by Casey Schellberg
It’s that time of the year again! Upperclassmen are touring apartments, freshmen are finding roommates, and everyone is deciding what they want to do for housing next year. As an RA on campus, I get the peace of mind that my housing is picked for me, allowing me to assist my fellow Jaspers on all things housing, and also watch the chaos unfold. From answers to the million questions I get asked, to all the important dates to know, and the inside scope on buildings, here is an RAs guide on housing for the 2022-2023 school year.
The Timeline
First, and most important, the timeline of dates. If you are deciding to reside on campus next year, the two most important things to do are to fill out the housing application and submit your $400 room reservation deposit. These opened on February 14th on MyHousing and www.manhattan.edu/deposits (make sure you pay the housing deposit and not the enrollment deposit, I heard there has been some confusion with this!). If you want to take part in the priority housing lottery, meaning have a chance at a higher lottery slot, make sure to submit the form and deposit before March 31st. Any forms and deposits submitted after the 31st will automatically be eligible for the second lottery. The priority lottery will take place April 5th-6th with dates and times being sent out prior. The secondary lottery will take place the following week on April 12th-13th. If you are unsure if you are residing on campus, fill out everything anyways, May 6th is the last day to withdraw from housing in order to have your $400 room deposit apply to your tuition for the fall instead.
Important Notes and Tricks
While you must have your room deposit and housing application submitted to take place in any of the lotteries, in order to participate in the priority lottery, you must be able to fill a room. This means, you must have roommates matched on MyHousing to either fill a whole room or a whole suite/apartment. Any student going in solo will be automatically deferred to the secondary lottery. After you match with your roommate(s) and time slots are sent out, make sure to communicate with each other and see who has the earliest slot time. Since you are all matched, whoever has the earliest will be able to pick the room for everyone. The time slots are distributed randomly with senior status going first. Another important piece of information that many people tend to look over is that if you have any financial holds on your account, unpaid bills for example, you will be prevented from participating in the lottery. Think of it like how you must clear your holds before registering for classes. Only financial holds prevent you from participating, not advising holds. Lastly, if you are not registered as a full time student (12 credits) by April 30th, you will lose the room you selected.
Inside Scoop on Buildings
So, now you are probably wondering, where should I live on campus? Any returning student has the option to live suite style in either Lee or Horan and returning students with junior and senior status also have the option of living in the off-campus apartments at Overlook Manor. So, no, my lovely freshmen residents, you may not return to Jasper as it has become a freshman only hall. In both Horan and Lee, you have two rooms with a shared bathroom and a shared kitchenette in the floor common room. There are 2, 3, 4 and 5-person suites available. Overlook is similar to the suite style but with the addition of a living room and kitchen inside the apartment that you share among your roommates. There are 3, 4, and 5-person apartments available. Overlook also has a different meal plan than the traditional suite and communal style one, allowing 4 Locke’s swipes a week and providing you with $640 dining dollars and $160 jasper dollars. This gives you the freedom of living off-campus with the safety and less stress of being on-campus (and as per the many flooding damage stories, maybe stay away from selecting an apartment on the 6th floor). New to housing this upcoming year is Themed Housing, being placed primarily in Lee but also in Horan. 4 different communities will be introduced this year, an LGBTQ+, Arts, Wellness and International. These communities will allow residents with similar interests to collaborate and live together.
The housing lotteries and prep can be a stressful time of the semester, but with the guide, you’ll feel confident and ready to go for the priority lottery!