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Residential Education

Room Selection Policies & FAQs

General Room Selection Policies

As you begin to craft your plan for the 2025 - 2026 room selection period, we encourage each student to review the relevant room selection policies and procedures below.

Selection Dates & Times

There are three selection dates for the 2025 - 2026 General Room Selection process. Rising seniors choose on the first day, rising juniors choose on the second day, and rising sophomores choose on the last day. Within each selection "day" each student is randomly assigned a selection time. This selection time is unique to each student and marks the earliest they can select a room during their class's assigned room selection process. A student can choose to select housing at this time, or anytime after their assigned start time through the end of their process.

Roommate Matching & Pulling Roommates In

For a student to be able to select housing for another student they must be fully matched as roommates in the student housing portal. If students are not matched, they will be unable to be assigned to the same room or space together. The student with the earliest assigned selection time in a roommate group is the default "roommate group leader" and can select housing for the rest of their matched roommate group if assigning all students in the group to the same living area or building. Roommate groups can be changed at any point throughout the housing selection process.

Filling a Room

The room selection process will only allow students to see and select available rooms that match the size of their matched roommate group. Students will be unable to partially fill the room during any selection process (Minerva or General). Additionally, students will be unable to select rooms that are larger or smaller than their matched roommate group.

For example:

  • A student is hoping for a single room. At the time of their assigned selection, there are no single rooms available on campus. This student will not be able to select a room until they create a roommate group with more people to view non-single rooms.
  • A group of 4 students is hoping for a 4-person suite in Davidson. At the time of their assigned selection, there are no 4-person suites available on campus. This roommate group will not be able to see any rooms until they split up their roommate group.

Filling a Suite (Davidson House)

Students are permitted to partially fill a 4-person suite in Davidson as long as their roommate group exactly matches the size of the individual room they are hoping to fill. For example, a roommate group of two could select a side double within a Davidson suite and choose not to pull anyone else into the other side double. These two students could not half-fill each side double with one person, or completely fill one double, and place one student in the other side double.

If two students choose to fully fill one bedroom within a suite, a random roommate group will select and be assigned to the other double room within the suite.

Filling an Apartment (Garnet, Seward, Roger Hull)

To select an apartment, students are required to have a roommate group that matches the size of the apartment. The room selection process will only allow students to see and select available apartments that match the size of their roommate group exactly. For example, roommate groups of 3 will only be able to see and select 3-person apartments even if they could technically fit all 3 students in a 4-person apartment by leaving one bed vacant. Individual bedrooms in apartments are not able to be filled even if the roommate group matches the size of the room available (Ex: two students in a double room, in a 4-person apartment).

Frequently Asked Housing Questions

  • How do I sign up for Housing for the 2025-2026 academic year?

    To sign up for housing for the 2025-2026 academic year, and be able to select a room during one of our selection processes each student must complete their Housing Registration Form between January 5th, 2024 - and January 31st at 11:59 pm. Completing this registration form will allow students to opt in to any specialty housing application processes, and get assigned a general room selection time based on their class year.

  • What if I don't complete my Housing Registration on time?

    If you do not complete your Housing Registration by January 31st you will not be able to participate in any of the selection processes or Senior Off-Campus Release for the 2025-2026 academic year. Your housing will be assigned at random at the end of the selection process in early March.

  • Does it matter when I complete the Housing Registration Form while it is open?

    Timeslots will not be randomly assigned in each class code until after the submission deadline for each process, so there is no benefit to signing up earlier in the application process rather than later.

  • Is assigning timeslots fair?

    Yes. All timeslots are randomly generated within class years by a computerized system. Individuals in each class year have the same chance of getting an early timeslot within their class code as they do a later timeslot. The earlier your timeslot, the better your chances of securing your top-choice housing. The Office of Residential Education & Housing does not determine a student's class year and uses the information provided by the Registrar's Office.

