmitted the form and paid, you can have access on Jan 24.<br>
Rodney, thoughts?</p>
<p>hi again…letsgetitdone: absolutely no thoughts at all; I wonder if the procedure is changing or as someone has mentioned they may be referring to learning communities which do have specific dorms…</p>
<p>when my daughter was accepted RD back in 2008 her letter also talked about housing preferences, but when push came to shove, that meant single/double etc and learning communities; who knows though? maybe they realized randomly assigning freshman all over campus was a stupid idea (it is) and that it would best serve the freshman experience to be with all other freshman (it would)…</p>
<p>keep us posted… I am advising a number of Syracuse prospies who were not happy when the info sessions discussed this random housing…it’s one of the only private schools around that has done it this way…</p>
<p>roger, rodney</p>
<p>can u pick your own roommate if u know who u want already or r u randomly assigned that also</p>
<p>^^you can pick your own…</p>
<p>hey everyone, i contacted some freshmen that currently attend SU and they all said they were able to pick thier dorms. i guess things have changed!</p>
<p>Hi I’m a current freshman (ED to Newhouse like you) and no we couldn’t pick our own dorms. We could pick learning communities which was the only way possible to “pick” a dorm.
You’ll be able to have learning community preferences and room preferences (single/quad/etc.) as well as pick a roommate. But other than those 3 choices it’s all random, ask anyone that ended up in Lyons.</p>
<p>i don’t know why im getting so many conflicting answers!! thank you shesthesummer</p>
<p>As of last year, when my daughter was an incoming freshman, you could pick your roommate, but not your dorm. You could ask to join a “learning community” which allowed you to know which dorm you were going to be at if you indeed joined the learning community. You will be asked preference on type of room, but it didn’t seem terribly obvious that this mattered a whole lot, of course that was before Ernie Davis opened and they still had some kids at the Sheraton.</p>
<p>Let’s clear this up.</p>
<p>Your “options” are split double, open double, triple, quad, etc. You DO NOT get to pick what dorm you are in. It is randomly assigned using a lottery system for both ED and RD applicants.</p>
<p>Here is my opinion of all the dorms. I just finished my first semester and I live in Ernie Davis:</p>
<p>Flint/Day: The stairs are a *****, yes, but my closest friends all live there. It’s one of my favorite dorms for its isolation and great dining hall (Graham) that only Flint/Day kids use because of the isolation. Walk down the stairs, and you’re on the quad. It’s only 10 flights (I counted). The dorm has a great feel, it feels like college.</p>
<p>Ernie Davis: It is the cream of the crop, but that comes at a price. Yes, the AC is nice, but it’s not that nice. The temperature never goes below 78 in the summer to save money, so it really isn’t true AC. The dining hall is always crowded and so is the gym. The food is alright but Food Services at Ernie is TERRIBLE. It still doesn’t feel quite like a dorm. Maybe it’s because the doors are too heavy to keep open, but it’s missing something.</p>
<p>Lawrinson/Sadler: I’ve never been in either, but I’ve heard it’s just OK. Based on that and the location, I wouldn’t want to live there. However, Sadler does have a dining hall.</p>
<p>Dellplain: Right next to Ernie Davis. Pretty decent on the inside, it has been recently renovated. Benefits from the proximity to Ernie Davis while still having a true dorm feel; however, you will always need to leave your dorm to eat and work out.</p>
<p>Booth: Across the street from Ernie Davis and up a hill a little bit. I know a few people there and they say it’s alright. The dorms are average. Again, like Dellplain, you’re going to Ernie for everything. Thornden Park is behind them across the street, and that gets really sketchy at night. Booth wouldn’t be my first choice.</p>
<p>Kimmel/Marion: Decent location, especially if you’re a Whitman student. They have Kimmel Food Court, which opens and closes super late, and has real restaurants like BK, KFC, Taco Bell, Dunkin, etc. Only downside is you can’t use your meal plan, only SUpercard swipes. Smaller than other dorms. Not a bad dorm.</p>
<p>Watson: Great location and a beautiful private courtyard. Whoever told you it was a “party dorm” obviously hasn’t been to college. EVERY dorm that has freshmen in it will be a party dorm for the entire first semester. After that, it really depends on who got randomly assigned where and how often they party. Anyways, I thought Watson was almost exclusively upperclassmen, so you probably won’t get it.</p>
<p>BBB: Yes, the location sucks. Yes, it’s away from everything. But the walk isn’t that bad, and BBB has the best dining hall on campus. They also have newly renovated rooms. It’s also just a huge dorm system. So, if you like meeting a LOT of people and having a lot of floor mates, you will probably like BBB. Also a lot of building pride, you always see Greek-style BBB sweatshirts around campus.</p>
<p>So, there you have it. If I had to do it over again and could actually pick, I’d choose Ernie or Day/Flint. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>VF12426 just pretty much summed up all the resident halls in Cuse, except my own. </p>
<p>As a current Lawrinson resident, I love it. It just renovated most of its floors, so we have new EVERYTHING from washing machines to desks! But like with any dorm, there are a few negatives like the massive wind tunnel when you’re walking up the hill and Sadler’s infamous dining hall. And yeah, it is in the corner of the campus, but the walk isn’t that bad. You walk, walk, walk no matter where you are. </p>
<p>And if you sign up for a Learning Community, you get placed in a specific dorm. </p>
<p>Like international relations/business LC is in Flint/Day aka The Mount. (also almost all the residents placed up in Mount are freshmans, so if you get placed there your freshman year, you’re going to meet lots of new friends and steel calves)</p>
<p>Fashion LC is in Dellplain</p>
<p>But unless you sign up for a LC, don’t worry about which dorm yet because you can’t choose anyways.</p>
<p>I have seen Lawrinson’s penthouse from a student video project and it looks awesome. But yes, I’d be lying if I said I’ve been there personally. So thanks for giving your experiences there holdahand.</p>
<p>For those who are truly interested, the Nutrition/Healthy Living (or whatever they call it) LC is in Ernie Davis. I’m not in it, but half my floor is in the LC. They stick together and you feel like an outsider sometimes when they are all working on Bio and such.</p>
<p>Bottom line is, don’t join the LC to get into Ernie Davis. Don’t join any LC if you aren’t truly interested in what it’s all about.</p>
<p>Each dorm has its strengths and weaknesses, and you’ll probably be happy no matter where you end up if you keep an open mind, make friends in your dorm, and aren’t a miserable person by nature.</p>
<p>Any opinions on Shaw Hall or Haven Hall? And does it help to get a decent dorm if the student sends the housing deposit in earlier rather than later?</p>
<p>Oh yea.</p>
<p>I can’t speak for Shaw’s dorms since I’ve never been in the residential area, but there’s a small, pretty good dining hall that I sometimes go to if Ernie is too crowded. The location is alright.</p>
<p>I’ve heard mixed things about Haven. It’s not just freshmen there, that’s pretty much all I know.</p>
<p>As far as the chances go, it’s a lottery system. I don’t think it makes much of a difference.</p>