Miller and Houston Halls
Miller Hall is pictured.
Miller Hall and Houston Hall face each other across the Reservoir Quad: some say in a friendly rivalry. These dorms are mirror images of one another, besides slight differences — for example, Miller’s accent color is a fiery orange while Houston’s is a soothing blue. I lived in Miller in a quad-facing room with the perk of beautiful sunset views. Don’t expect the rooms to be gigantic, but many of them come with ample built-in storage. My room’s layout had both beds in an L-shape along the walls; our desks faced each other in the center of the room (get used to studying together). Especially on upper floors, rooms will run hot in the early fall, but a strong fan will do the trick. The elevator is also a nice bonus when doing laundry and moving in!
These dorms were last renovated in 2019. The hallways zigzag, giving certain rooms more privacy but also lacking the quintessential college floor vibe where you can see straight down the corridor. However, the comfortable, well-lit common spaces provide lots of potential for floor community. There are smaller private study rooms and a modern kitchen. In nice weather, you’ll find all sorts of backyard sports ongoing on the quad, and you’re close to lots of other first-year dorms. You can’t go wrong with either Houston or Miller … but for me, it’s Miller forever!
Carmichael Hall
Carmichael Hall is pictured.
I loved living in Carmichael Hall — in fact, I have had group chats named “Home Sweet Carm,” “Carm House Pancakes” and “Chicken Carm.” The first word that comes to mind is “majestic” — Carm is gorgeous, and walking home there every night always reminded me of how magical our campus is. We were plagued by rats and roaches, but we were blessed with beautiful views, large rooms and a nice sense of community. Living on the Reservoir Quad lent itself to lots of familiar faces, and being able to go to breakfast without stepping outside was a gift. It’s a little dingy and dank on the inside, but don’t let that deter you! Carm is the best.
Wren Hall
Wren Hall is pictured.
While I never lived in Wren Hall myself, my mom lived in Wren her first year, and she has some interesting anecdotes from her time there. She and her friends found some entertainment in throwing buckets of water at the exposed brick (the wall was so dry it soaked it right up). According to her, Wren has excellent acoustics, so she could hear her Beelzebub boyfriend singing from the second he entered the floor. And finally, it was always a fun surprise for her to see what stranger had fallen asleep on her common room couch on the weekends.
Wilson House
Wilson House is pictured.
Wilson House is a small, white dorm exiled from the shinier buildings on campus. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it — and most people aren’t. The furniture is mismatched and a little worn, but that’s never stopped anyone from sinking into the couches after a long day. When people ask where I live and I say, “Wilson, the substance-free dorm,” I usually get a confused look. It’s not on the campus tour route, and it doesn’t carry the legacy or clout of the bigger dorms. But what they don’t realize is that the very things that make Wilson different are what make it special. It’s the hub for Friday night karaoke, poker games and hot pepper shenanigans. It’s the site of the forgotten flood — that chaotic night when the hallway turned into a river. We should’ve been panicking, but instead, someone brought out water guns, someone else ordered pizza and before long, we were sloshing around in our shower shoes, cracking jokes and turning a minor disaster into a soggy rite of passage. That’s Wilson in a nutshell: a group of people who meet inconvenience with humor, turn messes into moments and somehow make a leaky hallway feel like home. I didn’t expect to find such a tight-knit group of people in the “quiet dorm,” but now, I can’t imagine my first year without them.
Metcalf Hall
Metcalf Hall is pictured.
Metcalf Hall may not be the most modern or conventionally “nice” building on campus, but it is most definitely in the best location. You can’t ask for more, being situated at the very bottom of President’s Lawn and having a 30-second walk to Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center, the Mayer Campus Center, Tisch Library, the Davis shuttle and various other amenities. Nothing beats avoiding the long trek up or down the hill in the midst of winter after a long day of class. The rooms are big (unless you get a forced triple on the eastern side, in which case, I’m sorry), and the amenities are decent. I currently live in a large western side Metcalf triple, and while the tile floors and somewhat questionable bathrooms may give a bad first impression, the location and Metcalf community were crucial to my first-year experience. I have been able to get to know many of the people on my small floor, and most nights, the Metcalf common room is a regular spot for first-year gatherings ranging from study sessions to DJ sets.
