Residence-Based Advising (RBA) Overview

Residence-Based Advising (RBA) combines the two major support networks for first-year students: the freshmen advising system and the residential community. All students assisgned to live in Chocolate City (men only), McCormick Hall (women only), Next House (co-ed), and Spanish House (co-ed) participate in the Residence-Based Advising (RBA) program. 

RBA offers advising options, tailored to fit the existing culture of the residence and offers advising that meets the needs of students in each house.

• In McCormick Hall and Next House, you may elect to participate in a First-Year Advising Seminar or be advised by a traditional advisor. In either case, the RBA program offers a select group of seminars and advisors available only to RBA students. See http://mit.edu/firstyear/fas/ for RBA seminar descriptions for each house.

• Chocolate City: All residents are automatically enrolled in a First-Year Advising Seminar (FAS), “Race, Identity, and Academic Achievement” (SEM.135), led by Karl Reid, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Director of the Office of Minority Education.

• Spanish House: All residents are automatically enrolled in a traditional advising group.

You must select your RBA advising preferences through the Summer Housing Lottery site online by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 13, 2008.  If you are not planning to rank an RBA residence in your top four housing choices see: http://mit.edu/firstyear/2012/advising for the non-RBA advising options.

Please research all of your options and think carefully about your advising choice. The type of advising you select now is the type of advising you will have for the entire first year.

Whether in an advising seminar (which meets as a class in the fall) or in traditional advising, you and your advisor will work together all year long.