  • What happens if my class year is incorrectly coded?

    Each student can view their class year, and class status in their student housing portal on the "My Info" tab on the Personal Information page. If you believe you are categorized incorrectly, please contact the housing office immediately via email. Our office will verify your concern with the registrar's office. If you do not let us know that your class status or class year is incorrect before your selection time is assigned, you will have to keep the first selection timeslot you receive.

  • What is Minerva Room Selection?

    Minerva room selection is a room selection process that gives priority to student leaders who are heavily engaged in their Minerva community to select a room in their assigned Minerva House. Any student can opt-in to Minerva room selection, and be assigned a selection time for their Minerva House. The Minerva room selection application in embedded within the General Housing Registration form. For more information visit our Minerva Selection webpage.

  • What is General Room Selection? How does this impact me?

    General room selection is the online process through which upper-class students select their rooms - and their roommates/suitemates for the 2025-2026 academic year in their student housing portal. Students are unable to participate in this process if they do not complete their Housing Registration form.

  • When will my General Room Selection timeslot be?

    You will receive your exact timeslot after all timeslots have been assigned by the Office of Residential Education & Housing once the application deadline has passed. You will be notified of your timeslot via email.

  • Which housing options are available during General Room Selection?

    During general room selection, you may select a room (if spaces are still available during your timeslot) in any of our standard upper-class residential communities (Garnet Commons, Seward/Roger Hull Apartments, Davidson, Webster). Any vacant spaces left over from Minerva and Theme House housing processes will also be available during General Room Selection.

  • Can I trade Room Selection timeslots with another student? Or let another student use my timeslot if I'm not going to use it?

    No. Students can only log in to the housing portal once their Room Selection timeslot begins. A timeslot can only be used by the student to whom it was issued. Unused timeslots simply go unused.

  • Who is my roommate group leader?

    Your roommate group leader is defaulted to the person with the earliest assigned selection time for your matched roommate group.

  • Am I able to change my housing after I have already selected a room?

    No. Once you have selected or have been assigned a room in any selection process, you are unable to change your room assignment throughout the selection process.

  • Can I live with someone of a different gender?

    Yes, you can share a room or suite with someone of a different biological sex, gender, or gender identity by matching with your preferred roommates. Please note that everyone wishing to share a room or suite with someone of a different gender must be matched as roommates when selecting a room. If you experience issues during your selection time due to mixed gender roommate group we encourage you to join the emergency room selection Zoom.

  • Does my roommate group have to match the size of the room we would like to live-in?

    Yes. Students will only be able to select rooms that match the size of their roommate group. Students with no roommate matches will only be able to see available singles, students in a roommate group of 2 will only be able to see and select available double rooms. Students in groups of 3 or 4 will only be able to view and select rooms that match the size of their respective roommate group.

  • If I want to select Garnet, Roger Hull or Seward Apartment does my roommate group size need to match the size of the apartment?

    Yes. If selecting an apartment, your roommate group size must match the size of the apartment available. If you have a roommate group of 3 you will only be able to see and select available 3-person apartments. If you have a roommate group of 4 you will only be able to see and select available 4-person apartments.

    Students are unable to partially fill an apartment by only filling one or two bedrooms within an apartment. We strongly encourage students to find apartment matches before room selection occurs.

  • If I want to select a suite within Davidson, does my roommate group need to be 4-people?

    No. The side double rooms in Davidson can be filled by a roommate group of two without them having to fill the other double room in the suite. If a student chooses to place themselves, and their roommate into one side double room, the other side double room will be filled with a random roommate pairing.

    Students are unable to half-fill the side doubles within a suite in Davidson. Roommate groups of 3 will not be permitted to select 4-person suites within Davidson.

  • Will matching with a student of lower class status affect my selection time?

    No. Creating a roommate group with students of different class years (Ex: 3 rising seniors, and one junior) will not affect the selection time of the students in the earlier class brackets.