Prospective Residents

By Anonymous
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Irvin?
What is an "interest" house or special living option (SLO)?
An Interest House (Special Living Option) is a residence hall which primarily consists of students from one particular college within the University or students that have a common interest.
How do I get in? 
There is no application to get into Irvin Hall. Just follow the steps below to submit your request to housing.
1) Log onto www.eliving.psu.edu/
2) Request and then accept a housing contract
3) Preference – West Halls
4) Preference – EMS/Irvin (College of Earth & Mineral Sciences Interest House/SLO)

And then the Assignments Office will do their best to match interested students to their housing preferences. There are no guarantees as availability will depend upon the number of returning students to Irvin Hall, but by properly requesting your choice you will maximize your chances of success!
When can I apply?  
The application date for housing depends on your current semester standing. Please check the housing website to see when you can apply for on-campus housing.
Do I have to be a freshman to move into Irvin? 
No, any full-time student eligible to live on campus and in the Earth and Mineral Sciences SLO is able to apply for irvin.
I changed my major. Can I still live in Irvin? 
The Earth and Mineral Sciences SLO offers guaranteed housing to all its residents regardless of major. If you leave the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences but are currently a resident of Irvin Hall, you may continue to live there.
What does “guaranteed housing” mean? 
Once you are accepted into Irvin Hall, you are guaranteed housing for your four years at Penn State. This means that you do not have to worry about trying to find on-campus housing elsewhere. In order to be eligible for this, residents must remain active members in the dorm by paying dues, earning the required points, attending house meetings, and participating in events such as Phone-A-Thon.
What is the points system? 
All residents of Irvin Hall are required to earn points in order to remain an active member of the dorm.
How do I earn points? 
Points are earned by attending dorm events hosted by the social, academic, and community service committee members. Students must earn 2 points under each committee type per semester to be considered active. 
What are the committees in Irvin?  
Irvin has three committees main committees that host events for the dorm (events residents can earn points by going to). The Social Committee hosts events to bring "Irvinites" together, which can include movie nights and broomball at the ice rink. The Academic Committee provides opportunities to learn, with events such as guest speakers coming to the dorm or going in groups to seminars around campus. The Community Service Committee gives Irvin residents a chance to give back to the community with events like food drives and highway clean-ups.
Irvin also has an Environmental Committee which is in charge of helping housing take care of the recyclables and trash in the dorm, and the PR Committee which decorates residents' doors for birthdays.
All residents must be on a committee and host at least 1 event per semester, as well as earn their required points, in order to be an active member of the dorm.
Are there any fees to live in Irvin? 
As a resident, you are required to pay dues which go toward house-funded events, trips, and any other house-funded needs. Dues are typically around $20/year.
What is Phone-A-Thon?
Phone-A-Thon is an event held once a year where Irvin residents call prospective EMS students and help answer any questions they may have. Irvin residents must participate for at least one session (roughly an hour or two) in order to be considered active in the dorm.
What do the rooms look like? 
Is the dorm co-ed? 
Yes. The basement, 3rd, and 4th floors house male students, and the 2nd floor houses female students. There is also supplemental/handicapped rooms on the 1st floor.
What is provided in the room? 
Each room contains 2 Twin XL beds, 2 closets, 2 desks and chairs, 2 dressers, 1 fridge, 1 microwave, and 1 trashcan.
How do I get matched with a roommate? 
You can request a roommate on the housing website if you and your intended roommate know each others Penn State ID (xxx1234). If you don't have an intended roommate, you will be randomly paired with someone.
What if I don’t like my roommate? 
You can request a roommate change for the next semester after talking with the RAs and the Upper West Quad supervisor, or you can wait until the next school year and either request a roommate or be randomly matched. If you are having continuous problems with your roommate, please see an RA to discuss your options.
Can I rearrange the room? 
Furniture can be arranged in the room to suit its residents as long as the furniture doesn't cause a safety violation. Beds can also be lofted or bunked in certain rooms, depending on the ceiling height and space available.
Is there a laundry or linen service? 
Irvin contains 4 washers and 4 dryers in the basement for resident use. Washers cost $2.00 and residents must use LionCash, and the dryers are free.
Is there air conditioning in Irvin?
Unfortunately, we do not have air conditioning so please bring a fan as the dorm can be quite warm all year round.
Is there an elevator?
Irvin Hall does not have an elevator. There are two stairwells that reach all of the floors instead.
How many people live in Irvin?
Irvin houses roughly 80 students with a gender ratio of about 1 girl : 4 guys. 
Is there internet access? 
The shared lounges have wifi which is accessible to all Penn State students, and the bedrooms require either an Ethernet cable connection or a personal router. 
What should I bring to campus? 
University Park will be your home for 8 months so you'll want to bring anything you can't live without. Here are a few ideas: summer clothes as well as a few jackets for the colder weather (you can always get warmer clothes over Thanksgiving and Winter breaks); a fan (Irvin does not have air conditioning and can be very hot the first few weeks); rain gear (raincoat, umbrella, rain boots, etc.); power strip; posters and other decorations; medicine/first-aid kit; laundry supplies; any important documents/cards; general school supplies.
Just remember that you don't need to bring everything you own with you. Dorm rooms aren't big and you'll be sharing that space with someone. You can always take stuff home and bring new stuff back over the breaks.
What buildings of interest are near Irvin?
Irvin Hall is located at the top of the Upper West Halls quad. It is less than a minute away from Recreation Hall (Rec Hall) and the Nittany Lion Shrine. On the opposite side is Pattee and Paterno Libraries, which is great for studying and finding research material for classes. Irvin is also conveniently located near the EMS buildings, Deike, Hossle, Walker, and Steidle. A few minutes away is downtown State College and the University Golf Course.
What is TOTEMS? 
TOTEMS (Total Orientation to Earth and Mineral Sciences ) is a freshmen orientation into the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Incoming students have the opportunity to move into the dorm early and head to Lake Raystown for three days of networking with professors and team-building with other new students. It is an excellent opportunity to make new friends and enjoy fun activities like glow-in-the-dark mini golf and a trip to the water park. For more information, click here.
What is EMEX? 
EMEX (Earth and Mineral Sciences Exposition) is the college's open house. They hold it once a year and all interested high school students and current EMS students are welcome to attend. High school students considering Penn State are welcome to come for two days, the first of which they can shadow a student and stay overnight, then check out the college the day after. For more information, click here.
Irvin Hall is the EMS Special Living Option so residents attend EMEX and provide tours of Irvin Hall as well as answer any questions prospective students may have about the dorm. This event is also a way to earn points to be active in the dorm.