<p>What is a residential college? What is the best value for dorms?</p>
<p>All dorms cost the same amount of money for first years I believe.</p>
<p>A residential college is a dorm where faculty are affiliated, it’s really specific to each individual college. For instance, with Brown college, the principals live in the white house near by (both faculty in religious studies), there are two resident scholars who live with the 300 undergrads, there are a bunch of other faculty who come out for monthly banquets and otherwise provide opportunities to residents, and there is a somewhat road-less-traveled air about the residents and the things we can do with our $30k budget (300 people * $100 each = $30k). Hereford college is more eco-friendly in its approach and the international residential college is clearly more international in flavor, choosing to spend their money on things like international cuisine and cultural events. I hope that helped…</p>
<p>hazelorb: Can someone live in the regular dorms 1st year, and then apply for the one of the residential colleges 2nd year?</p>
<p>^Yes. Although hazelorb has said that one’s chances of getting into Brown (not sure about the other RCs) are lower if he decides to wait until later to apply.</p>
<p>Yes, with Brown that is true. I don’t think it’s true of the other dorms, but I’m not familiar enough with them to say that for certain (just that I have never heard of anyone being rejected from IRC or Hereford).</p>