The Cats are the most popular on-campus housing option for new graduate students. They consist of three groups of apartments (South, Central, and North) located one block west of campus. The apartments are all fully furnished and maintained by Caltech. Each of the three Catalina areas has a recreation room with a TV, VCR, stereo, refrigerator, and grill. The North recreation room has a 52” projection TV with a DVD player, the Central has a pool table, South has a ping-pong table, and there are also 2 foosball tables. The recreation rooms can be reserved for parties and special events. Laundry facilities are located in the back of each recreation room. Note: Catalina residents sign contracts binding them to live there for twelve months. However, at the end of nine months residents are given the option of moving out. In order to leave at any other time, residents must break their housing contracts, which require giving thirty days’ notice and paying a small cancellation fee, unless you are moving into another Caltech property. For additional information, contact the Graduate Housing Office (x6176).
Six buildings containing thirty-eight four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments and a recreation/ laundry building.
This six-building complex of seventy-eight two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments is a popular choice among students. The two-bedroom apartments have just as much living space as the four-bedroom apartments, and they have full size beds and big sofas.
This complex of six three-story buildings has a total of 54 two-bedroom apartments and 29 one-bedroom apartments. Currently, the one bedrooms are reserved for couples.
This is the most expensive on-campus housing option for single graduate students. Avery, unlike other facilities, is designed to foster relationships between faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates by having them live together. There are 24 private, furnished, single-occupancy rooms available to graduate students. Residents of Avery are required to participate in the Avery Dining Program for graduate students. Meals on the dining program may be taken in Avery Dining Hall, Chandler Cafeteria, or the Red Door Café. All rooms are equipped with ethernet connections.
The J. Alfred Prufrock eating group is a dinner cooperative for Caltech graduate students and staff. The “Prufrockers” meet for dinner and conversation Monday through Thursday evenings at the Caltech-owned Prufrock House, located just west of the Caltech campus and housing about a third of the Prufrockers. The eating group consists of twelve to fifteen members; each member signs up to cook a meal for the group once every three weeks. Members quickly find that cooking for a large group does not have to be difficult or time-consuming and dinner with the group becomes a favorite part of the day. The Prufrockers host occasional parties for the campus during the year. New members are welcomed to the group whenever there is an opening. For information, drop a note to J. Alfred Prufrock, 373 S. Wilson, Pasadena, CA 91106.
The seven undergraduate houses and three off-campus locations have Resident Associates (RAs) who serve as liaisons between students and the Director of Residence Life. They assist with personal and academic counseling needs and are the initial person to respond to emergencies. Appointments are made for a renewable period of one year. They reside in a furnished apartment near the undergraduates and receive a board plan, a meal allowance, and an entertainment budget. Interested candidates should contact the Director of Residence Life (x6174, www.campuslife.caltech.edu) for additional information; the selection process begins in March with a campus-wide mailing.