First-Year Housing

Housing selection, like many things at MIT, is unique. Teams at Housing & Residential Services, Residential & Community Life, and across the Division of Student Life are committed to ensuring your housing assignment and move-in experiences are easy and welcoming! Here's everything you need to know about navigating the first-year housing process at MIT.

Decisions, Decisions

Each residence hall has a unique community, and choosing where to live is one of the most exciting decisions you’ll make in your first year. Review each residence page to help you explore the residential community. Check out the Interactive Introductions to the Institute (“i3”) videos posted to each house page, which are created just for you by current residents to showcase their community!

Baker House

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$5,805 - $7,498

Front entrance of Burton Conner with greenery on either side of the door.

Burton-Conner House

AT-A-GLANCE:

Cook-for-Yourself Community

Room Cost per Semester

$6,397 - $7,498

Side of East Campus building with windows covering the wall, green grass and trees parallel to the building.

East Campus

One of MIT's oldest and most beloved residence halls which will be undergoing a two-year renovation between Summer 2023 and Fall 2025

AT-A-GLANCE:

Room Cost per Semester

$6,807 - $7,498

Brick building with a low rise on the left and a high rise on the right, blue skies in the background.

MacGregor House

AT-A-GLANCE:

Cook-for-Yourself Community

Room Cost per Semester

$6,490 - $7,108

Entrance of Maseeh Hall angled left, greenery in front of the entrance and stairs on either side of the greenery.

Maseeh Hall

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$5,805 - $7,498

Two high rise buildings next to each other, greenery in front of the building, Charles river in the foreground, and blue skies in the background

McCormick Hall

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$6,397 - $7,498

Brick building with multiple levels, windows on side of building, greenery in the foreground, blue skies in the background.

New House

AT-A-GLANCE:

Cook-for-Yourself Community

Room Cost per Semester

$6,807 - $7,498

Yes (Chocolate City all-male, Juniper all-female)

Orange and white building to the left, with outdoor lounge area with concrete ground and benches and chairs, greenery throughout the ground, blue skies in the background.

New Vassar

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$6,807 - $7,498

Skyline of brick building, greenery in front of the building, Charles River in the foreground, blue skies in the background.

Next House

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$6,142 - $7,108

Light brown brick and cement building, street in the foreground, blue skies with clouds in the background.

Random Hall

AT-A-GLANCE:

Cook-for-Yourself Community

Room Cost per Semester

$6,125 - $6,556

Partial image of Simmons Hall entrance with many windows covering the building, blue sky in the background.

Simmons Hall

AT-A-GLANCE:

meal plan required

Room Cost per Semester

$6,397 - $7,498

Ready to Rank?

You'll rank which building you'd like to live in with the first-year building preference form. It's your first step to joining the residential community.

What Happens Next?

After you submit your housing preference form, you will receive your building placement from Housing & Residential Services and a roster will be sent to your residence’s student room assignment chair (RAC) for individual room placements. You will receive your temporary room assignments from HRS (and know your roommate) about a month after you learn your building placement.

Time to Move

We want your move-in experience to be easy and welcoming! Keep these dates in mind.

Move-in Day for FPOP Students

Tuesday, August 19

Move-in Day for First-Year Students

Saturday, August 23

Let the Fun Begin

Don't unpack just yet. Next comes Residential Exploration (REX), First-year Residence Exchange (FYRE), the in-house room assignment process, and move day! Here's everything you need to know about navigating your first week on campus.

Doodle of REX process

Residential Exploration (REX)

Through Residential Exploration (REX), you can meet other first-year residents and get to know each dorm culture through events and gatherings. If you've not decided to make your temporary assignment permanent, it is a great opportunity to learn about other dorms.

First-year Residence Exchange (FYRE)

During REX, the first-year residence exchange form will be open in the housing portal. You can decide if you want to enter the opt-in lottery to switch residence halls. Filling out the form is binding, and you must move if you are placed in another building.

In-house room assignments

After FYRE, you will receive your permanent assignment through your dorm's in-house process. The in-house process allows dorm culture to flourish and participation is encouraged but not mandatory. Rooming plans, including how to opt out, are listed for each residence below.

Move Day

After in-house processes are complete, you will have your final assignment. If you chose to participate, that means it's time to move! Again! Residents moving to a new housing assignment (either room or building) must move out of their original housing assignment by 8 am. Professional movers will be on-site to assist FYRE participants with moving boxes to their new building. There will be a designated area for residents who are transitioning to a new housing assignment to leave their belongings as they move. After 12 pm, your new assignment will be ready to move into.

Residents moving to a new housing assignment move out by 8:00 am

Thursday, August 28

New assignments will be ready for move-in by 12:00 pm

Thursday, August 28

First-Year Room Assignment House Action Plans

Housing & Residential Services has worked collaboratively with Residential & Community Life, Room Assignment Chairs and House Teams in each house to develop a process for first-year room assignments. Below are the house-created Action Plans outlining each residence hall's unique approach to assigning residents to specific rooms. Summaries of these processes are available on each individual residence page under the Room Assignment tab.

MacGregor House

New House Numbered Houses