Student Accommodations

What housing choices do I have?

You may select from homestay housing with a host family, apartment or dormitory (housing at a local college or university is available in summer).

May I stay in Olin Center housing if I am a part-time student?

The Olin Center only provides housing services to its full-time students.

What is the housing deposit is required before my program begins?

There is an accommodation placement fee of $80 payable with the application fee and tuition deposit if you would like the Olin Center to arrange housing for you. There is a high season supplement of $25/week from 6/15- 9/13.

What are my meal plan options?

All Olin Center accommodations, whether dormitory or host family, include in their costs  14 meals per week to cover daily breakfast and dinner.

What are the costs for each housing option?

Is it possible that my first choice for accommodation may not be available at the time of booking?

The Olin Center makes reservations for students only after they have received the student’s complete application and deposits.  If the requested dormitory or homestay is not available at time of booking, the Olin Center staff will suggest alternative accommodation options. 

What is the minimum length of stay in each accommodation?

The Olin Center makes all housing reservations for a minimum of 4 weeks.

How do I make payments to the host families?

Students should plan to make all payments directly to the Olin Center.

How does the Olin Center ensure the quality of their host families?

The Olin Center takes precautions to ensure that our students are placed in safe and comfortable homes with caring families.  All families who wish to participate in the Olin Center Homestay program must complete a detailed and through application process.  Our experienced Homestay Coordinator requires that all interested families…

• Participate in an Initial Telephone Interview
• Complete a Detailed Written Application
• Agree to Professional Reference Checks
• Allow to an Initial Olin Center Staff Visit and Inspection of their Home

Once the application process has been completed and thoroughly reviewed, the Olin Center begins to place students in the home.  Family quality is continually and consistently monitored through frequent student surveys and annual home revisits.

How does the Olin Center resolve conflicts or concerns from the students?

The Olin Center’s Housing Coordinator is a highly trained professional who has had extensive experiencing working with both international students and American homestay families.  This individual helps to counsel students during their program using and teaching a variety of practical approaches including conflict resolution, problem solving strategies and cross-cultural communication.  When presented with a concern, the Housing Coordinator thoroughly discusses the concerns with the student before speaking to the host family.  If the problem can not be resolved in a manner than pleases the student, the Housing Coordinator will remove the student from the home and make new arrangements for their housing.