Admissions
Looking for a small, close-knit campus filled with incredible, hands-on learning opportunities? Our Admissions Office can help make Elmira College YOUR place.
All first-year Elmira College students are assigned to either Anderson or Columbia residence hall. The small size of the residence halls fosters a communal atmosphere to help you transition to college life.
Living in the heart of campus makes your time at EC more fun and helps you foster deeper friendships, become more connected, and be more successful. Classrooms, the dining hall, the library, student support services, and your friends … they’re all here. When you live on campus, you will be more supported socially and academically — that’s why students who live on campus tend to have higher GPAs than their peers living off campus.
During the application process in the housing portal, you will have the option to request a specific roommate or fill out a questionnaire with your preferences. You will be asked several questions to help you find a potential roommate covering your sleeping habits, personality, and what you are looking for in a roommate. If you have a specific roommate you want to live with, you can search for and confirm your roommate once you complete your application.
Anderson is home to 142 students and features double occupancy rooms and hall baths. Located near Speidel Gymnasium and the Campus Center, Anderson has excellent views of the campus from all four sides. The Main Lounge offers a piano, fireplace, and ping-pong table.
"The Orientation Leaders, Resident Assistants, and College Athletes were there to help us move in and give us information about living in the residence halls. And the whole orientation process was really informative. It helped me feel like I was ready to take on college."
–Alexa Sitzer '25
Columbia houses 138 first-year students and is located next to Anderson Hall, the other first-year residence hall, and near the Gannett-Tripp Library and Campus Center. The community spaces enhance the first-year experience by providing a flexible floor plan for you to relax with friends or form study groups.
It may seem like you just received your admission letter to Elmira or you just put down your deposit. As you prepare to start your first semester of many at Elmira, Residence Life will contact you throughout the summer about your housing assignments, roommate selection, and move-in day. We know move-in is a big day full of mixed emotions, which is why we brought in a team full of volunteers to help unload your car and get your items to your room.
Your room is a blank slate for you and your roommate to decorate and show off your personalities. With that in mind, a few items are prohibited on Elmira's campus for safety concerns. We have compiled this list of suggestions to help you make informed decisions about what to bring to campus. This one-stop list covers items students typically bring on move-in and some of our own recommendations. If you are unsure about anything that you are considering bringing with you, please contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@tamilfolksongs.com or (607) 735-1821.