The Residential College program at Northwestern University is a special branch of the housing program for undergraduate students, established to build living communities where learning can extend beyond the classroom. Residential Colleges help students engage in extracurricular activities and build relationships with students with similar interests as well as faculty members from various disciplines.

To become a member of a residential college, prospective students must apply during their housing selection. The application is an addendum to Northwestern’s regular undergraduate housing contract and requires a selection of residential colleges rated from highest preference to lowest, along with two short essays. The short essays do not have to be a continuation of the pain of college applications! Just be honest and thorough about why you’re interested.

Students that want to apply to ISRC do not need to be international students or International Studies majors. In fact, our residents are often a diverse array of majors! As long as they would like to find a community of students with diverse interests, they are welcome to join!

Non-Residential Membership

As much as we would love it if all ISRC members lived in West Fairchild, we understand that many members are unable to (whether they are living off campus or sadly got assigned to another dorm).

Luckily, being a member of the ISRC community is not exclusive to those living in the building! Non-resident members of ISRC are those who do not live in West Fairchild but have full access to all programming as well as the communal West Fairchild facilities. This includes access to weekly munchies, cross RC events, and our famous International Dinner.

To learn more about what it means to become a non-resident member and how to apply, visit the Residential Services website. The applications are typically available the first day of fall quarter.