Students in Morton House enjoyed a cards night.
Various housing pathways became available to students during winter midterms in preparation for the 2026-2027 school year. Rising Uppers and Seniors were given the opportunity to apply for a “stack” dormitory, which enables students to live amongst a group of self-selected peers rather than moving to or proctoring in an upperclassmen dorm.
In an email to the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028, Assistant Dean of Students and Residential Life Aya Murata outlined the process of applying for a stack dormitory, which includes correspondence with each dorm’s respective house counselor and designating an individual Stack Captain.
“Each house counselor will offer Open House hours for their dorm – it is up to you and your group to visit during one of those days/times…One person in your group must be designated ‘Stack Captain,’” wrote Murata. “The captain should be organized, responsible, and a good communicator. The Stack Captain must meet with their current cluster dean to discuss their plans and obtain a QR code for the group’s stack application…Once you and your group have visited dorm(s), then the Stack Captain, on behalf of the group, must complete and submit the stack application by Friday, February 13.”
A potential candidate for Bertha Bailey House and current prefect in Bartlet House, Will Unetich ’27, described his plans for the housing process, explaining his interest in a stack.
“The idea of living with a group of friends that you get to choose is really exciting. I’ve lived in a pretty big dorm in all my time here at Andover. Getting to experience living in a big dorm and then also one that’s kind of smaller, it’d be amazing to get both those experiences. I’ve heard that rules are a little less strict in stacks, so maybe [going] in there and having a good time with friends [would be fun],” said Unetich.
Multiple groups of students from both grades often apply for the same stack dorm, which can cultivate a sense of competition.
Unetich continued, “I’d say one downside of the process of applying for a stack is the competition that there is. There are other groups with friends that [are applying] as well. It is tough to compete with them for a stack and then see them get stuck in a different dorm again. It sucks. You feel a little bad about it. I’d say the downside about living in a stack itself is there [aren’t] too many people in stacks, so you have to make sure that you are certain that the people you’re going with are people you want to live with, that you’re willing to see first thing in the morning, or put up with late at night. It could get chaotic at times or overwhelming. Overall, it seems like it would be a great experience.”
Meghan Clarke, an Instructor in Computer Science and Math, serves as the house counselor of Bertha Bailey House. In an email to The Phillipian, Clarke highlighted the benefit of intimacy fostered within a stack dorm. She emphasized that in a smaller dorm, both students and the house counselor build stronger bonds more quickly.
“I’ve really enjoyed house counseling in a stack. With a smaller number of students and the setup of the dorm, it feels more like a home than a dorm. I’m also able to get to know everyone more quickly than is typical in larger dorms, and since the students all have chosen to live together, groups generally come in having already built a strong community. Further, with a smaller group that’s already pretty close with one another, deciding on fun activities to do together as a dorm tends to happen more often and more organically. For example, this year, the stack in Bailey organized a dorm breakfast in town on the first Saturday of the term!”
Colin Lee ’28, who also noted his interest in applying to larger stack dormitories, elaborated on the increased autonomy and sense of community students can create when living in a stack. Lee also mentioned that increased distance from main campus for students residing in stacks could potentially decrease more varied social interaction.
“It sounds nice to hang out with people I’m really close with. There is a level of agency and freedom that comes with [stacking] that I like a lot. I believe [that] usually the room sizes are better. Altogether, it’s an increasing quality of life. The downside of that is [you’re usually] a bit further away from main campus. You’re not going to have as [many] chances to meet new people. You miss out on some of the aspects of being in a big dorm, and it ultimately comes down to who you are and how you like to interact with the people in your dorm,” said Lee.
