Room Selection FAQs
For 2025-2026 Housing
How do I sign up for Housing for the 2025-2026 academic year? Rising Juniors and Seniors may apply to participate in Fall Housing Selection Process and Rising Sophomores may participate in General Room Selection process for rising sophomores by completing the 2025-2026 General Room Selection in the Housing Portal. Signing up for room selection does not commit you to a license or a room; it only gives you the option of participating in General Room Selection.
Who should – and who may – sign up for Housing? For Rising Juniors and Rising Seniors, the housing application and selection process occurs in fall of the year prior to the year they are seeking on-campus housing.
Rising Sophomores are required to have a General Room Selection application, and may participate in General Room Selection in the spring prior to the year they are seeking on-campus housing.
Does it matter when I sign up for Housing? You may sign up during the application submission timeline for your selected process, either in fall (rising juniors and seniors) or spring (rising sophomores). Timeslots will not be assigned until after the submission deadline for each process, so there is no benefit to signing up earlier in the application process rather than later. However, signing up earlier will help the housing office better understand this year’s demand for on-campus housing, and allow us to give more informed guidance to students as we head into room selection.
Is assigning timeslots fair? Yes. All timeslots are randomly generated by a computerized system. Individuals and every block have the same chance of getting an early timeslot as they do a later timeslot. The earlier your timeslot, the better your chances of securing your top choice housing.
What happens if my class code is listed incorrectly? When you sign up for housing, the housing portal will show your current class code (first-year, sophomore, junior, or senior) as assigned by the Registrar’s Office. If you are classified incorrectly in the housing portal, please contact the housing office immediately by filing an online request or (607) 255-5368. If you do not let us know that your class code is incorrect, you will have to keep the first timeslot you receive.
How can I find out more about my housing options? Visit Upper-level Undergraduate On Campus Housing. Navigate to the individual community webpages for full descriptions and photographs.
Where can I find housing rates? Final housing rates for any given year will be available in March prior to that academic year on the Rates, Amenities & Contracts pages on housing.cornell.edu.
What is Housing Selection? Are there different room selection processes? Housing Selection (occuring during the fall for rising juniors and seniors, and during the spring for rising sophomores) is the online process through which current undergraduate students will select their rooms – and their roommates/blockmates (if applicable) – in a South Campus Residence Hall, a North Campus Residence Hall or Townhouse, or a West Campus House for the next academic year, and then electronically sign their housing licenses.
Individual community-specific room selection processes also exist for those who would like to continue residing in a Program House, in the Language House, in Veterans House, or in a University-owned Co-op. These processes take place before General Room Selection (and also require signing up for Housing).
Students participating in Greek recruitment should follow the process outlined by the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life (OSFL). Should a student be accepted into a Greek Organization, OSFL will provide the housing office with a roster of students fulfilling their second-year requirement in a fraternity or sorority house.
If I sign up for Housing, do I have to participate in General Room Selection? No. If you are selected to live in a Greek House, in the Language House, in Veterans House, or in a University Co-op, your room selection process will be handled individually by each community, and you will not need to participate in General Room Selection; simply do nothing during your timeslot. Students who are required to live on campus and choose to not fulfill the residential requirement will be assigned to a multi-occupant room and bursar billed the room rate for the academic year (in July for fall and in December for spring).
When will my Room Selection timeslot be? You will receive your exact timeslot after all timeslots have been assigned by the Housing and Residential Life office once the application deadline has passed. You will be notified of your timeslot via email.
Which housing options are available during General Room Selection? During General Room Selection, you may select a room in one of the South Campus Residence Halls, North Campus Residence Halls or Townhouses, Program Houses or a West Campus House.
How many students receive each Room Selection timeslot? It depends on class size. Based on past years’ processes, there are about 40-45 twenty-minute timeslots over the course of two evenings, with about 65-70 students assigned to each timeslot.
Can I trade Room Selection timeslots with another student? Or let another student use my timeslot if I’m not going to use it? No. Students can only log in to the housing portal once their Room Selection timeslot begins. A timeslot can only be used by the student to whom it was issued. If you do not select during your timeslot, a room will be assigned to you after the process has ended.
