In terms of sorting this out ahead of time, if this is a deal breaker for someone then they’re probably better off at a school with only one style of dorm floor plan, or a big school that allows you more input on housing selection. At my D’s LAC, freshman can indicate some preferences but there are no guarantees, and after freshman year it is a lottery based system, so sophomores are the least likely to get what they want. And the dorms vary in age and degree to which they’ve been renovated and floor plan. But I also agree with those who say that students are adaptable and this is more of an issue for the parents than the students.