Well, can any current Northwestern students (cough cough arbiter) give their own two cents on the dorms, sort of like how everyone did with the frats and sororities?
I second what ep1th3t suggested.
I'll be in the school of communications, but I feel like living in CRC would limit the diversity of people I'd be spending time with. I'm really interested in West Fairchild, and I notice from the link it's right next to CRC - so I'm wondering if being there would in any way give me some of the benefits of both dorms. Hum. Not sure what I'm trying to ask. Also looking at Hinman and Allison. Any opinions?
Lack of A/C won't bother me anywhere, which seems to be a major concern on the site.
ISRC (that's what West Fairchild goes by) is less popular than CRC and with a worse rep. CRC doesn't have the best rep but at least it's a really tight-knit community and one of the few res colleges that seems to actually follow its theme (the dorm is full of Medill/Comm people and they get cool visitors for firesides). The facilities are pretty crappy (smallest rooms ever) but people who live there seem to love it, provided they give in to the cultish feel.
Allison is one of the best bets for freshmen because there is something for everyone. Very social without being TOO party-focused, big rooms, good dining hall, good location, etc. I can't imagine someone being unhappy unless they were very antisocial and perhaps more science-y since it's such a South Campus location.
Hinman is a pretty safe bet-- air conditioning, suite setup which some like, and an awesome dining hall-- but it doesn't have as much of a cohesive identity as some other dorms. I never met too many people who lived there so I never got a clear idea what it was like, but it seemed fine.
As a graduating senior (so stuff might have changed since I was a sophomore), looking back, the ultimate housing list, for me, would have included Allison, Bobb, Willard, Elder, and 1835 Hinman as a safe fifth. But if I had done this last year I probably would've been put in South Mid Quads or something, so who knows.
If you're in SOC and interested in living in a res college, I would recommend looking into CRC. I'm a current resident, and I've discussed previously that it was the best decision I made on campus. West Fairchild does have a reputation of being a last resort choice for many students. CRC has a far better reputation, and its residents are, on the whole, very happy. As for a lack of diversity, there is a small lack within the choice of majors, but it will not prevent you from meeting new people. Because most residents of CRC are so committed in other interests, CRC remains a place to come home to with people whose company you enjoy, but it's not your only means of socializing. I, again, highly recommend it. I don't regret it a bit.
Oh! And, if you're studying RTVF, CRC is THE place to live. Our residents are kind of like RTVF royalty. Whenever there are large boards within SOC, they are dominated by CRC, and the names of our film residents are rather recognizable and respected within the film community.
Haha, maybe 'RTVF Royalty' was a bit of CRC jingoism.
No, there isn't a disadvantage, if you choose to not live in CRC. You can do well in film living anywhere on campus. Location-wise, CRC is the most convenient, located closest to Louis. We also offer many amenities film-specific that aren't available elsewhere. That being said, it isn't a detriment to live elsewhere, you just miss out on some of the opportunities of CRC (our own film grant, equipment, etc.).
Believe me, while it might be better for them than most people, RTVF majors not living in CRC don't have to worry about not having opportunities at NU. I lived in Willard for 2 years with some of the most involved RTVF students on campus.
