Kiry: 87-89 is EXACTLY where you want to be in the 2nd year room ballot. I was 87th, lived in an attic in 3 Holywell in 2nd year (not too bad, has a shower and kitchen, just not with my friends - but friends are easily accessible) and had a four-room monster in St Albans Quad in 3rd year, with views over both Merton Street and Christchurch Meadow. I agonised between that and a three-room beastie in Mob Quad - when else does one get the chance to live in a 14th Century quad for 70 quid a week (or whatever it is now)? Tough decision, heehee... It comes to something when you have to decide between being woken up by chapel bells or birdsong. You very quickly forget any of the privations of 2nd year (which aren't much now anyway since Manor Place isn't undergrad accommodation any more) when you move into your suite with windowseats and armchairs and vast expanses of views....
[No, you won't know who I am, I'm a rather decrepit grad student now.]
Potential applicants: Do come to Merton. I picked it by utter random and am still amazed at my luck. The work - well, I don't honestly know how much other people doing my subject (medicine) at other colleges do, but you're more likely to be aware of what people doing other subjects at Merton are doing; this is likely to be a similar amount to yourself. Meanwhile, when it comes to exams you'll find yourself very grateful that you've had lots of tutorials and written lots of essays - eg for medicine, some colleges don't even have anatomy tutorials when a third of our first year mark is based on anatomy. You might be annoyed at the time but we do well at exams for a reason - and it's not because we're "geeky" or whatever, it's because we're well taught. Merton won't let you fail through lack of teaching, but it can't and won't make you work, it's just then up to you if you don't do as well as you'd hoped.
People with offers for next year - lucky you. Anyone thinking of applying, do it. I had no better reason than that it's pretty, though....
(Waxed a bit lyrical there, I apologise, I'm just prone to getting sentimental in my old age)