<p>What do you all think of the Just About Music house? I'm a rising senior in high school so I know it's a little early to be worrying about housing, but I want to be an engineer and I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to be part of the musical ensembles as well, since I know the engineering program is pretty intensive. I'm a drummer, and I want to be able to play jazz/funk/rock with other musicians on the side, and get gigs together too.</p>
<p>How is the atmosphere in JAM, how many people are there, how nice are the dorms, and how many drum sets/practice rooms are there?</p>
<p>One of my best friends was an R.A. in JAM last year (and so I used to hang out there ALL the time.) So I'll answer this:</p>
<p>JAM is an amazing program house - out of all the program houses at Cornell, it's probably one of my favorites. There are quite a few engineers there and they seem to manage with their workload just fine, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. </p>
<p>One of the things I've always liked about JAM is that there's a really great atmosphere there. Everyone I've met there is just so nice and so welcoming. There are a lot of really fun events that happen there every semester, too. For example, if a new CD comes out that people want to hear, they'll do "listening parties" in the common area (complete with snacks and soda,) so people can just chill out and listen to the music. </p>
<p>JAM also has a lot of live concerts every semester (they invite local Ithaca acts to perform,) and those are always lots of fun. There are always dances and board game nights too. Every semester, there's also the annual "JAM Sleepover," where people get together and play silly games (like spin the bottle) and eat unhealthy food. </p>
<p>Facility-wise, JAM is great too because they have a huge practice area and a performance area. So lots of people who play instruments make use of that.</p>
<hr>
<p>I just want to stress here that you don't need to be in an ensemble to "fit in" at JAM. Hell, I don't play an instrument OR even live in the house full-time and I still felt really accepted. As long as you have some interest in music - even if you just like listening to stuff on your I-Pod - you'll do fine. </p>
<p>If I had to do freshman year over again, I'd probably live in JAM. I suppose if I wanted to, I could even live there now (I'm a junior.) But now that I'm an upperclassman, I just don't want to live on North Campus anymore.</p>
<p>If you want to be in JAM and you apply is there a definite chance that you'll get in? And what are the dorm situations, normal double/single situation? Is the ratio bigger or small than normal, and are the rooms nicer than the standard dorms?</p>
<p>Thanks for the info!</p>
<p>A good percentage of the rooms in EVERY program house are specifically reserved for freshmen (I think Campus Life says that 50%-60% of the residents in every house have to be first year students.) So if you're applying to live in JAM as a freshman, I think there's an excellent chance you'll get in. </p>
<p>JAM is a low-rise and it's divided into different "units" that are all connected. Personally I don't think the rooms in JAM are as nice as they are in in the newer buildings (i.e. Court, where I lived freshman year.) But the pleasant atmosphere more than makes up for it, I think. And the dorm is plenty warm and toasty in the winter. Geographically, JAM is also right next to Appel Commons, where one of the freshman dining halls is; so that'll make things convenient too. </p>
<p>I think there are singles in JAM, but I don't know how many of them there are. Everyone I knew there (who wasn't an R.A.,) had a double.</p>
<p>JAM is made up of suites. In each suite, there are two singles and two doubles. I know there are a lot of suites in JAM so it is possible to get a single. For some reason though, most of my friends who were freshman had doubles, but I'm sure if you wanted one, you'd get one. I think you're pretty much guaranteed to live in JAM if you chose to. Most of the people I've talked didn't choose to be in it and got in. I think they mainly look at the program house application for those who want to get into the popular dorms like Risley which typically has a waiting list.</p>