The Completely Unofficial 08-09 Chicago Dorm Guide

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Dorms have been discussed before:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/327239-housing.html?highlight=dorm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/327239-housing.html?highlight=dorm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>But I thought I might come up with a fresh compilation.</p>

<p>Current students, feel free to chime in/add. Prospective students, feel free to badger. I haven't visited all of the dorms myself, and some of these descriptions are more anecdotal than anything else.</p>

<p>But, here's a start....</p>

<p>Remember, a DORM is a building, and a HOUSE is a smaller cluster within that building. The houses are broken down differently depending on the dorm, but every student is assigned to one. Every HOUSE has a resident head (a grad student, usually, who is awesome/ helps with house activities) and one or more RAs (current students). There are also resident masters for the dorm-- they are less involved with daily life, usually, but they also host dormwide activities.</p>

<p>--Blackstone and Stony Island</p>

<p>Let's hope that Chicago doesn't put any first-years here like they did this year. Blackstone and Stony are not bad dorms, but, at the same token, they are not really dorms. The freshmen I know in Blackstone are terrific people and are reasonably happy with the dorm, but I think they realize their living situation is not ideal in that Blackstone does not offer the traditional house life that the other dorms do. Traditionally, they have been for upperclassmen/transfers who have already experienced dorm life and now want a university-owned apartment setup. </p>

<p>*Maclean<a href="Maclean%20dorm%20is%20one%20house:%20Maclean%20House">/B</a>
*It's good for: Those want a single and want to be closer to campus than Breckinridge. Those who want to play Magic the Gathering.
*It's not good for: * Those who want to meet a lot of people through the dorm (Mac is about 80 kids and is pretty small). Those who feel connected to the University.</p>

<p>*Snell-Hitchcock<a href="S-H%20Dorm%20is%20Snell%20House%20and%20Hitchcock%20House.%20%20Snell%20is%20about%2050%20people,%20Hitchcock%20is%20about%20100">/B</a>
*It's good for: Snell is singles; Hitchcock is doubles. Hitchcock tends to be more spirited and rowdier than Snell. Both are filled with EA kids who sent in their deposit the same day they were admitted to the school.
It's not good for: Those who don't dig the whole neo-Gothic thing. Those who don't like Scav Hunt. Those who don't like the idea of other people giving them funny looks when they say they're a Snell or Hitchcock resident. Those who don't want to hear about how great their dorm is and how it and the people who inhabit it are better than every other dorm and the people who inhabit every other dorm.</p>

<p>*Burton-Judson<a href="Made%20up%20of%20%7E8%20houses%20of%20%7E40%20students%20each">/B</a>
*It's good for: People who like their privacy but who like each other too. People who love the idea of house life. People who want to be close to campus. People who want singles. People who want to live near the dining hall.
It's not good for: People who like a lot of noise. People who like feeling l that there are a lot of parties to go to and people going to them. People who want roommates.</p>

<p>*Max Palevsky<a href="8%20houses,%20about%2070-100%20students%20each">/B</a>
*It's good for: First-years. People who want to meet other people really easily. People who want to be near everything.
It's not good for: People who want singles. People who don't like bright colors.</p>

<p>*Pierce<a href="4%20houses,%20about%2070%20each">/B</a>
*It's good for: People who like parties. People who are happy. (Pierce is a very happy dorm).
It's not good for: People who want a big room.</p>

<p>*Breck<a href="One%20house,%20%7E100%20people">/B</a>
*It's good for: People who like the idea of a close-knit community. People who like Lord of the Rings. People who like lots of inside jokes/traditions.
It's not good for: People who want to feel connected to the rest of the university.</p>

<p>*Shoreland<a href="%7E12%20houses,%20%7E70%20people%20each">/B</a>
*It's good for: People who like parties. People who like feeling connected to each other and to the University. People who like big rooms and private bathrooms.
It's not good for: People who don't want to live far from campus.</p>

