<p>What is "waitlist"? What does it mean to a 3rd year student who is on it?</p>
<p>Do you mean a rising senior, redrose2? Or a rising junior? </p>
<p>There are two waitlists, A and B, and they mean different things. Tell us more and we can probably answer your question.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, being on the normal waitlist at the end of the housing lottery is a very good thing. The rooms that the Housing Office “finds” for waitlist students during the summer are typically much better than the rooms available in the lottery at that point. My daugther ended up with the same room she would have picked with a high lottery number when she was given the choice of several rooms from the waitlist for her sophmore year. Waitlist was a very good deal for her.</p>
<p>rising junior. “A” waitlist.</p>
<p>Good - the A waitlist is the one interesteddad is talking about. It’s the priority waitlist, and students who choose to go on it almost always end up with excellent rooms. </p>
<p>Your rising junior probably opted to go on the waitlist because there were no more singles available through room choosing when his or her number came up Monday night.</p>
<p>For others reading, Swarthmore right now has enough beds to house everyone without using overflow rooms (basement of ML, converted lounges, etc.)</p>
<p>For a variety of reasons, not all of the available rooms are assigned during the lottery. The housing office holds some back because they don’t know exactly the size of the incoming class yet. They have rooms in reserve for special cases. And, they know that some percentage of students picking in the lottery will not actually occupy those rooms. </p>
<p>So, rather than make sophmores and juniors at the tail end of the lottery numbers for each class pick from the dregs, they just cut it off and offer those students a place on the A waitlist. This means that you won’t know your room assignment until August, but you will, in all likelihood, get a good room out of the deal.</p>
<p>Even better about the waitlist. Swarthmore assigns lottery numbers by computer with a program some students wrote that ensures the average lottery number over three years of all Swartmore students will be the same. So, if you have crappy lottery number junior year, you will have better lottery number sophmore and senior such that it is fair equal over the course of three years.</p>
<p>The great thing about the “A” waitlist is that you usually end up with a good room, purchased with a crappy lottery number. That means your lottery number for the other two years is likely to be better, again allowing you to purchase a better room.</p>
<p>Remembering that in good Quaker fashion, you can’t “purchase” a better room with cash, unlike some other colleges. The room you get is determined largely by your lottery number. Our son, too, got a very good deal out of the housing waitlist – he ended up with a single in Wharton sophomore year.</p>
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<p>Wow. A Wharton single is a sweet deal. My daugther was thrilled to get a double in Willets! In fact, she turned down Myrt’s offer of one of the broom closet singles in Roberts.</p>
<p>Any info on Pittenger’s singles?</p>
<p>The floorplans for every floor of every dorm are here (along with what I believe to be the only photograph of Willets in existence):</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Housing :: Dorm Profiles](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x9777.xml]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/x9777.xml)</p>
<p>Thanks ID. I had seen the plans and the list of singles but I was wondering about “quality of dorm life” or “personality” of the dorm. It seems like a trek to classes. I know that the shuttle serves PPR but do most kids ride it or walk it?</p>
<p>The quality of dorm life/personality varies each year, more than it does in bigger dorms. Pitt tends to be on the quiet side, but because groups tend to block there, a couple of livelier blocks can make a difference. </p>
<p>Most kids walk up campus during the day but use the shuttle if they’re coming back late at night.</p>
<p>It’s only a quarter mile to Sharples and less than half a mile to Parrish or McCabe from Pittenger. I know that, psychologically, Swatties perceive PPR as being a long way, but…</p>
<p>Thanks Harriet and ID!</p>
<p>Swarthmore’s housing lottery, overall, is the fairest system that I’ve seen. I am curious, though, about what the “worst” number (range) is for rising sophomores if the very lowest will actually get better rooms from A waitlist.</p>
<p>My host for RTT lived in ML, which is seemed farther away than PPR, though I’m told that the walking route is very different from the driving route. I actually considered requesting ML after I “clicked” with the subculture that is slowly permeating it again, but old building = bugs, and bugs + phobia = not good. So I will take my chances with Rachel Head.</p>
<p>Keil:</p>
<p>I don’t know how many sophmores are on the A waiting list anymore. Before David Kemp was opened, the dregs of the lottery were basement rooms in Mary Lyons. They would step in and start offering waitlist before anyone had to pick those rooms. Those rooms, as well as some converted lounges, have been taken out of the inventory now. Also, there is a new provision that, if you live in ML your first year, you are guaranteed an “on-campus” dorm sophmore year. This means that some “on-campus” first years are going to be going to Mary Lyon as sophmores.</p>
<p>Here’s the list from two years ago. Last year isn’t posted:</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Housing :: Lottery 08](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x21539.xml]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/x21539.xml)</p>
<p>Lottery numbers in the 1000s are really bad sophmore numbers.</p>
<p>The vast majority of sophmores get doubles in Willets, Dana, Hollowell, or Mary Lyons. Smatterings here and there in PPR, Woolman, Lodges, Strathaven. It looks like there was one sophmore double in Alice Paul. No sophmores in David Kemp, Wharton, Mertz, or Parrish. Realistically, a Willets double is the most desireable option for most sophmores.</p>
<p>I think most students would say that a block with a bunch of friends almost anywhere - and for some students this includes ML - is better than a double. But yes, as a sophomore, a double in Willets is a pretty good thing to have.</p>
<p>Sophomores last night did not go to Woolman, Lodges, or AP; those rooms were gone before room choosing. They <em>did</em> get two doubles in DK, plus doubles in Hallowell, Palmer, Pitt, ML, Strath, and of course Willets. There were several Willets quads, plus quints in Pitt and Roberts, and one triple each in ML and Parrish E (women). And there were ten ML singles.</p>
<p>HarrietMW,
Thanks for the up-to-the moment reporting! ;)</p>
<p>I feed my sources well. :D</p>