DocT

My daughter's freshman dorm was Canaday and it had suites. It was a bit touch and go when they moved in as there were 4 bedrooms (all the same size) and 5 girls. She got there earlier than the others since she had worked the dorm crew and she took the single. A mother of one of the other girls complained that it wasn't fair and they ended up drawing straws for the single. As it turned out, my daughter got the single anyways.

Bay

I remember my D getting her room assignments in August (but its a bit hazy already). Hers was a suite - 5 girls with 2 doubles and a single. They were told not to choose rooms until all were present, and if more than one wanted the single, they had to figure it out. Two wanted the single, so those two switched after the first semester.

harvard1636

You get rooming assignments much later in the summer, but you still have plenty of time to contact your roommates.

Freshman living depends on the dorm you're in. There are 16 (I think maybe now 17) dorms, in or around the yard. Most people have at least one roommate, and most also live in suites, but that varies depending on the building. Most suites are double and single bedrooms situated around a common room. Here are some good sites that outline all of the freshman dorms if you have a lot of time on your hands to explore haha: Frosh Dorms Project: Graphical Map (the burgundy buildings are freshman dorms). And also: Freshman dorms - Prefrosh

CharlesChan

I don't mean to be condescending--but when i see all these parents shlepping their kids' stuff up to their new dorm rooms--asking all of these questions in advance of their KIDS college experience--I think enough already--haven't you done enough--I'm sure the parents deserve much credit for the sacrifices they've made, support, guidance, creating an environment of opportunity for their kids to flourish (most cases) now let go--let the kids grow up and do and figure for themselves a bit.

DocT

In my daughter's case, all the rooms were the same size, it just happened that there were 5 of them for 4 rooms. At the time, they were planning on moving around during the year so each would have the single for a time. It turned out that it was enough of a hassle, that my daughter had it the whole year.

DocT

Parents spending 47k a year (and sacrificing a lot for it) are naturally curious about the living conditions that they're paying for. Besides, not a lot of girls are that capable of carrying tv's etc up 4 flights of stairs (no elevator) without any help. Fortunately, the other kids at Harvard are thoughtful enough to help.

guitars101

It's not about not letting my kids grow up, it's about wanting to enjoy every aspect of their lives. As long as my kids don't mind or complain why would I stop being involved? If we have a good relationship then I'm going to continue to show my support and encouragement.