Exploring Housing Options at Ithaca College
Choosing housing is one of the most important decisions for students at Ithaca College (IC). With a variety of options available, including residence halls and apartments, understanding the nuances of each can significantly impact a student's college experience. Ithaca College offers diverse on-campus housing to cater to individual needs, with 27 residential halls.
On-Campus Housing for Institutes and Graduate Students
Ithaca College offers on-campus housing for graduate students on a space-available basis, and early application is encouraged. For those attending institutes, weekly housing rates cover six nights, from Sunday through Friday. Registered attendees of both weeks of the institutes will be housed without charge over the weekend between sessions. Housing is available only for the duration of the institutes.
All accommodations include bed linen, one pillow and blanket per bed, and one towel per person for the week. Residents should bring clothes hangers, desk lamps, an extra blanket, and a fan if desired. Persons staying for more than one week are provided with a weekly linen exchange. On-campus housing is limited, and requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, based on when full payment has been received. Housing will not be assigned until full payment has been received. Available housing will be listed on the registration form.
Residence Halls
Ithaca College has a variety of housing options, including Upper Quads, Lower Quads, Towers, Terraces and Emerson Hall. Each dorm cluster offers students different living experiences that cater to their own individual needs while in college. All residence halls and apartments at IC are smoke free. Each residence hall at IC has at least one kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator, sink, range, and microwave oven, a self-service laundry facility, and one or more lounges.
Quads (Upper and Lower)
First-year student Willa Sarcone lives in Hood Hall, which is a part of Upper Quads. “I am a student-athlete and I really value being close to the Athletic Center,” Sarcone said. Sarcone said it was scary when she first moved in because she did not know anyone and was living with someone new for the first time. “I made friends very quickly,” Sarcone said. “That’s what kind of happens when you live so close to people. I enjoyed living with other athletes because they were all in the same boat as me.
Read also: Mastering Canvas at IC
First-year student Sierra Harrison lives in Rowland Hall, located in Upper Quads. “The rooms are very small and seem to not have a consistent size throughout the dorm,” Harrison said. Harrison said she really enjoys being in Upper Quads because of the peace, as well as the parking lot, A Lot, being very close by.
“There’s a stereotype that Upper Quads are better than Lower Quads,” Sarcone said. “A lot of my friends joke about not wanting to live in Bogart, just because it is so far away from everything. Similarly, senior Robert Pucci said he agrees that Upper Quads are better than Lower Quads because they are considered cleaner by the student body.
Towers
Before Terraces, Pucci lived in West Tower and then the Circles. He said he loved all of his dorm experiences but said that living in Towers was his favorite. “When first-year [students] ask me where they should live I always say Towers because you get a private bathroom with a lock.
Terraces
Pucci said he chose Terraces because there are options for having a single room. Pucci said he tries to not let the bathroom experience impact his time in Terraces and overall is happy with his decision. “I was amazed because living in Terraces is like being in your own bubble,” Pucci said. “You are on campus, but it doesn’t really feel like you are on campus. Pucci said that although everyone is nice, the residents mostly do their own thing and stick to themselves. “I don’t know many people on my floor, but I kind of love that,” Pucci said. “Everyone kind of minds their own business and does their own thing and is okay with it.
Emerson Hall
Emerson Hall rooms include twin-size beds, dressers and desks. Stoves and refrigerators are not available. Emerson hall is air conditioned.
Read also: Location of Ithaca College
Standard Residence Hall Rooms
Standard residence hall rooms include twin-size beds, dressers and desks. Stoves and refrigerators are not available.
Apartment Living
Rising Junior and Senior Groups or individuals may set up housing preferences to be considered for an on campus apartment in either the Circle and Garden apartments. Sophomores are not eligible for on-campus apartments. These spaces are reserved for juniors and seniors. In order to select an apartment, the apartment must be fully filled with no vacancies. Group requests will be considered before individual requests, and only rising juniors and seniors are eligible for apartment selection. Apartment selection is competitive and not all rising juniors and seniors are guaranteed to live in apartments.
