<p>I am a recruited female athlete and got my likely letter for uchicago. I keep trying to fill out the housing form but cant becasue I can't decided between max or south for my first choice.
I hear that max has more athletes and is in the middle of everything, but it is so ugly.
South, on the other hand, is kind of far but it is absolutely stunning. When I visited I love the culture of south, but could stand for more athletes there.
Do any students have any input about why one is better than the other?
Is a walk to campus from south in the middle of the winter killer?
Any input would be great! Thanks guys!</p>
<p>I only have second-hand comments from my son, who wanted to be in Max P., but ended up in South his first year. He liked it there so much that he stayed for this year as well. One of the things he says–and he notes that he has heard several other South residents say it too–is that there is something unexpectedly nice about having just a little bit of “distance” from the main part of campus. When they go to their dorm, they feel like they are “getting away” ever so slightly.</p>
<p>Both are good dorms. South is nicer, newer. Max is closest to the Gym. In terms of atmosphere they are pretty much the same, though Max is just a bit more party/frat (but not more ‘social’ if that makes sense).</p>
<p>Another distinction–if this might be important to you–is layout. In Max y ou’re in a suite made up of two doubles and a shared full bathroom plus a shared WC (second toilet). South has traditional singles and doubles (plus a few apartments that seemingly go to upperclasspeople) and communal bathrooms. When my S was struggling last year with the same decision you are, we pointed out that in Max, he and his suitemates would be responsible for stocking and cleaning their own bathroom whereas in south all that would be done by the U. That pretty much made the decision for him 
. He is very very happy in South this year, loves the newness, the beautiful common areas, the immediately adjacent dining hall, and–to his mind–the perfect proximity to campus with some welcome distance as the poster above said. During winter quarter, his club team practices twice a week at Crown at 7 AM and I imagine that three-quarters of a mile walk in the cold and dark is pretty lousy but he hasn’t complained.</p>
<p>On a related note, just want to give two big thumbs up to the House System. It was one of two things that really drew my S to the college (the other is the Core) and it has exceeded his (and our) expectations.</p>
<p>I’m a first-year living in BJ (next to South as you know) and distance to the gym can become a factor more than you’d expect. Especially in the winter months, the 10-minute walk/ 5-minute jog to Ratner can be annoying. Between rowing practice and my own lifting sessions, I’m going to the gym almost seven times a week, and have been considering moving to Max next year for its location.</p>
<p>Our S1 has been in Max for three years and from what I can tell, he has been happy staying there. He is a regular visitor to Ratner and spends a lot of time in Reg.</p>
<p>I lived in Max over the summer and currently live in South.
The distance does make a difference, especially on nights like tonight, when the roads are slush and the snow nearly knifes into your face, or subzero nights in general. There are times I want to go to the Reg (and have some delicious coconut oolong tea at Ex Libris) or hang out at Hallowed Grounds (by far my favorite coffee shop), but end up not going because I don’t feel like walking that far. That said, the difference isn’t significant at all when it comes to going to classes; most will be in the central area of quads or in Cobb/Wieboldt (which you’ll likely be in for hume) that are generally equidistant from both dorms. Take a moment to think about where you’d like to go regularly - Ratner? Logan? The Reg? Harper? - and try to choose a closer dorm based on those locations (which is what I did, and it works out even if I can’t have my coconut oolong tea as often as I’d like, but no one can have everything).</p>
<p>Definitely don’t let Max’s ugliness get in your way.</p>
<p>Thank you guys! I will be at ratner a lot, and I will be rooming with my high school friend who will be a second year if i am in max…I think that a good roommate trumps any other variable…agreed?</p>
<p>I agree with the other people here who talked about the distance to the athletic facilities. When I was at the U of C, I lived in the now-demolished Woodward Court in my first year, and I thought that the people who lived on the other side of the Midway in B-J (New South had not yet been built) had a much longer schlepp to class, to the Reg, to Ida Noyes (obvously), the Reynolds Club and Henry Crown (before Ratner!). Max is right there: between the Reg and the athletic facilities. If you said you were interested seriously in the arts, I would say New South is right there for you. But otherwise, Max is a lot closer to what you will be doing on a daily basis if you go.</p>