<p>Son accepted, will be an engineering student, majoring in computer science.
Very conservative and quiet, rather stay in nerdy type mecca. Not interested in partying and the sort. Convienence to classes is somewhat a priority. Definately, wouldnt want to live in "animal house movie type housing". Greek doesnt appeal on outset, but he won't necessarily elimate.
Son has CHristian values, but probably wouldn't like staying in such 100 % dedicated type housing. </p>
<p>Not totally sure he is going to ILL, top 2 choices.</p>
<p>ANy recommendations or ideas on where to stay for dorms?</p>
<p>My son sounds almost identical (except for the Christian part; we're Jewish) - he has four other colleges he's more interested in but for safety's sake we researched housing and decided to apply to Hendrick House - if he goes elsewhere we lose $50 of the deposit but it's worth the peace of mind. It's private housing apparently filled with engineers and there's been no indication that partying is prevalent. One comment was that everyone is either studying or playing video games, which sounds like our house! I've read that ISR is very hard to get into since a lot of upperclassmen apply; also that it has the smallest rooms. Both are excellent locations for the Engineering School.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure that incoming Freshmen have to stay their first year in a dorm...At least, that is what everyone says. I konw tehre are exceptions like: you can live with your siblings and stuff, but my brother was only able to get into Hendrick House (which was actually quite a nice place) in his Sophomore Year. So I dunno...</p>
<p>According to their web site, they're 58% freshman and 55% engineering. I talked to both the private residense housing office and Hendrick House themselves and there was no problem with freshmen living there. Maybe your brother didn't apply early enough? There's a questionnaire online then they send you a contract to return within a week.</p>
<p>In my experience, a lot of people on our campus think Hendrick House is full of rich kids. I've heard people noting that a lot of Jewish students live there (and Bromley) as well. ISR definitely has a larger percentage of nerdy and antisocial type students compared to other dorms, but there are obviously students there who are more typical college-type students... not that the side stairs make it easy to get a keg (or three) into your room on the first weekend of school.</p>
<p>Well on the other hand, Im going to be a business major and looking for a dorm with girls and where the partying scene is a little more upbeat. Im not saying that I want to live in party city, but something lively...any suggestions?</p>
<p>Well, I did a little research and asked some friends there, and I too will be a bus major. I too wanted the scene to be more upbeat than ISR, so i was suggested Peabody and FAR. I hate walking all that way for FAR, so im going with Peabody. Its about a blok away from the six pack, but its not as crazy and u can actually get soem sleep and study time while attending the best parties on campus (this is what i hear).</p>
<p>If anyone else is happenening to read this and has a better suggestion of a nice balance of quiet and party, please make suggestiong for me too, tho i belive its too late to change it and get priority dorming.</p>
<p>i kno private certified housing usually has bigger dorms and better food, and in turn, is more expensive. But they are quieter than the six pack, which is part of the university housing. I heard that Bromely had pretty good tasting food and big dorms.</p>
<p>And Europa is special in that it only houses about 50 ppl (i think). Its also interesting that they are extremely cheap because they dont provide food - you make your own in their kitchen.</p>
<p>Try not to worry about which dorm to pick in order to go to the best parties on campus. I'll go ahead and say that 99% of the 'best parties' would never, and could never take place in a dorm room... and you will still make friends from almost every dorm on campus.</p>
<p>Bummer,
My S is like yours and Marilyn's, he is also jewish. However he doesn't mind noise. He studies with his sterio blasting and can easily fall asleep with it on. He is not into partying (yet) and wants to be an engineer. He was thinking about Townsend/Wardall (I gues these are what everyone is refferring as ISR - Illinois Street Residence) because they are so close to the Engineering (Bardeen) Quad. Would his comfort with noise be a problem in ISR or Hendrick (the closest private to Eng. Quad)? Six pack appear to be much further away.</p>
<p>a very interestig discussion as i get ready to decide on my potential housing options for next year...</p>
<p>besides what's been mentioned (better food, slightly larger rooms), what are some other pros/cons of private certified housing versus a university residence hall?</p>
<p>Signs You Live at Hendrick House (And Don't Fit In): </p>
<p>1) You walk into a room with a group of people looking at a sentence completely made up of numbers, laughing at the funniest joke they've ever heard, and you don't get it.
2) You need directions to set up your computer and are laughed at.
3) You don't act like a living Dilbert cartoon, even if everyone is.
4) Although you like keeping your door open, you stop because of the futility of it all, which lies in the fact that no one else does.
5) You wave at your friends at lunch and they don't sit by you because they like eating alone.
6) You have friends at other places beside Hendrick House.
7) You are the only one that doesn't have some sort of debilitating social deficiency.
8) People in your dorm have labeled you as "too social" or "too outgoing."
9) You have seen a Dugeons and Dragons tournament live and on a Saturday night.
10) You have met people that had no idea what Unofficial is and/or have never seen a drunk person.
11) You see signs for Board Game Night on a Friday.
12) You tear down the signs in Hendrick for 2 reasons: 1. To keep them out of their pure patheticness. 2. You're sick of the 1337 (leet) comments all over them like "Oh noes!!!11!" and "Teh suxors!!!11."
13) Most people don't own laptops not because they are too expensive but because "why would you need to move your computer out of your room?" or "lack of gaming capabilities."
14) You have seen people talking on headsets to their computers and you don't even wonder why anymore.
15) People just don't play Counterstrike at your dorm. They play it in your dorm . . . online!! (in exact online replica of your dorm)
16) One side of the building is nicer than the other side (and you know which side you live on.)
17) You have at least thought about going out for the Greek system.
18) You have witnessed hacking -- in person.
19) You have weight-lifted to another person's music . . . which happened to be N'SYNC.
20) You have lived there one year and one semester was by far enough.</p>
<p>My S wants to be near Bardeen (the Engineering) Quad and he is between ISR (university) and Hendrick (private). The additional difference we see is that Hendrick is coed and ISR has 1 male (Townsend) and 1 female (Wardall) building. Can anyone add any other info to help my S with his decision.</p>
<p>Very amusing list of reasons - I can only hope it's somewhat exaggerated - but to be honest I can actually see my S in many of the comments! So he might be happy there.</p>