Yes, the three letters that strike fear into the hearts of Wesleyan students like none other. Despite what Wesleying’s “F the GRS” tags and upperclassmen’s horror stories would have you believe, the process isn’t as much of a nightmare as it would appear. It certainly helps, though, to know the ins and outs of each dorm/apartment/house to make sure you don’t become one of those famed horror stories. With that in mind, Wesleying proudly presents its Guide to Picking the Right Room in GRS And Not Screwing Yourself Over, featuring descriptions of each living unit, including laundry facilities, kitchen facilities, and fun facts that few people know and even fewer care about.
(Note: The number of units listed for each building are the units available in GRS, not the total number of units in the building. ResLife sometimes reserves certain units for groups with extenuating circumstances, so there will often be fewer units in GRS than there actually are. Also, the ResLife website has pictures and floor plans of every building except 240 Court.)
DORMS
BUTTERFIELDS
AVAILABLE SINGLES: 126 (31 in A; 46 in B; 49 in C)
AVAILABLE DOUBLES: 1 (A146)
Laundry: 10 washers and 10 dryers, located in the Butt B tunnels.
Kitchen: Located in the Butt B lounge.
Lounge: Each unit has its own lounge.
Other attractions: CRC (first floor of Butt A), Summerfields (first floor of Butt C), COL library and offices (first floor of Butt C), and classrooms on the first floor of A and C.
Notes and minutiae: Everyone has access to all three buildings from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM weekdays. Vending machines are located in Butt A (same hallway as the classrooms) and Butt C (outside Summerfields). Parking is available on Lawn Avenue (except overnight—there’s no parking from 11:00 PM-7:00 AM) and from 5:00 PM-midnight and on weekends in the “L” lot.
NICOLSON (FOSS 5-7)
AVAILABLE SINGLES: 42 (1 in Foss 5; 8 in Foss 5.5; 4 in Foss 6; 29 in Foss 7)
AVAILABLE DOUBLES: 8 (2 in Foss 5; 6 in Foss 6)
Laundry: Located in the Foss 5 and Foss 7 basements.
Kitchen: Located off the Nic lounge (Foss 5).
Lounge: One lounge for the complex, located off of Foss 5.
Other attractions: Program houses in each unit’s basement (Japanese Hall in Foss 5, Film Hall in Foss 6, and French Hall in Foss 7). The single-sex hall is located in Nic 5.5.
Notes and minutiae: Nic 7 rooms ending in 01 through 15 face Foss Hill; those ending in 16 and up face Vine Street. I don’t know about Nic 5 and 6, but I would assume it’s the same.
HEWITT (FOSS 8-10)
AVAILABLE SINGLES: 108 (25 in Foss 8; 38 in Foss 9; 45 in Foss 10)
AVAILABLE DOUBLES: 13 (2 in Foss 8; 3 in Foss 9; 8 in Foss 10)
Laundry: 5 washers and 5 dryers located off the Foss 8 lounge. Additional 2 washers and 2 dryers located in the basement of Foss 10.
Kitchen: Located in the Foss 8-9 connector.
Lounge: Main lounge located in the Foss 8-9 connector. Smaller lounge (sans TV and couches), which also houses the laundry room, located in the basement of Foss 8.
Other attractions: Science Hall (Delta G) is located on the first floor of 8, making the second and third floors the only way to get from one end of the building to the other. It’s a moderate inconvenience.
Notes and minutiae: Rooms in Foss 8 ending in 08 through 15 face Foss Hill; those ending in 16 through 23 (and 01) face Mocon Circle. In Foss 9, rooms ending in 08 through 15 face Mocon Circle, and those ending in 16 through 23 face the Hewitt courtyard. Rooms in Foss 10 ending in 08 through 15 also face the courtyard; those ending in 16 through 23 face Wyllys Ave. In all buildings, 02 and 03 are two-room doubles at the end of the hall (with balconies). Singles ending in 09, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, and 22 have balconies. The vending machines in the basement of Foss 8 are equipped with WesCard readers that currently do not work; there is also a soda machine in the entry hallway of Foss 10.
156 HIGH ST.
AVAILABLE SINGLES: 22
AVAILABLE DOUBLES: 2 (216, 317)
Laundry: 1 washer and 1 dryer located on the third floor.
Kitchen: Located on the second floor.
Lounge: The second and third floors have common areas outside the rooms with couches and a TV. There’s also a large lounge on the first floor, in addition to a dance studio.
