<p>Can any existing students comment on the different housing options at TCU, specifically the amenities, location...that make one dorm more desirable than another?</p>
<p>My daughter lived in Clark last year and had a great experience. It was her second choice. Sherley was her first choice, mainly because (i) it is bigger, and she is very social, and (ii) it has a kitchen, which Clark does not. However, the past couple of weeks she has been recommending Clark to several hometown kids that are headed to TCU this fall, mainly because of the location. It is probably the closest dorm to the academic buildings and the library, which is nice for both early morning classes and late night studying, and also very convenient to the Rec; however, it is quite a distance from the BLUU and even further to the freshman parking lot. Those distances weren’t really a problem for her, because she isn’t big on cafeteria food and kept a lot of food in her dorm room, and she didn’t really drive her car that often. When she did need to get her car, she quickly learned how to catch the shuttle both to and from the parking lot. Even though she is in the Honors College, she requested a waiver from the Milton Daniel housing requirement since she wanted to room with someone that was not in Honors College. MD is closer to the BLUU and very near the Rec, and has very nice rooms. She has recommended either Sherley or Foster to a friend that will be studying musical theatre, since both are close to Landreth Hall, where a lot of those classes take place. She did not want to live in Colby, because it has not been renovated, but she ended up spending quite a bit of time there visiting friends and enjoyed the camaraderie that comes with an all-girl dorm. I’ve never heard her mention Moncrief or Waits, so I can’t offer anything about those dorms, but she has commented that she would hate to live in Brachmann because of the distance. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Hi, SouthernFriedMom, I’m in honors, but if I don’t get into Milton Daniel, which dorm should I stay in instead? I would love to hear your advice.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what amenities you value most. Clark is closest to the library and most of the academic buildings, as well as being closest to some of the off-campus hangouts like Fuzzy’s, Dutch’s and Potbelly, but if you prefer to grab breakfast before your first class of the day, you probably want to be closer to the BLUU. If you work out a lot, Moncrief is very close to the Rec. if you’re not bringing a car, then close proximity to the freshman lot probably isn’t important, but Clark is the closest to Kroger for those snack and toiletry trips. What are your top priorities?</p>
<p>Thank you for your helpful advice; I adjusted my hall preferences accordingly. I guess Clark would be the second nicest, as I am quite inclined to academics. My first choice is still Milton Daniel, and I hope it is not a wrong choice. I am international and have not had a chance to visit TCU’s campus.
Also, I am not sure what meal plan I should choose. I currently have gone for the Gold one, but isn’t the Silver one sufficient?</p>
<p>My daughter had the silver plan and it was fine. She has chosen it again for this fall. I hope you get Milton Daniel, I think you will be very happy there. It is very nice and in a good location.</p>
<p>I lived in Moncrief, and there were a few honors kids that did not get Milton. Since not everyone in Milton is a freshman, some kids in my dorm moved to Milton during the first semester when others moved out. Both Milton and Moncrief are across from the rec and BLUU, but they are a little further from the academic buildings than Sherley/Waits/Foster/etc. However, the walk isn’t bad at all. </p>
<p>One tip of advice: When you fill out your housing preference online, make sure you are completely honest with the roommate questionnaire (even if you list a preferred roommate, you aren’t guaranteed). If you know you’re messy, don’t put the slider on “neat freak” and so on for the other questions. TCU tries to match you with someone compatible and you don’t want to move because of roommate problems! 
I’ve seen it happen.</p>