What happens during General Room Selection? At the beginning of your timeslot, sign in to the Housing Portal and pick your room, and your roommates/blockmates if you are in a block. NOTE: Please do NOT attempt to log in before your timeslot begins, or log in from more than one computer, as multiple attempts may result in system failure. Once you select a room (or rooms, if you’re blocking ), you will be asked to electronically accept the housing Terms and Conditions and sign your housing license. Please note that all signed housing licenses are legally binding, and you should read thoroughly.
How should I prepare ahead of General Room Selection? Follow the steps listed on the Room Selection Instructions page. Before your timeslot, refer to these resources in the Housing Portal: Bed Availability Report and Floor Plans. Look carefully at all three types of documents: the Bed Availability Report, the Bed Availability by Room Report, and view Floor Plans.
If you are a rising junior or senior, please refer to the instructions section of the Fall Housing Selection page.
How do I live with my friends? “Blocking” allows you to live with one to five of your cohorts, for a total group of up to six students. When you sign up for General Room Selection, the Block page will allow you to create or join a block. Each block has one designated block leader that is responsible for assigning everyone in the block to any space within the same building. If your block consists of three or more students.
Who can be in my block? All students must have a housing application to be eligible to join a block. Students can only block with those in their cohort.
How can we change a block leader if necessary? The block leader can reassign block leader responsibilities to another student in the group through the portal at any time before the application closes. After that, you may submit an inquiry on our help page and a member of the housing team will update your block leader for you.
Are you able to change blocks once you have joined? A student may remove themselves from a block via the portal prior to the application deadline. After this time, students are no longer able to remove themselves from a block to join another block. After timeslots are released, your block timeslot is your timeslot even if you do not wish to continue with that block of friends. You will simply login to the portal during that timeslot and select your room yourself instead of having your block leader select for you. You may only be in one block at a time.
Can I live with someone of a different gender? Yes, you can share a room or suite with someone of a different biological sex, gender, or gender identity. When you sign up for General Room Selection, you may opt in to gender-inclusive housing after viewing a video and agreeing to the rules. Note that everyone wishing to share a room, suite, and bathroom with someone of a different gender must opt in when signing up for General Room Selection.
What happens if I decide that I no longer want gender-inclusive housing? As a rising sophomore, if you opt in to gender-inclusive housing when you apply, you will be able to change your opt-in status through the end of the application deadline. If you opt in to gender-inclusive housing and change your mind after the application deadline, you must submit an inquiry at housing.cornell.edu/help.
What happens if our block selects gender-inclusive housing, but during General Room Selection we do not fill the suite/ double / quad / triple and there is a vacant space? That vacant space can/will be taken by another student who has also selected gender-inclusive in the system. This student could be of any gender.
Are rooms / suites pre-designated for male and female students? During General Room Selection, rooms / suites are pre-designated as male (“M”), female (“F”), or dynamic (“D”). A dynamic room / suite has its gender designation changed to male, female, or neutral (gender-inclusive) based on the gender of the first person who reserves a bed in the room / suite. Rooms / suites are available to any student, regardless of biological sex, gender, or gender identity, through the gender-inclusive options described in the previous question.
Which room configurations are available for blocking? Each building is a blocking section. You may block any combination of beds/rooms in a single section, but cannot block beds/rooms located in separate sections. If you wish to be in a different section than your block, please select for yourself during your timeslot. Blocking sections will be viewable before General Room Selection through the Bed Availability Report and Bed Availability by Room Report during General Room Selection.
When blocking with friends, can we choose all single rooms? Yes. The only limitation to a block is the block leader must assign all individuals in the same building.
When blocking with friends, do we have to “fill” each of the rooms, or the suite, that we block? No. You may leave vacant beds in any room or suite, which will become available for other students to select. We do encourage you to fill it if you are able, especially if you are opted in to gender-inclusive housing.
What if I’m not planning to live with anyone, or block with a group? You can choose a single (if any are still available during your timeslot), or choose a free bed in a partially occupied room, or choose a bed in an empty room (understanding that another student can select the remaining bed in your room).
