<p>Also, in the High Rises, you control the temperature both in your own room and in your living room. I’m typing in my toasty 80 degree room right now.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the helpful post! It’s hard to really tell from the housing brochure 
Would you suggest doing FRESHEX?</p>
<p>Yes, yes, yes, and…yes.</p>
<p>I LOVED Fresh Ex when I was there. The whole premise of the program is to spoil freshman, and I think they do a great job of it. The coordinator works her butt off to make residents happy, and she’s super cool. Also, having a room in the high rises rocks.</p>
<p>The only trade off is that it’s further away from classes (or most that I would take as a freshmen) correct? I like the idea of having a tight-knit community within a community, though. Also…apartment style living :)</p>
<p>But really, I just like the idea of a dorm room in general, so I’d be happy in the Quad too!</p>
<p>Most people end up being satisfied with the dorm they end up with (even Hill…)</p>
<p>Penn is rather compact so I really would not call it a trade off. It will be a bit of a walk if you’re an engineer, but I have several engineer friends here (Harrison) that don’t really care. I also had a early morning class in DRL last semester (the furthest building, except for TRL but that’s another story), and I actually enjoyed the walk (even during the winter).</p>
<p>So, for the future Penn students who will be accepted through RD, what you’re saying is that Harrison and the FRESHEX is by no means a viable option and that no one should apply for it? Wonderful!</p>
<p>(Less people applying this way :P)</p>
<p>But, thanks for all of the advice. Walking does sound lovely…</p>
<p>Not cool, disagreement. Exams just ended, I’m extremely sleep-deprived, and it took me a long time to realize what you were doing :-p</p>
<p>PM at any time for any other questions.</p>
<p>Hahah sorry! Well, at least you will be going home very soon for the holidays! Hope your exams went well.</p>
<p>Will do :)</p>
<p>How are the fitness rooms in the houses that have them (size/equipment/crowded/etc)?
And if I were to live in Rodin or somewhere else that didn’t have a fitness room in it, how far would I have to go to get to one? I remember on my tour that we went by the fitness complex, but I didn’t go inside or see much of it.</p>
<p>Du Bois has a weight room and fitness room. It’s a fairly small house though so there are probably 5 or 6 machines in each. I don’t know which other dorms do or don’t have fitness rooms, but the gym for Penn is called Pottruck. It’s off 37th and Walnut Street. (closest to Du Bois and the High Rises). It’s free for Penn students, it’s part of your tuition so whether you use it or not you’re paying for it, so I suggest you use it. It’s really nice. There’s a gym for basketball and stuff, weight room, fitness room with treadmills and stairmasters and stuff, studios where classes like yoga and karate are held, , etc. Here’s the website below-</p>
<p>[University</a> of Pennsylvania, Department of Recreation](<a href=“http://www.upenn.edu/recreation/]University”>Penn Campus Recreation - Official Athletics Website)</p>
<p>That sounds great!
I might go Freshman Experience then (seems to be one of the most appealing so far) and just use Pottruck… besides, that’s just another excuse to get out of the dorms. I think the one they do that in has a fitness room anyway.</p>
<p>I’m also really interested in the Theater Engagement residential program. Is that hard for freshmen to get into? (my hook was theater and I’m going to be a theater major at the college)</p>
<p>Then there’s the healthy living and fitness one, but I don’t really imagine myself having a hard time eating healthy and staying fit without being in the program. It all seems to come down to what types of people I want surrounding me.</p>
<p>Can I find the Penn housing brochure online or do I have to call for it to be mailed to me?</p>
<p>I heard that Freshmen don’t live in Rodin. Any truth to that?</p>
<p>Can we tour the dorms at Penn Preview Days, from what I have gathered, for freshman it comes down to the Hill vs. the Quad, of course there are other great options, but most freshman live in these two right? I would like to actually see where I would spend the next 8 months of my life before picking either one, haha.</p>
<p>They mail it out to everyone, though maybe not until april. Housing app isn’t for a while guys.</p>
<p>Yes, Freshman aren’t permitted to live in Rodin. </p>
<p>Yes, you will tour dorms during Penn Preview Days. Don’t count out the other great dorms just yet.</p>
<p>the FreshEx program is good and all, but I definitely recommend Harnwell. As a freshman in Harnwell (it was 1st choice obviously), I can say that I love it. The Harnwell community is awesome and we had so many amazing freshman oriented events just for us during NSO.</p>
<p>here’s the housing brochure, for those interested:
<a href=“http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/brochure/collegehouses_10-11.pdf[/url]”>http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/brochure/collegehouses_10-11.pdf</a></p>
<p>everyone says the dorms on the quad are all the same, but could somebody go more in-depth into each house? Riepe seems nice (for me), but I’d like to know more about the other two than just from what the brochure says. Thanks!</p>
<p>Any suggestions for a goofy math/band/theatre/a cappella/soccer freshman??? </p>
<p>He likes the idea of a/c but can live without it…close to food is good but a little walk isn’t a huge deal…doesn’t need to be close to parties but they don’t bother him…he plans to join the band, audition for a cappella and will be at Wharton</p>
<p>Also…we can only attend the last Preview day…4/18…are housing apps date-stamped? is it ok to wait until that late in April? or should he send the housing app back before RD students are notified?</p>
<p>I spent a summer at Penn and stayed in Ware College House, which is located in the Quad. The Quad is really, really old but very beautiful. I absolutely adored the Gothic-styled archiecture but the dorms were not very spacious because of the layout of the room (beds were awkwardly arranged) and were kind of dirty. The public bathrooms were the same (only three shower stalls and three toilet stalls). I ended up showering at the gym every day. There’s AC in the room. Sometimes people would complain of a cockroach or a mouse. The laundry rooms were OK (at least they’re free!)</p>
<p>There was always something to do out in the Quad and in the common rooms, so it was quite easy for me to meet and hang out with new friends. There’s one average sized TV in the common room, a couple couches, and a pool + foosball table. I think Wharton was right across the street, and it only took five minutes to get to the 1980 Commons and Einsteins Bagels/Market Place. There’s also a WaWa (similiar to 7-11).</p>
<p>I probably wouldn’t not stay in the Quad again. One of my lab mates stayed in Kings Court and absolutely loved it. Penn was renovating one of the more apartment-typed dorms when I was there, but I am not sure which one. I would probably like to live there. Honestly, you just need to seek out the freshman experience if you want to have it.</p>
<p>PS - if you want to see pictures of the dorm room + bathroom, just PM me.</p>
<p>D loves her substance free dorm in the Quad. Many in my circles stereotype the Ivies and their dorms as Animal House environments and nothing could be further from the truth. Penn has something for everyone. D has a group of like-minded friends who simply choose not to partake. She is shooting for another dorm next year with a couple of friends, but will probably never forget her freshman experience in the Quad.</p>