I-House is not just for international students! Each year, approximately 80 percent of our residents are international students. The remaining 20 percent are residents from the U.S. who are interested in living in a community where international exchange and cultural sharing is part of the daily experience. This diversity of perspectives and experiences is an essential component of what makes I-House unique.
The following are eligible to live at International House during the Academic Year:
Residents applying for housing beyond their eighth Academic Year semester residing at International House may be denied. Due to the high demand for housing at International House, this policy is in place to ensure we are able to provide as many students as possible with the opportunity to live at I-House and benefit from our unique offerings.
All application updates will be posted here We suggest applying as soon as you are able once the application for your preferred terms opens.
For group bookings of four of more, contact the Admissions Office at admissions@ihouseberkeley.org
1. Age Verification: Documentation showing you are or will be at least 18 years of age by the time you arrive at I-House.
Examples of appropriate documents include: Driver's license, government issued ID, or passport
2. Academic Affiliation: Official documentation showing your affiliation with UC Berkeley or another approved institution.
Examples include a letter of invitation from your host department or program including the semester(s) or date(s) you will be attending.
3. Academic Level/Standing:
4. You will be required to pay a $50 non-refundable application fee at the time you submit your application.
I-House does not have a waitlist. Rather, we conduct a rolling application process which means we will continue accepting applications and all eligible applicants are placed in a pool. As rooms become available, we will select applicants from this pool to fill these openings.
There are many factors considered in the selection process well beyond date of submission, country of citizenship, etc. The I-House application and selection process is highly competitive. Our goal at I-House is to promote diversity and inclusion and all offers sent are based on the needs of the house.
New and existing applicants who have successfully submitted their application but have not yet been chosen, will remain eligible to receive an offer and will be considered until all available spaces have been filled. Based on the aforementioned criteria, those whose Citizenship and/or Major Area of Study are less represented in our resident population will be given priority for all remaining spaces.
The Admissions team will reach out to you only if your application is not completed properly, if we need more information from you in order to process your application, if you do not qualify to live at I-House, or if you are receiving an offer. Because we have a rolling admissions process and there is no specific date we stop making offers, we do not send out notices that you are not receiving an offer unless you do not qualify.
Once we are full, all remaining applicants who have successfully submitted their application will remain in a pool of eligible applicants. As we receive cancellations or if any beds open up, we will send one offer at a time to an applicant from this pool until that space is filled.
I-House offers a very limited number of Fall-only and Spring-only contracts. To qualify, you must provide documentation that you will be attending UC Berkeley or are only eligible to live at I-House for the applicable semester.
If you apply for an Academic Year contract and later learn you will not be in Berkeley for the Spring, please reach out to Admissions@ihouseberkeley.org right away. If you already have a reservation, we will do our best to accommodate the change to Fall-only however due to the limited space available, your booking may have to be cancelled. *Cancellation fees will apply.
We realize that not all academic visits match our Academic Calendar, however we are not able to adjust contract dates. If you have extenuating circumstances, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@ihouseberkeley.org
*Please note: Extenuating circumstances would not include program dates not matching our contract dates.
I-House strives to be accessible and welcoming to all residents. Upon request, International House provides reasonable accommodations to those with disabilities. Requests for disability accommodations should be directed to Resident Support Services at RSS@ihouseberkeley.org
Such requests may be submitted here and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please submit requests for accommodation as far in advance as possible, as review/implementation can take several weeks.
No, we are only able to accept applications submitted online through our website.
Please be sure to submit the correct required documents in their entirety. Failure to do so could result in a delay in your application processing or denial of your application.
Once you have submitted your application you will receive an automated response. If you have not received an email response, please return to your application and review the steps.
** Please note that the process for Summer Session applications is slightly different. More information on Summer can be found on the Summer Housing page.
For the Academic Year, a $1,750 pre-payment is due at the time you complete Phase 2 to accept your offer. This pre-payment is applied to your final housing installment prior to moving out, assuming there are no outstanding balances on your account at that time.
For the Summer, payment is due in full at the time you accept your offer.
Toward the end of your application, prior to submission, you will be required to pay the $50 non-refundable application fee by Visa or Mastercard.
The best resource for any questions regarding visas, H-1s, and work eligibility for international students is the Berkeley International Office (BIO). You can learn more about their services on their website: http://internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/ . You can also contact them directly by email at InternationalOffice@berkeley.edu or by phone at (510) 642-2818.
You may contact Admissions via email at admissions@ihouseberkeley.org .