Can I select a free bed in a room or suite in which other beds have already been reserved? Yes. You may select any free bed that’s available to your gender marker during your timeslot. If blocking with friends, you may assign - or be assigned to - any free bed in the same blocking section as your friends’ beds.
How much time do I have to choose a room? You may sign in to the housing portal as soon as your timeslot begins, or any time afterwards until Housing Selection ends (please see either the Fall Housing Selection Process for Rising Juniors and Seniors or the Spring Housing Selection for Rising Sophomores for process timelines). You have until the end of General Room Selection to choose your room. But once you choose your room, you must reserve your room within four minutes of choosing it, and sign your license within five minutes to confirm and reserve your room choice. Please keep in mind that every 20 minutes, a new group of students will have access to the housing portal to select their rooms, so it is to your advantage to choose your room and sign your license as early as you can.
When do I sign my housing license? As soon as you select your room online, you must accept the Terms and Conditions and electronically sign your housing license. If you do not sign your housing contract by the end of the day, the room will NOT be held for you, nor will rooms for any roommates/blockmates who you may have assigned. If you are assigned by another student, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as your block leader assigns you to a room/bed and signs his or her license. Within twelve hours of this email being sent, you must log in to the housing portal at housing.cornell.edu to electronically sign your own housing license. If you do not, your room will NOT be held for you. Please note that all signed housing contracts are legally binding.
Can I view the Terms and Conditions of my housing license before I sign my license? We encourage you to read the Terms and Conditions before Room Selection by visiting Rates, Amenities & Contracts. When you choose your room, you will be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions (also viewable in the housing portal during General Room Selection) before signing your license. Your signature on the contract indicates knowledge and acceptance of the stipulations listed in this instructional information and in the Terms and Conditions for Single-Student Housing, Academic Year 2025-2026.
Can I view the floor plans of buildings I’m interested in before Room Selection? Floor plans will be viewable before and during General Room Selection through the Bed Availability Reports and in the Floor Plan report in the Housing Portal. For the security of our residents, we do not post floor plans online for the general public to view. You may visit the housing office to look at paper copies of floor plans before General Room Selection.
What happens if you run out of rooms during General Room Selection? Any student subject to the residential requirement who signs up for General Room Selection, but finds no more on-campus beds available during their timeslot (an extremely unlikely possibility) will be placed on the Guaranteed Wait List, and is guaranteed an offer of on-campus housing for 2025-2026. While we do our best to accommodate your preferences when making housing offers, please be aware that options will be limited and you may not get your top choice.
What if I don’t like any of the rooms left during my timeslot? If you are subject to the residential requirement and you do not select a room during general room selection and you do not hold a housing license for a Program House, University-owned Cooperative House or have not received a housing assignment from an approved sorority or fraternity or affiliated property, you will be assigned to and/or be bursar billed for housing.
What happens if I forget to sign up for Housing? For rising sophomores, the housing application has been created for you.
What happens if I’m not available during my General Room Selection timeslot? You may sign in to the housing portal to choose your room any time after your timeslot, as long as it’s before Room Selection ends. Or, you may have a housing and residential life staff member serve as your proxy to choose your room for you during your timeslot, after which you will have 2 hours to log in to the housing portal to electronically sign your housing license.
What is a proxy, and how do I submit a proxy request? A proxy is a person who can act in your place during Room Selection, if you are unavailable during your timeslot due to academic reasons. To submit a proxy request, you must submit an online request. The housing office will select the best available space, based on your instructions, during your time slot. You will have two hours from the time of assignment to sign your license agreement.
How does the housing Wait List work? Sign up for the housing Wait List by visiting housing.cornell.edu. Please read below to find out whether you qualify for the Guaranteed or the Regular Wait List.
Guaranteed Wait List: All students subject to the residency requirement who sign up for General Room Selection but find no more on-campus beds available during their timeslot (an extremely unlikely possibility) will be placed on the Guaranteed Wait List, and is guaranteed on-campus housing for 2025-2026. Order on the list is determined by your Room Selection timeslot. Note that you must accept the first housing offer you receive from the Office of Housing & Residential Life.
