Yet again, voting for dorms. Not a lot has been said about the importance of the instant support system that the dorm provides. When I need somebody to talk to, my best friend at school is two floors away, instead of a twenty minute subway ride. I have an RA I can go to anytime, I have security guards watching out for me, I have three roommates whose help I can get anytime, and, above all, I don’t have to worry about a utilities bill or a cable bill or any of that. The dorm gives you the opportunity to meet your classmates and form bonds outside of the participants in your classes, and then has the added benefit of having those people you met accessible! It’s part of the experience, and it alleviates a lot of stress and worry, especially your freshman year.
Another thing: you said you’re interested in going to Stanford… My brother is a Stanford alum who lived on campus his whole time there. He didn’t like his assigned dorm his freshman year very much, but he got a great house (a themed house style building with dorm rooms) with all of his friends for the rest of his three years, and they had a chef for the house. Stanford’s housing is pretty snazzy; if you end up there, I would definitely take advantage of it!