<p>how are the dorms at rice? Think they compare to Upenn or Cornell's?</p>
<p>At Rice everyone is randomly assigned to a residential college in the summer before freshman year, so you don't get to choose your dorm. The residential colleges vary quite a bit in age and dormtype (between colleges). I've seen everything from 'typical' dorms with a bunch of double rooms and a hall bathroom (newish and well mantained) to suites with 4 doubles, 2 common living areas, and a bathroom (2 of everything). I've never seen Upenn or Cornell's dorms, so I can't talk about how they compare, but they seem fairly nice, and Rice does a great job of assigning roommates, so everyone I know has had a positive experience in their dorms.</p>
<p>I agree with KrazyKow. There's a HUGE range of dorm qualities... and some of the newer ones look really nice. However, even the older ones aren't bad at all because they are very well maintained. I've only been inside the Hanszen dorms myself (Hanszen is one of the older Residential colleges) and I was very impressed by the quality of the dorms there.</p>
<p>they are all pretty good. each has its own style and flavor. all of the older south colleges are going to get redone in the next few years too....so they all should be really kick ass</p>
<p>they are bigger than most other colleges... even the old ones.. Ima t Wiess.. which has a new building.. and my bedroom is whole suite for 4 is like 100 sq. feet of space</p>
<p>how are your roommates?? good matches?</p>
<p>my roommate and i don't really talk to each other a lot, but we are civil to each other and i guess we qualify as good 'roommates'. neither of us spend a lot of time in the room and so we never really hit it off. however, i have found that almost everyone here is a really good match with their roommate-- i can probably only count on one hand the number of not-so-perfect matches.</p>
<p>my roomie is quiet, studies a lot and kinda opposite.. but we get along fine</p>
<p>I have 3 suitemates and we are really good friends. I know of many other instances where this is the case, and only one incident in which someone switched rooms--and even that wasn't a huge deal. You fill out these very lengthy forms about your habits, likes and dislikes, etc as part of the matching process.</p>
<p>Do you guys switch rooms/roommates every year?</p>
<p>I just found out that one of our state universities does that.</p>
<p>yes.. thing is...</p>
<p>Some res.colleges have sophomores and some have juniorws (some of them) move off campus...)</p>
<p>So In Wiess, Juniors and Seniors are on campus if they please.. so u can pick your roommates... and yeah, at Wiess Juniors and Seniors have singles... 4 singles, a common room and a bathroom per suite</p>
<p>do most of the incoming freshmen end up in doubles?</p>
<p>in Wiess (where I am) and most other colleges.. id say 99% of freshmen are in doubles. </p>
<p>I believe its similar... but in Wiess, Sophomores are in doubles too... and Juniors and Seniors are in Singles</p>
<p>Doubles are so good for you. I love it. I love my roommate. I love Rice.</p>
<p>That is all.</p>
<p>On the other hand, a lot of people at Rice end up in suites. If you get in, and you get the option of living with a few other people or a lot of other people, checking the "lots of people" box might set you up with an awesome 6-man suite with a huge bathroom, common room, and above-average double bedroom.</p>
<p>In short, this analysis is pointless because you can't describe living situations at Rice--where you live is usually out of your control. Once you get in and once you're assigned a college, ask away...</p>
<p>Rice is building two new colleges, and hopes to break ground within the next year (if I remember correctly). This should help alleviate the problem of students being forced to live off-campus at some point in the future. I think my daughter's college had space this year for everyone who wanted to live on-campus. She is actually living very close by Rice, but off-campus, which is quite a bit cheaper than Rice room & board and she gains some privacy as well.</p>
<p>one of them will brek ground thgis year and will be completed in 2009 if all goes according to plan (McMurtry College that is). The 11th I dont think is at that stage yet and as I last heard, doesnt have even a name yet</p>
<p>They're still seeking donors for college 11, as far as I know. As far as freshman rooms, the vast majority will end up in doubles, but I know of at least two suites of freshman singles in Martel, and that may happen in other colleges, as well.</p>
<p>i don't really have that much of a basis for comparison, but i wasn't really that impressed with the dorms, or at least the one i saw.</p>
<p>^ Any particular reasons?</p>
<p>iowejf - the colleges are all so different - some lovely, some not so nice. Good spirit and loyalties make even the less nice ones special :)</p>