Notes and minutiae: Room numbers ending in 06, 07, and 08 are right above WesWings and its exhaust. (That’s a bad thing.) Rooms ending in 11, 14, and 17 (double) have balconies; rooms without balconies typically have very small windows. 156 High is the largest dorm on campus by occupancy (28, including RAs) that does not have card access. There is parking in the “S” lot in back of the building.
APARTMENTS
LO-RISE
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 31 (9 in A, 8 in B, 5 in C, 3 in D, 6 in E)
Laundry: Located in Hi-Rise.
Layout: All apartments have a full kitchen on the first floor in the front. There is also a living room-type thing in the back of the first floor. Bedrooms and a bathroom are all on the second floor.
Notes and minutiae: Lo-Rise is notorious for its small bedrooms. Some Lo-Rises have extra half-bathrooms—I believe the ten units in block A. Block C is right next to Hi-Rise, with C-6 being the closest. Block B is the closest to campus, and C and D are also set away from the street. Blocks A and E are the closest to William St./Traverse Square and thus the most likely to draw noise complaints. Parking is available in the Hi-Rise lot (“W” lot).
HI-RISE
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 80 (41 large, 39 small)
Laundry: Located on the first floor.
Layout: Large apartments have a common area with a kitchen off to the side and two rather generously sized bedrooms. Small apartments combine the kitchen and common area. Kitchens have a refrigerator/freezer and oven that are roughly 1/2-2/3 normal size.
Notes and minutiae: Apartments ending in 01, 03, 06, 08, 10, and 13 (except for 506) are large; those ending in 02, 04, 05, 07, 11, and 12 (in addition to 506) are small. 06es have arguably the best view. Hi-Rise is currently the only dorm with working WesCard readers on the vending machines, which are located in the laundry room and also accessible to Lo-Rise residents. Apartments on floors 4-8 are newly renovated; I’m not sure if they’re going to renovate floors 2 and 3 this summer since the major maintenance list isn’t up yet. Hi-Rise has its own parking lot (the “W” lot).
FAUVER APARTMENTS
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 17 (all five-person)
Laundry: Located off the first-floor lounge. My guess is that there are five washers and five dryers; if anyone who lives there now knows the actual number, please tell.
Layout: All five-person apartments, except for CAs. There are three apartments in the basement, five on the first floor, and six each on the second and third floors (so 20 total).
Notes and minutiae: Senior Fauver was the site of an actual fire in fall ’06, when a group of people left a box on the stove and accidentally turned on the burner. In an ever-so-shocking move, the apartments and bedrooms were not carpeted—despite repeated student requests—due to “budget constraints.” Like Clark and its freshman counterpart, Fauver has a bike room and first-floor vending machines. It’s also the only building on campus with rooms a floor below the lounge (010, 011, and 012 are in the basement), which I suppose is kind of exciting.
240 COURT ST.
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 7 (54 one-person, 23 two-person)
Laundry: None located in the building.
Layout: There are seven apartments; 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are one-person units, while 2 and 7 hold two people (both have two bedrooms). Apartment 5 is a two-person apartment with one double room. Apartment 3 has its own access to the outside.
Notes and minutiae: It’s almost directly across from Downey House, which I suppose counts for something.
65 PEARL ST.
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 5 (all five-person)
Laundry: None located in the building.
Layout: Three five-person apartments (A, B, and C) on three floors (A is on the first floor, B on the second, and C on the third). All have single bedrooms. Each apartment also has an enclosed porch/balcony.
Notes and minutiae: Nothing that I can think of, sadly.
128 PEARL ST.
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 10 (3 one-person, 3 two-person, 4 three-person)
Laundry: Located in the basement of the building. One of the few laundry facilities on campus without a WesCard reader—it only takes Mac-Gray cards, which you can purchase in the Usdan basement and Exley lobby.
Layout: There are 10 apartments—four three-person, three one-person (6, 8, and 7) and three two-person (5, 9, and 10). Three-person apartments have one double room and one single; two-person apartments also have only one bedroom. Apartments 1, 2, and 10 are located on the first floor; 3, 4, and 9 are on the second floor, and 5, 6, 7, and 8 are on the third floor.
Notes and minutiae: 128 Pearl is the only apartment building on campus without sprinklers. Word on the street is that it’s going to be sold sometime in the near future.
1 VINE ST.
AVAILABLE APARTMENTS: 2 (A and B—both five-person)
Laundry: Located in the basement of the building. Doubles as one of two woodframe laundry facilities (the other being 253 Pine).
