Navigating Housing Selection
Housing Selection can be both stressful and confusing, so we are here to help! On this page you'll find a glossary of relevant terms and an overview of the process as a whole. Check out our individual sites for each housing selection process for a more specific overview.
OUTLINE | ELIGIBILITY | OPTIONS | TIMELINE | GLOSSARY | QUESTIONS
Outline
The housing selection process takes a few months and occurs in either the Spring semester or over the summer months. During housing selection, you are choosing your housing assignment for the upcoming academic year.
Students select their housing based on two main factors - Class Year Rank and Lottery Number. Rising Seniors select first, followed by Rising Juniors, and then Rising Sophomores. Within each class year, students are assigned random lottery numbers. For every class year, the lottery numbers are split into thirds - top, middle, and bottom. We look at students' prior year's third to ensure that students never receive a lottery number in the same third. This ensures that a student will not get the worst lottery number in their class year twice in a row, and makes the process more equitable. Lottery numbers determine the order that students select within their class year.
All students seeking on campus housing must complete the On Campus Housing Application prior to their selection time. There are additional applications for some of the specific housing types that also must be completed. Completing an application does not complete your housing - you must participate in the selection process.
Read more about lottery numbers, prior year's third, and the process
Eligibility
All students who will be returning for the upcoming academic year are eligible for on campus housing, with a few exceptions.
Students must pay any outstanding charges on their student account and complete any outstanding student conduct sanctions. Students who are registered to Study Abroad for the upcoming Fall semester are not eligible to select housing.
Housing Options
Within the larger Housing Selection process there are a few different options. These include Apartment Selection, Off-Campus Local Housing Selection, Special Interest Selection, and Residence Hall Selection.
Apartment selection operates differently than each of the other processes, so it is important to read the specific information about that process prior to participating.
Off-Campus Local Housing Selection has different eligibility requirements from year to year based on the needs of the College. It is important to wait for information from the College prior to making any plans relating to off-campus housing.
Special Interest Selection allows students to select housing within one of our special interest communities for a housing experience that allows for more topic or interest exploration.
Residence Hall Selection allows students to select single or double rooms in our residence halls.
Timeline
Process |
Dates |
|
| Applications Available | All | April 26 |
| Apartment Application Due | Apartment Selection | May 18 |
| Off Campus Application I Due | Off Campus Selection | May 20 |
| Off Campus Selection I | Off Campus Selection I | May 24 - May 28 |
| Apartment Selection | Apartment Selection | June 1 - June 10 |
| Special Interest Application Due | Special Interest | June 9 |
| Off Campus Selection II Application Due | Off Campus Selection II | June 11 |
| Off Campus Selection II | Off Campus Selection II | June 14 - June 18 |
| Special Interest Selection | Special Interest | June 21 - June 22 |
| Residence Hall Selection | Residence Hall Selection | June 28 - July 2 |
Glossary
Housing applications are completed for each process. For example there is an on campus housing application, which any student wishing to live on campus must complete. There is also an Off-Campus Application, Special Interest Application, and Apartment Application.
Applications are non-binding, meaning that you can complete them without being obligated to select that housing. You won't be able to select housing without the appropriate application.
During Housing Selection, preference is granted according to class. All students are assigned a class year rank based on their projected class status for the upcoming academic year. This is based on information provided by the Office of the Registrar, but has no correlation to GPA.
- Rising Senior - 4.0
- Rising Junior - 3.0
- Rising Sophomore - 2.0
Gender inclusive housing is housing that is not limited by legal sex, and is present in a few processes. Students in gender inclusive housing may share a room or bathroom with someone who does not share their gender identity.
In Special Interest Housing, students have the ability to choose to live on the Gender Inclusive Floor or PRISM Community. Read more about these communities.
The apartments are also gender inclusive. Students create groups without limitations based on legal sex.
The Apartment selection process is our only group process. As such, we average the class year ranks of each group member to create a group average that is used to assign selection times.
The Housing Management System is the website that students use to access all of our housing applications, selections, etc. HMS for short, this is where you will complete all of the necessary steps to select housing.
Within each class, students are assigned a lottery number that is generated randomly through our housing software program. Your lottery number is a number assigned to you to decide when you choose your housing in relation to other students in your class year. This number is sent to you via your Skidmore email address.
Rising seniors: 1–750
Rising juniors: 751–1,500
Rising sophomores: 1,501–2,250
The lottery numbers for each class year are split into thirds:
1. Top Third - closest to zero
2. Middle Third – numbers in the middle
3. Bottom Third – furthest from zero
Our process looks at students' lottery numbers from the previous year and assigns them a new lottery number from a different third.
For rising Sophomores who have never received a previous lottery number, a third is assigned randomly.
As a result, students should never be in the same third twice, since most students will only take part in 3 room selection processes. By senior year, each student will have been assigned a lottery number in each third. Only students that spend more than four years at Skidmore should ever have lottery numbers twice in the same third.
For students who are unable to select housing at their assigned time, they can assign another student to act as their proxy and select for them.
Regrouping is designed for students that find themselves unable to select at their initial apartment selection time (i.e. group ineligibility, late or invalid application, no more apartments of original desired size). This process will permit these students to create a new group to select an apartment.
We use the term "Rising" to indicate what class a student will be in during the academic year they are selecting for. For example, a Sophomore in the 2020-2021 academic year will be a Junior in the 2021 - 2022 academic year for which they are selecting.
Recognizing that it can sometimes be a challenge to find someone to live with, our Office creates an online Roommate Finder each year during housing selection.
This two-step process allows students to complete a brief application about themselves and then perform a search for a potential roommate based on certain criteria.
Each student receives a selection time based on their class year and lottery number. The selection time indicates when they can enter the housing selection process and select their housing.
Students should try to enter the system at, or as close to, their selection time as possible. Delaying means that other students will enter and begin selecting.
Our special interest communities provide students with the opportunity to select housing within our nine on-campus residence halls that focus on particular topics or themes. These communities allow students to extend their learning outside of the classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because there are so many individual processes to complete, housing selection is spread across a few months. This allows students time to make decisions and staff time to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Students should remember that they may not get exactly what they want in the housing process. While we want students to select housing they are excited about, certain options are limited.
It's important to have a few backup plans in case your first choice isn't available when you go to select. Having backups in mind ensures that you're ready when you get to your selection time, and you don't miss out on something else great while you're trying to decide!
Once you select your housing you are locked in for the academic year. If you choose on campus housing, you will not be released from your housing contract to go off campus.
You will have the opportunity to apply for a room change after selection, but they are not guaranteed.
You should always check with our office before signing any leases to live off-campus locally. Skidmore is a residential campus with an emphasis on the experience that comes with living on campus. There are certain criteria, which change from year to year, where we permit students to live off-campus.
If you meet those criteria, you will need to participate in our Off-Campus Housing Selection process, including applying, selecting, and submitting your address.
