I have been accepted into boulder, and I am applying for housing now. I will be an engineering student but I do not want to live and breathe Engineering. I also want to have a good time in college and have a social life. Which housing would be best for me? I know Baker, Sewall, Farrand, etc. are desireable, but I am wondering if they are a good fit for me.
I will be very engaged in my studies and I love the outdoors. I am studying chemical engineering but I do not want to be holed up in my dorm for four years. Should I do a RAP, FIG, or LLC? Or just stick to a traditional dorm approach. I would also like to be involved in clubs and activities, and be close to the action. If anyone has any experience please feel free to help.
Look at Global Engineering RAP. Its a very good group of students, some international. There is usually room in there until late April, but its getting more well known. its not too nerdy and you can choose to stay there for all four years.
Or you can live there for one, two or three years, its very flexible. Many students like it so much they stay all four years, but it varies student to student. You will meet upper classmen there. Its just a great social environment. You will have to fill in one essay in Spanish or French or Russian. Just do your best. I don’t think that its a huge block for most people, their lack of foreign language ability. Because students can speak multiple languages, its an interesting place to live.
Other than that, all the regular freshmen dorms are nine month experiences, and it does not matter much. They are all pretty much the same. Students go to apartments or fraternities or sororities after that.
Honors Engineering is probably full by now and its not as good as Global Engineering for social life.
Central (Baker, Farrand, Cherry Arapahoe, Libby, Hallet, Willard) seems like your best bet because all of the dorms are smack in the middle of campus and is more known for their more “outgoing” personalities. Central dorms are also close to engineering classes. Also, there seems to be more of a community with central dorms then say, the honors dorms, for example. A RAP/FIG/LLC would be a jumpstart into meeting new people as you would taking classes with the same people in your dorm (at least for RAPs). These groups also go on hikes and host other events outside of your traditional classes, which seems right up your alley. Some people may want to steer you away from Will Vill, but only because that’s 10-15 minutes away from campus and you have to take the Buff Bus. But, everyone there fosters a tight-knit community. This may or may not sounds desirable because you said you wanted to be close to the action. Sewall is kind of far from campus (compared to Kittredge and Central) and it’s isolated. But, it’s close to the rec center and has its own dining hall.