Frequently Asked Questions

The Main Lounge, HR Commons, the Map Lounge, the Dodge Room, the Frohlich Gymnasium, the Game Room and the Study Center are all open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Dining Hall is open Monday-Friday for breakfast from 7:30-11:30am, lunch from 11:30am-2:00pm, and dinner from 6-9pm. On Saturdays, the Dining Hall is open for brunch from 9am-2pm. The Pub is open every Wednesday-Friday evening from 9pm-1am.
LAUNDRY

A small load of laundry costs $2.75, while a dry load will cost $0.85 to start and $0.25 per every 10 minutes after.

Both I-House South and North have their own laundry rooms with washers and dryers. International House provides many machines for our Residents.

The mail room is open from Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

To send yourself a package to pick up upon arrival, residents must have paid their room reservation deposit and check in within one-week of delivery. We do not allow residents to send themselves packages greater than a week before move in.

The Pub is open every Wednesday-Friday evening from 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM.

Yes! Residents that are able to work in the US can apply to be a pubtender. This is the only job International House offers for residents.

Storage spaces are available for rent for any I-House residents that will be returning after a brief period away from the House. To request a storage space, please visit the Claremont desk.

No. Prospective residents are not able to store their items prior to check-in.

There is a $6.50 per-day charge required for all residents, regardless of length of stay. That amount is given as dining credit on the resident’s ID, available for use as the resident wishes in the dining hall.

Residents can always add more dining credit to their ID card at the Bursar Office.

Prepared meals that rotate every meal are available for purchase by weight. Other options, like prepared sandwiches and grill options have set prices. A standard breakfast will cost approximately $3-$6; a typical lunch averages around $7-$10; an average dinner can cost anywhere from $9-$12.

No. The $6.50/day charge will typically last a resident throughout about half of their stay if they are eating two meals a day in the dining hall. This policy comes with the understanding that most residents will eat many of their meals outside of International House

Both residence halls have been designed to to prepare global leaders through a lived experience that consists of organic encounters with fellow members of the I-House community. Because the buildings are connected and many amenities are located on the lower floors of the South building, International House is able to facilitate cross-cultural community-building regardless of where one lives.
During the application process, you will be required to rank up to five room preferences. It is always recommended to list at least one room from both the North and South buildings for the best chance at receiving one of your desired room types. 

Noise that disturbs others is prohibited at all times. Quiet hours are between 11:00 PM - 9:00 AM on all floors.

Bathroom facilities are shared by 15-20 people on the same floor. Each bathroom has 3-4 toilets and 3-4 shower stalls.

No, the House does not have central AC. In-window air conditioning units are available to rent from International House for the duration of your stay.

A bed, desk, chair, dresser, bookcase, lamp, ceiling fan, linens, blanket, pillow and towel are provided in room upon check in.

Cleaning services provided by our Housekeeping team are available for a fee.

If your stay begins in the summer and extends through September, or if your stay begins in the Spring and extends into May, please complete an Academic Year application. If your stay is ONLY through May-August, and does not extend into September, please complete a Summer term application.

Proof of eligibility is important for your application, and your application will not be considered complete without official documentation. Please refrain from submitting your application until you have uploaded all the proper documentation, as you will not receive a notification of admission if your application is incomplete. Your letter of eligibility must be from within 6 months of submission of your application and it must indicate your full name and the term or dates of your program/internship.

We allow for residents to live with spouses or families only in a Studio or a One-Bedroom North building apartment. To apply with a spouse/partner/family, complete the “Family Members” section of the application. The spouse should create a new application and fill out the personal information section, including the “Family Members” section. Children do not need to complete their own applications.

Unfortunately, we do not allow pets at International House. Emotional support and service animals must be approved to live in the House. Please review our Disability Accommodations Policy for more information on this process.

If you are staying all summer and into the following academic year, you do not need to move out between August 15 and September 1. Later in the summer we will fill in the gap in your booking and your fall semester charges will begin on August 15.

Arrival dates can only be edited once a room reservation deposit has been submitted. Arrival date changes must be made 30 days in advance and are subject to approval based on occupancy by the Admissions Committee. It is possible that we may not be able to accommodate changes of up to five days, as arrival date changes are permitted based upon room availability. Incoming residents may only make one change to their arrival date, and residents that change their arrival date more than once might incur a penalty fee.

Check-in for new arrivals is Monday-Friday between 2:00pm-7:00pm, or Saturday between 9:00am-3:00pm with the Bursar.

If you are anticipating arriving after business hours or on a Sunday, the Claremont Avenue desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will provide you with a temporary ID that is valid for 3 days until you are able to formally complete check-in with the Bursar.

See the Accepted Applicants page for more information regarding our arrival procedure.

Yes, you may bring a guest to help you move in. 

If you do not arrive on your arrival date and you have not notified us in advance, we will cancel your reservation and you will forfeit the $600 room reservation payment.

Upon arrival, residents will visit the Bursar Office to pay for their rent, dining fees, and any other additional fees for one semester or the length of their stay, whichever is shorter.

If you would like to defer your departure ≤ 30 days, please submit an extension request.

If you would like to renew your membership for a period ≥ 31 days, please submit a renewal request.

No, they are not. If you wish to stay for any part of the summer and for the upcoming academic year you must complete both the summer extension process and the readmission application.

