DC Start students’ coursework fulfills the first-semester requirements of all Brooks students.

There are four required courses that all students will take:

• PUBPOL 2200 DC Up Close: Policy, Politics, and Power
• ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics *some students may exempt based on AP/IB credit
• PUBPOL 2830 Ethics and Public Policy
• PUBPOL 1111 Building Success at Brooks

Each student will choose from one of three First-Year Writing Seminars:

• PUBPOL 1510 FWS: America at War in the Modern World
• PUBPOL 1520 FWS: Writing in Public Policy: American Soft Power
• PUBPOL 1530 FWS: Health Policy Across the Life Span

Students can choose to take up to 18 credits in their first semester by adding additional elective coursework:

• PUBPOL 2400 Journalism and Public Policy
• PUBPOL 3950 CIW Inside Congress

The signature course, DC Up Close: Policy, Politics, and Power will integrate guest speakers and visits to policy-involved organizations, such as: non-profits, think tanks, and governmental organizations, etc. The course is taught by longtime Cornell in Washington faculty member and Brooks School Professor of the Practice, Dr. David Silbey.

There is a full-time Resident Fellow who lives and works alongside students, faculty, and staff at Cornell in Washington and who will provide academic support in the DC Start required courses including answering questions, holding office hours, and supporting students with study skills and other resources. ECON 1110 Introductory Microeconomics will have an additional teaching assistant given many students will be studying microeconomics for the first time. All faculty teaching in the program will be expected to hold office hours and be available to students outside of class for questions and consultation.

Further, all DC Start students will be connected with an academic advisor from the Brooks School; the Brooks School advising team is easily accessed through an online appointment scheduling system to meet via Zoom. We also anticipate that members of the Brooks School undergraduate team will be in DC regularly throughout the fall semester to conduct programming and meet with students in-person.

Yes and in fact, much of the time students are in Ithaca they access library resources fully online. Additionally, Cornell in Washington staff is experienced in coordinating with the Cornell Library and they can facilitate ordering and returning physical books as well.

At Cornell in Washington there are frequent opportunities to explore DC and regular events and outings will be offered to students including trolley tours, concerts or sporting events, and museum visits. Within the residence there will also be regular group meals and gatherings coordinated by the Director of Residence and Student Life, a staff member who lives in the building alongside students and is focused on building community and providing support.

Though at a smaller scale, orientation for DC Start will be much like it is on campus. Orientation will be a bit shorter – about a day-and-a-half to two days. Orientation sessions will review academic and community standards and introduce students to the facility and resources available, as well as help them to get to know the neighborhood and find important locations such as nearby grocery stores, health care, and fitness and recreation options.

Some ‘on-campus’ clubs may enable students to join from afar but it may make best sense to pursue greater club involvement once students are in Ithaca starting in January.

Yes! Brooks first year students will meet each other virtually starting in the summer and will continue to interact in small peer groups and through the first year advising course, Building Success at Brooks. Further, DC Start students will travel to Ithaca for a two event in September. More details to come over the summer and into the fall.

The Wolpe Building is fully owned and operated by Cornell University. There are 6 full-time DC-based staff including Director of Teaching and Learning, David Silbey, and Director of Administration, Carol Hagen. Two of the four administrative staff live in the building and two maintain standard business hours to support our programs. The building operations are supported by a local property management company, in coordination with Cornell facilities staff.

The building is accessible only to affiliated individuals with Cornell ID cards that are coded to permit entry to the building. There are security cameras throughout the building and a security and fire alarm that the staff responds to and students will be instructed on during orientation. This summer we will be adding additional fire safety measures in the building stairwell and card readers on doors between floors to enhance the safety of the apartment floors. Apartments are secured by physical keys provided to students and managed by the Cornell in Washington team.

• Basic furniture (dressers, beds, desks, chairs, desk lamp)
• Wireless internet
• Heating/air conditioning units
• A full bathroom with a shower curtain provided
• A renovated kitchen with a refrigerator, stove/oven and microwave
• Trash can

• Bed linens (twin XL)
• Towels
• Toilet paper and other bathroom supplies
• Clothing – including business casual and 1 business professional clothing outfit for visits to offices

Students can request a single but students with disability accommodations that are supported by a single room will be prioritized. Note that a single will cost more than a double.

