Prospective Student Information

Welcome to Residence Life

Opening the Door to Living and Learning

A residential college, SUNY Geneseo believes that living on campus is an integral part of the educational experience. Connection with your peers and the campus, support from Residence Life staff, and opportunities to meet and live with others are a few of the ways in which the experience of living the residence halls contributes to your academic success. As a reminder, SUNY Geneseo has a four (4) semester residency requirement for all incoming First-Year college students and Transfer students who have less than 30 credits upon admission.

Where do incoming students live?

Our incoming students live throughout the residential campus (North, Central, and South Villages) and all areas provide a variety of offerings. Most of our students live in double rooms in corridor communities and about half of our incoming students live in LLCs! We do have a number of single rooms available for first year students who deposit and apply early.

A Living Learning Community, or LLC, is a floor or building in which those of similar academic interests, personal interests/hobbies, or identities come together to live. A few of our LLCs involve courses, others have specialized programming, and some are cohort communities - where people of similar interests live together. LLCs are great options for students who want to live near or around others with similar interests personally or academically or who have a similar identity. This can be a great way to meet people in your first year!

For more information on LLCs please see our website here.

How do roommates work?

While there are a small number of students who preference a specific person they would like to live with, most of our incoming students are assigned to a room with a roommate by Residence Life. While this can be stressful for some students, living with and being open to living with new people is one of the great experiences of college. Our housing software system asks basic lifestyle questions that are used to match you with another student, your future roommate. You can expect questions about cleanliness, guests, and other lifestyle questions. The number one predictor of success in a roommate group is the willingness to communicate and compromise.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is all this information the same for Transfer Students? 

Not necessarily! Incoming transfer students are generally placed with upper level students as they are not first time college students. Transfer students will complete the new student application for housing in the same timeline as incoming freshmen however their placements will likely be in different areas. Roommate matching will also be similar! We also have a Transfer LLC for interested students. Along with this page, we have a page especially for Transfer Students found here! 

What if I want to commute?

SUNY Geneseo believes in the on campus living experience as a component of the educational mission of the college however we do allow students to commute whose parents/guardian live within a 35 mile radius and the student will be residing with them for the duration of the residency requirement period. Students must make the decision to commute prior to signing the housing contract/completing the housing application. Commuting is a reason for a waiver to the residency requirement but cannot be used as a reason to break a housing contract so students who are eligible to commute must make that decision before submitting an application. Students can live on campus their first year and commute their second or vice versa as long as they submit the proper forms by the proper deadlines to do so and have not already filled out a housing contract for the year they wish to commute. 

Residence Life has commuter services including a Commuter Lounge in Erie Hall that commuters can sign up to have access to and assigns floors and RAs to commuter students during Orientation to allow commuting students to connect with the majority residential students who are going through Orientation activities with their hallmates. 

Can I have a car on campus?

Yes, all students are permitted to have vehicles on campus. They can obtain their parking permits from the Parking Office (https://www.geneseo.edu/pts) 

All students should park in the properly marked student parking lots. Please take a look at the campus parking map to see where the student parking lots are located. (https://www.geneseo.edu/pts/parking-map)

What housing style is available for new students?

First year students will be able to live in Suite or Corridor Style Housing. However, we have a limited number of suites who deposit and apply early. We do also have limited Singles for students who apply and deposit early. 

Freshman typically live in freshman housing areas. Transfer students typically live in upper level housing areas.

What housing is available for upper level students?

Some incoming students may be interested in what future housing options they will have after their first year. Most of our housing selection occurs in April for the following year for returning students however we do have an early access process for rising Juniors and Seniors for our Townhouse and Deluxe Singles areas. Most upper level students live in suites and singles with some corridor options available. 

What is the residency requirement?

SUNY Geneseo believes that living on campus is a key component of the educational process. Towards that educational value, there is a residency requirement for our campus.

All first-year first-time students at Geneseo are required to live on campus through the spring semester of their sophomore year (2 years or four semesters). 

Fall transfer students admitted with fewer than 30 credit hours from another college, exclusive of AP credits or credits obtained by testing, must live on campus for two full academic years (four semester). Spring transfer students admitted with fewer than 30 credit hours from another college, exclusive of AP credits or credits obtained by testing, must live on campus for the remainder of that academic year (spring) and the following academic year. 

Is there co-ed housing?

We have a variety of housing types available including same gender and mixed gender rooms, suites, and floors. We do not have same gender buildings but we do have a large amount of same gender floors and suites for students who require that. We also allow the formation of both same gender and mixed gender roommate groups for all students. 

Do the halls close during breaks? Do I have to leave?

Yes, most of our residence halls except the Saratoga Townhouses and Ontario Deluxe Singles do close over breaks however students with extraordinary needs, international students, and students working over breaks for the college can apply to remain on campus. Food service is limited over breaks.  

Is housing guaranteed?

 SUNY Geneseo guarantees housing for all undergraduate students - late applicants included. Unless you are committed to living on campus, do not complete a housing application as a backup plan.

Are there singles for freshmen? 

We do offer a limited number of single rooms for incoming students who deposit and apply early. Note that these are in a specific area together and are not available within LLC communities.

What is a suite and do you offer them for freshmen?

A suite is 2-4 bedrooms that share a common room and common bathroom. We do have some incoming freshman living in suite style housing however corridors are recommended for freshman. Some students are interested in this housing type because of the common area, more private bathroom, and chance to get to know more people. However it can be challenging to share space with 3-7 other students as opposed to just 1 in a corridor. We find less roommate disagreements and suggest corridor living for our first time freshman students.

Can I bring my own furniture?

Suite common rooms come unfurnished except in Ontario Deluxe Singles and Saratoga Townhouses. Many students choose to bring furniture with them for these spaces. Note the Saratoga Terrace Townhouses do come fully furnished. You can bring some furniture for your bedrooms but be aware of space and fire regulations.

Is there athletic housing?

Residence Life and Athletics co-sponsor a Sports Leadership Living Learning Community which is opt out for our incoming athletes and our upper level athletes can opt in to living in this community. 

Is there academic/major housing?

Our campus has a number of Living Learning Communities that have an academic focus. Business and Society, STEM, First Knight (for undecided major students), Writers House, Tesla House, and Eco House are some of the more academic focused LLCs on our campus. Almost ⅓ of our students live in LLCs and it is a great way for incoming students to meet people with similar interests.

I have medical housing needs - what do I do?

Geneseo recognizes the importance of providing reasonable accommodations in its housing policies and practices where necessary for individuals with disabilities to have equal access to the benefits of on-campus housing. 

The Office of Accessibility (OAS) will engage in an interactive process with students to determine reasonable accommodations in the Residence Halls. When requesting housing accommodations, applicants must be current Geneseo students, have applied for or are in the process of applying for Geneseo housing, and have met all eligibility requirements for the request to be reviewed.

To request housing accommodations, students must follow the OAS steps for requesting housing accommodations. This includes submission of a Housing Accommodation Request Form which is completed by the student and a qualified mental health or medical treatment provider who has an established relationship with the student and can attest to the student’s current functioning in the college environment.  The student will also participate in an interactive discussion with OAS staff regarding the request. If students have questions or concerns regarding the process for requesting housing accommodations, they may contact the OAS via email (access@geneseo.edu), phone (585-245-5112), or in-person (Erwin Hall 22) to schedule an appointment.

Students are encouraged to submit materials by the deadlines listed on OAS’ website.