Why I-House?

The I-House Experience

International House offers UC Berkeley students the best mix of conveniences, entertainment, and social activities of any student residence on campus. At I-House, you get great comforts that support your academic pursuits while making your stay one of your life’s most enjoyable and memorable living experiences. 

Who Lives at I-House?

  • Students, scholars, and researchers from over 75 countries, including the United States
  • Approximately 80 percent of our residents are international students.
  • 55 percent of our residents are graduate-level students, postdocs, and visiting scholars. The remaining residents are undergraduates in their junior or senior year.
  • Residents represent excellence in every academic field.

Five Reasons to Live at I-House

  1. Our Mission:  Fostering intercultural respect and understanding, lifelong friendships, and leadership skills for a more just and peaceful world.
  2. Events and programming in a diverse intentional community from 70+ countries. 
  3. A global community of thousands of I-House alumni for mentorship and networking.
  4. Lovely historic building and the best food on campus.
  5. Prime location with ten decades of promoting global harmony.

Our Selection Process

Our goal in the resident selection process is to admit students who want to be active members of the I-House community and want to help perpetuate our mission when they leave UC Berkeley as change-makers for a more just and peaceful world.  As part of our selection process, we ask each applicant to answer a number of questions regarding their affinity for and interest in our mission.  You may wish to ask yourself the questions through this questionnaire, Am I right for I-House? Is I-House right for me?

  • For ten decades I-House has pursued its mission of fostering intercultural respect, understanding, lifelong friendships, and leadership skills to promote a more just and peaceful world.

  • The International House community defines diversity: 620 residents from 75+ countries including the United States studying 100 academic disciplines.

  • International House is an intentional community, not just a dormitory.

  • There is a global community of 65,000 alumni who have contributed to and benefited from the I-House experience, many of whom wish to mentor and support current residents.

  • When I-House residents leave UC Berkeley to pursue their careers, they do so with unique insights and skills to help them be leaders in an increasingly complex world.

  • Those insights and skills come from a combination of specific skill-building training that I-House provides, and the cultural osmosis of the I-House community.

  • The skill-building includes cultural self-awareness, cultural other-awareness, questioning, bridging, emotional intelligence and resilience, and using power and privilege for good.

What Is the I-House Experience?

While there are dozens of testimonials about the I-House experience, check out what residents say in the video below and view more on our YouTube Channel 

I-House Stands: A recap of an extraordinary time at International House at UC Berkeley

I-House Berkeley
To me, I-House was not a dormitory; it was a community of scholars and gifted people who profoundly changed my life.
Dr. Kamran M. Nemati