Prior to May 25, 2026: APPLY HERE
After May 25, 2026: APPLY HERE
Deadline June 25 or until full
Highest priority for Akan Twi, Modern Standard Arabic, and Portuguese. Medium priority for French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Russian. Chinese, Korean, and Spanish are full. Other African Languages may be accepted if we have multiple applicants.
We have remaining vacancies in female doubles and 1 space in a gender-affirming double. We do not currently have any remaining availability for men, but men may apply for the waiting list.
You must complete a Housing Agreement and pay your Housing Deposit to be eligible to live on campus. Deadline will be announced by the Housing Office. Click here to visit the Housing Portal.
Want to find out more before you apply? Make an appointment with the Director. Email ghdirect@bu.edu.
Frequently Asked Application Questions:
Do you accept late applications?
Late applications for Spring admission will NOT be considered. We encourage you to apply for the following fall.
After the deadline for Fall admission, we review applications on a rolling basis until all available spaces are filled. There is no guarantee that spaces will be available after the deadline. Our application is closed from the deadline until the end of Room Selection period (typically mid-February to early April). If there are any spaces available after room selection ends, the application will reopen until all spaces are filled. Incoming transfer students are welcome to apply for these open spaces, if available, over the summer. Returning students may also apply for these spots and will be offered a room change.
When are application decisions announced?
For Spring admission: Applicants will receive a response after the deadline and before the end of classes during the fall semester.
For Fall admission: No responses will be sent out until after the general deadline. Applicants who apply before the deadline will typically receive an email from the Residence Life Office or the Director of Global House by February 25. Applications received after the deadline will typically receive a response within 10 business days. No applications will be reviewed or considered during the Room Selection period (typically late February to early April).
PLEASE NOTE: An approved application does NOT guarantee you a spot in Global House. Your membership is not finalized until you have accepted a room assignment on our floor.
Does Global House have a residency requirement?
YES. Students MUST live in Global House (610 Beacon St, 4th floor). Membership in Global House is not official until you accept a housing placement within Global House. You must also complete a Residential License Agreement and submit a Housing Guarantee Fee to the Housing Office, as per their deadlines.
How do students select rooms in Global House?
Students who are approved for SPRING admission will be offered a Room Change by the Housing Office, pending availability. If you are currently living on campus, you will need to completely move out of your current room assignment at the end of the Fall semester. You will then move into your Global House room assignment at the beginning of the Spring semester. If you do not have a current room assignment (due to Study Abroad, etc), you will simply be offered a room placement by the Housing Office. If you decline the offered placement, you will not be able to join Global House.
Students who are approved for Spring admission and ALREADY live in 610 Beacon St do not need to move and will not be offered a room change. Please indicate this on your application!
Students who are approved for Academic Year prior to the start of Room Selection will select a space in Global House during the normal Housing Selection period. Most students will select during Community Room Selection. Students who currently live in 610 Beacon St. will select during Same Dorm/Internal Selection.
Joining Global House after Community Room Selection is dependent on space availability. Students who are approved to join Global House after the end of Housing Selection will be offered a Room Change if they have an existing on-campus housing assignment for the fall semester. Students approved off-cycle without an existing on-campus housing assignment will simply be offered a placement in Global House by the Housing Office. If you decline the offered placement, you will not be able to join Global House.
What minimum level of language proficiency do I need?
You must have a MINIMUM low-intermediate/A2 level in a Global House language by the time you enter Global House. This is the equivalent of completing the second semester (112) language course or the equivalent level. If you are currently enrolled in the second-semester class, you are eligible to apply. Speakers of intermediate, advanced, superior, and native proficiency are also highly encouraged to apply.
You should not apply to a cluster whose language you do not speak and/or have never studied. While Global House can help support you in practicing a new language, you must meet the proficiency requirement for the language cluster you wish to join.
I haven't taken a language class at BU. How do I demonstrate my proficiency?
For intermediate and advanced speakers: If available, list your AP, IB, or SAT II test scores or college-level courses for which you successfully transferred credit. If these are not available, list other courses or experiences (study abroad, etc) that demonstrate your proficiency AND include your score on the BU online language placement exam. These exams are available on the websites for the Department of Romance Studies (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) and the Department of World Languages and Literatures (Arabic, Chinese, German, Korean, Japanese, Russian).
Native speakers: please explain how you acquired proficiency (international student, spoke the language at home, etc).
Global House reserves the right to request a language proficiency interview for any applicant during the application review process.
I speak more than one Global House language. Which language cluster should I apply to?
You may apply to any language cluster for which you have sufficient language proficiency. If you are a native speaker of one language and a learner of another, consider applying to your non-native language cluster. This will provide you with the most opportunity to improve your language skills and explore another culture. You will still have opportunities to participate in your native language’s cluster, even if it is not your official language cluster placement. You should NOT apply to a language cluster whose language you have not previously studied and/or do not speak.
Who should I list as a reference on my application and how should they submit their recommendation?
If possible, you should list an instructor in RS or WLL with whom you have taken a course. You should ask their permission before listing them as a reference. Ask them to email a brief statement (one paragraph maximum) assessing your language ability, your interest in intercultural topics, and your ability to succeed in an intentional community. They should email this statement directly to Dr. Webb (ghdirect@bu.edu).
If you have not taken a language course at BU, you should request a reference from another instructor or staff member who is familiar with your cultural and/or linguistic interests AND your ability to succeed as part of a student-led community.
Have another question? Visit our full FAQ page or e-mail Dr. Lillie Webb, Director of Global House at ghdirect@bu.edu.
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