What is a Residential CAT Community?
These living-learning communities bring your academic and social college experiences together in one place! You'll take three courses with about 22 other first-year students who share your academic interests, all taught by professors known for being engaging and supportive. You'll also live in the same residence hall or communities, so your classmates become your neighbors. Study together late at night, grab meals between classes, and build friendships that extend beyond the classroom.
Your Residential Learning Assistant peer mentors live right there with you, ready to help whenever you need it. Plus, you get an early room selection perk: you'll choose your space in late March, before most other incoming students.
Fall 2026 Residential CAT Community options:
Below are the Residential CAT Communities for Fall 2026. Click on the titles for more information about each one and a welcome from the Learning Assistant peer mentor!
Residential CAT Community |
College or Academic Interest |
Open/Closed |
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A Pre-Vet focused hands-on learning community that applies fundamental science to your love of animals. |
Agriculture | Closed |
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Provides you with professional development and community building opportunities and ways to learn strategies to stay focused and motivated in your first year as an APDesign student. |
APDesign | Open |
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Explore different engineering degree programs and careers while engaging in learning activities that promote your personal and professional development as an engineer. |
Engineering | Closed |
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Explore the stories, films, and fandoms that shape our culture while also gaining the tools to succeed in any field. Deepen your understanding of media literacy, build meaningful connections, and gain skills that set you apart in the workforce, all while learning about something you're passionate about. |
Open | |
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Honors Community: Well-being in Practice The path to becoming a healthcare professional is rigorous. Create your essential toolkit for success by learning practical, evidence-based approaches for sustainable well-being. |
Open | |
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Medicine, Science, and Society What does it take to be a good healthcare provider? Develop your critical analysis and reasoning skills while exploring public health concepts related to health disparities. |
Arts & Sciences | Open |
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As you prepare for future medical careers you will have the opportunity to explore what it means to be a culturally aware health professional and what healing means for individual patients and different communities around the world. |
Arts & Sciences | Open |
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Examine what social media is, the advantages and disadvantages it brings, and how we can get the most out of social media for our personal and professional lives. |
Arts & Sciences | Open |
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Small but Mighty: How Insects Impact Your World A Pre-Vet focused community: from beekeeping to the transmission of pathogens, we'll look at the impact of insects and related arthropods on agriculture and health. |
Agriculture | Open |
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Space Exploration and Research: An Engineering Community Perfect for aspiring scientists and engineers, this community offers an immersive experience that connects classroom learning with real-world space exploration, giving students an unprecedented glimpse into the future of scientific discovery beyond our planet. |
Engineering | Open |
Information about specific course sections tied to each Residential CAT Community will be updated early in the spring.
How do I sign up?
If you are interested in enrolling in a Residential CAT Community, follow the directions below.
- Read through the page above to find the best fit for your academic needs and interests.
- When considering a CAT Community, you should NOT have earned credit through transfer or AP courses in any of the courses that make up the CAT Community, as all three courses are required. If you do or will have credit for one of the classes by the time the fall semester begins, consider a different CAT Community based on your interests and degree needs.
- Indicate which Residential CAT Community you would like to be a part of on your Residence Hall Application.
- After you make your selection on the Housing Application, you will receive an email from Housing and Dining with details about your Residential CAT Community choice, including the required courses and hall, and a link to a brief survey that you must fill out to confirm your interest.
- After you complete the survey, our K-State First team will email to confirm your spot, we will enroll you in the three courses in the Spring semester, and those classes will be on your schedule before your advising appointment in the Spring/Summer!
- You can also work with your advisor during your Advising Appointment to get connected if you aren't sure which option is right for you!
For more information about the room styles available within the halls, you can also Explore Your Options on the Housing and Dining site.
Learn more about important Housing and Dining processes:
Check out the Housing Application Webinar to learn more about how to get connected to Residential CAT Communities!
Information about Residential CAT Communities starts at 13:45.