Columbia University Housing

What is it?

Room Selection is held once a year in March and April to permit all eligible students to self-select rooms for the following academic year. You may form groups to select double rooms or suites in Suite Selection, or you may enter General Selection as a group or alone to try for a room in a corridor-style building.

 

 

Who is eligible?

In order to participate in Room Selection, a student must be a junior, sophomore, or first-year student currently living in the undergraduate residence halls who is guaranteed housing and who will be registered in Columbia College or the School Engineering and Applied Science for the following academic year. Some 3-2 SEAS students living in Carlton Arms may also be eligible. Seniors who entered the College as first-year students who are not in the 3-2 SEAS program, 4-1 SEAS program, or HEOP program are guaranteed 10 semesters of housing, provided they meet all other tests of eligibility, and may participate in the lottery with rising senior status (30 points) though they may not participate in Same Room Selection. Students who have taken an approved study abroad and are paying tuition to Columbia while they are away are eligible for Room Selection if they had guaranteed housing when they left, and if they have designated a proxy to act on their behalf in the Room Selection process. All students who do not participate in an earlier selection category must participate in General Selection in order to secure a room for the following academic year.

 

When is it?

The first phase of Room Selection is Registration which takes place online from March 3 – March 26, 2008. Suite Selection takes place from April 10 – April 17. General Selection takes place online from April 24 – May 2.

 

 

How does it work?

After you register, a computer-generated random lottery number is assigned to each individual or group. Priority is determined by a point value assigned to each student based on their entering year: rising seniors (30 points), rising juniors (20 points), and rising sophomores (10 points). Your point value will be based on the year you entered Columbia, and there is no added benefit to those students graduating early. For students participating in Suite Selection or applying as a group in General Selection, the point value is determined by the group average of each individual. The random lottery number differentiates those with the same point values. A specific appointment time is assigned to each group or individual to select a suite and/or room based on point value and lottery number. In establishing appointment times to select rooms, point values always count first, in that rising seniors will always pick before rising juniors, who will always pick before rising sophomores.

What’s the difference between Suite and General Selection?

Suite Selection occurs first in John Jay Lounge. Groups of 2 – 8 students who wish to live in suites together sign up as a group and receive one random lottery number for the entire group. Groups select from any suites that exactly match their size, e.g. a group of 6 may not choose a suite for 4 and a double room. A group of 4 may not choose a 5-person suite. Any groups who do not select a suite either by choice or by default automatically move to General Selection. They will retain the same lottery number. Residence halls available for Suite Selection are East Campus, Hogan, Ruggles, 47 Claremont, Woodbridge, and some of Watt Hall, as well as all doubles.

General Selection occurs online from April 24 – May 2. Each individual student is assigned a specific appointment time, and may log into Room Selection at that time to choose their room from all remaining space. General Selection buildings include Broadway, Schapiro, Wien, McBain, 600 W. 113, and River.

Tips

• Our best advice is to decide who you want to live with first. Living with or near your friends is the single most important factor in having a good year, much more so than where you will live.

• Attend one of the Room Selection Information Sessions that are offered in February. Many valuable pointers will be provided.