Upon matriculation, incoming freshmen are assigned to live in one of five residential clusters, which are a collection of dorms that aim to foster a sense of community by housing primarily freshmen in their halls. Each cluster varies in room sizes and arrangements, as well as its classification as freshmen-only or mixed-class housing. Much of the freshman housing experience is defined by all-freshman floors, as clustering freshmen together provides an opportunity for first-year students to connect with their peers as they adapt to life at Dartmouth.
An undergraduate advisor an upperclassman who lives on each freshman floor hosts weekly meetings and organizes events for residents. UGAs help residents with everything from signing up for classes and getting involved in campus clubs to alcohol education and applying for study abroad programs. More generally, they promote the health, safety and comfort of their residents and are available to students at any time to answer questions about Dartmouth.
CHOATES CLUSTER
Located behind "frat row," the Choates is an all-freshman cluster that is well-known for its social atmosphere and proximity to Baker-Berry Library. The Choates consists of four residence halls that are connected through suspended glass hallways which students call "hamster tubes." Two of the residence halls Bissell and Cohen connect to a common room referred to as Biscoh, while the other residence halls Brown and Little connect to another common room called Brittle.
Floors in the Choates are co-ed but have separate wings for men and women. Dorm rooms in the Choates are either singles or one-room doubles.
Kim Rose '13, who lived in Bissell during her freshman year, said the "really good floor environment" was an important part of adapting to college life. Because the rooms are smaller, the atmosphere is more intimate, so it is "not awkward for someone to just come in your room and say hello," she said.
In addition to making friends on her freshman floor, community events such as playing volleyball on the sand court or attending a barbecue right outside her dorm were a great way to meet other people living nearby, according to Rose.
Jing Jiao '13, who lived in Brown as a freshman, said the Choates' location is "close enough to campus to be very convenient for everything, but isolated in a way that makes the cluster closer to each other."
Jiao said she appreciated the Choates' location behind Webster Avenue, or "frat row."
"It's especially convenient at night, because as a freshman, it's nice being able to know that your home is close enough that when you go out, you don't have to be worried," Jiao said.
RIVER CLUSTER
Like the Choates, the River Cluster which consists of the French and Judge residence halls for first-year students, as well as Maxwell and Channing Cox apartments for upperclassmen is organized into all-freshman living spaces. Located behind the Tuck School of Business and Thayer School of Engineering, the River Cluster is noted for having one of the longest treks from the center of campus.
Christina Danosi '13, who lived in Judge her freshman year, recommend bringing a bicycle to shorten the travel time to class.
"You just have to prepare for your day," Danosi said. "I would pack for tennis when I left for class, and I would not go back to my room during the day. I even had a toothbrush in my backpack."
Some students also use Advance Transit a free shuttle service that runs through the Upper Valley because it conveniently has a bus stop near the cluster.
Built in the 1960s, residence halls in the River Cluster have a similar appearance to those of the Choates. Rooms in the River Cluster are singles and both two-room and three-room doubles.
Despite its distance from the center of campus, there are several benefits of living in the cluster. Thayer and Tuck boast spacious and quiet study areas in comparison to crowded study areas in Baker-Berry Library. Additionally, many students say that the sense of community in the River Cluster is one of the strongest among all freshman clusters.
"It's very much a community because no one leaves once they get there for the night," Danosi said
Trevor Ladd '13, who lived in French, added that he had a "real bonding experience" because the layout of the dorms forces people to be social.
"It was a lot more open we had a big open-door policy and kids really socialized," Ladd said.
MCLAUGHLIN CLUSTER
McLaughlin is the College's newest residential cluster its first freshman inhabitants were members of the Class of 2010. The cluster is home to some of the "best facilities" and is known for being a little more "secluded" than other freshman dormitories, Zack Miller '13 said.
Unlike the Choates and River Cluster, McLaughlin houses a mixed community of upperclassmen and freshmen, though they are separated by floor. Rooms in this cluster are primarily two-room doubles and singles. Buildings are arranged in two groups of three adjoining residence halls, with Rauner, Berry and Bildner Halls facing Thomas, Byrne II and Goldstein Halls across a small quadrangle. Goldstein is home to Occom Commons, a large venue frequently used for campus events.
Ben Page '12 recommended McLaughlin as a "great study space."
Located relatively close to Baker-Berry Library on the northern side of campus, the cluster is also located near Dartmouth Medical School, Moore Hall home to the psychological and brain sciences department and the new Life Sciences Center.
"It definitely feels like the Ritz compared to the Choates," Miller said. "Make use of the kitchen, throw some parties with your floor and make it your own."
RUSSELL SAGE CLUSTER
Located near the center of campus, the residence halls in the Russell Sage Cluster Russell Sage, Butterfield, Fahey and McLane span Tuck Drive.
Completed in 2006, Fahey and McLane house both first-year students and upperclassmen. Freshman floors begin on the second floor and include two-room doubles and singles. A kitchen and lounge area connects Fahey and McLane on each floor, and the first and ground-floor lounges are often reserved for campus events and student performances.
Butterfield is a mixed-class dorm and connects to Russell Sage through "the hyphen," a common area that includes a lounge and kitchen. Both Butterfield and Russell Sage were constructed in the 1920s and adhere to the traditional, all-brick style architecture of many of the College's buildings. Residents of these halls live in singles, two-room doubles and two-room triples, and some of the rooms have private half-bathrooms.
"My friends from other dorms would tell me that my floor was louder than most people's and more involved than most people's," Eliana Ramage '13, a Russell Sage resident, said. "Everyone on the floor was very loud, very involved, very into each other's lives."
EAST WHEELOCK CLUSTER
Situated across the street from Alumni Gymnasium, the mixed-class East Wheelock Cluster requires an application process for residency. The East Wheelock program began in 1996 and offers academic enrichment opportunities beyond those in other clusters. The program is designed to "foster closer interaction between faculty and students," through events organized by the cluster's faculty associate, Susan Brison, according to the cluster's website.
The four buildings in the East Wheelock cluster Andres, McCulloch, Zimmerman and Morton are joined by Brace Commons. This area includes a full kitchen, TV room, snack bar and study rooms. In addition to Brace Commons, smaller living and study areas are located in each residence hall. Most rooms in East Wheelock are suite style. Doubles, triples and quads often have private full bathrooms.
"I don't feel like you necessarily have the closeness of some of the River floors," Emie Weed '13, who lived in the cluster her freshman year, said. "I think my freshman floor was really great because we weren't super close, but we still knew everybody and there was a nice balance of people who wanted to go out and party and people who wanted to stay in."
The cluster also includes the Ledyard apartments, which are reserved for upperclassmen.
Residential clusters not available to freshmen include Massachusetts Row, the Fayerweathers, the Gold Coast, Ripley-Woodward-Smith and Topliff-New Hampshire. After freshman year, students may also apply to live in the Sustainable Living Center or one of the other lifestyle, cultural or language affinity houses, like the Chinese Language House.