Housing assignments will be made over the summer, around late June or early July.

All Brooks School Students will fill out the same Housing and Dining applications. Housing assignments and dining plan selections will occur on a slightly later timeline in Summer 2026 for our DC Start students.

Students will move out of DC at the end of the fall semester, after finals are over.

Information provided in housing forms for DC Start will be used by Cornell Housing colleagues to make room assignments for the spring semester in Ithaca. Students will receive their spring housing assignments in early-to-mid January, at the latest.

Yes, the Brooks School will plan and facilitate an orientation to Ithaca in January.

Students will have flexible options for food and dining, including:

• Dining In: Students can shop for food and prepare meals in their apartments. Each apartment has a full-size refrigerator and freezer, stove and oven, and microwave. There are several nearby grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Whole Foods, and Streets Market.

• Touchdown Market: Our Touchdown Market is located on the garden level of the Wolpe Center. It is stocked with beverages, snacks (including items like yogurt and fresh fruit), and entrées such as wraps and salads. The market is self-service, and purchases are made with cards pre-loaded with funds and distributed to students upon move-in.

• City Bucks DC: In partnership with Cornell Dining, City Bucks DC allows students to order delivery and takeout meals through their Cornell Dining accounts and enjoy related discounts at local restaurants. VIEW THE APP INSTRUCTIONS HERE

• Community Meals: During their time in DC, students can expect to occasionally be hosted for meals in the Wolpe Center and during outings around the city.

Note: students will be required to enroll in the full on-campus meal plan when moving to Ithaca in January.

View more DC Start dining details

Housing fees will be the same in DC as on campus. Those rates are viewable here on the Student and Campus Life website.

Dining rates will depend on if students opt into the Cornell Dining plan for local restaurants and stores, however, it is recommended they plan to spend $400–$500 per month on food. Student should budget $50 per week to spend at the on-site food market and the balance on groceries or eating out, depending on student preferences. Note that the unlimited meal plan for a semester while living on campus costs just over $3,500.

Students remain connected to Cornell Health while in DC – students can call Cornell Health 24/7 for consultation about medical or mental health concerns: 607-255-5155. Learn more on Cornell Health’s Especially for Students Outside of Ithaca page.

In DC, most students can meet basic care needs, including filling prescriptions and seeing a primary care provider at nearby pharmacies and clinics; the closest options is the CVS at 6 Dupont Circle, NW, open 24 hours a day or the CVS at 2240 M Street, NW, open 7:00am–11:00pm. There is also a MinuteClinic, a neighborhood medical clinic that accepts most insurance, at this location.

Cornell Student Disability Services (SDS) work in DC as they would in Ithaca. Students are encouraged to request accommodations as soon as they are committed to attending and receive their NetID. Students should connect with Cornell SDS about their access needs and follow their process for communicating accommodations with faculty and Housing and Residential Life.

There are a number of options in the neighborhood for students to join a fitness center or gym for a short duration. Some common options utilized by students include:

• Classpass
• Balance Gym Foggy Bottom
• Gold’s Gym (Dupont Circle)

Cornell in Washington is also located adjacent to Rock Creek Park, which is a large urban national park in Washington, D.C., established in 1890. It spans 1,754 acres and is a popular destination for outdoor activities, featuring 32 miles of trails, a planetarium, zoo, tennis courts, a golf course, and more.

Located at the corner of 22nd and O Streets in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, the Wolpe Center sits in a tree-lined historic section of Washington D.C. within walking distance of nearly all the main attractions of the city’s cultural and civic life. Students can stroll through Georgetown’s shopping district, experience the lively cultural landscape of Adams Morgan, visit the Phillips Collection art museum around the corner, run and bike on the Rock Creek Park trail system, or hop on the Metro to the White House or the museums on the National Mall.

The Wolpe Center does not provide parking for students’ vehicles. We strongly discourage DC Start students from bringing their cars to D.C.