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Leadership House is a highly selective leadership development program that is only open to first-year students attending the University at Buffalo.
This program is designed to make sure students get the most out of their time at UBuffalo, providing members with opportunities to gain and improve leadership skills, put those skills into action, network with successful Leadership House alumni, and establish a supportive community of peers.
This experience is great for students who...
For 27 years, Leadership House has been a go-to place for first-year students hoping to advance their leadership skills and become more confident and capable leaders. Challenge yourself to make the most out of your first year at UBuffalo by applying for this incredible experience.
Leadership House is a competitive program, but our application process is simple! Think of it as an opportunity for us to get to know who you are.
We will ask for some basic information (name, email, etc.) and a response to the question, "why should we choose you for Leadership House?" through a media of your choice. This could be through a video, a poem, or even a copy of your most recent resume!
The online application should take about 2 minutes to complete. The length of time you spend on your response is entirely up to you!
The application process for the 2025-2026 Leadership House program will open on February 1!
Each year, we'll offer two different deadlines for applicants. Applying for early action gives accepted students the opportunity to live in our exclusive Leadership House community. This deadline is usually in mid-May. Students can also apply by our regular decision deadline in mid-July, but students accepted at this deadline won't have the opportunity to live in our community.
If you have questions regarding the program or the application, please email our office.
From finding your best friends and mentoring new students as a Peer Mentor to making a positive and lasting impact on UB's campus, Leadership House offers a wide range of opportunities and experiences to our students. Check out some of what you can expect in the tabs below!
Did you know? There is no living requirement for Leadership House, and you can be in Honors College and Leadership House at the same time!
Below is a list of some of our other most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that you don't see on the list, please contact the Student Engagement office!
No! Students no longer need to live in the Leadership House community that resides in the Governor's Complex. We teach inclusive leadership and want to make sure that we are practicing it, too! Students accepted into Leadership House can live anywhere, on or off campus, as long as they are taking in-person classes. This allows us to connect with even more student leaders, engage with new voices, and continue our mission of being an inclusive community that supports all students in their journey toward leadership.
Yes! Even though it's not a requirement for students to live in the community, spots are still available to students who apply for this program by our early acceptance deadline. These rooms are located on the third floor of Dewey Hall in the Governor's Complex on North Campus.
There is no house on or off campus! Leadership House refers to a set of rooms in a community on the third floor of Dewey Hall in the Governor's Complex on North Campus for students who want to live with other Leadership House students. It also references the sense of home and belonging students often feel when participating in this program!
Students who apply for early acceptance will be notified of our decision at the end of May. Students who apply for regular admission will be notified of our decision at the end of July. All students accepted into the program will find out who their mentor is and who the other students are at the beginning of August.
Yes! The Leadership House RA is always a former Leadership House student.
Yes! It does not cost anything extra to participate in Leadership House. However, if you plan on living on campus, you will still need to pay for your room. You can see estimated room rates for residence halls on campus on Campus Living's website.
The options are endless here at UB! We will enroll Leadership House students into our Developmental Experiences Micro-Credential which will allow students to be involved in leadership, mentoring, community and civic engagement, and student government opportunities. We also encourage our students to join other clubs and organizations and get involved with their academic departments!
Check out the Student Engagement website for more ways to get involved!
You can join what you want when you want (with few exceptions). In fact, we highly encourage you to be involved. Try UBLinked and see what’s out there!
Yes! Students will receive 2 credits for both courses – 1 credit for completing the course in the Fall and 1 credit for completing the course in the Spring. Both classes are pass/fail courses.
Yes! Students must enroll in and complete each course in order to remain in Leadership House. Students are not permitted to remain in Leadership House if they drop either course.
The first semester we teach you the basics of leadership skills and strategies, by incorporating theory, personality and behavioral assessments, and guest speakers. In the second semester, we ask you to apply what you’ve learned in the first semester through a social change project that is intended to create a positive change either on or off-campus.
We have high expectations of our students and have designed our courses to reflect these expectations. Since both classes are 1 credit, students will be expected to complete work typical of a 1 credit course. However, we are intentional about how we create assignments so students can also expect them to be meaningful and useful for current and future classes!
If you are accepted, we will reach out to your Academic Advisor to hold our class time to ensure that no other classes are scheduled during that time. If there already is a class scheduled for that time, we will ask your Academic Advisor to move it for you.
If you are accepted, we will reach out to your Academic Advisor to register you for the course. Keep in mind that they can only do so if you’ve registered for summer orientation and handed in all of your immunization records!
Please note that only students accepted into Leadership House are able to enroll in these courses!
The Peer Mentor Program is comprised of 15 former Leadership House students. They are here to guide you through your first year of college, offering support, advice, and resources to help you succeed. They also help in establishing a community by hosting various events each month to help Leadership House students bond and relax. Each Peer Mentor is paired with 2 incoming students and is responsible for meeting with them at least twice a month to make sure that they are adjusting well. We also have 3 LEAD Peer Mentors, who have already been a mentor for at least 1 year. These Mentors help plan Leadership House retreats, programs, alumni events, and personal and professional development opportunities for all of our peer mentors.
These vary by year and by the Peer Mentors running the program! Some host movie nights, paint nights, trips off-campus, therapy dog sessions, dinner out or on-campus all together.
Mentors are paired with mentees based on shared interests and/or majors. We do our best to find students a mentor that will complement their growth in the program and that may be a good resource for that particular student.
You can’t choose your own, but you’re welcome to use the other mentors as extra support! While they are assigned to mentor specific students to ensure that everyone has support, they are here to help everyone.
Yes! Several mandatory events happen throughout the semester, including an exclusive orientation and two retreats.
The first retreat is from September 5 to September 7. We stay on campus and eat dinner together on September 5 and then head to an off-campus retreat center and stay overnight from September 6 to September 7. The second is on January 20, 2026. This is a day-long retreat spent in the surrounding Buffalo/Niagara area.
You can expect team building and bonding activities, high ropes, and low ropes courses, a lot of fun, and a lot of community building. Many students say that the retreats are their favorite part of Leadership House!
Students get out of it what they put into it, but students who are actively engaged and take advantage of the program find that they have improved leadership skills, increased confidence, a strong peer-support system, and feel like they really can make a difference in the world.
SO many! Check out UBLinked for more information and see the links below for some of our signature opportunities!
Student Life
University at Buffalo
150 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Email: Contact form
Phone: (716) 645-6469