International House is one of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s seven Special Interest Houses (SIHs).

Located in the student residence halls, Special Interest Houses are tight-knit communities built around a particular purpose, interest, vision, or idea. As a community of students with various academic backgrounds and diverse geographic origins, we believe that everyone’s story should be told; every word should be heard and listened to.

Under the idea that living together with a common goal promotes a sense of community, we focus on the exchange of our cultural identities and practices during our time together.

We embrace our differences, opening the doors for discussion on topics of culture, attitude, and differing opinions. Whether you are a foreign student studying abroad or a native citizen, born and raised within the United States, you won’t find a more diverse and accepting floor anywhere else on campus.

International House is the only floor in the residence halls with card-swipe access to a full-size, fully-stocked, and fully-equipped kitchen.

Our members just love to cook and some of the more generous ones are often open to sharing their meals with the rest of the floor! In addition to our standard floor lounges, the attached lounge to the kitchen means we have a plethora of public spaces for community members to kick back, do homework, and relax in. You can learn more about our facilities on our page.

In terms of housing, all special interest houses are located in the residence halls.

As a dormitory floor, International House facilities and rooms span the first floor of Eugene Colby C. Sharing the building with two other Special Interest Houses - Art House and Unity House - Colby C is filled with creative, driven people that will never fail to inspire you, should you choose to visit us! We frequently take part in community events both on- and off-campus. If the residence halls aren’t your forte, you can often find us at one of the events hosted by our affiliates or ourselves. During the semester, we encourage our members to showcase their culture in the form of, “Culture Nights,” such as our Swiss, Thai, and Metal Culture Nights!

If you’re looking for directions to our location on campus, please use the address:

We do not accept physical mail or packages so please email us with any concerns.

If you're interested in living on-floor, you can apply via your annual housing application under the section for special interest housing. Accepted students are welcome too!.

If don't want to live on floor, but are still interested in being a member contact us here for information on how to apply!

There are a couple different ways for you to become a part of our community. Incoming students can apply through their very first housing application without even being on campus! In order to live with us as an on-floor member, we require you to fill out a couple of essay questions found in this application form. If you're not interested in living on-floor, or you wish to join later in the year, just contact us, no essay necessary! Please feel free to contact If you have any questions, please contact us at: rit.i.house@gmail.com.

For more information on membership, please check out our membership page. Further connect with us using the social media platforms listed in the footer below.