Groups interested in an apartment should:
- Create a group on the Housing Portal.
- Submit Housing Preferences indicating your apartment preferences with your group.
- Assignments are prioritized by semester standing.
Circle Apartments
NEW OFFERING! Circle Apartments sleep five people and are fully-furnished, air-conditioned, and carpeted, with private entrances. Kitchens contain full-size electric appliances, including a dishwasher and microwave.
Garden Apartments
The Garden Apartments are furnished with a stove, refrigerator, couch and/or easy chairs, desk and chair, dresser, microwave, and twin beds. Residents must bring their own cooking and eating utensils and fans.
Read also: Navigating Ithaca College
Special Housing Options
Continuing students may submit one or more applications on the Housing Portal to live in a RLC or Special Housing area. Block Housing is a process for continuing students who are interested in living in the same residence hall building with a larger group of 3-6 peers. Group members who receive a Block Housing placement will be in the same building but not necessarily the same wing/floor. This process does not apply to apartments.
Block Housing requests require a supplemental request form. (Important: this is different than your roommate group.) All request forms and Block Housing groups must be complete no later than the published deadline. Groups of less than 3 members or more than 6 members will be invalid and not reviewed for housing placement consideration. All valid, on time request forms will be prioritized first by the average semester standing of the group and then by random priority number. Each person may only be part of one Block Housing Request. The supplemental Block Housing request form does not guarantee placement in a single or double room.
Roommate and Group Housing
You are not required to have a roommate group to be assigned to a double room. To request to live with a specific roommate, you must create a roommate group on the Housing Portal. You must create your housing preferences before you can create a roommate group. The Group Leader creates the group and sends the group invitation to group member(s). Log into the Housing Portal. Scroll down to and click on “Fall 20xx Section ”. To create a Roommate Group, select “Build/Manage Group ”. To add a group member, select the green “Create Group ” button.
Housing Selection Process
Individuals or roommate groups may submit housing preferences to be considered for a Residence Hall room in the Quads, Terraces, Towers, or Emerson. Single rooms as well as all spaces in the Towers and Emerson are competitive and not all upper year students are guaranteed to live in singles or these locations. Students interested in a residence hall room should:
- Submit Housing Preferences.
- Assignments are prioritized by semester standing.
- Create a group on the Housing Portal if applicable.
Open Housing Policy
Ithaca College has an open housing policy under which you may choose to live with a student of the same or a different gender identity. The college offers several housing accommodation processes if you have a specific need when setting up your housing.
Off-Campus Housing
If you prefer to live off campus, you have many options from which to choose. A searchable map is available at Live in Ithaca to help you get to know areas both within Ithaca and in neighboring towns. Ithaca College is located on South Hill and is accessible by foot (uphill for most!) and the TCAT Route 11 bus. Our Physician Assistant Program also has a downtown location on the Ithaca Commons (three TCAT bus stops are near it: Seneca Street, Green Street, and the Marriott). There is no one "perfect" neighborhood in Ithaca for graduate students, so take time to think about what is important to you before searching for housing. This will help you narrow your search and find a living situation that best fits your needs. Please note that Ithaca College does not endorse any of these housing search engines nor the landlords or properties. Gas & Electric: New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG).
Student Perspectives
When Googling, “What is the best dorm at Ithaca College,” a list of all 27 residential halls comes up. The Garden Apartments had a glitter sound and the Circles had bubbles, implying that they are a good choice to live in, with Lower Quads and Terraces on the other side of the spectrum, having a child screaming and monster noises. The Towers were a trumpet and Upper Quads were a little “ding” noise, also implying they are a good location to live.
“The rooms are very small, but I do not hate it,” Pucci said. “But the cleaners do an amazing job,” Pucci said. “It is just always hard when you start living with new people for the first time. You realize who has home training and who doesn’t really quickly.
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