<p>Any opinions on either of these things?</p>
<p>The commons system is a good idea, but I wouldn't have been heartbroken without it. It pretty much determines where you live first and second year and gives you a smaller administration to work with (there are commons' offices, heads of each commons, etc.). Junior and senior room draw is now totally open because lots of people thought it was kind of unfair that some commons' senior housing seemed better than others. So, commons are becoming less important and probably shouldn't be a reason to tip you one way or the other if you're considering Midd.
Distribution requirements are pretty harmless too. If you're into a liberal arts education and want to study a lot of different subjects, chances are you'll fulfill your requirements without even realizing/planning it.</p>