I know enough to stay away from trying to describe the different dorms because unless you've lived there, you can't describe it. Sure, I could tell you my impression, but odds are most people would disagree. Even if I described my own dorm, a lot of people would probably disagree. This isn't to say I won't tell you if you ask, but I'll avoid typing it on the admissions website.

What I will do, however, is let the dorms speak for themselves, and our friends over at CalTech have helped us out a bit in that regard. Allow me to introduce, Beaver Scope!

According to the author of Beaver Scope

Almost a year ago I stumbled upon an impressively precise description of MIT's external IPs. Naturally, I saved and stored the file away figuring it would be useful for something one day.

The release of the WikiWatcher suite near pranking season makes for a propitious time for that old data to be put to use. I present Beaver Scope, pinpointing many of Wikipedia-editing Beavers with almost unsettling precision.

That's right, it's a website that breaks down Wikipedia page edits by MIT Building number, letting you see which pages are edited by which dorm. Theoretically, this could be used to generalize the types of people who live there. On the other hand, it may reveal nothing and serve as nothing more than a curiosity. Regardless, I thought it'd be fun to share. Happy stereotyping!

Baker House
Bexley Hall
Burton-Conner
East Campus (East Parallel)
East Campus (West Parallel)
MacGregor
McCormick Hall
New House
Next House
Random Hall
Senior House
Simmons Hall

Also, there's a new beta version of MIT's mapping website, which is vastly superior to their old website. Check it out here

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

This is hilarious. Excellent post.

Posted by: Steph '13 on June 24, 2009

another awesome website

Posted by: 0 on June 25, 2009

http://www.YourPS34free.com/index.php?ref=5942610

so is this one

Posted by: jammin on June 25, 2009

lol I wish I saw this when i had to pick dorms....gives me a lil(or a lot) insight into some of them haha

@jammin: I tried one of those "free (insert gaming console/ipod here)" websites..and well..they are a hassle. signing up and then cancelling trial offers is reaaallly painful, not to mention some of them have ridiculous hidden fees. I eventually got a free pair of shure e2c..but they were def NOT worth the trouble.

Posted by: Shuang61 on June 25, 2009

its very good post . but i was wondered if i can contact with any one from mit? please help me >

Posted by: abdrhman on June 25, 2009

That's such a cool idea!

Posted by: Steve on June 25, 2009

You forgot NW35.

Posted by: conch on June 25, 2009

It is a pleasure to be of service to the MIT community.

Do not forget freefoodatmit.com !

Posted by: Virgil Griffith on June 25, 2009

Stereotypes are fun

Posted by: Me on June 25, 2009

Speaking of dorms, tangentially related question: if you live in a dorm without a dining hall, how do you get into a dorm with one for meals? I thought students only had swipe access to their own dorms, not others?

Posted by: D on June 26, 2009

@ D-

Dorms with Dining Halls are open access during dining hours.

Posted by: Oasis '11 on June 27, 2009

Did you never learn about the literary archetype of the hero's journey? People feel all clever and superior when they find a couple stories that seem to have similarities, and don't realize that they follow a well-known and studied archetypal pattern. Every culture has a hero's journey story: the Odyssey? ever read any of the D'Aulaires' Norse myths? how about Lord of the Rings? The temporal and geographical ubiquity of this type of story should tip you off to its resonance with the human imagination rather than a few movie companies ripping off each others' ideas to make a buck, as the blog post in your link implies. Acting smug and arrogant because you've noticed-- but not understood-- an artistic pattern is simply obnoxious. Equally obnoxious is the automatic devaluation of the works that follow this common pattern, as if originality in plot format is literature's only merit. The blogger’s simplistic and snobby breakdown of the hero’s journey is insulting, intellectually, and I’m ashamed you’ve included a link to it on an MIT blog, Snively.

Posted by: fellow MIT student (rant) on June 27, 2009

Also, Random Hall is not "nerds". I live there and I'm totally not a nerd. For example, I have friends other than my computer. Human friends, I mean. I've even talked to some of them about non-math subjects, like chemistry, or who gets to run the dishwasher on Tuesdays. Many of the other people who live there are the same way. I only dream about null spaces occasionally and recently I've been very good about not analyzing the topology of my breakfast items. "Me," I resent your unfounded stereotype of Randomites. Perhaps if you presented statistical data I'd be more inclined to consider your claim.

Posted by: fellow MIT student on June 27, 2009

@ fellow MIT student

I've read your rant 3 times, and concluded that it makes no sense whatsoever. Snively linked to a fun little breakdown of Wikipedia page edits. I know you're really excited to show everyone your superior literary analysis skills, but seriously - "simplistic and snobby breakdown of the hero’s journey?" What are you smoking?

Also, I can't tell whether that second comment was sarcastic because your first comment was just dumb, but nice job confirming the Random stereotype.

Posted by: awesome MIT student on June 27, 2009

@Me
While I agree with many of your stereotypes, concern has been raised with a few of them and I've decided to remove them. Please feel free to post them on any personal blog you'd like, but since the admissions blog is "official" we aren't really allowed to stereotype like that. Sorry!

@fellow MIT student (rant)
Wow, calm down and get a hold of yourself. If a website like that made you angry, you should probably just stay away from my blog in general, and maybe seriously consider never going on the internet. That was the most benign, unassuming link I've posted in a while, and if that's enough to make you go postal, the rest of the internet is a scary scary world that you should probably leave for people who understand and can digest humor.

The link stays.

@awesome MIT student
They were referring to the link I posted on the main admissions page to this website. Still, their rant was relatively uncalled for and very silly.

Posted by: Snively on June 27, 2009

@ fellow MIT student
I can't tell if you're joking or not, but I in no way meant to imply that being nerdy is a bad thing. I love random, and I think one of the things that makes it so special is that "nerdy" feeling, or whatever you want to call it. I'm proud of being a nerd. Of course that doesn't mean I don't have friends or I don't like to party or socialize... I just like to party and socialize with my nerdy friends That's what I like about random; it has a particular atmosphere that you wouldn't find at, say, Baker or Next.

@ Snively
Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone with those stereotypes. I know they don't actually represent any of the dorms 100% (and some of them, I don't really know much about the dorm at all... hence the boring stereotype). That being said, I actually enjoyed hearing people blatantly stereotype dorms before I got here. Of course I didn't really listen, but it was interesting to hear how different some of the dorms are. Anyways, I get why you removed it... won't happen again.

Again, I just want to emphasize that none of the dorms are bad. If anything, the difference in the culture at each dorm (which is what allows us to stereotype in the first place) is what makes each dorm so special to everyone who lives there.

Posted by: Me on June 27, 2009

@Me
I love the blatant stereotypes as well, and I agree, being able to do so is what makes the dorms at MIT different than the dorms elsewhere.

Posted by: Snively on June 27, 2009

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