Current Penn Freshman Taking Questions

ProudPenn
Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:09:37 +0000

3 DORMS (must-read for everyone)

Du Bois- This is where I live currently and I love it. A lot of students steer away from it because it is dedicated to African-American culture but the rooms are really nice. They offer singles w/ bathroom, double w/a bathroom, triple, with bathroom kitchenette common room, and quads with the same features as triples. It’s easy for freshman to get in b/c not many appy for it. All freshamn get triples. Unless you’re in a residential program freshman are housed on the west wing of the fourth floor so you’ll be around your peers. It’s the smallest dorm on campus both in size (4 floors) and residents (~160), so there’s a sense of community. There are no elevators and no A/C so the first couple weeks at school are pretty bad. It’ closest to frat row and all the parties, FRoGro, CVS, and the movie theater Rave. It’s furthest away from classes though (10-15 minute walk). The closest dining hall is 1920s Commons food is okay my favorite is downstairs (Starbucks, Burger Stop, Grocery store and Subway) They all take dining dollars.

Hill- I nicknamed it Hell but it really isn’t that bad lol. If you’re an engineer or just hate walking definitely live here. It is the closest dorm to about 90% of the classes you will take. There is no A/C either so first few weeks are pretty bad. They offer singles and doubles but both are pretty small. Roommates can literally lie on their beds, stretch out their arms and touch each other. I do, however, like the layout. The rooms surround a main common room and kitchen and are divided by colors and streets. They are arguably the closest dorm on campus and if you’re a freshman and worried about making friends it’d be a qood choice to live here or the Quad. In my opinion, Hill dining hall has the best food on campus so it;s nice to have it at your fingertips. It’s also close to Houston Hall and shops on Walnut like CVS. It’s the furthest dorm from all the parties, unless you’re going to Drexel.

Quad- ahh the infamous quad. There is no way I would live here (hate shared bathrooms and bedrooms) but it is quite beautiful and nicer than Hill. It’s made up of Ware, Fisher Hassenfield, and Riepe and they’re all pretty much the same. There are singles, doubles, and triples with one bedroom and a common room. All rooms have A/C but the layout is really luck of the draw. Some rooms are bigger than other (5th floor Ware is ridiculous) and shaped differently, it depends. It’s mostly freshman which again is great for meeting people and the fact that it’s closed in makes it one of the safer dorms on campus. The location is nice as well. It’s closer to classes then campus proper (High Rises, Du Bois) but closer to parties than Hill. It’s also near Wawa if you need a late niqht coffee run. Most athletes (well BBall, Football) are housed here and the majority of them have singles next to at least one teammate.

Kings Court/ English- In my opinion the hidden gem at Penn. One of my friends got stuck here but she likes it now. It’s two houses- Kings Court and English but they are joined together with a nice courtyard in the middle. One of the safer ones as well. English is the better of the two but most freshman live in Kings Court. It’s basic doubles but they’re a lot spacier than the Quad (my friend has a walk-in closet!) I don’t know that much about English house. The dining hall is arguably the best on campus but closed on weekends. The location is kind of weird, it’s tucked away past the bookstore. It’s close to Cosi and Urban Outfitters though and in the middle of the extreme directions like the Quad.

High Rises- If you are a freshman who wants apartment-style living but don’t want to give up the freshman experience APPLY TO FRESHEX (freshman experience). It’s housed in Harrison and all my friends LOVE it. They get really close and I always see them out together. It’s I think 5 floors of freshman residents with a RA. There are triples and quads with a bathroom, kitchen, and common room. All of the high rises are like this with singles and doubles as well (all have the accommodations mentioned earlier). Even if you dont do FreshEx, if you’re a freshman and apply to a High Rise you won’t be isolated. Harnwell doesn’t have a program but all freshman who get in are housed on the same floor. Rodin doesn’t accept freshman. The location is same as Du Bois close to all the parties and Commons but far from classes. Also, after freshman year all your friends will be scrambling to get rooms in the high rises and you’ll have the upper hand, being a former resident you get points the longer you stay there. This means you get preference over everyone else.

Gregory- Correction: This is the furthest dorm from classes, it’s at the very end of campus. A couple of my friends live here and they have nice rooms. Triple with a bathroom an common room I believe. Besides that I dont know too much more. Pretty anti-social I’ve heard.

Stouffer/ Mayer- These are the only dorms I’ve never been inside. Unlike KC/English though they are two SEPARATE dorms, Stouffer is next to the Quad closer to the High Rises/ Du Bois side. Mayer is across the street and down a little bit. Pretty far from classes but closer to parties.