The past couple of weeks, you have probably seen a few emails in your inbox about housing deposits and roommate mixers. That’s because although it doesn’t feel like it, it is almost time for the housing lotteries for the upcoming school year. Since the whole process can be confusing, especially for first-timers, I’m going to give you some important information and tips on how to prepare for the lottery, including deciding who you are going to room with and what residence hall you want to live in.
First, the dates and deadlines you need to know. On April 1st, the $400 room reservation deposit is due as well as the 2021-2022 housing contract. In order to be eligible to participate in the priority housing lottery, both the deposit and contract must be submitted on time. You also need to be able to completely fill a room to participate in the priority lottery, which means you must be matched with a roommate. Matching with your desired roommates, and suitemates if applicable, is done on the myHousing app. It is important to note that all roommates must accept every one of their roommates’ match requests, it is a mutual decision. If you are unable to participate in the priority housing lottery, there is a secondary lottery on April 15th and 16th.
It is important to note some of the reasons why you may not be able to participate in the priority lottery. One, as mentioned above, is that your deposit or housing contract is not submitted on time. Another is that you are not matched with a roommate. A third reason you may not be eligible for the priority lottery is because you have holds on your account. Make sure you check self service for any holds, besides registration, and address them as soon as possible. However, if you have a hold on your account and your future roommate does not, they can participate in the lottery and pick your room and you’ll still be placed with them.
So now that I have covered all the important dates and information, here is how the lottery works. A few days before the priority lottery, you will receive an email from Residence Life stating whether or not you are eligible to participate, and if you are, you will receive a date and time slot. Make sure to communicate with your roommate(s)/suitemates to see who has the earliest day and time slot. They should be the one to actually participate in the lottery. When the day and time comes, you or your roommate/suitemate will log into myHousing and go to “Roommates & Lottery,” then “Select a Room/Suite.” There, a list of all the available rooms/suites will appear and you will simply click on the one you want (and yes, you can view the list throughout the day to see what rooms you’ll be able to choose from if you have a later time).
Of course, however, before the lottery comes up, you should talk to your current roommates about whether or not you are going to continue to live together. Once you decide who you are going to live with, you should decide on what residence hall you are going to live in. sophomores have the choice to live in Jasper, a community-style dorm with 2 people per room, or Lee or Horan, suite-style dorms that have 3 and 4 person room options. Anyone that is considered a junior or senior credit-wise, also has the option of living in Overlook Manor, the apartment-style dorm on campus.
I hope all of the information and tips in the article help you prepare for the upcoming housing lottery whether it is your first, second, or third time. Best of luck and always remember to have back-ups!