General Housing Selection
General Housing Selection
General Housing Selection Timeline 25-26
Please note that these dates are subject to change.
6-Person Selection:
March 31- Selection Registration and Roommate Group Formation Open
April 6- Selection Registration and Roommate Group Formation DUE
April 7- Selection Times Released
April 8- Housing Selection
3&4 Person Selection:
April 9-Selection Registration and Roommate Group Formation Open
April 13-Selection Registration and Roommate Group Formation DUE
April 14- Selection Time Released
April 15- Housing Selection
Double/Single Selection:
April 16-Roommate Group Formation Opens
April 20-Roommate Group Formation DUE
April 21-Selection Times Released
April 22-24-Double/Single Selection
6-Person Housing Selection
6-Person Selection is the first part of the general housing selection process. 6-Person Selection is for groups of students with a group size of 6, who want to select spaces that hold 6 students, including the Milbank and Babbitt suites and the Morris House apartments.
In order to participate in the 6-Person Selection, students must first individually register for the selection process by completing the registration form in your Housing Account. Once a student has registered, they will then need to form a roommate group with other students who have also registered. Groups are formed in your Housing Account, by each member requesting and accepting each other during the designated roommate group formation time (groups must have 6 people in order to be able to select a 6-person space). You then select housing together, using a selection time that is created by averaging the selection times of all members of the group.
If you register for the 6-Person Selection and you don’t want to choose from the options available at your selection time then you can simply not select, and you will automatically be included in the remaining selection processes. If you are unable to select because all the spaces are taken prior to your selection time, you will automatically be included in the remaining selection processes.
3 and 4-Person Housing Selection
3 and 4-Person Selection is the second part of the general housing selection process. 3 and 4-Person Selection is for groups of students with a group size of 3 or 4, who want to select spaces that hold 3 or 4 students, including quads and apartments.
In order to participate in the 3 and 4-Person Selection, students must first register for the selection process by completing the registration form in your Housing Account. Once a student has registered, you will then have an opportunity to create a roommate group with other students who have registered for the selection. Groups are formed in your Housing Account, by each member requesting and accepting each other during the designated roommate group formation time. You then select housing together, using a selection time that is created by averaging the selection times of all members of the group.
Groups will be able to select spaces matching their group size. For example, a 3-person group will be able to select a 3-person apartment. A 4-person group would be able to select a quad or a 4-person apartment. You will not be able to view or select spaces that your group size would not fill.
If you register for the 3 and 4-Person Selection and you don’t want to choose from the options available at your selection time then you can simply not select, and you will automatically be included in the Double/Singles Selection process. If you are unable to select because all the spaces are taken prior to your selection time, you will be automatically included in the Double/Singles Selection process.
Double/Singles Housing Selection
Double/Singles Selection includes all double and single rooms that are remaining on campus, and all students who have not yet selected housing. It is the final housing selection process.
Students do not need to register for the Double/Singles Housing Selection. If you have not yet selected housing through a previous process you will be included.
If you are hoping to select a single room by yourself in this process there is nothing that you need to do prior to your selection time.
If you are hoping to select with one friend who is also a part of this process, you will need to form a roommate group in order to be able to select housing together. The largest group size for this process is 2. Groups are formed in your Housing Account, by each member requesting and accepting each other. You then select housing together, using a selection time that is created by averaging the selection times of both members of the group. Groups will be able to select one double room or two single rooms.
Housing Selection Time
All housing selection times are randomly generated through a computer program. These times are organized by class year with rising seniors being given the first set of times, rising juniors being given the second set, and rising sophomores being given the third set. Your class year is determined by the Office of the Registrar.
- These times will be distributed to participating students at a time designated by Community Living and can be found in your Housing Account. We WILL NOT give out your housing selection time prior to this date or time, nor will we give you your time over the phone or email.
- If you are abroad, your selection time will be displayed to you in the time zone that the device you are using is set to. If you have questions about what your selection time is once they are distributed, please reach out to Tanith Sherman at tsherman@hamilton.edu.
- In the event that you have accumulated six or more judicial points, your selection time will be penalized. You can still participate in a group selection process but the average time will be later than it would have been without the penalty.
- In the event that you are found responsible for housing selection manipulation or an illegal room change, your housing selection time may be penalized and you may face judicial charges.
General Information
Browsing and Selecting Options During Housing Selection:
Students will be able to see the housing selection process in their Housing Account prior to their selection day. They will be able to see their randomly assigned selection time, as well as browse spaces that are available to them in the process. They should be mindful of the type of housing available, and be aware that roommate group sizes must match the available spaces in order for them to be selectable during the process. It is advised that students have multiple plans for where they want to live, as you can not guarantee what will be available at your selection time.
Housing Selection When Active:
When a housing selection process is active, students within the process will have selection times between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST. There may be times during that week, during the business day, that we may need to perform maintenance on the system. During that time students will not be able to see the housing selection process in their Housing Account. We will turn it back on as soon as that maintenance is complete. This will NOT affect selection times in any way.
Spaces in Housing Selection:
Slightly before and during selection processes, as new housing needs are identified, we may remove or add spaces as we see fit. This is normal. Please plan to look at available spaces the day of your selection time to see the most up-to-date spaces.
All Housing Assignments Are Final:
Once a student has been housed through any process, they cannot be included in any future processes. This includes housing assignments made through the following processes:
Medical pre-assignments
Substance-free Housing Selection
Special Interest Communities
Acceptance of an RA role/Pull by an RA
General Housing Selection
Finding a Roommate:
The Office of Community Living frequently assists students in locating roommates for the coming year. Community Living staff keep a list of students currently seeking roommates. Whether an individual is looking for a person with whom to live in a double, or a group is looking for an individual to round out a roommate group, reach out and Community Living can help you connect. Email us to set up a time to speak with someone about this!
