<p>what are the chances you’ll get a dorm in your top 3? top 5, even?
are those chances raised if you request a roommate (and they request the same dorms you did, of course?)</p>
<p>…because i REALLY want to be in elder :/</p>
<p>It’s effected by what other people put down and which you put in the rest of your top 5. If you put certain dorms on your list, you’re likely to be put in them regardless of the rest. I call it the “three stooges effect” : <a href=“Blogsome”>Blogsome;
<p>what are these “certain dorms?”</p>
<p>some of the more popular, i’m sure.
elder, bobb, allison, 1835, willard</p>
<p>All’s I know is that for transfer students, you will NOT get a dorm you want. bah.</p>
<p>Actually those stooge dorms are the unpopular ones-- dorms most people wouldn’t want so anyone who places them, even 4th or 5th, is likely to be put there.</p>
<p>Though I have found that stooge dorms can be avoided by preffing some residential colleges and having stellar applications for them, since RC residents are handpicked by the RC staffs and they might want someone with a great application to be a part of the RC community (regardless of the other dorms on the list). It was a few years ago, but with a good app I was still able to nab a spot in Willard despite having CRC and Ayers on my list which are far more unpopular.</p>
<p>You misunderstand the stooges effect-allie33 got it right.</p>
<p>And CRC and Ayers aren’t even that unpopular. The ones that pull you in are Chapin, ISRC, PARC, for the most part. Probably Green also. That doesn’t mean these are bad dorms though! People fixate on some dorms being “Better” than others too much.</p>
<p>Wait, I’m confused… is it the popular dorms like Elder/Bobb/Allison or the (IMHO) crappier dorms like ISRC and PARC that pull you in?</p>
<p>Because the popular dorms allie listed definitely won’t take you unless they are HIGH on your list. Particularly a dorm like Willard is driven by interest; it NEEDS to be first, maybe second preffed or you won’t get it.</p>
<p>sooo i’m assuming the chances are low? (sorry i get confused)</p>
<p>Ok a few clarifications:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The list is technically (though not really) an unranked top 5, and so they can put you in any of your 5.</p></li>
<li><p>The unpopular ones pull you in, but the reason it’s “impossible” to get into the popular ones is because EVERYONE thinks they’re better because they hear they’re more popular, and thus everyone applies only to those, and thus you have the aforementioned effect.</p></li>
<li><p>Pretty much any dorm can be good… except the Mid Quads. Don’t live in those.</p></li>
<li><p>Of the 4 other friends of mine who came from my town with my class, 3 got their first choice of Willard, 1 got their first choice of Bobb after a housing switch before campus (some issue with her roommate…) from Elder. I ended up in my 5th choice of ISRC (full disclosure). I eventually ended up VERY involved with ISRC and loving it.</p></li>
<li><p>Only apply to dorms you will actually like, and be open to liking more than just a few.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t stress so much. In the long run, it will matter not at all.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I put ISRC and CRC on my list, but Willard was my first and it was where I ended up. :)</p>