Exchange Students

Accommodation and Dining Options

RESIDENCE HALLS

For a full-immersion, American, college experience, all exchange students are strongly encouraged to live in university-operated residence halls.  As per the SUNY Geneseo Residency Requirement, first-year and second-year exchange students are required to live on campus in university-operated residence halls at SUNY Geneseo.  On-campus accommodations are arranged by the SUNY Geneseo International Student and Scholar Services Office in partnership with Residence Life.  Students in their third year or later may elect to pursue off-campus accommodation.  See the "Off-Campus Accommodation" section below for more detail. 

Exchange students living on-campus are typically housed in one of three residence halls that have a higher concentration of international students and are also home to domestic students with an expressed interest in living in a global environment.  The three halls are Wayne Hall, Steuben Hall, and Wyoming Hall.

Amenities of residence halls vary from building to building.  Some residence halls have shared kitchens, including refrigerators, stoves, and ovens for students to create their own meals, if they choose.  All residence halls have access to laundry facilities.  

For a listing of all residence halls and to gain more information about a specific residence hall, including specific amenities, go to https://www.geneseo.edu/campus_living/residence_halls.

Pots and pans, silverware, plates, and bowls are NOT provided in any residence hall, but these items can be easily purchased at local stores or local second-hand shops.

LIFE IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS

Over 3,000 Geneseo students live in on-campus housing, which makes for a vibrant and diverse community.

Residence Life, part of the Department of Student Life, has a large, dedicated staff comprising students and full-time university professionals, who work to ensure all students feel safe and supported in their living spaces.  They also put on many free programs and services for students to build community, help students meet each other, and ensure students have fun inside and outside of their residence halls!

Learn more on the Residence Life website.

Detailed information about how to apply for housing as a new (exchange) student at Geneseo can be found here: https://www.geneseo.edu/residence-life/new-student-housing

LINENS

Student residence halls are not supplied with sheets, blankets, towels, nor household supplies.  Toilet paper is provided.

Students may bring linens and personal supplies with them or purchase them upon arrival during our Orientation shopping trip.  The ISSS Office has linen available for students to borrow during their first few nights on campus.  To request linens, contact the ISSS Office by email at isss@geneseo.edu.

ON-CAMPUS DINING

Exchange students residing on-campus are required to purchase, at minimum, the Silver Meal Plan.  You can learn more about meal plans by visiting https://www.geneseo.edu/cas/meal-plans  All dining facilities on campus accept your meal plan as payment for your food.  The campus has three dining halls, Red Jacket, Mary Jemison, and Letchworth; smaller cafes and dining spots, such as Books N' Bites, Fusion Market, Millenium Market, and Southside Market; and a mobile food truck, the Chow Hound. 

If you have dietary restrictions or dietary guidelines for medical or religious reasons, please contact Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) to create a special dietary arrangement.  CAS is very willing to work out flexible meals or hours for students with dietary restrictions or guidelines.

OFF-CAMPUS ACCOMMODATION

Exchange students in their third year or later at their home university are permitted to reside off-campus.  Unfortunately, SUNY Geneseo cannot be involved in assisting exchange students in finding or securing off-campus accommodation.  Exchange students choosing to live off-campus are encouraged to review the information from the Off-Campus Living website and explore housing options through the Housing Registry service.

OFF-CAMPUS DINING

Students who choose to live off-campus are not required to purchase a meal plan, but they are permitted to purchase a meal plan if they choose.  To learn about all meal plans, including off-campus meal plans, please visit https://www.geneseo.edu/cas/meal-plans.

Most off-campus accommodation have some kind of kitchen facilities.  Students can use their student ID card to access free public transportation and be taken to the local grocery stores (Wegmans, Aldi, or Wal-Mart) to purchase groceries for their own meal preparation.  However, very often, pots and pans, silverware, plates, and bowls are NOT provided in most off-campus accommodation and students may need to purchase these items on their own.

In addition to on-campus dining, and self-catering in one's own accommodation, students can also visit any number of local eateries within walking distance of the SUNY Geneseo campus.  Students can also use their student ID card to access free public transportation and be taken to bus stops within walking distance to other local eateries within the town of Geneseo.