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in 1891 in Atlanta, Georgia, its octagonal tower rooms and spacious windows bring to mind Rapunzel's enchanted place of imprisonment. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, and gorgeous views of a campus rich with trees and abloom with flowers from dormitory windows make Agnes Scott Hall a prime college dorm destination.

http://www.agnessc ott.edu/studentlife/residencel ife/residencehalls.aspx

5. University of California

Perched high on a hill, Bowles Hall, one of the Berkeley, California university's most famous dorms, looks like an ancient Scottish castle. The charming, stone-and-wood Tudor-style construct features its own rec room, TV lounge, and library. Bowles is currently on the National Register of Historic Places, and for those who like a little danger in their college dorming, the hall also sits directly on top of the Hayward Fault.

http://www.housing.berke ley.edu/livingatcal/uchousing. html

4. Smith College

Almost all of Smith College's dorms (located in Northampton, Massachussetts) have something unique about them, but Morrow House, one of the ten dorms comprising what Smith students call "the Quad," is the only one with a poetry room. Stocked chock full of poetry books from all eras, the room is a welcome reading retreat for Smith students. All of Morrow's rooms have hardwood floors, and some of them have window seats looking out over the center of the Quad. Walking to class from Morrow, students can see Paradise Pond and its island.

http://www.smith.edu/sa o/reslife/

3. Pepperdine University

Located in stunning Malibu, California, Pepperdine University's dorms offer many students unparalleled views of the beach. Equipped with private bathrooms, functional gas fireplaces, and sprinklers to keep the lush green lawn fresh and healthy, Pepperdine's dorms are often mistaken for country clubs. As if the beach views weren't enough, Pepperdine even offers Married/Family housing.

http://www.pepperdine. edu/housing/options/

2. Vassar College

Inhabitants of the futuristic Noyes House at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, call it the Jetsons' Lounge. Most of the other dorms on Vassar's campus are built in Edwardian and Victorian styles, but not the spunky, choppy-looking Noyes House, a curved dorm with many layers of jutting architecture. Noyes extends all the way around a green affectionately named Noyes Circle, the site of many historical and memorable events in bygone days, and now the official playing field of Vassar's Ultimate Frisbee teams.

http://residentiallife.v assar.edu/halls.html

1. Bard College

Bard College's Village Dorms, located in scenic Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, are tucked away in a forest, and really do resemble a tiny village in their entirety. The Village Dorms were built to be green: halogen lights are used everywhere to save energy, and underground wells kept at a constant 56 to 57 degrees provide air conditioning and heating.

http://www.bard.edu/ca mpus/reslife/

Use this list as a starting point to find a college that's replete not only with intellectuality and creativity, but also vibrant residential areas. You might just be surprised at how much of a positive difference a unique dorm room can make.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Shipon.
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