Freshman's Guide to UPenn Housing
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Freshman's Guide to UPenn Housing

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An overview, list of pros and cons, and my take of each freshman college house!
!!! High - I would recommend ranking these freshmen housing options high on your list
!! Medium - I would recommend ranking these freshmen housing options only if you have to fill up slots on your list
! Low - I would not recommend ranking these freshman housing options!
Freshman Housing Options
1
Rank
Name
Image
Overview
Pros
Cons
My Take
Link
1
!!!
Fisher Hassenfeld College House
Also known as “Fisher”, this college house is located in the “Upper Quad”. It is constantly full of freshmen playing frisbee, SABSing (see-and-being-seen) and even features a statue (it’s the only section of the Quad to have one). The quintessential freshman dorm experience!
Freshman only!!
Very social
Pretty central on campus
Strict security, feels very secure!
Conveniently located near a good study spot (the Nipple)
Convenient laundry rooms
Close to McClelland, which has meal options, study rooms, music rooms, Amazon lockers and a “gym”!
The rooms and appliances are not super updated
Louder environment so may be hard to get work done/go to sleep early with people coming back from events late at night
“Gym” is extremely limited and basically only contains treadmills and an erg. It’s actually called a “Fitness Room” on Penn’s website because it’s so small.
Shared bathrooms
If you can tolerate not-as-modern facilities, I would rank this near the top/at the top for freshman housing! Even if you don’t consider yourself a social butterfly, I think the Quad is great because compared to other housing options, it has A LOT MORE freshmen to meet, is much more central, and is the quintessential freshman dorm experience! The brick architecture is also beautiful and gives off such Ivy League vibes; the Quad is probably the most famous and iconic place to live as a freshman at Penn. While the differences between Fisher, Ware and Riepe are negligible, something to note is that Fisher has a very nice library to study in! You have three more years to live in four-year college houses––why not take advantage of the freshman-only housing when you can?
2
!
Gregory College House
Gregory is a four-year college house that provides the opportunity to meet students from all years. I do not recommend Gregory for freshman housing so I didn’t make the pros/cons list as comprehensive.
Four-year community provides the opportunity to meet students from all years
More intimate because houses less people
Suite-style living provides socializing opportunities with suitemates
Across from Allegros pizza!
Not just freshmen live there, and upperclassmen may not be as open to socializing
I’ve literally never met any freshman who lives here. I’m a pretty social person so I think that says a lot. Would not recommend ranking this for above reason. Additionally, it is not freshman-only housing so you miss out on the benefits of living with other first-years who are all eager to socialize.
3
!!
Hill College House
Housing about 500 freshmen and boasting clean/modern facilities, Hill is a solid choice for freshman housing!
Freshman only!!
The people living in Hill get really close with other Hill people (the “Hill bubble”)
Newer facilities
Nice gym!
Convenient dining hall (one of the best in my opinion)
Amazon Lockers
Lots of Ben Franklin Scholars (lots of smarties!)
Convenient laundry rooms
Close to engineering buildings
Since rooms are so small, people are motivated to hang out in lounges a lot. This suite system is very social and many floors have groups of 20-30 students who bond quickly
Hill people don’t socialize with people in the Quad as much (the “Hill bubble”)
Location is further from main campus. It’s not as central as the Quad and it’s a bit of a hike!
Less of a “traditional college experience” in the sense that it’s a more modern/clean aesthetic rather than your classic Ivy League brick architecture
Rooms are smaller!!! They are TINY.
Hill’s motto is "The most social house”. This makes sense because a lot of people in Hill socialize––they just socialize with each other, rather than with students living in other college houses. This has pros and cons but the Hill bubble is REAL. If facility conditions are a dealbreaker, I would recommend you rank Hill first. However, if you can tolerate not-as-modern facilities, I recommend ranking it under the Quad. This is because the Quad has A LOT MORE freshmen to meet, is much more central, and is the epitome of the “traditional college experience”. That being said, I don’t think you can go wrong going with Hill––you just may end up with a smaller room and close friends all from Hill.
4
!
Kings Court English College House
This freshman housing, also known as “KCECH”, is located off of Locust and is known for being very quiet and studious relative to other freshman dorms.
Very quiet, study-friendly environment
Convenient dining hall!
Computer lab
Larger rooms
Next to White Dog, New Deck Tavern, Kiwi, Urban Outfitters, Loft, Starbucks, etc.
<10 minute walk from most things on campus
Not very social
VERY QUIET
A bit isolated as it is far removed from other freshman college houses
Hallways are quiet in KCECH so it’s study-friendly but less socializing-friendly. It’s really a matter of fit so if you prefer being studious and want a good work environment, KCECH could be for you. However, if you prefer meeting others and want a livelier environment, I wouldn’t rank KCECH very high. I have noticed a lot of social people from KCECH hang out at the Quad or even sleep over at the Quad which says a lot.
5
!!
Lauder College House
Lauder is a four-year college house that is very modern and clean. Students live in 3-to-6 person units, each with single occupancy rooms that share a bathroom and common room.
3-to-6 person units provide the opportunity to socialize with your suitemates while also having your own space (everyone gets their own room in the suite)
Lauder has its own dining hall!
Very new facilities including music rooms, lounges, other ammenities
Close to engineering buildings
Fridge/freezer combo + sink/counter area in the suite
Personal suite bathroom + shower which are separate!
