<p>So I could probably look this up myself... but why look things up when there is CC? :-P My question is, how does freshman housing (and housing at Harvard in general) work? It seems like you are not placed in a "House" until mid-late freshman year, if I'm not mistaken? What happens before that? How are people placed into houses? Are there cultural differences between the houses? How about cost differences? Do you have any freedom with your room? (painting it, etc.) Or with where you live? Basically, tell me a bit about Harvard's housing situation :-).</p>
<p>One word: random. :)</p>
<p>Really. You're randomly selected for a freshman dorm, then at the end of your freshman year, you can choose "block mates", and the university will ensure that you and your block mates are put into the same house. But then your group is put into a lottery for housing. Therefore, there really can't be any cultural differences besides the amenities of the dorms and what develops from the people in your house, and I doubt that they would have different prices considering that it's a random deal in the first place.</p>
<p>In regard to changing the room, I think they even regulate what kinds of sticky stuff you can use on your walls, so I doubt painting is in the picture (no pun intended).</p>
<p>There are no different prices for rooms or meal plans at Harvard.</p>
<p>Jen98 is right about everything.</p>
<p>I would emphasize that the freshman dorms are completely separate from the upperclass houses. The freshman dorms are small (anywhere from 30-250 students apiece, roughly) and most are in Harvard Yard, or right next to it. Most don't have their own laundry rooms, and none have their own cafeteria (all freshmen eat in the freshmen dining hall).</p>
<p>Houses, where students live their sophomore, junior, and senior years, are much bigger (each at least around 400 students), and each has its own dining hall, laundry, common areas, etc. Over the three years, a strong house culture tends to develop, and this is one of my favorite things about Harvard (I'm in Kirkland myself).</p>
<p>People have pretty much answered most questions, in regards to painting, you're apparently allowed to paint your room as long as you paint it back to white at the end of the year.</p>
<p>Caramelkisses- I'd note that the policy is that you're not allowed to paint the rooms at all, but if you did paint it back at the end of the year they probably wouldn't notice.</p>
<p>Still, painting the rooms is probably not a good idea (a lot of things to deal with, like fumes, on top of keeping it secret from the superintendent) and would have a reasonable chance of getting you yelled at, for not much benefit (a differently colored dorm room). I'd recommend instead putting posters or art up (people can actually make their room look really nice with art).</p>
<p>Yeah, I've never heard of anyone painting--it's not worth the effort. Plus, you tend to switch rooms halfway through the year, so it is pointless. Posters and whatnot are so much easier and effective.
ps Admiral, I'm in Kirkland too :)</p>
<p>I know of at least one person who's painted their room this year without any issues. Not saying it's advisable or even that important, but it has been done. Also, I'm not sure how things work in Kirkland but in my house (Dunster) and those of most people I know, switching rooms doesn't tend to happen much, if at all.</p>
<p>Ironic, I'm in Kirkland and we painted our room. It's really not a big deal, Scott (the super) doesn't care at all.</p>
<p>As a parent, it seems to me that the concept of "n+1" accommodations is a unique feature of many of Harvard's dorms - a suite of rooms in which there are rooms to accommodate a specified number of people, plus a shared living room. Since some of the rooms around the living room may be larger or more desirable than others, some groups of suitemates may trade out with one another (but remain within the suite) during the year? This is what my D's group of six suitemates did during their freshman year.</p>
<p>Yeah, the room-switching thing really depends on who you're living in a suite with and how much they care about the room they're in. My room switched just to keep things fair...I know lots of people who also switched, and I know lots who didn't care enough to change. Although, gadad, n+1 depends on your house and year. Even getting "n" rooms is fine though (one room for every person in the suite--usually two people double up and the extra room becomes a common room, but I've seen common rooms be bedrooms, too). Harvard housing is great, though..there's a reason pretty much everyone lives on campus. Any visitors I have always say how jealous they are and how much they hate housing at their schools.</p>
<p>Sorry to give bad information on the painting rooms question! I'd never known anyone to do it, but you learn new stuff every day.</p>
<p>What about fresmen who have found no block mates?</p>
<p>Freshmen without blocking groups can "float," which means they enter the housing lottery as an individual the same way a blocking group would, and are randomly placed into a house just like everyone else is. Once in their respective house, they can find someone to room with within the house, or enter the room lottery individually (also called floating) and be placed with someone by the house office.</p>
<p>Do the "floaters" feel bad? This sounds just a tad like fraternity/sorority rush with the freshman scrambling to bond with five or seven other students to room with the rest of college. Is it a bit stressful?</p>
<p>A related question: Is it accurate that only about 2/3-3/4 of the freshman class gets housing in Harvard Yard, and the remaining first-years are housed elsewhere?</p>
<p>wjb: The first years who are not housed in Harvard Yard are housed in the Union dorms, just outside of the Yard. It's not a big deal at all; initially students may be disappointed but they all do just fine. Some years they house some freshmen in another building ... I can't think of the name of it at the minute, but it's right outside the Yard and quite beautiful with marble staircases and such.</p>
<p>Blocking can be a bit stressful, but it generally seems to work out very well. Though freshmen block together (and can link with another blocking group with a guarantee of the other group being in the same "neighborhood,") the students do not actually have to room together once they're in the house sophomore and subsequent years.</p>
<p>oh, and can blocks be co-ed?</p>
<p>Twinmom- the building you're thinking of is Apley Court, and it is indeed beautiful.</p>
<p>And wjb, I think the ratio freshmen in the Yard dorms is closer to 4/5 or more, but I'm not positive. And like twinmom said, it's not a big deal for them at all.</p>
<p>By when in freshman year do the students have to designate their block for housing ?</p>