HGSE Admissions Blog

Author: Alexa Beil is a Master’s student in Arts in Education

The Basics: Cronkhite is dorm-style housing for graduate students. Rooms in Cronkhite are furnished singles with shared bathrooms on each floor. You can get housing in Cronkhite through the Harvard University Housing portal. One thing to note is that rooms in Cronkhite are not applicable to the same lottery system as the rest of Harvard University Housing! Rooms in Cronkhite go ‘live’ on the Currently Available list at a specific date and time, and everyone is able to sign a lease for a room at that time. I don’t know how quickly the dorm fills up; I wanted to be certain to get a room, so I was on the portal right at the specific time when the rooms went live.

The Pros and Cons: One of the biggest pros of Cronkhite is its proximity to HGSE! I am a two-minute walk away from all of my classes which is so convenient. Another great thing about living in Cronkhite is the community of residents! There are always people around if you are looking for friends or study buddies, and the RAs regularly schedule events for everyone that are really fun. One of my favorite Cronkhite events so far was going to see a musical and get ice cream after. Some upcoming events that I’m looking forward to are hiking and a pumpkin paint and sip party for Halloween. Living in Cronkhite is also a great way to meet people outside of your program. There are students from many of the graduate schools, but most of the residents tend to be from HGSE.

Cronkhite also has some nice amenities like a quiet study space, a small workout room, and laundry in the basement. Rent at Cronkhite is fair based on Cambridge prices; however, there is also a compulsory meal plan which is a big added expense that could be a positive or a negative. I really enjoy having the meal plan as it is one less thing for me to do each day. If you really enjoy cooking for yourself or are a picky eater, then this may not be the choice for you! One con to this meal plan is that the dining hall is only open on weekdays, meaning you have to find your own food on the weekends. This is not a big problem as there are also shared kitchens on each floor, but still a consideration. Another potential negative is the shared bathrooms. Honestly, the bathrooms have been less annoying than I thought they would be. I have never had to wait to use the bathroom or a shower, and the bathrooms are cleaned every day during the week so they never get gross or dirty. Ultimately if you don’t mind buying a shower caddy again and won’t miss regularly cooking for yourself, Cronkhite is a great option! I have really enjoyed living here so far, especially the friends that I have made.

Author: Ateka Tarajia is a Master’s student in Specialized Studies

I found Cronkhite through the Harvard University Housing website. I share a floor with about 15 other residents, with separate communal bathrooms for men and women, one single occupancy unisex bathroom, and one kitchen for the 15 of us.

The Pros: It is super close to HGSE (about a three minute walk), and you get to make a lot of great friends really quickly, making it a great option for those who are new to the area – especially international students. The Graduate Commons Program and Residential Advisers also plan great communal events like waffle nights, games nights etc., so you get to know your fellow house mates pretty quickly.

The Con: The downside is sharing a bathroom with a lot of other people – something which tends to be annoying after you’ve reached a certain age! Advice to next year’s class: There is a specific process to get a room at Cronkhite, and it does not work in the same way as the other Harvard University Housing options, so be prepared with the relevant information before the selection date comes around!