<p>*Broadview<a href="3%20houses,%20%7E60%20each">/B</a>
*It's good for: People who have already lived in a dorm situation. People who want a single. People who want a private bath.
It's not good for: People who want a more social dorm. People who don't want to be far from campus.</p>

2

<p>is there anyting like palevsky without the briht colors?</p>

3

<p>The new dorm will have suite-style rooms, but, alas, it is not yet an option.</p>

<p>I would say Pierce. Close to campus, lots of people, a good first-year/upperclassmen balance, dining hall in dorm. The only downsides are smaller rooms and no private bathrooms.</p>

<p>Personally, I like Pierce more than Palevsky. Palevsky is too generic for me and Pierce has a little bit more character to it. I walk into Pierce and think, "Wow, this place is really happy!" I walk into Palevsky and think, "Wow, this place is really orange."</p>

4

<p>But Pierce is even less aesthetically pleasing than Palevsky!</p>

<p>I spent the night at Pierce and noticed that not only were the bathrooms not private, but they were also co-ed. Do the other residence halls sans private bathrooms also have co-ed bathrooms?</p>

5

<p>im startin to think i like snell hitchcock just because i love the gothic theme</p>

6

<p>If I remember correctly, BJ has definitely got the Gothic thing going on.</p>

7

<p>I'm trying to decide between Snell-Hitchcock and Burton-Judson. What are the main differences? How weird is weird when it comes to SH? And is it true that BJ students tend to be artsy types?</p>

8

<p>Eh, too many stereotypes. I live in Broadview, and I picked it so that I would have lots of personal space and so I could avoid parties. I assumed that since Broadview is nearly all singles, it would be a place where I could meet other people who weren't as social as I was. However, I soon found out that a LOT of people there party almost incessantly, to the point that some of them will need some luck to avoid academic probation next quarter. Regardless, there is a much higher percentage of math/physics majors here than econ majors, which probably creates the stereotype, and we probably have a slightly higher percentage of those who abstain from partying. I think the stereotypes unalove mentioned are probably NEARLY true for most dorms (as are most stereotypes), but they certainly don't apply to everyone, and don't be surprised if you pick a dorm and 50% of residents don't fit the stereotype. I really doubt that the 'Magic' and 'LOTR' stereotypes hold much validity; I might be surprised, though.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Do the other residence halls sans private bathrooms also have co-ed bathrooms?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>IIRC, B-J has co-ed bathrooms as well.</p>

9

<p>Palevsky isn't just close to everything, it's CLOSE to everything - Ratner/Henry Crown (gyms) are each half a block away, library and dining hall/bartmart are 2 minutes away, Reynolds club, frat parties and 55 bus stop a block away, etc. It's easily one of my favorite things about the dorm. </p>

<p>Other huge plusses:</p>

<ul>
<li>the rooms are almost %100 soundproof (if you don't know why this is an awesome thing to have in college you are dumb)

<ul>
<li>the room temp is really easy to control year-round and the rooms are pretty much airtight so you can keep it warm and cozy in the winter and frosty in the summer</li>
<li>private suite bathrooms, you can decorate them, keep all your shower/bathroom stuff right there</li>
<li>instantaneous hot water - again one of those things where you don't realize how awesome it is until you try living without it</li>
<li>spotless wireless throughout the building</li>
<li>electronic keycard system so if you lose a key getting a temp to open your room takes all of thirty seconds</li>
<li>relatively spacious rooms with bunkable beds for max floorspace</li>
<li>the damn thing is bulletproof, you can spill anything in those carpets (<em>anything</em>) and it leaves nary a lasting mark or stain</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p>I haven't lived in any other dorm so I can't comment on those, but I really like Max a lot. It's also not nearly as ugly as I thought it would be, and not too bad to live in. Next to the Reg, it looks downright beautiful.</p>

