Undergraduate Housing Selection & Lottery

These pages contain information pertaining to all areas of the 2012-2013 Housing Selection & Lottery process.  The information in these pages pertains to current undergraduate students who are interested in living in RLH Housing next year.  Incoming First Year and Transfer students, and Graduate Students have different selection processes and do not participate in these selection processes.  For 2012, we have reworked many of the processes, especially those surrounding Housing Lottery, based on feedback collected from Lottery 2011. Housing Selection and Lottery has many exciting aspects to it, hopefully making the process easier, faster, and more transparent.  In addition to technology like My Lottery which allows for completing forms online and process updates, you will also find tools like Roommate Finder, Rooms Available For Lottery, and Lottery Number status tracking.

Housing Changes for 2012-2013

There are some housing changes that you need to be aware of for next year.

• Housing Lottery will be held Monday, March 26th and Tuesday, March 27th.  Special Interest Housing selection will occur at 5:00PM at the RLH Office at 22 Downing on the evening of March 26th.  Senior Housing Lottery begins at 8:00PM on Monday, March 26th in the Dining Hall. Junior Housing Lottery begins no earlier than 9:30PM on March 26th. Sophomore Housing Lottery will begin at 8:00PM on Tuesday, March 27th in the Dining Hall.
• Unlike in previous years, group housing and single, double, and triple housing will all be offered concurrently. This change, based on 2011 Lottery Feedback, will ensure that buy-outs are evenly distributed between students seeking apartments and those seeking single/double/triple rooms. This will also prevent students from needing to come to Lottery twice if they are unable to get a suite on the first night.
• For the first time, this year RLH will be offering "Flex-Fill" housing. Flex-Fill housing is housing found within certain suites, apartments, and Blackstone which may be selected by students without a group. For more information about Flex-Fill Housing, please visit the Flex-Fill Housing Information page.
• This year, Lottery Class standing is projected by adding 5 credits to the number of credits accrued at the conclusion of the Fall Semester as reported by the Registrar's Office. In the past, 4 credits were assumed, but that sometimes did not account for students who had "In-Progress" grades from a two part course. This year, based on student feedback, we have given every student an extra credit to be safe. Also, as a courtesy, we round up any partial credit totals. The total number of anticipated credits is used to find Lottery Class.  To obtain Junior status you must have 16 or more credits.  To obtain Senior status you must have 24 or more credits. Any student with less than 16 anticipated credits receives a Sophomore number.  Lottery numbers are non-transferable and Lottery Class standing is final.
• Management of the RLH Houses is changing for 2012-2013. There will no longer be RAs scattered about living in the houses. Instead, RLH House residents will each be assigned a Housing Complex Manager who will act as a property manager to assist with maintenance concerns, provide information about activities and programs on campus, as well as continue to provide the social and educational programming opportunities RAs offer. This management style is a step toward the landlord interactions many off-campus students experience. With it we seek to provide upper-class students with the transitional skills necessary to live on their own beyond Clark.
• The language outlining the expectations of students with vacancies in their rooms has been strengthened for next year. The 2012-2013 Housing Contract includes detailed guidelines specifying how students with known vacancies maintain those vacancies so that they are ready for new roommates to move in. These guidelines will also be reinforced in the 2012-2013 edition of the Student Handbook. While these changes will not affect the majority of our students who have roommates, those who find themselves without a roommate at some point during the year will want to understand these guidelines thoroughly to avoid automatic buy-out costs or relocation.

You should also be sure to understand the following about the Housing Selection process:

• To make applying for housing easier and more environmentally friendly, RLH no longer collects signed Housing Contracts as a standard part of any selection process. The signing of any housing selection application form acknowledges understanding and acceptance of the terms of the Housing Contract. Students should be sure to review the contract carefully and are free to print a copy for their own records if desired. Students still need to submit their Housing Selection Applications as found in My Lottery.
• Students signing up for housing have the ability to select their 2012-2013 Meal Plan through My Lottery.  You will be able to change your meal plan preference at any time during the Spring Semester, even after you have been assigned to your room.
• A set number of "buy-outs" are offered to students selecting rooms at Lottery.  Students will be able to buy-out a double, or a space in a triple, during Lottery itself, effectively reducing the number of students a group must have to select a given space.  Buy-outs will be first come first served, and are allowed everywhere except for in standard double rooms in Dana, Hughes, and Johnson.  The exact number of buy-outs made available will be announced along with Lottery Numbers in March, but it is anticipated at least 20 will be offered.
• It is important that all students applying for Housing Lottery understand that by selecting a room at Housing Lottery, you are committing to a one-year housing contract.  Students who are ASSIGNED a room at Lottery, and then go abroad for the fall will be charged a $300 contract cancellation fee.  Students who select a room and then elect to live off campus will be charged a $1000 contract cancellation fee.  Students who receive a Lottery Number but who do not select a room at all will be charged a $100 contract cancellation fee.  Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence from Clark before the start of the Fall Semester will be charged a $100 contract cancellation fee.
• The number and availability of specific spaces and configurations (for example: "how many 6 person suites are available for lottery in Maywood Street Hall?") are available online.  You will find this information and more on our real time Rooms Available for Lottery page.
  
• Current undergraduate students participating in a 5th year or graduate study program can participate in the undergraduate room selection process for Blackstone Hall only. These students will have to apply using My Lottery and will need to sign, abide by, and agree to the terms of the Undergraduate Housing Contract.  They may also choose to instead apply for Graduate Housing.  Graduate Housing Applications will be available in March.
  
• Each year a number of students are unable to select rooms at Lottery for the fall and will be deferred to the Automatic Assignment process.  These students are guaranteed a space on campus, and every effort is made to assign them with the roommate of their choice when possible.  The Automatic Assignment process is an essential part of our housing process and is needed to ensure that we can make the best possible housing placements for First Year and returning students during the summer when students withdraw from housing and/or Clark, or decide to study abroad, etc. This year RLH has a number of rooms withheld for first year and transfer students which we expect will be transitioned into returning assignments for the Automatic Assignment process as the summer progresses. This allows us to assign more students to their preferred hall and room type than we could by offering all of our rooms at Lottery.
• Students who decide after Lottery to apply for housing will apply for the Housing Waitlist. The Housing Waitlist is different than the Automatic Assignment process in that students on the Housing Waitlist are assigned after students in the Automatic Assignment process. Unlike the guaranteed Automatic Housing process list, Clark does not guarantee housing for the waitlist (but likely will be able to house everyone regardless). If you are concerned about having housing next year, be sure to apply on time!
• Please remember that all students are required to live in housing for four semesters. All sophomores are required to live on-campus unless participating in a study abroad program.