Housing/Residential Life

Residential students are housed in one of the first-year residence halls on campus. The residence hall has lounges on each floor, kitchenettes with several micro fridges for students to share, study rooms, and a laundry facility.

Please note that the residence hall does not have air conditioning. The summer weather in Rochester is typically 70s/80s during the day and 50s/60s at night, so please plan accordingly.

There is a curfew in place as our Pre-College Programs students are minors. Residential students must check in to the residence hall by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and by midnight on Friday and Saturday. Students must remain in the residence hall until 7 a.m. University ID cards are collected each night as part of the check in process and will be returned to students the next morning.

Students must provide their own linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, etc.). You are allowed to bring a small micro fridge and a small fan with you to campus to keep in your room.

Our Pre-College Program staff are current University of Rochester students who act in a similar capacity to a college resident assistant (RA) you would find in a residence hall on campus. These students serve as an advisor and mentor for the Pre-College Program participants.

The staff have been through an extensive training process to ensure that they can handle a variety of situations. They live in the residence halls with the Pre-College Programs students over the summer and are available all day, every day. They are a great resource for high school students looking to talk to a current college student.

Pre-College Program staff have knowledge not only of the campus and the Rochester area but can also provide some insight to college classes and various subjects a student might be interested in studying. They help supervise activities and events that take place in the evenings and on the weekends and ensure that each student has a positive experience and a memorable summer!

Our staff also includes several residential health assistants. These are current University of Rochester students who participate in an organization called the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) during the academic year. These students work alongside the Pre-College Programs staff to ensure the overall health and safety of our students.

Health assistants have a background in the medical field and are all first aid trained, CPR and EMT certified, and are familiar with Strong Memorial Hospital. They live in the residence hall with the students and are available 24/7 to assist students.

While these students have extensive training, they are not certified counselors to assist with mental health concerns that may arise, however they are connected with Public Safety, University Health Service, and the University Counseling Center as additional resources.

We try to make the summer experience as much like a first-year college experience as possible, and part of that experience is learning to live with new people. Therefore, all our pre-college students share a room with another student. In rare circumstances, there may be three students to a room.

Students are matched with their roommate based on gender. We try to put students together who are in different programs and who are from different states or countries to give students a diverse experience.

Students are able to participate in hall activities planned by their Pre-College Program staff.

Students will receive their room and roommate assignments when they arrive on campus to check in for the program. We are unable to release roommate information, as this would be inconsistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines. Furthermore, housing assignments are being made and changed right up until the time students arrive on campus.

Tuition, room, and board are included in the residential program fee. Residential students have access to the University of Rochester’s facilities, including campus computer labs, libraries, Wilson Commons, and the Goergen Athletic Center—which has a wide range of cardio and weightlifting equipment, a 200-meter track, the Aquatic Center, and basketball, volleyball, tennis, squash, and racquetball courts. Students have access to laundry facilities free of charge.

Pre-College Staff will provide transportation for students on move-in and out days to the airport, train, and bus station.

The residential program fee does not include:

• Transportation to/from your home city
• Linens
• Blankets and pillows
• Personal spending money
• Meals eaten off campus
• Medical expenses

Additional fees may apply for special events and off-campus excursions.

Students may bring additional spending money for items that are not included in program fees, such as snacks and drinks from the vending machines, restaurants in College Town, and souvenirs.

JPMorgan Chase Bank ATM and Advantage Federal Credit Union ATMs are available throughout the River Campus and Medical Center.

Family and friends may send letters and packages to pre-college students during their stay on campus. The mailing address is as follows:

Student’s Name
c/o University of Rochester Pre-College Programs
111 Wallis Hall
Rochester, New York 14627-0251