10

<p>Unalove's list is a great list of dorm stereotypes. They're just stereotypes, but keep in mind that stereotypes exist for a reason.</p>

<p>I agree with Jack about all of the things he says about Max. It's not really a first year dorm anymore because the university no longer enforces quotas on the number of upperclassmen allowed to stay in the dorm; houses are probably about split between first years and upperclassmen.</p>

<p>I will add that Pierce is good for students who want a "traditional" college dorm experience with small double rooms and bathrooms down the hall. The bathrooms are usually co-ed, but I believe (?) if students feel uncomfortable with co-ed bathrooms they can be made single-sex, but I may be making that up. </p>

<p>In general (stereotypes, again), I'd say that Snell-Hitchcock is the most "UChicago" dorm, which is why it has all those hardcore EA students. If you love how quirky the U of C is, adore the Common Application, and are looking forward to Scav, you may be really happy there.</p>

<p>I'd also say that in general the students in the Shoreland, Max, and Pierce are the most "typical" college students. They still like the core and their classes and everything else about the U of C, but these students could be most easily transplanted to other colleges, probably. Max and Pierce have lots of athletes; Pierce is an example of "forced socialization," given it's set-up; Pierce and the Shoreland are very incestuous within their houses; Pierce and Shoreland students often party within the dorms, while Max students tend to pre-game in the dorm and then go to frat row or, sometimes, a party in Max or another dorm; Max and Shoreland are both huge with lots of students; etc. If you're worried that the U of C is too nerdy, you like to party, you want a typical college dorm life, you want a really social environment, you like to go out a lot, or something along those lines, one of these three dorms may be most worth looking into.</p>

11

<p>Who decides where you live? Can you make requests?</p>

12

<p>I agree that my dorm stereotypes are rather simplistic and are by no means meant to be universally applied, but I always feel that people with different personalities tend to choose different dorms based on the physical setup.</p>

<p>The reason I say Breck is pretty LOTR is that one of their house traditions relates to the trilogy in that they, at mealtimes, will on occasion stand up on their chairs and sway back and forth. (They're imitating something from the trilogy, I just don't know what). It's a lot of fun for the people who are in Breck (and the people in Breck LOVE Breck), but I could imagine that other people could get a little weirded out</p>

<p>BJ versus Snell-Hitchcock? Both do the Neo-gothic thing. BJ is in better physical condition. It's about equdistant from S-H to the main academic building, Cobb. BJ has more people in fewer houses, and is virtually all singles (some of the singles are in the form of two-room suites). Snell has single-sex floors and hall bathrooms, as does Hitchcock (Hitchcock's setup is batty and not worth explaining here). S-H eats at Bartlett. BJ eats at BJ.</p>

<p>The two dorms have a good deal of overlap in personality, as they both have a lot of EA applicants and tend to be geekier than Shoreland/Pierce/Max. BJ has much less of a stigma than S-H, though. S-H doesn't have that much of a stigma, outside of the, "Oh, you must be REALLY into Scav!"</p>

13

<p>Yes, you can request both living setup (single, double, etc.) and dorm.</p>

14

<p>I really like being in BJ for the following reasons:
-I get a single
-The architecture is gorgeous
-The dining hall is connected to the dorm and you don't even have to go outside to get to it
-The law library is right next door and, after the construction's over, you can use a tunnel to get to it
-The people are really nice!
-The houses aren't huge (mine has about 50 people), and you get to know your house very well
-It's removed from campus so you feel like you're "going home" after class instead of just being on campus after class but in your dorm at the same time</p>

<p>I can't remember what else... It's a great dorm and has great people. The only other dorm I've been into is S-H and I didn't like it very much. It seemed very claustrophobic to me. Everything's close together and the hallways feel narrow... The rooms also didn't feel clean to me. It just didn't feel well taken care of. </p>

<p>If you have any questions about Beej, I'll answer them for you.</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
Pierce and the Shoreland are very incestuous within their houses

