Creekland’s son:
Both Gilbert and Hoeing are closest to the gym and to Wilson Commons (essential when you don’t want to walk in the snow long distances). Lovejoy only has 1-2 floors for freshmen and the rest are upperclassmen, so it has that different dynamic. Plus, there aren’t water fountains in Lovejoy. Tiernan is located on the far corner of the quad… not super much difference in distance, but it can make all the difference in the snow (or if you just need that extra minute to get to class on time). However, it is closer to the footbridge leading across the river.
Gilbert and and Tiernan are larger (Gilbert being the largest, and Hoeing & Lovejoy being about equal size). Both larger dorms have a public common lounge on their first floor. However, Hoeing just added extra study rooms on their first floor, and as always these rooms are open to everyone… not just those who live in those dorms. Gilbert’s large floors are nice if you want a lot of people on your floor, but I’ve always been partial to Hoeing’s smaller floor sizes (you’re less likely to get “lost” in my opinion).
Quite honestly, you will learn to love whichever dorm/floor you end up living on. The differences are relatively small and it’s just a matter of personal preference among the minutiae at this point. But in general, depending on your living size preferences, I would recommend Hoeing or Gilbert.