"I am extremely content with the choice I made to join the Hilltop Scholars Program (HSP). Not only is our entire hall like the average dysfunctional yet supportive family, our entire building carries that feeling ... The Hilltop Scholars, a tight-knit community, have their classmates living down the hall and their classroom on the bottom floor ... We are a group of brothers and sisters -- happy for others when they win an on-campus 
, mad at others when they burn popcorn for the umpteenth time, and therefore causing another midnight fire alarm. While this may all be true, we are always there for each other. Our hall has come to a point where we miss our hall-mates when we go home and have no urgency to miss our hometown while on campus."
– Zohra Samji
"I loved living in Perkins because it is so easy to wake up, walk downstairs, and already be in class. Sometimes I even went in my robe."
– Lacey Brutschy, Hall President 2005-2006
"Perkins is a great place to live. The rooms are large, and we have so much more than many of the other halls on campus (kitchen and classroom). The community is awesome. The hall is small enough for you to get to know everyone yet large enough for a diverse group of students. Participating in the Hilltop Scholars program is a wonderful opportunity. The professors are knowledgeable in their subject area and very approachable should you want to talk one on one. Having many of the same classes as other Perkins residents, you can always find a study partner. I would definitely recommend Perkins Hall and the Hilltop Scholars Program to any and all prospective students."
– Mike Rahmn, Hall President 2003-2004
"As a first-year student, the HSP program was just what I needed! It provided me with a perfect transition from high school to college. Perkins is a relatively small residence hall, and it's easy to get to know your neighbors. Since I lived with the people I shared most of my classes with, I felt a greater sense of belonging within the SMU community. My classes were small (many of them smaller than the classes I had in high school), and the professors were supportive, accessible, and they knew my name! Also, the classes offered by the program are classes that most students need anyway, so it also made the registration process much simpler."
– Laura Rojo, Former HSP Student
"I absolutely love being a Hilltop Scholar and living in Perkins. I walk down the hall and everyone knows my name and speaks to me. It sounds cheesy but I feel like I'm at home and part of a family."
– Elizabeth Grant, Perkins Hall Secretary 2005-2006
"Being a Hilltop Scholar has been an amazing experience. I was so worried about starting college, but having a smaller dorm with small classes really helped me feel comfortable at SMU. I was also worried that the people where would be boring, but as I found out early on, I was definitely mistaken."
– Blair Bernier, Perkins RHA Representative 2005-2006
"The Hilltop Scholars program has given me the opportunity to grow not only intellectually, but socially. It has allowed me to become friends with not only students but with my professors. By being part of this program I have gained a new confidence to ask questions and speak up."
– Cyndee Rivera
"I would highly recommend that anyone come to live in Perkins because it is certain that they will love everything about it. It is really funny because people like Perkins so much that we keep getting new people almost every month that want to be a part of the atmosphere. One guy came over so often from his other dorm that he made his own area on the second floor his imaginary room until he was finally able to get his own real room in Perkins.
"This dorm has a beautiful view of Perkins Chapel and is located right next to two libraries. Talk about a great location! Although Perkins may look small on the outside, the rooms are large, we have our own lounge with cozy couches and a piano, and I have definitely enjoyed having a classroom on the bottom floor. It is really fun just going downstairs in your socks and comfortable clothes to class, which is literally just a few steps away from your room. The only bad thing about it is that there are almost no excuses that can be made for being late to class. It is also convenient having a classroom in my own dorm so that my friends and I can use it for study sessions together or just a quiet place away from distractions. Perkins also has one of the two kitchens within a dorm at SMU. It is really fun baking cookies late at night with friends for a quick, yummy snack. Also, the atmosphere within Perkins is very social, but not to the point where you can not work when you need to. Everyone keeps their doors open so that people can stop by and chat. Perkins has helped me make new friends because most of the people in my dorm, if not all of them, have been in at least one of my classes. This is because Perkins allows you to take classes with people in your dorm and only people in Perkins are allowed to take classes within Perkins. This has definitely helped me study for tests with friends because we are just across the hall from one another. I would not change where I live for anything. I am only upset that I have to leave next year because it is only a first year dorm. I am applying for an RA position for next year hoping that I can become the RA for this dorm so I can stay."
– Kelsey Moser