RBA Overview: What is RBA?

The Residence-Based Advising (RBA) Program seeks to support first-year students in their transition to life and learning at MIT by bringing together academic, social, and wellness programming, specific to the culture of that residence. RBA combines two key support networks : the freshmen advising system and the residential community.  

All freshmen assigned to live in Next House, McCormick Hall, Chocolate City, and Spanish House are advised through RBA. Under exceptional circumstances, a first-year student in RBA may be permitted to request a housing change to a non-RBA building, but these exceptions are rarely made.

Only students assigned to Next House have the option to enter the Adjustment Lottery during Orientation.  Students assigned to Next House after the Adjustment Lottery will be assigned a traditional RBA advisor and have the same commitment to RBA as other students assigned to Next House during the Summer Housing Lottery.

To ensure the continuity and the quality of the advising experience, all freshmen living in RBA dorms participate actively as members of the RBA community for their entire first year at MIT.