The Apley renovations entailed the application of a fresh coat of paint, the installation of new doorboxes and the replacement of claw-footed bathtubs with new tubs.
All the work was completed in eight weeks over the summer, Bray said, making the renovation "a baby little project."
"You can't do a whole lot in eightweeks," she said.
Sterritt said she has enjoyed residing in Apley Court thus far, calling the dorm an "absolutely wonderful" place to live.
"It's a beautiful building, and we're just delighted to have it as a freshman dorm," Sterritt said. "I am thrilled; the proctor is thrilled."
First-years in Apley should not be concerned about being located outside the Yard," Sterritt added.
"They're only a stone's throw from the Yard," Sterritt said. "I think they will be delighted."
There will also be "a lot of interaction, either formally or informally," between Apley residents and students in other first-year dorms during the school year, Sterritt said, noting that Apley's spacious common rooms could be the likely site for proctor meetings and social events.
"I think it looks wonderful, and is comparable to all of the other Yard dorms," she said. "I think they'll be very pleased."
So Happy Together
Marta Szabo '01, a new resident, praised the space, predicting the large rooms would draw large crowds.
"It's a better place for parties because it's huge," she said. "People will want to come here because of the space."
Even Apley's Harvard Square location is a plus, students said.
Pilar C. Gonzalez '01 said she likes being outside the Yard.
"It's 20 seconds from the Yard," Gonzalez said, but "it's like an apartment in the city."
"Seeing other dorms makes us appreciate Apley," she added.
However, Reichardt said he and his roommate were unprepared to live in such spacious quarters.
"It's kind of a problem," he said. "We don't have enough posters, and we're going to have to go buy more furniture."
Apley has been assigned to the Ivy Yard, which also includes Holworthy, Lionel, Massachusetts, Mower, Stoughton, Straus and Thayer halls