Living on Campus

Time on the weekends at Loomis is less structured than during the week allowing you more time to unwind, socialize, participate in recreational activities, and catch up on academic work as necessary.

There are many options available to students for recreation and entertainment, including sporting events, cultural celebrations, student and professional performances, talent shows, dances, game nights, and club activities. Weekend activities also often include off-campus excursions to local shopping, popular restaurants, movies, and bowling, all organized by faculty and students who run the Student Activities’ program. One weekend in both the fall and spring terms, all students compete in the Pelican Games which is an epic community competition. You will be assigned a team (for life!) and compete for the Pelican Cup. 

For new students, decisions are made after a careful review of your application folder and with information gathered from the housing survey you submit in June. Returning students submit their requests for dorm and roommate assignments in the spring term and the school considers those requests over the summer when assignments are made.

The deans and dorm heads make the dorm and room assignments at the end of the summer and you will receive this information shortly before arriving on campus.

If you have any questions, please call Dean of Student Life Jess Matzkin at 860.687.6210.

Yes. Your housing assignment will include your roommate’s contact information so you can communicate before arriving on campus.

Each boarding student will be provided with a bed and mattress (extra-long: 80 inches), bureau, desk and chair, garbage and recycling cans, and closet/wardrobe. All dorms also have kitchens and common rooms, and most have laundry facilities in the building.

You provide your own linens and should bring clothing for different types of weather, including raincoats. We also suggest you bring items for extra-curricular activities such as sports and music. You should bring toiletries, towels, a desk or reading lamp (not halogen), an alarm clock/radio, and at least two blankets. A more comprehensive packing list is available in the Information for Boarding Families section of the New Students & Families page.

Every student’s experience is unique, but you should know it is perfectly normal to feel some homesickness, especially if this is your first time living away from home. Your advisor, dorm faculty, and dorm prefects and resident assistants (junior and senior students) are here to help you when you are missing home. One strategy that works well for a lot of students is to stay busy — be sure to get involved on campus by joining clubs that interest you, participating in athletics as a player and/or spectator, attending evening and weekend events, and hanging out with friends.

Students have an incredible web of support at Loomis. All students have a dean and an advisor and boarding students have a dorm head and dorm faculty. Students also develop relationships with the faculty who teach and coach them, advise clubs they are involved in, and interact with them in any number of ways. Student leaders are trained to support students and be an additional resource. They work closely with our counseling department to be a liaison if additional help is needed. Our goal is to make sure that there are many times each day when students connect with an adult or student leader at Loomis. As parents, you will also connect with certain adults, and if you feel that you need to speak with someone, there are a number of people to choose from — dorm heads can help with situations in the dorm, advisors can often speak to academic needs and concerns, and deans can help with general issues. If in doubt, start with the advisor and they will work to find the answer to your question.

Loomis welcomes parents to visit their children frequently; we know how important those visits can be for both you and your child. When planning your visits, please make sure they do not conflict with your child’s school obligations. Parents of new boarding students should gauge how their child is adjusting in determining when to visit. We encourage new boarding students to stay on campus during their first weekends at school, and take the time to acclimate to life at Loomis and to develop a routine before having visitors. If you aren’t sure, check in with your child’s dorm head or advisor to confer.

All current parents are members of the Loomis Chaffee Parents Association (LCPA) and are invited to its monthly meetings to hear from the head of school and other invited faculty. Most of those meetings are held over Zoom, making it easy for parents outside the local area to participate. The LCPA also hosts receptions for parents during opening days and on Family Weekend, sponsors an online book club for parents, and plans several faculty/staff appreciation events and the popular Winterfest semi-formal for students. The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations also hosts regional receptions throughout the year, and all parents receive the weekly Parent eNews with news just for parents and Pelican Pride, a weekly news digest that celebrates the accomplishments of Loomis Chaffee students, faculty, and alumni.