You can request an extension anytime and we will do our best to honor the request.

When completing the readmission application please indicate your return date, despite it being before the beginning of the Academic Year term. We will then set that date as your return date.

Yes! Our room rates are prorated, so residents can check in or out when it is necessary for their schedule.

Yes, residents must stay at International House for a minimum of 30 days.

So long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements, you can live at International House for a maximum of three Academic Years. They do not have to be consecutive.

When completing the readmission application please indicate your return date, despite it being before the beginning of the Academic Year term. We will then set that date as your return date.

You should submit a readmission application for the academic year before the March 15 deadline. By submitting the application we will hold a room for you and you have until mid-July to complete your application and August 1 to fully commit.

You can still apply for readmission but your room may no longer be available and, depending on when you do apply, availability of rooms may be limited.

After your readmission application is approved you will be asked to pay a $600 room reservation payment which will be refundable until August 1. If you cancel before August 1 you will receive a refund of the room reservation payment. If you cancel after August 1 you will forfeit the full $600 room reservation payment.

To submit a room change request for the Academic Year, please visit the Admissions Office and complete a Room Change Request Form. You will then be placed on a waitlist and notified if your desired room type becomes available during your stay.

When completing the readmission application skip the section that re-reserves your current room. You will be able to select your room from available rooms for the academic year after submitting your readmission application.

If you are staying all summer and have chosen a new room for the academic year you can move into your new room as soon as it is available. The Admissions Office will contact you after April 1 to schedule your room change.

We do not allow for room changes during the Summer term.

No. If you are anticipating living at I-House during the summer and the following academic year, please submit an academic year application. In the application, you will be able to fill in your desired arrival date, which can be before the beginning of the fall term.

If you are staying all summer and into the following academic year you do not need to move out between August 15 and September 1. Later in the summer we will fill in the gap and your fall semester charges will begin on August 15.

To avoid paying for your room while you are gone you must be gone a minimum of 40 days. During the period you are gone you need to completely remove all of your belongings and make the room available to someone else to stay there while you are gone. You may return to your room upon your return after 40 days.
Please note that this is only offered during the summer term, and I-House does not allow residents to leave the House and come back to their same room during the winter months.

No, you do not have to move out during winter break.

No, this is only offered during the summer term. If you would like to leave I-House in December and come back for the spring term without paying room fees, you will need to reapply. Admission for readmission applications is not guaranteed.

During the pandemic, I-House strived for a 100% fully vaccinated community in order to be able to offer as many in-person programs and opportunities to build community as possible. As of June 2023, residents are encouraged, but no longer required, to be vaccinated against COVID-19. If a resident is not vaccinated upon arrival but is interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine while in New York, I-House's Office of Global Health and Wellness can assist with finding a reputable location to receive the vaccination.

All incoming residents are encouraged to get a COVID-19 test prior arrival but it is not required at this time.

International House has been working since the beginning of the pandemic to stay up to date on public health data and best practices to ensure the health and safety needs of the members of our community. Along with specific protocols for quarantine and guidelines to follow if you have symptoms, the Office of Global Health and Wellness is available during your stay to provide support if necessary. While our COVID-19 precautions have relaxed in the 3 years since the beginning of the pandemic, all common areas continue to be cleaned at least once per day.

Yes, fellowships are available for returning residents. Please visit the Fellowship opportunities page for further information.

Fellowships are awarded before the beginning of the Academic Year.

Unfortunately not; fellowships are awarded at the beginning of the Academic Year (August/September), and fellows are expected to live at I-House for the duration of both the fall and spring terms.

There was financial aid available for the 2022-2023 academic year, but the application has since closed.

The financial aid application for the 2023-2024 academic year will open in February 2023 and is anticipated to close in July 2023.

International House does not provide financial aid during the summer term.

Financial aid applications should be completed before the date provided in your admission acceptance email.

Yes, group members must be graduate students, visiting scholars, interns, or trainees to live at International House during the Academic Year.

No. All residents living at I-House, regardless of affiliation, must stay for our minimum length of stay of 30 days.

The maximum number of group members that can be accommodated is approximately 50 people; this way, we can ensure that there is availability for other groups and single applicants to become a part of our global community. International House does not have a minimum number of group members we can accommodate.

International House recommends reserving rooms in the South building for group accommodations. It is more likely all group members can be assigned to live on the same floor and can have the same sized rooms when living in the South building.

Unfortunately, that is not possible; all North suites are made up of 2-4 different-sized rooms: small, medium, large, and extra-large. If a group is interested in having their members live in the same suites together in the North building, group members would need to live in different-sized rooms from each other. If a group is interested in having their members live in the same sized rooms in the North building, the group members would not be able to live in the same suites together.

Upon arrival, residents will visit the Bursar Office to pay for their rent, dining fees, and any other additional fees for one semester or the length of their stay, whichever is shorter.

The Bursar Office accepts payments in cheques (drawn on US bank), money order, traveler’s check, wire transfer or credit card (Mastercard or Visa only). All payments must be in United States dollars.

Yes. Upon check-in, residents will pay a full semesters’ rent or the rent for the length of their stay, whichever is shorter. We do not offer monthly payment plans.

The Bursar Office is open Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM.