<p>Question to Smithies! </p>
<p>What was your favorite house and why? </p>
<p>Also if you can tell me these things about each house it would be great since I won't be able to see the campus until fall:</p>
<p>Size
Location( distance from buildings, etc)
Students (mostly science students? english students?)
Defining characteristics (has fireplace, next to paradise pond, etc)
Why you like it
What House Events it has (traditions specific to the house perhaps)</p>
<p>Also if anyone knows a site where I can access pictures of the rooms, living, etc, it would be great!</p>
<p>While I can rant about how much I love a few choice houses, the reality is that on your form you don’t choose a specific house but rather the areas of campus that you prefer.</p>
<p>And there are pros and cons to each one, and it isn’t a matter of “best” so much as a matter of “best for you.”</p>
<p>Some easy distinctions before I have to go -
East and West Quad are furthest away from academic buildings and town, feel more like a typical college residence, and are the loudest and most party-heavy.
Green Street is closest to academic buildings, close to the gym and the performing arts complex, and usually doesn’t party very much, at least in their own houses. This is not to say that they’re not social, it’s just that most of them would rather watch a movie or bake something than get drunk.
Center Campus isn’t really one distinct unit, but it’s close to the Campus Center and pretty centrally-located. Also fairly quiet, though in this case it really depends on the individual house. This category includes Cutter/Ziskind, often considered the ugliest houses on campus but they have a dining hall, mostly singles and are centrally located, so some people like them just fine.
Upper Elm is pretty close to academic buildings and the Campus Center, and socially is a good balance, imo, between the Quad and Green St. Some houses are louder than others, but overall it’s a good fit for a lot of people because it’s pretty balanced. Also close to Davis Ballroom and Lawn and the Campus School.
Lower Elm tends to be a bit further away from academic buildings and very close to town. Pretty small houses and, imo, less house community than Upper Elm.</p>
<p>There are houses with really distinguishing factors (i.e. dining halls that are vegan or kosher, right next to the gym), but in general the areas of campus are enough.</p>
<p>Thank you for the input 
In your opinion, which area do you think has the prettiest houses? Also, I actually want a roommate while I’m at Smith. Is there a place you could indicate that on the housing form?</p>
<p>mitul, you can find a lot fo the information you are looking for on the Smith website. They list each house, number of students, location, a little about the house, and I think they also have floorplans and possibly some pictures. The houses are also marked on the campus map on the website, so you can get an idea of where they are in relation to other buildings. </p>
<p>All of the areas have pretty houses, so it’s really just a matter of how big a house you’re interested in and how far you want to be from other stuff on campus. I think there’s a lot of unnecessary obsession that goes into the housing choice, and for the first year most people just bloom where they’re planted. A few do switch houses out though in mid-semester or at the end of the year. There’s no requirement that you stay in the same house all four years and sometimes it’s good to move around to find a good fit. </p>
<p>In response to your question though, yes, there is (or at least there was a few years ago) a place on the form where you can indicate that you would like to have a roommate even if a single room is available.</p>