The CheckerBoard

I was a freshman last year, so I was going through the same things as you. I'm not sure if anybody has done this yet, but I'll give you a brief description of what is good and bad about each dorm.

North Carrick (where I lived): Great location, being in presidential court, from a food and proximity to other students standpoint. This building also has, in my opinion, the best set-up of the suite style dorms, because the shower, toilet, and two sinks are all separated. It is also maintained the best of the dorms in presidential court. The only problem is it is very far away from where the majority of your classes will be, so you'll either have to take the bus every day or get used to walking.

Reese: Also a great location being in presidential court. For some reason Reese also got busted the most for alcohol and drug problems, but I'm not sure if this is a annual thing or just a one time scenario. See above for problem with walk to classes. Reese and North Carrick are very similar in layout, except North Carrick has more floors and a nicer common area.

Gibbs: The nicest of the freshman dorms, since this is 49% athletes (mainly football players). This dorm also has its own dining hall on the bottom floor, which is extremely good and the best dining hall on campus by far. You'll also need to live in this dorm to be able to eat in the Gibbs dining hall (without paying 10 dollars). It is out of the way of most other students, so you'll be walking to presidential court a lot.

Hess: If you want to live in a suite style dorm (meaning you want to share a bathroom with three other people instead of 60), don't pick this dorm. Other than that, it is a decent dorm with a KFC on the bottom floor. It is probably the best overall when it comes to its location, with it being equal distance from most of your classes and presidential court.

Clement: Clement is the farthest from the rest of the dorms, so you'll be very close to your classes but far away from other students. Expect to be walking pretty far most nights for food or visiting friends. The set up of these suite style dorms also isn't great, because all of the bathroom appliances are all in one place, so you'll either have to wait on your roommates or do your business at the same time as them. It does have a parking garage right beside it though, so you won't have to walk far after parking your car.

Massey: Another dorm that shares its bathroom with 60 other people. Great location being very close to a lot of the food, but you will have to walk pretty far to get to presidential court. Very well maintained, though.

If you want a suite style dorm, I would suggest you try to get into Gibbs (although it's almost impossible for non-athlete freshmen) or North Carrick as your second choice. If you want a traditional style dorm, I would suggest Massey because of how close it will be to both your classes and food. Hope this helps.