Housing is quite complicated and can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start! Here is a rundown regardless of your year.
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Housing Style Are you simply looking for a double or are you trying to live in a suite style housing? Are you looking for an apartment? Apartments also contain either singles or doubles and 1-2 bathrooms, so make sure you do your research!
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Roommates Once you determine which type of housing you’d like to live in next year, find the friends you want to live with, it’ll help when you apply because of the seniority points (more on that later). You can either get people you know or other find other Rutgers students as long as they are a current student, not incoming.
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Apply! Apply for the lottery. You fill out your information as given and wait. Nothing else you can do.
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Wait. You will receive your lottery number, along with your seniority points. Seniority points help you for apartments while reverse seniority points help you get doubles or suites.
Everyone wants a low lottery number, but seniority points also play a huge role as well.
If you want an on-campus apartment, the more seniority points the better. You and your roommates have a combined score, so if you are all rising seniors, you will have 16 points. Then, you will be competing with other groups of seniors with 16 points.
BUT if you want to live in a double or suite, reverse seniority points come into play. This means that groups with lower seniority points get the first pick since those types of dorms are usually for first and second-year students.
In your group, whoever has the lowest lottery number will determine your slot in the pool of applicants with the same group number. From there, that is how your time is determined.
Tip: Research floor plans because all rooms are not created equal!
Make sure you have a backup option that your group can agree on in case the Rutgers fates determine that you won’t get your first choice.
May the odds ever be in your favor!