At every stage of your college journey, you will have opportunities for learning both in and out of the classroom. Living on campus is a huge part of your experience as a Clarkie, especially within your first two years. Our first-year residential experience is designed to help you acclimate to campus, build community, and begin to find your place in the world. As you progress through your time at Clark, you will have opportunities to explore different housing styles, select your roommates or suitemates, and apply for interest based residential communities.
First-Year Residential Experience
As a new student living in university housing, you will be a part of the First Year Residential Experience at Clark University. The First Year Residential Experience has two main goals – first, to create opportunities for social connection, support, and belonging. Second, the First Year Residential Experience strives to provide first-year students with opportunities for learning and development.
Our core outcome is to prepare students to become lifelong learners who are holistically formed, experience growth alongside others, and are responsible contributors to local and global communities. The Residential Life & Housing team designs intentional experiences, programs, and conversations to build a strong community environment that prioritizes both goals.
Living Learning Communities
Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are intentionally designed communities around shared interests, academic focus, or identities that that provides support and connection throughout your journey as a Clarkie.
Interested in joining a Living Learning Community for the 2025-2026 academic year? Submit your Living Learning Community application in the Housing & Dining Self-Service portal under the Important Links section.
Advancing Clark Excellence (ACE)
This program is open to incoming first-year students who are either of African American/Black, Latine/Latinx, Asian/Desi-American, Pacific Islander, Native/Indigenous, and Multiracial descent or the first in their families to attend college. During this program, you will take a .5-credit college math course and a .5-credit college writing course while participating in leadership and College 101 workshops to maximize your success. During ACE we also go on field trips, explore the community, connect with faculty and administrators at Clark and build friendships that will last a lifetime. This is a great program for someone who wants to get a jumpstart on their college career and is ready to work hard and play hard as part of a community of scholars.
Students in the ACE Living Learning Community will be mixed in with other first-year students in two residence halls. ACE students benefit from additional support from an ACE Mentor that lives in the residential community offering programming and 1 on 1 support. ACE students will also participate in monthly programming designed to continue the learning from the ACE Summer Institute.
Affinity House
Thanks to the campaigning of students, Clark University is dedicated to developing affinity housing. Given the realities of isolation, tokenization, and discrimination expressed by the Black Student Union, Clark University is committed to providing affinity housing for students who share a commitment to learning about and centering Blackness and fighting anti-Blackness. Students who apply to live in this affinity housing will set community norms together, host educational and social events, and build community through learning from and living with people with an interest in learning how to resist and fight anti-Blackness, centering the experiences of students of color.
Community members are asked to contribute to a positive, inclusive, close-knit, and vibrant residential experience. A student may apply to live in affinity housing for their sophomore, junior, or senior year. The affinity housing selection process takes place prior to general housing selection, allowing students who are wait-listed or not accepted time to enter the general housing lottery. Students looking to apply for Affinity Housing will complete the application in their Housing and Dining self-service portal.
Game Design
Located in 23 Maywood, the Game Design Living Learning Community is for students interested in exploring the world of game design and the community created within it. This community provides opportunities for students to find personal, academic, and occupational development.
To live in the Game Design community, students are expected to have declared, or intend to declare, an Interactive Media major or minor. A student may apply to live in the Game Design LLC for their sophomore, junior, or senior year. The housing selection process takes place prior to general housing selection, allowing students who are wait-listed or not accepted time to enter the general housing lottery. Students looking to apply for the Game Design community will complete the application in their Housing and Dining self-service portal beginning in early February.
Healthy Living
Located on the fourth floor of Johnson Sanford Center, the Wellness Living Learning Community will launch in Fall 2025 as Clark’s first mixed year living community. The Wellness community will provide you with opportunities for personal growth, explore each aspect of your wellness and develop a personal wellness vision. As a complex and ever-evolving human, practicing wellness is an ongoing process that you be able to explore with peers.
Led by specialized student leaders, the Wellness Living Learning Community will focus on each aspect of the wellness wheel with peers committed to building a healthy life and supportive community.
To live in the Wellness Living Learning community, you should be committed to:
- Reflection and personal growth
- Creating an inclusive community
- Living substance free
- Attending 3 wellness focused programs each semester
- Attending one wellness coaching session each semester
A student may apply to live in the Wellness Living Learning community for their first-year, sophomore, junior, or senior year. The housing selection process takes place prior to general housing selection, allowing students who are wait-listed or not accepted time to enter the general housing lottery. Students looking to apply for the Wellness Living Learning community will complete the application in their Housing and Dining self-service portal beginning in early February.