42 Silicon Valley Piscine’s Dorm Application Process
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42 Silicon Valley’s dorms were formerly the property of DeVry University; however, the French billionaire and founder of Ecole 42, Xavier Niel, had purchased this place to provide free housing to 42 Silicon Valley participants in hopes to give more people from around the world an amazing opportunity of joining this boot camp.
How to Apply for a Dorm?
Dorms are not required; however, if you are looking for housing, I highly recommend applying for the dorm EARLY. The process for the dorm is a rolling once they start reviewing the applications. I had applied 9 months ahead and was applicant #5 out of around 250 applicants for the July Piscine.
Steps:
1) https://dorms.42.us.org/users/sign_in
2) Fill out the necessary information
3) Upload U.S. Passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or visa.
4) Wait for about 1–2 months before your Piscine for the acceptance email
5) Pay $42 as a deposit (will be refunded)
Application Time Frame
The dorm application process to 42 Silicon Valley’s Piscine was fairly quick and easy. In total, the process took about 10 minutes since the necessary documents were already uploaded into a private folder on my computer.
Applied: October 15, 2018
Number: ~5/250 slots
Notification: May 15, 2019
Piscine Start Date: Monday, July 8, 2019
42 normally sends the notification 1–2 months prior to the Piscine start date.
Note: For the August 2019 piscine, there were 123 applicants for the dorm. A person who had applied for a dorm in April was #45/123 and received dorm approval on June 8, 2019
Confirming Dorm Acceptance
Once you have received your dorm approval via email, it costs $42 as a deposit fee to confirm your dorm room for the Piscine. If you are officially starting the 42 Program after the Piscine, then the deposit fee will increase to $84. At the end of the program, if you did not destroy anything in the room and obeyed the rules, the deposit will be refunded upon leaving.
Your deposit can be paid here: https://dorms.42.us.org/users/sign_in
Moving Into the Dorm
You can take a flight to San Jose Airport or San Francisco Airport. It is fairly easy to travel with suitcases on the BART train from SFO airport to 42 Union City area. However, the distance would be too far of a walk, so you need to take a Lyft ($15) or arrange a ride with other pisciners. If you are from Southern California/LA area, another option is Megabus, which will take you from the LA area to San Jose MegaBus stop. You would then have to take a Lyft or Uber to the dorm ($25–35).
Check-In: 2 pm one day before your Piscine/Program start date.
Check-Out: 8am-11am one day after your Piscine final exam.
Address: 34793 Ardentech Ct, Fremont, CA 94555
Visual Display: https://goo.gl/maps/P6i929XhAom
Must Bring: ID, Confirmation Email
What Are Some Dorm Amenities?
Each room has 1–2 desks, 2 bunk beds (4 people/room), private toilet, sink, and showers. Each floor has 1 microwave, 1 fridge, and 1 laundry room. The 3 floors are divided accordingly:
- Floor 1: Piscine. Public Restrooms & Water Fountains. Recreation Room with Ping Pong & Pool. Multipurpose Room with TV & Whiteboard.
- Floor 2: Cadets. Study Room & Lounge Area
- Floor 3: Cadets. Study Room & Lounge Area
In addition, there is a grassy field area for soccer and a basketball court nearby.
What Are Nearby the Dorms?
A shopping mall is within 15–20 minute walk from the dorms and contains Sushi and various other restaurants.
Map: Google Maps
In addition, if you like volunteering, there is TriCity Volunteer place about 3 miles from the campus (driving distance or a nice walk/run).
Website: https://www.tri-cityvolunteers.org/
What Should You Bring?
Basics: Twin 36"x80" bedsheets, blankets, a bath towel
Cleaning tools: Trashbags, toilet paper
Electronics: Headphones (USB ones preferably)
Additional Helpful Packing Links:
http://blog.tortugabackpacks.com/carry-on-packing-list/
http://www.onebag.com/checklist.html
http://herpackinglist.com/2011/12/ultimate-female-travel-packing-lists/#North_America_Packing_Lists
http://intentionaltravelers.com/the-essential-packing-list-for-your-epic-camping-road-trip/
If you have any issues with your dorm moving in process, you can email ra@42.us.org for assistance.
Further information: https://dorms.42.us.org/faq
Additional Questions & Answers
Does 42 provide parking space at the dorms, and, if so, do they charge for the parking space?
Parking is free around the dorms and around the lab! However, you need to register your car at heimdall.42.us.org
If the dorms are full, should we wait for the next piscine?
You’re always welcomed to find housing in the area! There were a few people in the July piscine who found housing for $500/month but it was a shared room. In addition, people usually drop out of the Piscine within the first two weeks after realizing the Piscine is not for them.
Do any other campuses have dorms (eg. the France campus — Ecole 42)?
Currently, only Fremont offers dorms. No other places have free housing. This may change in the future.
How many people are there usually per a dorm room?
There are usually 3–4 people. However, if you are lucky, you may just have 1 roommate. Each room has around 2 desks (at best), and there are normally two bunk beds (4 people/room). In addition, The dormitory rooms each have a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. The dorm rooms vary in size since these rooms were formally owned by a university. In total, the dorms have three floors, with the first floor being for the Piscine. Once you are a cadet, you are moved to a higher floor.
How is WiFi?
WiFi is fairly good according to current cadets; however, recently, the WiFi has been intermittent for the past few weeks (June). There is generally WiFi throughout the hallways in the dorms. Keep in mind that three years ago, there was no WiFi in the dorms. I will update about the actual experience upon arrival in future posts.
Can I bring a MiniFridge to the dorm?
There is a communal fridge on the floor and one microwave. The second floor has two “study rooms” that people generally eat in since it has the microwave and a sink. You can bring a MiniFridge for your room; however, cooking is not allowed.
Are there additional lockers in the lab area or do we just have a dorm?
Unfortunately, there are not any lockers, so I would advise you to use your dorm room to store things. However, there are cameras all around 42, especially in the dorm hallway, lab area, and security area. Theft is a super rare issue and people normally report lost things (eg. even a bike) to the security’s lost and found area. In addition, a keycard is necessary to enter the dormitory building.
If there is no kitchen in the dorms, where do we get food?
The dorms are about a 15–20-minute walking distance from a shopping mall center. In addition, the Catina (dorm cafe) is open Monday-Friday 11 am — 1 pm for lunch (~$5/meal) and 4:30 pm — 6:30 pm for dinner (~$6/meal). Breakfast is not served. Vegetarian options are available. The food is quite delicious as well! Cadets note the Catina is currently closed for the weekend; however, it may open back up during the Piscine. Further information can be found here: https://cantina.42.us.org/users/sign_in
Where do we wash our clothes?
There is a laundry room on each floor. Washing and drying your clothes is free; however, you need to pay for the laundry detergent.
Where do we send out mail?
Your Name
6600 Dumbarton Circle
Fremont, CA 94555
Note: Some of the questions and answers are taken from the 42 Silicon Valley Slack channels.
