I just learned my room number, but where in the building am I?
Your room number in New House is in the form: 8888. The first number designates the floor you’re on, then the next 3 numbers designate the room number. For example, if your room number is 2103, this means you live on the second floor, in room 103. The doors are marked with the room numbers so you should have no problem finding your room once you’re on the right floor. You can check MIT floor plans here (MIT login required, New House’s building number is W70).
How do I get my room keys?
On Move-In day, just visit the New House front desk. You’ll be asked to give your name and your MIT ID number (it’s good to have your ID on you!). Then, you’ll fill out a small form that includes mail forwarding and other contact information. And after all this, you’ll get your keys. (AND WELCOME TO NEW HOUSE!!)
How many singles and doubles are available in New House to the incoming freshmen?
Singles – 46%, Doubles – 54%. Housing lottery policies are different for each house, but rest assured you won’t be staying in a triple or quad 🙂
How many kitchens are there in New House?
Total Number of Kitchens: 10, including the Country Kitchen, which is for all of New House.
How many people share a bathroom?
On average, ~9 people share a multi-stall bathroom, and ~4 people share a single-occupancy bathroom, but all residents of New House are free to use any bathroom in the building. There is no formal bathroom allocation, and all bathrooms are all-gender.
What does “W70” mean?
“W70” is New House’s building designator. Each building on campus has one. Check out the campus map online for more.
New House has air conditioning? When would I ever need it?
Yup, we’re the only undergraduate dorm with A/C. Believe it or not, it gets hot in Boston. For the first and last few weeks of the academic year (and especially if you’re here over the summer), air conditioning becomes invaluable. For the rest of the time, the system is converted over to heating to keep you nice and comfortable. Each room is equipped with a thermostat, so you can adjust the temperature to your liking.
How much does it cost to do laundry?
Both washers and dryers are $1.25 per load.
How international student-friendly is New House?
Very. All MIT dorms, including New House, are very diverse and international-student friendly. New House in particular has a formal system called the Cultural Houses that offer unique living environments in which students live with other students interested in the same culture. We have five of these houses: iHouse (International Development House), Chocolate City, French House, German House, and Spanish House. We also have four numbered houses: House 2, House 3, House 4, and Desmond (House 5), which are are not formally designated as cultural houses, but their communities are equally diverse and welcoming. We recommend checking out the House websites and taking a visit to them all if possible. 🙂
Are there any videos of New House I can watch?
Definitely. You’ll find New House related videos here.
What about the walk? New House is almost the last building on dorm row?
That’s true, it is. That doesn’t necessarily make it far, though. New House is about an 8 minute walk to the Student Center and about 15 minutes to the end of the Infinite Corridor.
The Tech Shuttle and Campus Saferide Shuttle also stop by New House, and are good alternatives to walking.
Also, many students at MIT in general and New House in particular own bikes. With a bike, it is easy to get from New House to anywhere on campus in less than 10 minutes and to the Student Center in about 3.
Security and facilities, like bike racks, are excellent on campus. There are many stores which sell bikes in Cambridge, ranging from specialty stores like Cambridge Bicycle to Target.
What if I have special housing needs? Anything I should know about allergies or health considerations?
For New House specifically, this information may be helpful to you.
- New House has air conditioning
- We have handicap accessible kitchens
- We have multiple handicap accessible bathrooms on every floor in every house
- No carpeting in rooms
- No smoking indoors
- No pets (except fish)
- We have elevators!
The decision to give special attention in housing matters for medical, religious, or other special circumstances will be made by the Housing Office in consultation with appropriate offices. Special housing is typically granted only in exceptional cases.
Keep in mind, even if you have special circumstances, you have to enter the summer housing lottery with the rest of your class and adhere to the same deadlines.
My question isn’t answered here 🙁
Shoot us an email! Find contact information here 🙂