As boarding students’ decisions for roommates and houses are approaching, I thought it would be helpful to give an overview of each house. Concord Academy’s student residences consist of six historical homes-turned-boarding-houses, three of which are currently for female-identifying students: Haines, Hobson, and Wheeler; and three houses of which are for male-identifying students: Admadjaja (Admad), Bradford, and Phelps. One thing to note is that I have attended this school for nine months and have resided in Haines for the whole duration, hence the information here only scratches the surface of boarding life.
Starting with Haines—being the most privileged house, it boasts its proximity to the Main School building where many classes and the Stu-Fac are located. Haines also prides itself on its social common room; movie nights, baking, or chatting about our daily lives are just a few of the activities. Additionally, Haines does not have rooms on the first floor, making the rooms more private and quiet. However, there are a few downsides—clogged toilets have been an issue within the house. The most popular bathroom, the single stall on the second floor, contains one of the two laundry machines currently available in Haines, meaning that one cannot access their laundry while the restroom is in use. For around thirty people, there are two working laundry machines, only one of which is constantly accessible, making it harder to wash the clothes. Lastly, due to its active atmosphere, the common room often gets messy and needs constant cleaning by its residents.
Hobson, with a connecting front door to Haines, has access to both houses without an ID, and vice versa. Hobson is also geographically advantaged regarding its proximity to classes. positive competitive attitude, leading to them winning the annual House Competition— a series Though Hobson is less social, its quiet atmosphere means anyone can focus on their work in the common room and also ensures that it stays spotless. This year's Hobson students also possess a of challenges between each house—this year. Nonetheless, the common room stays and has stayed quiet the entire year—making others question if Hobson is “dead” or if their residents are really that close to each other.
Last of the houses for female-identifying students is Wheeler. The house is unfortunately distant from the Main School building and all the other houses. However, with its closeness to the SHAC, Operations Barn, and downtown Concord, those living in Wheeler can easily access their deliveries, sports practices, and enjoy leisurely walks to Caffè Nero. Wheeler is also the most calm house of all the houses; with an abundance of single rooms and the quiet tendencies of its residents, it’s the most suitable house for those who value personal space. Like other houses, Wheeler also has its downsides: its laundry room, for example, is outside of the house making access to it is much harder compared to other houses, especially when there’s inclement weather, which is frustratingly frequent in Concord.
We then move onto the houses for male-identifying students, with the first on the list being Admadjaja. Along with its great name, Admad prides itself on fostering clean and aesthetic individuals. This house sits adjacent to the quad, leading it to be equidistant to every building within CA’s campus. A downside of Admad is the steep, ladder-like stairs in the house that are a hike to get up on.
The second house for male identifying students is Bradford. Formerly known as the “frat house” due to the party-animal nature of its residents, the house carried an unwelcoming reputation. However, the reputation seems to have taken a turn after its common room renovation; the house now boasts a clean common area, large rooms, a simple structure, and along with Haines, a refreshing water system. Although it was renovated, the kitchen and common room are still compact considering the amount of residents.
Last but not least is Phelps—the dorm which was switched from housing male-identifying students to female-identifying students most recently. Being the largest house in CA, Phelps has many pets including numerous dogs and cats. Because of the high number of residents, Phelps has rooms on the first floor; although easily accessible, these rooms are more prone to noise from the common area, potentially leading to less rest. It’s worth noting that Phelps is built like a maze, with confusing hallways and entrances.
Every house in CA has different charms and a large selection of characteristics to choose from. The real experience of boarding life is diverse and varies for each individual in each of the six, distinct boarding houses.