Schools with great residential colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some confusion about what OP meant by “residential colleges”. The classic system at Yale and Rice, which seems to be picking up steam at other colleges (I think they like it as an alternative to Greek life) works like this: ALL freshmen are randomly assigned to one of the school’s residential colleges, and they remain affiliated with that “college” for their entire four years. It is not the same as the theme housing offered at other schools where some of the students participate and others do not.

Yes. We knew that. However, theme housing is another way that students can create a sense of community and live with the same people over several years. The common interest part especially helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UMD has them.

No they don’t. They have optional theme houses. Honors, LGBT, FLEXA, etc.., completely optional. Most freshman are mixed together.

Residential housing is grouping kids by schools. My daughter wants to be an engineer and is completely avoiding those type of schools because she doesn’t want to take classes and live only with engineers.

[Anonymous]

Williams

[Anonymous]

Michigan has some residential learning communities. I think Middlebury has something like residential colleges. And F&M has them.

[Anonymous]

DD is a sophomore at Rice and loves the residential college system. Her older sister went to Yale and loved it, so she sought out schools that had residential colleges. Go McMurtry!

[Anonymous]

Residential housing is grouping kids by schools. My daughter wants to be an engineer and is completely avoiding those type of schools because she doesn’t want to take classes and live only with engineers.

No, this is not what a "residential college" is. At schools with residential colleges, they assign each freshman to a residential college, and try to get a representative mix of athletes, different majors, geographic hometowns, etc in each one. Kind of like how the Sorting Hat at Hogwarts decides which kids should be in Griffindor vs. Slytherin, etc. Many of these schools also have the residential colleges compete against each other during the school year in Hogwarts fashion as well.

[Anonymous]

[b wrote:Anonymous]There seems to be some confusion about what OP meant by “residential colleges”. The classic system at Yale and Rice, which seems to be picking up steam at other colleges (I think they like it as an alternative to Greek life) works like this: ALL freshmen are randomly assigned to one of the school’s residential colleges, and they remain affiliated with that “college” for their entire four years. It is not the same as the theme housing offered at other schools where some of the students participate and others do not.

[/b]


+1. This is correct. For Yale, it starts in the first year. For Harvard, it starts in the second year and you live there or are affiliated with that House for three years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some confusion about what OP meant by “residential colleges”. The classic system at Yale and Rice, which seems to be picking up steam at other colleges (I think they like it as an alternative to Greek life) works like this: ALL freshmen are randomly assigned to one of the school’s residential colleges, and they remain affiliated with that “college” for their entire four years. It is not the same as the theme housing offered at other schools where some of the students participate and others do not.

Yes. We knew that. However, theme housing is another way that students can create a sense of community and live with the same people over several years. The common interest part especially helps.

Yes, there area all sorts of way to form communities. But OP specifically asked about residential colleges, and the community formed by more or less random assignments is different from the sort of community formed by like-minded people clustering together.

[Anonymous]

Vassar doesn't assign students to colleges they have to stay with all four years, but they also don't have "freshman" dorms. Lots of people chose to live in the same dorm for several years. There are other liberal arts colleges that do something similar.

If you like the idea of residential colleges, also look for schools that don't have freshman dorms and you will get a similar effect.

[Anonymous]

UCSD has 6 colleges. You can take any major from any college but each college has distinct general education requirements. The housing is separate for each college and there is definitely identification with your college. Students do not generally live on campus all 4 years.

[Anonymous]

TIL: people have no idea what “residential college” means but that doesn’t stop them from providing their input!

Sorry, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TIL: people have no idea what “residential college” means but that doesn’t stop them from providing their input!

Sorry, OP.

+1. Ignorance never stops posters on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TIL: people have no idea what “residential college” means but that doesn’t stop them from providing their input!

Sorry, OP.

+1. Ignorance never stops posters on DCUM.

There is apparently more than one kind of residential college that have evolved in the US over time, most of which were I believe based on the Oxford model.

I agree it is not the same thing as theme dorms, but I believe the range is wider than you think. It appears that being an ass never stops posters on DCUM either.

[Anonymous]

If I remember correctly, Rice's residential system is only guaranteed for a year right? After that you are on your own. So it is not like Yale, where you are guaranteed a space in the college for all four years. We also found the dorms kind of run down when we visited, although we just got to see one of them. Was a little disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TIL: people have no idea what “residential college” means but that doesn’t stop them from providing their input!

Sorry, OP.

+1. Ignorance never stops posters on DCUM.

There is apparently more than one kind of residential college that have evolved in the US over time, most of which were I believe based on the Oxford model.

I agree it is not the same thing as theme dorms, but I believe the range is wider than you think. It appears that being an ass never stops posters on DCUM either.

That might be apparent to you but not to anybody that knows what they’re talking about but go ahead and rationalize your ignorance. And if by ass you mean pointing out an obvious lack of comprehension that’s fine with me. Frankly you should thank me for educating you rather than wasong your time with some lame retort.