<p>Steve, I’m not exactly concerned that she will be missing something. It’s just that dorm life at, let’s say, Grinnell or Carleton or Beloit would be a different experience from dorm life at Marquette or Notre Dame or St. Thomas. I’ve learned about dorm life at the former schools through my older kids, but have little experience with the more restrictive Catholic schools, so I was looking for some feedback.</p>
<p>As I see it, there are pros and cons to both set-ups. For some young people, any kind of restriction is too much, and they want the freedom to come and go at will without watching the clock (and they are responsible enough to handle that freedom). Also, some believe that segregating the sexes hampers the development of genuinely comfortable and platonic friendships between male and female students. On the other hand, I recognize the advantages of same-sex housing and visitation hours that other posters have kindly shared. I don’t feel that one option is better than the other. I just want a good fit for my daughter and for her to have some sense of what residential life will be like in her chosen school.</p>