Food and Housing

Visit Ithaca provides various options on how to get to Ithaca. Please note nearby airports include Elmira, Binghamton, and Syracuse as alternatives to the Ithaca airport. Taxi information can be found on the Visit Ithaca site as well. For bus transportation consider Shortline, OurBus, and Cornell’s campus to campus bus. Additionally, Group Carpool will allow those of you driving to Ithaca or renting cars from the same airport to connect in order to save on transportation expenses.

Students can stay in the Just About Music residence hall on North Campus. Room rates are $84.50 per night for "singles" (one person per bedroom) or $69.00 per person/per night for "doubles" (two people per bedroom), plus a one-time administrative fee of $60 per person. Beds are made on arrival and linens and towels are provided, but there is no daily housekeeping service. It is important to note that this is dorm housing and the rooms are not air conditioned. Those traveling by car may want to bring a fan. Room reservations must be confirmed by Sunday, June 2. If you need to make any changes to your housing arrangements after submitting your application, please let us know by this date as well.

Housing check-in is no earlier than 2 p.m. on June 23, 2024, unless otherwise arranged (sorry, no early arrivals permitted). Check out time is no later than 10 a.m. on June 28, 2024, unless otherwise arranged.

Students can make their own arrangements to stay outside the dorms, but it is worth noting that any other lodging you find will be much more expensive, and in terms of socializing and completing group work, almost all participants stay in the dorms. If you opt not to stay in the dorms, Visit Ithaca and the Statler Hotel (Cornell University's hotel, which is conveniently located across from the ILR School and the only union housing accommodation in Ithaca besides dorms) provide more options.

Once here, there are many options for getting around campus. From the dorms at North Campus to the classrooms of the ILR Conference Center you may walk (about 15 minutes), bike (5 minutes - Cornell offers bike rentals!), or use the campus shuttle bus service. All students will receive a free bus pass for the duration of the program.

If you stay off campus, we strongly encourage you to use the bus. Check out the city bus guide or use the complimentary hotel shuttle services, if available. For further information regarding on-campus bus transportation, visit Cornell's Parking & Transportation website.

Please note our picturesque Cornell campus is situated on a hillside so you will find yourself going up or down a hill or stairs quite a bit!

Parking is available near the dorm, in A Lot, for $7.20/day, to a total of $36.02 for the duration of the program. Accepted applicants will receive a link that allows permits to be purchased in advance. These permits should be printed and brought with you.

On-campus parking (other than dorm resident parking) is severely limited, expensive, and discouraged. Further campus parking information can be found on Cornell's Short-Term Parking webpage.

There is disabled parking at both Donlon Hall and in the Conference Center Lot.

Please note that parking is the responsibility of the individual student.

We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Conference Center. The covered meals include a picnic on Wednesday evening at Taughannock State Park on beautiful Cayuga Lake, and a graduation lunch on Friday afternoon. Vegetarian and vegan options are available at each meal.

The climate in upstate New York in June can be quite variable, ranging from a rainy 40 degrees to a humid and hot 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, we suggest you bring clothing suitable for both, including a rain jacket, sweaters, and shorts. To help us be environmentally responsible, please bring your own water bottle, which you can fill at water fountains available throughout the campus.

The ILR Conference Center building and all classrooms are handicap-accessible on all floors. Please let us know if there are any other accommodations you may need, including any dietary restrictions.