<p>Could somebody give me the inside scoop on the housing reputations of the various houses open to freshmen? </p>
<p>Ware, Hill, Kings Court, Fisher, and Riepe?</p>
<p>Also, are most freshmen involved in one of the residential programs or is it a minority of students who participate in those?</p>
<p>Riepe, Ware and Fisher are the quad and they are basically the same. It’s noisy, lots of partying, strict RAs and GAs, your hall will most likely smell like vomit most weekends…but some people like the atmosphere. The rooms are pretty tiny. Hill has extremely small rooms but it means everyone gets to know each other better. There’s no AC in the quad or Hill so it’s kind of like hell for the first few weeks of fall and towards the end of spring. Kings Court from what I hear has nice rooms that are pretty good in size, AC, and it’s much quieter. </p>
<p>About some of the other dorms, I don’t know absolutely anything about Gregory. It sounds kind of awful. I’ve met some people who have said they regret living in a high rise like Harrison or Harnwell their freshmen year because mostly upperclassmen live there and it’s more of an experience for non-freshmen. Stouffer/Mayer is the other one and they have nice sized rooms and AC. It was recently renovated so it’s super nice. Stouffer Hall is mostly singles, but they have a great community atmosphere, and Mayer Hall is apartment style but most people choose to live in Stouffer Hall and then move to Mayer sophomore year. I don’t know anything about DuBois. Hope this helps</p>
<p>
Pretty sure the Quad now has air conditioning (since recent renovations). Also, I’ve read somewhere that Hill is supposed to get air conditioning through a renovation in the near future (but don’t know when that will be). Additionally, the 3 houses in the Quad have a wide variety of room sizes and configurations depending upon the location within the Quad, which was built in sections between 1895 and 1954. The noise levels, degree of partying, strictness of RAs and GAs, and weekend hall smells 
will also vary tremendously within the Quad, which encompasses 39 buildings (if memory serves) within the 3 college houses, as well as about 1,500 residents.</p>
<p>Thought Fisher was substance free? And I thought Ware and Stouffer were close to each other outside the Quad? </p>
<p>I’m confused.</p>
<p>Oh yeah and Dubois had recent renovations. A student I asked lives there now and loves it.</p>
<p>"I’ve met some people who have said they regret living in a high rise like Harrison or Harnwell their freshmen year because mostly upperclassmen live there and it’s more of an experience for non-freshmen. "</p>
<p>As a freshman living in a high-rise, I’d like to say I am very happy with my choice and know plenty of fellow introverts that wish they made the same choice. I visit my friends in the quad but I like my space and being able to cook and study in my room, which is pretty quiet. It forced me to have to go out to meet people and make friends but I like having my space to retreat to and be able to relax without a loud hall or shared bathrooms. It is a matter of making the right choice for you. I had no interest in the “college experience.” I wanted a place to retreat after a long day of classes with minimal distraction.</p>
<p>
There’s a small substance-free residential program within Fisher Hasenfeld, but it doesn’t encompass all of Fisher Hassenfeld:</p>
<p>[Substance-Free</a> Living Residential Program](<a href=“http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/residentialprograms/info.asp?id=37]Substance-Free”>http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/residentialprograms/info.asp?id=37)</p>
<p>And you may be confusing Ware with Mayer. Stouffer and Mayer, which is just up the street a bit from Stouffer (and across Spruce Street), together comprise Stouffer College House.</p>
<p>I was confused. Thanks.</p>
<p>Harnwell and Harrison are both high rises but completely different for freshmen. Harrison has the Freshman Experience and is a great place to live. There is a real community and social life in Harrison.<br>
Harnwell spreads out freshmen throughout the house and has no special programs for freshmen. I have friends in Harrison Fresh Ex and they love it. People I know in Harnwell hate it there.</p>
<p>Although some of the common rooms in Kings College English have AC, the students’ rooms are NOT air conditioned.</p>
<p>Take a look at the brochure you got in the mail as well as the website pages. There is a ton of detail there:</p>
<p>[Residential</a> Services](<a href=“Home | Penn Residential Services”>Home | Penn Residential Services)</p>
<p>[College</a> Houses & Academic Services](<a href=“http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/index.asp]College”>http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/index.asp)</p>
<p>King’s Court English rooms do NOT have ac, i live there right now. Quad rooms do</p>