![Profile picture of Cal Shin '27](https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/sites/admissions.prod/files/styles/400x420_blog/public/admissions/content/blog-author/image/blog_pfp_0.png?itok=d6pTTMxV×tamp=1722122131)
Dartmouth Debunked, Part 1: Dorms
Welcome to the first part of Dartmouth Debunked, a series of comprehensive blog posts answering common questions first-years have prior to their arrival at Dartmouth. This week, I'll be talking about the different first-year housing options.
The two housing options for first-year students are: living in a dorm in their house community or a Living Learning Community (LLC).
What is a house community, and what kind of events do they offer?
Dartmouth has six housing communities: Allen House, East Wheelock House, North Park House, School House, South House, and West House. Students are randomly sorted into one of the six house communities, and, barring special circumstances, remain part of these house communities for the duration of their four years. Each house community has a designated group of dorms, a house professor (a Dartmouth faculty member) and Resident Fellows, and a common space for members of each house community to gather for events. Housing communities offer a variety of events throughout the year that are advertised through weekly newsletters and/or social media. School House, my house community, offers events such as weekly sushi-and-tea and therapy dogs.
![A screenshot of a weekly School House newsletter featuring a series of events offered by the house community for a given week.](https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/sites/admissions.prod/files/styles/wysiwyg_width_only_590/public/admissions/wysiwyg/blog_1654x1805_shevents.png?itok=Ma5f4tcl)
How do I apply for housing? How am I assigned a roommate?
Students will live in dorms that correspond to their randomly assigned house community. Early in the summer, students apply for housing via an online portal and fill out a roommate questionnaire. The questionnaire asks about: room preference (single, double), what time you tend to wake up, what time you tend to go to bed, your personal cleanliness, feelings on sharing belongings, and preference on rooming with or being on the same floor as someone who has an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). Because students cannot choose their roommate in their first year, Residential Life randomly assigns roommates based on the roommate questionnaire with the goal of assigning roommates with a similar lifestyle. I remember getting my housing assignment on July 18, 2023, so you should expect to receive your housing assignment at a similar time in July.
What do I do if I need housing accommodations?
Not everyone will receive a roommate! Some people are randomly placed in a single room (others go through the housing accommodation process to get the type of housing they need). The housing accommodation process is designed for anyone who needs certain types of housing (i.e. single rooms, rooms with no carpet, single-gender floors, dorms with elevators) due to medical or religious reasons. Students will fill out your housing questionnaire as usual, and then afterwards, they will contact the proper people to apply for accommodations.
Is there gender-inclusive housing?
Students will be matched with a roommate of the same sex. Most floors are coed (i.e. your neighbors may or may not be of the opposite sex). Some floors are separated by sex (male on one floor, female on another). Some dorms have single-use and/or gender-inclusive bathrooms. Students can specify whether they want gender-inclusive housing in the housing application.
How are the dorms, really?
Every dorm is different. First-year North Park and East Wheelock dorms have elevators; the others do not. First-years in Allen House will live in the Choates, which is located near Berry Library and Frat Row. East Wheelock dorms are close to Alumni Gym. North Park dorms are located near Dick's House and the First-Generation Office. School House dorms consist of the Choates or Massachusetts Row, which is right next to FoCo. South House dorms are slightly more centrally located than East Wheelock dorms and are located near the Hood Museum. West House dorms are the farthest, located near the Connecticut River, ECSC, and the Irving Institute.
Tell me more about Living Learning Communities (LLCs)!
If dorms don't sound like a good fit, Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are also an option. Members of an LLC are housed either in North Park dorms or separate, LLC-specific buildings. Applying to an LLC requires a separate application with LLC-specific essays, and not all LLCs are open to first-year students.
I encourage everyone curious about housing to explore the website of the Office of Residential Life to see the different options available.