Layout: Three apartments (A, B, and C), one on each of three floors (A on the first floor, B on the second, and C on the third). All have single bedrooms.
Notes and minutiae: The building isn’t too terribly exciting, but it is located right next to Neon. Pretty convenient.
WOODFRAMES
TWO-PERSON HOUSES: 22
Church: 2 (162A, 162B)
Cross: 1 (125)
Fountain: 3 (6, 69A, 69B)
High: 2 (146A, 146C)
Knowles: 3 (10, 12A, 12B)
Pine: 11 (203A, 207A, 207B, 211A, 211B, 215A, 215B, 223, 239A, 260A, 269B)
THREE-PERSON HOUSES: 31
Court: 3 (267A, 267B, 267C)
Cross: 2 (113, 170)
Fountain: 4 (10A, 10B, 51, 63)
High: 1 (146B)
Knowles: 2 (126A, 126B)
Lawn: 8 (65A, 65B, 73A, 73B, 86A, 86B, 96A, 96B)
Pine: 4 (239C, 251A, 251B, 266)
Vine: 5 (21, 23A, 23B, 151, 171B)
Warren: 1 (2)
Washington: 1 (324B)
FOUR-PERSON HOUSES: 47
Church: 2 (128A, 128B)
Cross: 7 (105, 107, 131, 166, 168, 186, 188)
Fountain: 15 (2, 7, 14, 15, 24, 29, 30, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 47, 57, 58)
Home: 10 (43A, 43B, 49, 52, 55, 59A, 59B, 63A, 63B, 85)
Lawn: 3 (71, 82, 97)
Miles: 1 (42)
Pine: 3 (235, 265, 273)
Vine: 4 (9, 159, 163, 167)
Warren: 1 (4)
Washington: 1 (324A)
FIVE-PERSON HOUSES: 43
College: 1 (200)
Cross: 3 (134, 146, 162)
Fountain: 8 (19A, 19B, 19C, 20A, 20B, 20C, 25B, 56)
High: 1 (72)
Home: 12 (35, 37, 44, 48, 53, 54, 66, 72A, 72B, 73, 77, 84)
Lawn: 2 (76, 80)
Miles: 1 (29)
Pearl Place: 1 (1)
Pine: 4 (231A, 231B, 231C, 261)
Vine: 3 (5, 7, 11)
Warren: 4 (6, 8, 12, 14C)
Washington: 1 (346)
SIX-PERSON HOUSES: 4
Fountain: 1 (64)
Home: 2 (60, 88)
Pearl St.: 1 (59)
Laundry: Woodframe laundry facilities are located in the basement of 1 Vine St. and at 253 Pine St. I believe both facilities have 10 washers and 10 dryers. You can also use the laundry rooms in the Butterfield tunnels from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM each day (when everyone has access to the Butts).
Notes and minutiae: Every house with five or more beds is equipped with sprinklers, in addition to, according to my research, a few four-person houses (131 Cross, 29 Fountain, and 30 Fountain). New prototype houses are 19 Fountain (three five-person units), 20 Fountain (three five-person units), 25 Fountain (two five-person units), 231 Pine (three five-person units), and 14 Warren (one four-person unit and two five-person units). 20 and 25 Fountain and 14 Warren have geothermal heating and cooling. Bedrooms in 14 Warren and 25 Fountain have single beds, while the other prototypes have double beds. Select bedrooms in certain older woodframes are also too small for double beds; the ResLife website notes which houses have rooms with single beds. If you have a car, keep in mind parking on Fountain is only on the odd-numbered side of the street, and you will be ticketed if you park in your driveway without a Wesleyan permit. Finally, remember that all the houses on Lawn, Home, Huber, and Brainerd are “quiet houses.” If you select one of these houses, you will be asked to sign a contract that essentially states you will be mindful of your neighbors and won’t host any events unless the noise can be contained within the house.
Apartment 5 in 240 Court is a 2-person unit (1 double bedroom), not a single as listed above.
Also, 240 Court is not across the street from Downey house. It’s at the corner of Court and Pearl. It is quite close to Main St, however.
Apartment 5 in 240 Court is a 2-person unit (1 double bedroom), not a single as listed above.
Also, 240 Court is not across the street from Downey house. It’s at the corner of Court and Pearl. It is quite close to Main St, however.
I don’t know dimensions of singles for 240 Court–or any rooms, for that matter. ResLife would be your best bet for that.
Can we get more info on 240 court street please? Like the size and dimensions of the singles specifically?