[/quote]
</p>

<p>incestuous...?</p>

<p>I like Shoreland and Breck.</p>

<p>But how are the rooms? Which dorms have the nicest rooms (in terms of size, maintenance, etc.)?</p>

16

<p>Does Bartlett or BJ have better food?</p>

17

<p>BLY-- what corranged meant is that there's a lot of "housecest"... i.e. housemates hooking up with each other. Housecest can lead to some drama/ everybody knowing everybody else's business.</p>

<p>Shoreland has the biggest rooms for first-years and probably the biggest overall, but they are not in the best condition. Max rooms are probably in the best condition, but they are not as large as Shoreland's rooms. (The smallest room in the Shoreland is very, very big-- all the Max rooms are college dorm-sized). I don't think there's a dorm that has big rooms AND is in great condition.... BJ is in excellent condition and the rooms are generously sized, but it lacks the buzz/social life of the other dorms, if that's what you're looking for.</p>

<p>Poetic-- Bartlett has better food than BJ.</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
The smallest room in the Shoreland is very, very big-- all the Max rooms are college dorm-sized

[/quote]
That really isn't true, Unalove. Many forced triples in the Shoreland feel like Pierce rooms (plus bathrooms), and the one room doubles and triples often aren't that big. It's the three room triples and quads that are huge, and some of the single rooms are really nice. It's true that some of the forced triples were returned to doubles for this year, but even as doubles they aren't very large.</p>

19

<p>Maybe my perception of what's big and what isn't is skewed. I've been in two or three Shoreland rooms-- I was told that the one I was in was the smallest on the floor-- I think it was a double that had been a triple the year before. I found it to be pretty sizable, compared to a Max or a Pierce room, while a Max/Pierce room is average or even big compared to most college offerings for freshmen.</p>

20

<p>I live in Snell in Snell-Hitchcock, so I'll put in my bit about it. My very close friends live in Max Palevsky (West) and the Shoreland, so I have a bit of experience with the other dorms as well.
Snell and Hitchcock are different, yes. For some reason, whenever I go out and people find out I'm from Snell, they say "Whoa... and you actually leave your room?"
Snell and Hitchcock are not antisocial, but they are a bit insular at times (which can be a good thing). People tend to do their socializing in the dorm or with people from the dorm even when outside of it. There isn't any anti-Hitchcock or anti-Snell sentiment from the opposite house in the building- all residents are quite welcome in either of the lovely common rooms, and we share a big rec room.
Snell is big on privacy- if you shut your door, no one cares what goes on behind it, whether it's studying or any number of other things. Snell is a great place for people who love personal space (and big closets- depending on your room, your closet can be quite huge. I have a larger freshman single and my closet is the same size as the closet my three friends in a Shoreland triple all share. ), and although I feel an urge to move somewhere a bit more social at times (truth be told, I'm seriously considering moving to the Shoreland next year) it's a great place to study. The architecture is gorgeous... outside. If you're planning on spending your time enjoying the outside of your building, then S-H is the place to be; Hitchcock rooms are a bit more aesthetically pleasing than Snell rooms, but beyond that, the insides of the rooms are the same as singles in Breck and BJ (we have carpet, though, while BJ and Breck don't). Bathrooms in Snell are co-ed EXCEPT for the 3rd floor, which is an all-women's floor, and is a really nice place to live (except for the occasional girlish flip-out).
People are really nice in S-H- while there are people I disagree with, nobody is hostile or generally unlikable. Some people absolutely do not leave their rooms or socialize within the dorm (my next door neighbor, for instance, is very sweet, but I don't think I've exchanged more than two full sentences with her in the entirety of my first quarter), and there were points in the quarter where I would got for two or three weeks at a time without seeing someone I knew lived upstairs. The "Snell Stereotype" is, extrahousally (it's not a real word, but I couldn't think of anything else) a bit deserved, but it's still a nice, private, and very convenient place to live.</p>