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Cornell University

Barbara McClintock Hall

Barbara McClintock Hall with a flower bed out front


Barbara McClintock Hall is part of Cornell's First-Year Experience, and houses first-year students. McClintock Hall is named in honor of Cornell 1923-1927 graduate and Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock.  

Through creative floor plans, McClintock Hall provides living spaces with a modern aesthetic that enhances the residential experience and encourages interaction and collaboration among students. McClintock Hall aims to draw students out of their individual rooms and into ample common areas that support group study, social interaction, and programs in spacious lounges and nearby cafés. McClintock Hall's Residence Hall Director, Faculty-in-Residence member, and Resident Advisors will host programs and activities for all interests that help students meet new friends and make connections to the university community.

2023-2024 will be the final year that Barbara McClintock Hall will house the all-female identified experience traditionally housed in Balch Hall, which will be reopening for the 2024-2025 year. Barbara McClintock Hall aims to draw students out of their individual rooms and into ample common areas that support group study, social interaction, and programs in spacious lounges and nearby cafés. Barbara McClintock’s Residence Hall Director, Faculty-in-Residence member, and Resident Advisors will host programs and activities for all interests that help students meet new friends and make connections to the university community.


Community Features

  • 311 residents 
  • Located on North Campus
  • Single and double rooms arranged in pods along the corridor with corridor bathrooms. Pods are single gender; floors are mixed gender. 
  • Bedrooms contain, for each occupant: an extra-long twin bed, a wardrobe and three drawer bureau, a desk and desk chair, a desk lamp, a wastebasket, and recycling bin
  • 12 lounges (five on the third and second floors and two on the first floor) with tables and couches. In each end lounge (with the kitchen), there are TVs for watching movies or presentations. The lounges within residential rooms have large white boards.
  • A wellness room with DVDs, a large table, and a desk for studying or meditation
  • Break out room on the first floor with four desks and couches for residents to study or do homework
  • One multipurpose room, usually used for meetings. However, residents are welcomed to use to study/work on group projects when not in use.
  • Six kitchens (two on each floor) with a fridge, stove, and microwave. There is one oven in the main kitchen located in first floor main lobby.
  • Three trash rooms with recycling and a trash chute
  • Two elevators
  • Piano in the main lobby
  • Laundry facilities 
  • There is no bike room, but residents have access to Hu Shih Hall's bike room
  • Wireless Internet access 


Affiliated Faculty

Nozomi Nishimura, Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is the Faculty-in-Residence at Barbara McClintock Hall. She lives in an apartment in the building with her partner, Chris Schaffer, Faculty Fellow in Residence and Professor in Biomedical Engineering, and regularly spends time with student residents of the McClintock community. 

Barbara McClintock Hall has a number of Faculty and Community Fellows that provide students with opportunities to explore and cultivate their academic, intellectual, and cultural interests. You will find them attending events in your building, eating with students in the dining room, and leading on- and off-campus trips to lectures, plays, films, concerts, and regional points of interest.


Helpful Information and Important Links

Below are resources and guidelines to support your residential experience at Cornell University. Please review the tabs below and bookmark these pages to apply for housing, browse through meal plan options, find mail and package information, and explore the Barbara McClintock community on CampusGroups

Barbara McClintock Hall Contact Information 

Barbara McClintock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

Questions? Email mcclintock_hall@cornell.edu 

Laundry Information

Payment for use of washers and dryers is through a Campus Life debit account accessed by downloading the CSCPay Mobile App to add funds to your laundry account. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play. The recommended starting amount is $25. Subsequent deposits can be made at any time. The balance in your laundry account will remain active as long as you live in University housing. Please note that any balance remaining after you move out of University housing cannot be refunded.

Mail and Packages

Visit the Service Center website for student mail and package information.

Dining Options