The Courts at Professors Row
The Court at Professor's Row is pictured.
Yes, the name is literal. The Courts at Professors Row are located on old tennis courts — this is a glaring reality that I was not aware of until move-in day. This also means that they do not look pretty. HOWEVER! I have come to believe that the Courts are actually the best first-year dorm for the following reasons. One, they are brand new. Although the decades-old Tilton Hall or Metcalf might possess some inherent charm, the Courts possess modern amenities, such as a well-furnished kitchen, quality bathrooms and, most notably, air conditioning. Two, the entire dorm is one hallway (around 50 people)! This makes it so easy to meet people in your dorm — since you will literally walk by everyone — and build a community. Finally, they are in a prime location. Being on Professors Row means you are equidistant from the two major dining halls: Dewick and Fresh at Carmichael Dining Center, meaning the options are limitless!
Richardson House
Richardson Hall is pictured.
Richardson, oh Richardson. As a consequence of being a remodeled house, the rooms themselves aren’t very uniform: My roommate and I lived in what I believe was one of the smallest dorms on campus and shared the only closet that actually had a rod to hang clothes. By the time our room’s electricity went out for the fifth time, I was feeling quite annoyed with the dorm; however, what Richardson House is perhaps most known for is its community (for better or worse). I won’t touch on that too much, but I will say that Richardson is where I met my amazing roommate and future housemate. A word of advice for all incoming Jumbos: The dorms themselves all have their quirks, but what’s most important are the people you meet in (and outside) them.
Hodgdon Hall
Hodgdon Hall is pictured.
As far as first-year dorms go, Hodgdon Hall is certainly one of them. Hodge-dwellers enjoy scenic views of downhill Tufts and delight in waking up to thundering trash trucks vacating waste from bins outside. The building itself is laid out in an L-shape, and along with a common bathroom, each floor additionally has a single bathroom, uncommon for many first-year dorms. Are single bathrooms a good thing? Perhaps. But they can make for an incredibly awkward moment when you see your resident assistant and her boyfriend emerge from one, only in towels, while you’re on the phone with your parents in the hallway.
Speaking of hallways, good news! The lights reflect so brightly off the chartreuse walls, that if you are ever relegated (sexiled) to the hallway, you’ll stay awake — avoiding a fate á la Marty from “Gilmore Girls.” If you find yourself in a forced triple, as I did, fear not! Yes, you will spend the entire year tripping over your roommates. But, if they are anything like mine, you’ll snag two lasting friends out of the experience.
Tilton Hall
Tilton Hall is pictured.
Don’t get me wrong, I love living off campus. But if I had the chance to live in Tilton Hall again as a senior, I’d have a hard time saying no. Tucked among the trees in a grassy field, Tilton feels private and serene, even though it’s next to several other dorms. Plus, it’s steps away from Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run, and not much further from Dewick or the Campus Center. What makes Tilton truly special, however, is its personality. Each floor has a unique vibe, so whether you’re a member of the queer community, a student-athlete or a film nerd, you’re sure to find likeminded people to hang with. Oh, and did I mention the private unisex bathrooms?
Bush Hall
Bush Hall is pictured.
The thing I loved most about Bush Hall was the people; I built a great community on my floor, and we spent so much time together during my first year. While my room was pretty small, since we were such a tight-knit group, my friends and I would hang out in the common room, which was super spacious and had modern furniture. While the hike to classes often left me heaving for breath, having Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run right next door was a huge win, especially during my first year when we could double-swipe — at least you get Late Lunch (colloquially known as “Munch Time”) now. I’ll always be a downhill gal, and Bush is the reason why.
Contributions by: Rachel Liu, Claire Wood, Dylan Fee, Angelina Pimkina, Katie Galligan, Max Turnacioglu, Grace Lee, Arghya Thallapragada and Aaron Gruen
