No roommates!!! A typical dorm setting where you have your own bedroom but share bathroom/shower with the people on your floor. The communal facilities are cleaned and maintained every day by the cleaning staff. But the room is super small.

The International House student community is multicultural which made the transition as an international student easier. It is 10 minutes to Columbia University 3 minutes to the 1 Train, and a few steps from Riverside Park and the River. It has a decent cafeteria, gym, music rooms, a pub, and laundry. The management is generally okay, but I had some negative experiences with a few people. The resident life staff are friendly. Both management and residents organize several events.

I-House offers Dorm Rooms with and without a sink (small, no kitchen) and shared apartments (room size ok even for small rooms) + cafeteria, pub, gym, study rooms etc, community events.

Strict guest policy (max. 2 day guests at a time, limited free overnight stays)

International House - Studio apartment

International House Review

Overall, great value for money. Lots of exciting social events. Dining hall food is a fair deal. Rooms in the South Building are tiny, but they will do the job. The gym can get very crowded, especially at the beginning of each semester. The staff members are generally friendly. There have been a few wifi problems in the past few months.

A bit far from school but accepatable

This is a dorm-type housing with 700 international and American students between the ages 21 to 28 mostly, and some older people. The social component is spectacular! Over 60% of the residents are masters or doctoral students at Columbia, NYU, CUNY, Fordham, and other schools in the City. We have a gym, a dining hall, laundry, and the most spectacular social and professional events (for example, in April 2016, all four chairs of the Federal Reserve are giving a talk in our ballroom). The price of renting a room is high, albeit subsidized, but absolutely worth it for the people you'll meet.