Late night Lauder provides food options until midnight
Not freshman only. You miss out on the freshman socializing craze AND the traditional freshman living experience.
Location is further from main campus. It’s not as central as the Quad and it’s a bit of a hike!
It is very isolated and quiet
I would personally not rank this very high because it is not freshman-only housing so you miss out on the benefits of living with other first-years who are all eager to socialize. Lauder is superrr nice but you have three more years to live there––why not take advantage of the freshman-only housing when you can?
6
!!!
Riepe College House
Home of the “Mini Quad” and located in the “Lower Quad”, Riepe is super charming and is one of three college houses that make up the Quad. With its beautiful brick architecture, Riepe looks straight off the cover of a college admissions pamphlet. The quintessential freshman dorm experience!
Freshman only!!
Very social. It’s the smallest college house in the Quad so the community may feel stronger.
Pretty central on campus
Strict security, feels very secure!
Amazon lockers in McClelland
Includes Provost Tower which is a great study spot!
Convenient/social study lounges
Convenient laundry rooms
Close to McClelland, which has meal options, study rooms, music rooms, Amazon lockers and a “gym”!
The rooms and appliances are not super updated
Louder environment so may be hard to get work done/go to sleep early with people coming back from events late at night
“Gym” is extremely limited and basically only contains treadmills and an erg. It’s actually called a “Fitness Room” on Penn’s website because it’s so small.
Shared bathrooms
Partially owned by the Mask & Wig club which practices in the Mask & Wig room. Their music may be beautiful but it’s loud and can get annoying when you’re trying to study
If you can tolerate not-as-modern facilities, I would rank this near the top/at the top for freshman housing! Even if you don’t consider yourself a social butterfly, I think the Quad is great because compared to other housing options, it has A LOT MORE freshmen to meet, is much more central, and is the quintessential freshman dorm experience! The brick architecture is also beautiful and gives off such Ivy League vibes; the Quad is probably the most famous and iconic place to live as a freshman at Penn. While the differences between Fisher, Ware and Riepe are negligible, something to note is that Riepe is in the Lower Quad and therefore slightly closer to math/engineering buildings!
7
!
Stouffer College House
Stouffer is a four-year college house located right next to the Quad. I do not recommend Stouffer for freshman housing so I didn’t make the pros/cons list as comprehensive.
Four-year community provides the opportunity to meet students from all years
More intimate because houses less people
Not just freshmen live there, and upperclassmen may not be as open to socializing
I’ve literally never met any freshman who lives here. I’m a pretty social person so I think that says a lot. Would not recommend ranking this for above reason. Additionally, it is not freshman-only housing so you miss out on the benefits of living with other first-years who are all eager to socialize.
8
!
W.E.B. Du Bois College House
I didn’t make the pros/cons list as comprehensive because I do not recommend Du Bois as an option for freshman housing.
Next to Chipotle, Sweetgreen, etc.
Far from freshman housing
Four-year community provides the opportunity to meet students from all years
More intimate because houses less people (houses 159 students)
Known for embracing African American scholarship and culture
Not just freshmen live there, and upperclassmen may not be as open to socializing
I’ve literally never met any freshman who lives here. I’m a pretty social person so I think that says a lot. Would not recommend ranking this for above reason. Additionally, it is not freshman-only housing so you miss out on the benefits of living with other first-years who are all eager to socialize.
9
!!!
Ware College House
Located in the middle of the Quad, Ware is super charming and boasts hallways and study rooms that are constantly filled with freshmen socializing and having a good time! Although it’s not as modern as Hill, its beautiful brick architecture makes Ware look straight off the cover of a college admissions pamphlet. The quintessential freshman dorm experience!
Freshman only!!
Very social + lively. Ware is the largest of the three college houses in the Quad!
Pretty central on campus
Strict security, feels very secure!
Lounge with pool table, etc.
Ware has Memorial Tower which is a nice study spot (although lighting is questionable in some rooms)
Riepe and Fisher both have great study libraries that are super close
Contains McClelland, which has meal options, study rooms, music rooms, Amazon lockers and a “gym”! You can literally just take the elevator
Convenient laundry rooms
The rooms and appliances are not super updated
Louder environment so may be hard to get work done/go to sleep early with people coming back from events late at night
I’ve noticed a lot of M&T students live in Ware which isn’t necessarily a con but just means there’s less diversity in terms of interests
Shared bathrooms
“Gym” is extremely limited and basically only contains treadmills and an erg. It’s actually called a “Fitness Room” on Penn’s website because it’s so small.
If you can tolerate not-as-modern facilities, I would rank this near the top/at the top for freshman housing! Even if you don’t consider yourself a social butterfly, I think the Quad is great because compared to other housing options, it has A LOT MORE freshmen to meet, is much more central, and is the quintessential freshman dorm experience! The brick architecture is also beautiful and gives off such Ivy League vibes; the Quad is probably the most famous and iconic place to live as a freshman at Penn. While the differences between Fisher, Ware and Riepe are negligible, something to note is that Ware is the college house in the Quad that contains McClelland (which offers a lot of amenities and is super convenient). Also, a lot of hallways in Ware are notorious for being super social and always lively. Fun fact: I live in Ware!
There are no rows in this table
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What rooming options exist for freshman at Penn? Here’s an overview:
Rooming Overview
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