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Frequently Asked Questions About Housing Selection & Lottery

Registering and Lottery Numbers:

Q. Where can I find my Lottery Number?
A. Once all forms are submitted, Lottery Numbers are generated and loaded into My Lottery on the Wednesday before Lottery.  You can find them under "Your Lottery Number Status"

Q. Do I even need to sign up for Lottery?  My friend has a good Lottery Number so I'm just going to use their number.
A. You CANNOT participate in any Lottery process unless you have signed up through My Lottery and have a Lottery number.

Q. My friend and I want to exchange our Lottery Numbers, can we do that if we both agree?
A. No, Lottery numbers are not transferrable under any conditions.

Lottery Night

Q. Where do I go for Lottery?
A. Lottery is held in the Dining Hall, and starts at 8:00PM.  The exception is that Special Interest Housing selection takes place in the RLH Office at 5:00PM.

Q. What time should I show up for Lottery?
A. You should show up based upon the best Lottery number in your group.  If you are selecting with a Junior number, you should show up no earlier than the starting Junior number time.  You can also monitor upcoming Lottery Numbers and come when your number is getting closer.

Q. My Roommate or I can not make it to Lottery Night.  What do we do?
A. Any student who can not be present at Lottery must assign a "proxy" to act in their place on their behalf.  Proxies can be assigned through My Lottery anytime. Anyone can act as a proxy, including roommates.  There is also no limit to how many students a proxy can represent. It is important that you understand that your proxy has the power to select any space for you, and you can't change that until 2 weeks after the semester starts, so be sure to pick a trustworthy proxy.

Room Selection

Q. How do I know what rooms are available?
A. You can find an up to date list of all rooms available during Lottery on our Rooms Available For Lottery page.  These rooms disappear when students are assigned to them, so check it often for the most up to date info.  The Lottery Size is the number of students (or students + buyouts) required to sign up for a space.

Q. I don't have a roommate/suitemates lined up, can I just select a space and allow other students to sign up into it?
A. Yes and No. If you are looking for a double room and do not have a roommate in mind, you are not able to select a room alone and will want to sign up for the Summer Assignment process. If you have a roommate or are looking for single but you want to live in Suite or Apartment Lifestyle Housing, you may want to pursue Flex-Fill housing which allows you to select certain rooms within Suite or Apartment Lifestyle Housing without filling a full suite/apartment. Otherwise, in order to select any space at Lottery, you need to fill that space completely with students. To help you find roommates you can use roommate finder - part of My Lottery.

Q. I have a group of X number of students... all the X person suites are gone... what do I do?
A. Groups in this situation can choose to disband and seek smaller rooms, or they can look for additional students to form a larger group.  They may also choose to buy-out spaces in a larger suite if that is something they are interested in.  In the end, you must fill the space to select it.

Q. Where do I indicate on the My Lottery forms who I will be living with?
A. There is nowhere on the forms to indicate a roommate because we do not need to know until you come to Lottery and pick a room together. If you are choosing the Summer Assignment process, you can specify a roommate on that form.

Q. Can I switch my room after I pick it?
A. Not unless it is within your lottery group. Once a room is selected, you are committed to that room until the room freeze period ends two weeks into the Fall Semester.  This is because you must have a complete group to select a space, and if you were to switch rooms after, that group would no longer be eligible to have selected the space they did.  Your group (even if it is only one person in a single), prevents other students from selecting a room after you went, and so they likely select another room... and that prevents someone else from selecting a room.  This cycle continues until you have students who do not get a space at Lottery at all because you selected yours.  This is why we do not permit room changes post-lottery, unless they are within a group.

Q. What if I select a Lifestyle Housing Package that is too expensive?
A. We go to great lengths to provide students with housing costs upfront, so that there are no surprises at Lottery.  Room rates are available on our website here, and are linked directly from Rooms Available For Lottery, etc.  Students should not be surprised by the cost of the package they choose, and we encourage you to discuss your financial options with your families before Lottery so that they are not surprised either.  If your financial standing changes, and you are no longer able to afford the room you chose, you have two options.  The first is to wait until the Room Freeze ends in the fall, and switch rooms with someone else.  The second is to provide documentation of financial hardship, and if Financial Aid deems that need sufficient, we will remove you from your assignment and put you on the waitlist to be assigned to a different room over the summer.  Your original space will be filled by the Summer Assigment process, by waitlisted students, or by transfer students. You will be reassigned last after other students who did not get a space at Lottery should space allow..

Cancellation Fees

Q. If I go abroad in the Spring Semester will I be charged a fee?
A. No, students who go abroad in the spring do not pay a cancellation fee.  Students who select a room and then go abroad in the FALL pay a $300 cancellation fee. If you may be going abroad, and want to apply early for My Lottery incase you don't get into your abroad program, you can cancel at any time prior to Lottery Numbers coming out without any charge. You can also apply for the Summer Assignment List and cancel without a change.

Q. What happens if I register for Lottery, but do not select a room?
A. If you don't select a room at Lottery, we will verify if you are required to live on campus.  If so, you will be placed on the required waitlist and assigned a room.  If you are a Junior or Senior who has met their housing requirement and does not select a room after applying, you will be charged a $100 cancellation fee.  (This fee is waived if you cancel your application BEFORE lottery numbers come out).

Q. What happens if I transfer to another school or take a leave of absence after selecting a room?
A. If you transfer schools, or take a leave of absence, you will be charged a $100 cancellation fee.  In addition, if you come back in the Spring, you remain bound to the contract and must live on campus.

Q. What if I get a room and then decide to live off-campus?
A. Students who are not required to live on campus, and then select a room and then choose to move off campus will pay a $1,000 cancellation fee.

Same Room Sign-Up

Q. What is Same Room Sign-Up, and can I do it?
A. Same Room Sign-Up (SRSU) is a process that allows students to stay in the same room/suite/apartment for the next year.  Your My Lottery Account will indicate if you are eligible for SRSU.  Students in primarily First Year only areas (WH, BH, and JSC), or areas where utilization is being changed switched for the following year (spaces being converted to staff housing, etc.) cannot do SRSU.