Glossary of Housing Terms
Each student has their own individual Housing Account, where they can see their current housing information, including their building, room, and roommate information, update their personal information, including their gender identity for housing, view their meal plan information, change their meal plan (during the meal plan change time only), opt-in to text alerts from Community Living, access important information such as their housing agreement and student conduct policies, complete housing applications such as special interest house applications, participate in housing selection processes, regardless of their location at the time of the selection.
Individuals can form a roommate group in their Housing Account for each housing process. That group then selects housing together, using a selection time that is created by averaging the selection times of all of the group members. Groups are formed in your Housing Account, by each member requesting and accepting the pairing of all other members of the group. Groups can select doubles, apartments or quads that fit their group, or select rooms close to each other (in some processes). Roommate groups can vary in size from 2 to 6 students, depending on the process.
Roommate groups cannot be reconfigured during selection to exclude a member or add a new one. At the group selection time, either all members must be placed into a housing location, or all members must not select and move on to the next process. For example: A 6 person group would be able to select a 6 person space, or two 3 person spaces. They would not be able to select a 4 person space, and then leave 2 people unhoused.
Only one person will make the selection for the group. Any one member of the group can log into their own Housing Account and make the selection for the group. It is advised that you be communicating in some way at your selection time, or have a clear plan for what you want to select, so that the person making the selection can feel confident in their decision.
Each participant/roommate group in a selection process is randomly assigned (by class year) a selection time on their Housing Account. This time dictates the order in which individuals or groups may select their housing. Once a selection time is made active, students have until the end of the selection process to select housing. For the Multiples Selection processes there are 2 minutes between each selection time. This does not mean that you only have 2 minutes to select housing, it simply means that for 2 minutes you are the only new person/group allowed to select. For the Double/Singles Selection process there is 1 minute between each selection time. Selection times belong to the person/group they were originally assigned to, and cannot be traded or given away to another student.
Please note that all selection times are between 4-10PM in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. Please plan accordingly. If you are abroad, your selection time will display to you in the time zone that your device is set to. If your selection time is in the middle of the night because of where you are located, and you need assistance selecting housing, please reach out to Tanith Sherman at tsherman@hamilton.edu.
The capacity rule states that a roommate group may only view and select a room, suite, or apartment during a selection process if the group can fill the space to its maximum capacity. Groups of three, for example, will only be able to view housing units for three people. During a selection, once all selection times have passed and each participant has had the opportunity to select a room, Community Living staff may lift the capacity rule to allow a group of two, for example, to select a four-person space. The remaining two beds in that space will likely also be selected by another group of two students, or two individual students.
The Office of Community Living is committed to providing a living environment that is welcoming for students of all gender identities. Students have the option to live on campus with whomever they choose, regardless of biological sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression.
We strongly advise students NOT to live in a room with a partner or significant other, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. Room changes are not always possible or immediate and depend on available spaces and circumstances.
In some spaces, Community Living will assign gender to a small percentage of rooms in order to maintain a balance of gender identity in each building and area.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Group sizes that are available are 6, 4, 3, and 2. Students in those group sizes will be able to select naturally occurring spaces that fit that size of a group. For example, 6-person groups will be able to select 6 person suites, and 4-person groups will be able to select quads.
No. In order to select a space, you must meet the occupancy of that space. This means that to select a 4 person space, your group size must be 4. After ALL of the selection times have passed, if there are still students who have not selected, we may lift the capacity rule in some spaces, allowing students to select into spaces they cannot fill- with other students who are doing the same. There is no way to predict what spaces will be available at this point.
No. Selection times are configured after roommate group formations. The computer system randomly assigns selection times based upon the class year of each student. If a student is a member of a roommate group, their individual selection time is averaged together with those in their group, and a group selection time is created. The system then creates adjusted times to allow for the correct 2 minute interval between each selection time.
If you enter one of the Multiples Selections and do not like the spaces available at your selection time, you are not obligated to select. You can simply let your selection time go by. You will then automatically be a part of the next selection process where you will have the opportunity to form a new roommate group and you will receive a new selection time.
Your participation in previous process will have no effect on your participation in subsequent ones, as long as you did not select housing.
Yes! If you are a roommate group of 2 you will be able to select either two single rooms, or one double room at your selection time. You want to be sure to form that roommate group so that the double room is an option. If you are not in a roommate group and there are no singles at your selection time, you will not be able to select into a double room alone, and you may be placed on the waiting list for housing.
No. You are not guaranteed a single if you enter the double/single process alone. We would advise you to find a potential roommate and register as a 2-person roommate group for the double/single process as a backup. That way you can select either two single rooms, or select a double room together if the singles are gone at your selection time. If you do not have a roommate, and you are unable to select a single at your selection time, you may be placed on a waiting list for housing, or will be placed into a double room with a random roommate.
No. Housing selections are final. You cannot split up friend groups in order to manipulate the best time, and then come to us after the selection and ask to switch. Once a selection is made it is final. We will not make exceptions to this rule.
If you are scheduled to be off campus for the fall you will not select housing during housing selection. You will select your housing for the spring semester during the mid-year housing selection process. If at any time your plans change, and you determine you will be on campus, we will include you in the remaining housing selection processes. If housing selection has already concluded we will work with you to find you housing from what is still available.
No. Housing selection times are not altered based on a perception of unfavorable housing in past semesters. Housing selection times are based on class year, and are randomized within your own class year.
Contact
Contact Name
The Office of Community Living
