Social Scene @ CalTech

<p>Having seen houses with random sorting processes at places like Rice, I don’t agree that the homogenization occurs. The houses seek to differentiate themselves from one another, and in doing so gain personality. Students at Rice, for instance, can be quite disappointed that they didn’t end up in one of their preferred residential colleges. </p>

<p>As for the trustees, even if I knew anything about their involvement I wouldn’t discuss it here. </p>

<p>As for your final statement, we’re not adjusting Caltech to suit you personally. Changing a system that the large majority of students prefer to suit your own personal opinions doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, as the change would inconvenience more people than it would serve. I’m just saying that if it is a huge deal for someone, they can choose to attend another school; if they attend this one, they do so knowing that the majority of students they attend with support the house system.</p>

<p>I totally respect your right to believe what you want about the house system, and I think you are perfectly entitled to feel the way you do. That being said, please don’t campaign for a change that will make most students here very unhappy. (Edit: To clarify, I am not suggesting that webhappy is campaigning for a change here)</p>

<p>My child is a freshman this year. After rotation, he ended up in one of his least favorable houses. All his friends got into one of their top choices. Can he change the house next year?</p>

<p>@dancer_skater
I’m sorry to hear that. Your son can apply for membership in whatever house he chooses starting second term. If he gains membership, he will then be able to participate in that house’s room picks procedures for next year.</p>

<p>Thank you IMSAgeek! What would be the chance for his membership application to be approved and what are the determining factors for approval/reject of the application? Can he only apply memebership for one house or multiple (say 2 or 3) houses in case that his top choice will not work out?</p>

<p>Membership procedures vary wildly from house to house, so it’d probably be best for him to ask around the houses he’s interested in. Also, having multiple house memberships is perfectly acceptable (although you do have to pay house dues for each house).</p>

<p>After living in his house for a year he might start liking his housemates and want to stay.</p>

<p>@Quelloquialism:
Thank you for the information. I will tell him to ask around and check out. If his membership application gets approved, does it mean that he is guaranteed to stay in that house next year? Or is he just eligible to participate in the lottery for that house, but whether or not he can get in still depends on his luck?</p>

<p>He will likely not be guaranteed a spot and will have to participate in whatever procedure the house has in place for determining which upperclassmen get to live in the house. The procedure will vary from house to house.</p>

<p>EDIT: I should also add that I’d encourage him to at least give his current house a chance. The thing to remember here is that even when we’re divided into houses, most Caltech students will share some common interests.</p>

<p>Actually IMSAgeek, there are some people who just can’t fit in with some houses. You can usually spot them pretty quickly, and no amount of time will help. It’s better for the house and the person in question to move out as quickly as possible.</p>

<p>But you have to wait until next year to possibly change the house, right?</p>

<p>For most houses, a freshman can apply for social membership as early as first term. I haven’t heard of anyone becoming a full member of a new house until third term, and since most people in the houses stay in their room assignments for the whole year, a new member could not apply to live in the house until the following school year.</p>

<p>@kamikazewave
Well, yes, some people will never be happy in a particular house for whatever reason. But since I don’t know dancer_skater’s son, I don’t know if he is one of these people or if he is simply upset about being placed in one of his low choices (which is understandable).</p>

<p>Thank you to LHC, you answered my question clearly. Also thanks to everyone who provided suggestions and useful information. You guys are so nice. One thing for sure, my son is very happy at Caltech so far, except the house assignment. We hope that something will work out next year.</p>

<p>If it helps, I ended up in my fourth choice house and I couldn’t be happier. (I’m a senior now)</p>

<p>Correction…we’ve had frosh join as new full members during second term. I don’t think there are usually any actual restrictions; rather, the limiting factor is how quickly a frosh can become acquainted well enough with members of a house to have a good shot at being voted a full member.</p>

<p>I know that when I first got here I fell in love with one house and was DEVASTATED when I didn’t get into that house after rotation. Now I’m so happy that I’m in the house I’m in; for that matter, I can’t actually imagine myself in my first choice house anymore.</p>