Regular Wait List: Rising juniors and rising seniors who are interested in living on campus but are not able to select a space during the fall Housing Selection process, will be placed on the Regular Wait List. Placement is not guaranteed. After the fall Housing Selection process is complete, rising juniors and rising seniors in need of housing for the 2025-2026 academic year are encouraged to explore off-campus options and can reach out to the Office of Off-Campus Living for resources and more information.
What happens if I sign a housing license for a room, and then decide I don’t want the room? Or my plans change, and I won’t be on campus next semester/year? All housing licenses are legally binding. As a general rule, license releases will not be granted, so you will have to keep the room you chose. However, exceptions are made for students who will be studying abroad, studying in absentia, graduating, or taking a leave from the University. The Housing and Residential Life office must approve all license releases. All leaves are verified by the Colleges and/or University Registrar. If you are studying abroad, studying in absentia, or taking a leave from the University next year, and you inform the Office of Housing & Residential Life of your plans by July 1, you will be released from your housing license free-of-charge. If you inform us after July 1, you will be released from your license with a cancellation fee.
I have a disability or medical issue for which I need special accommodation. How do I apply? Complete the registration process with Student Disability Services for special housing needs by the SDS deadline; visit sds.cornell.edu for details. This process must be completed prior to the designated deadline. Rising sophomores with existing housing accommodation approvals through SDS do not need to renew or re-register unless you need to modify your accommodation. You will receive a facilitated assignment at the same time you receive your timeslot. You will have 48 hours to decide if you are accepting the facilitated assignment or if you wish to participate in General Room Selection. Please note, if you decline your facilitated assignment, we can not guarantee that you will be able to select a room that meets your needs.
I’m a rising sophomore and am interested in living in the West Campus House System. What are my chances of securing a room – or a suite – in one of the Houses? The number of students who wish to live on West Campus is greater than the number of available spaces. The majority of rising sophomores will live in residences on North Campus (including Toni Morrison Hall and Ganędagǫ: Hall), Program Houses and South Campus. In past years, approximately 20% of rising sophomores were able to select spaces on the West Campus House System.
What are the differences among the West Campus Houses? How many suites are available? Programmatically, the Houses are all similar in that they are faculty-led with high student engagement. Physically, each House has its own dining room, programming spaces, and accommodations for about 350 student residents (Keeton House is smaller with about 300 students). Becker House and Keeton House are each made up of a single main building. Cook House, Bethe House, and Rose House are each made up of a main building plus affiliated Gothic buildings.
There are 152 suites spread among the new buildings on West Campus: Cook House has 16 suites; Becker House has 45 suites; Bethe House has 38 suites; Keeton House has 37 suites; and Rose House has 16 suites. The vast majority are 5-person suites with 3 singles, 1 double, a bathroom, and a sitting area, although there are also a handful of suites accommodating 4, 6, 7, and 10 students. Not all of these suites will be available during General Room Selection; many will be reserved through the Houses’ Continued Occupancy processes.
I’m a rising junior or rising senior. What are my chances of securing on-campus housing? Rising junior and rising senior housing selection occurs in Fall. Space availability is limited, and the process is timed in a manner that will best allow you to explore off-campus housing options should you not secure space in on-campus housing for the following academic year.
I’m interested in living in a University Co-op. How do I apply? First, apply for Housing so your information is in our system, and because later in the process you’ll sign your Co-op housing license online through the portal. The actual application and selection process for Co-ops is handled individually through each house. To apply to a Co-op (or Co-ops), please contact the house(s) in which you have interest – contact information can be found at housing.cornell.edu/cooperatives. To learn more about the Co-ops, take part in Co-op Mosey Open House which will be held each spring prior to Housing Selection.
What buildings have suite-style, corridor-style, or pod-style configurations? Cornell University has a wide variety of residence halls in its housing portfolio, but in general, the buildings fall into one of three types of room configurations: traditional/corridor-style, suite-style, and pod-style. Learn more about which building have each style of configuration by visiting Residence Hall Configurations.