Can we get more info on 240 court street please? Like the size and dimensions of the singles specifically?
15: The Nics info is not wrong: these are the rooms open to GRS. They do not include the rooms given to incoming students (which are almost all two-room doubles) and so that’s why very few two-room doubles are listed here.
And thanks very much for putting the time into this Ben!
@10:33: See above about how I based everything on the e-Portfolio listings. Also, note how all but five of the singles are in 5.5 and 7.
@10:37: Highly, highly unlikely. I think juniors can get the one-person woodframes–none of which are available in GRS this year, however–but I’d be extremely surprised if an all-junior group got a woodframe. If you have one junior and the rest are seniors, though, it’s possible you could get a woodframe, especially with a larger group. (One junior in a 2-person group gives you a group score of 2.5; one in a 3-person group gives you 2.67; one in a 4-person group gives you 2.75, one in a 5-person group gives you 2.8, and one in a 6-person group gives you 2.83. You probably can’t get a woodframe with below a 2.8.) However, there were three or four all-junior groups last year (some admittedly had +.1 point bumps) that got into Fauver. I’d say you’re set with 2.4 and up, maybe even 2.2. But probably not a woodframe.
This is really helpful, thanks!
The vending machines in freshman Fauver take wescards though, not just High Rise.
This is really helpful, thanks!
The vending machines in freshman Fauver take wescards though, not just High Rise.
I was wondering if theres differing levels of demand for sizes of wood-frames usually. Do juniors ever get woodframes?
I was wondering if theres differing levels of demand for sizes of wood-frames usually. Do juniors ever get woodframes?
The Nics info is totally wrong- the majority of rooms are doubles… only 5.5,7, and the ra rooms are really singles.
The Nics info is totally wrong- the majority of rooms are doubles… only 5.5,7, and the ra rooms are really singles.
pine st. laundry has like six washers and dryers. definitely not ten.
pine st. laundry has like six washers and dryers. definitely not ten.
All large apartments have these giant pillars. They aren’t terribly obtrusive–most people I know stick posters on them–but they are admittedly a bit of an eyesore, at least if you’re as annoyed as I am by this school’s fascination with giant pillars (Usdan, anyone?).
I’ve heard things about some High Rises having giant pillars in the middle of the common area. Which ones have these and how obtrusive are they?
I’ve heard things about some High Rises having giant pillars in the middle of the common area. Which ones have these and how obtrusive are they?
@7:46: The problem is that it varies depending on how many groups of what size are formed, and what numbers they receive. I can certainly try to do something, but I don’t want to make any statements before group numbers are issued.
@Woodframes: You can find out before picking if it has a single or double bed by checking out its page on the ResLife site. It notes which houses have rooms too small for double beds.
when you get a woodframe, how do you know if it has a double bed or a single bed?
when you get a woodframe, how do you know if it has a double bed or a single bed?
oy, two awesomes in one sentence.
it would be super awesome if you had something about what GRS number would be likely to get what kind of housing, that would be awesome. I’m pretty sure, for instance that rising sophs with numbers 400 and higher rarely get into the nics or hewitt.
oy, two awesomes in one sentence.
it would be super awesome if you had something about what GRS number would be likely to get what kind of housing, that would be awesome. I’m pretty sure, for instance that rising sophs with numbers 400 and higher rarely get into the nics or hewitt.
@6:58: I know two people last year who lived in 311 and 314; both of their rooms had balconies. I also know someone who lived in 307, and I’m pretty sure her room didn’t have a balcony…I’ll check, though.
@7:07: All of the single/double listings are based on the GRS e-Portfolio listings. Two-room doubles should be listed as two-person units.
@7:20: Only if we can get a doorman and a pee-stained couch.
Seinfeld House
Seinfeld House
F THE GRS!!!
F THE GRS!!!
You seem to be counting two room doubles in the nics and hewitts as two singles?
You seem to be counting two room doubles in the nics and hewitts as two singles?
In 156 High, rooms that end in 01, 04, and 07 have balconies, not 11, 14, and 17.
In 156 High, rooms that end in 01, 04, and 07 have balconies, not 11, 14, and 17.
In 156 High, rooms that end in 01, 04, and 07 have balconies, not 11, 14, and 17.
Agreed, best post I’ve seen in a long time.
Agreed, best post I’ve seen in a long time.
Agreed, best post I’ve seen in a long time.
phenomenal post, thanks so much!
phenomenal post, thanks so much!
phenomenal post, thanks so much!