Room Selection FAQs

For 2024-2025 Housing

What is changing? Our new process moves upper-level student selection to the fall, giving our rising juniors and rising seniors the opportunity to make their housing selections first. In most situations, upper-level students will now be able to retain their room or participate in a selection process that is inclusive of all upper-level housing (South Campus, West Campus House System, Program Houses, North Campus Residence Halls).

Why are we making these changes? During the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023, we conducted focus groups and administered surveys to get feedback from current and former residents. The feedback we received was that juniors and seniors wanted to live on campus, but our selection process was too late and there were not enough options available. By aligning the timing of our upper-level selection processes with the off-campus rental market, our goal is two-fold. Upper-level students will now be able to make better-informed decisions, with all options available at the same time. In addition, with more students taking advantage of on-campus housing, we hope to alleviate some of the strain on the local housing market.

Who does this apply to? Students who will be sophomores and juniors during the 2023-2024 academic year are considered Rising juniors and rising seniors for the 2024-25 academic year. 

Am I guaranteed housing as a junior or senior? While we are unable to guarantee housing to juniors and seniors, we are committed to accommodating as many students as possible given our available spaces on campus. 

When do I select housing for the 2024-2025 academic year? When you select housing depends on what phase of room selection you wish to select in.  The schedule is as follows:

• Same Room Selection (September 5-13)
• Same Community Selection (September 14-18)
• General Room Selection (September 20-21)

How do I select housing for the 2024-2025 academic year?  Step-by-step instructions are available here.

Who should – and who may – participate in the fall process? Anyone who wants to live on campus for the 2024-2025 academic year who is currently a rising junior or rising senior.

I wanted to participate in Continued Occupancy for West Campus or South Campus. Can I still do that? The new fall process replaces the process known as continued occupancy, which typically occurred in mid-February.

Does it matter when I sign up for Housing? Yes.  This is not an application but rather a room selection process.  If you would like to renew your current room and you are eligible for same room selection, you may select anytime between September 5 and September 13.  If you wish to try another room within your same community, you may select between September 14 and September 18.  If you are looking for a different community, you may participate in the General Room Selection process between September 20 and September 21. 

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. We also encourage you to tour buildings to learn more about the different communities.

Where can I find housing rates for 2024-2025? Final rates for 2024-2025 housing will be available in March 2024 on the Rates, Amenities & Contracts pages on housing.cornell.edu. For the fall room selection process, we are using projected rates. These are subject to final approval and review by the University President and Board of Trustees. The projected rates will be available in the Housing Portal prior to Housing Selection in September.

Are there different room selection processes? Yes. Our fall upper-level room selection process is for rising junior and rising seniors.  Within this process there are 3 phases:

• Same Room Selection (September 5-13)
• Same Community Selection (September 14-18)
• General Room Selection (September 20-21)

Our current first year students (rising sophomores), are able to participate in general room selection in March 2024 for on-campus residence halls and houses (including Program Houses, West Campus Houses, North Campus Residence Halls and South Campus Residence Halls).  Students participating in Greek recruitment should follow the process outline 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.  Rising sophomores are also eligible for Veteran House, Language House, University-owned Cooperative Houses, and University Approved Second-Year Affiliate Housing.

If I sign up for Housing, do I have to select a room? No. During our fall upper level process, we only recommend selecting a room if you want and or need to live on campus.

Which buildings or communities can rising juniors and rising seniors select from for same room, same building, or general room selection?  

The buildings that will be available to choose from include:

• North Campus Residence Halls – Balch Hall, Clara Dickson Hall, Toni Morrison Hall, Townhouse Apartments

• North Campus Program Houses – Akwe:kon, Ecology House, Just About Music, Latino Living Center, Loving House, Multicultural LLU, Risley, Ujamaa
• South Campus – 109 McGraw Place, 112 Edgemoor, Cascadilla Hall, Equity & Engagement LLC, Schuyler House, Sheldon Court
• Becker House
• Bethe House – Main, McFaddin Hall
• Cook House – Baker North, Baker Tower, Boldt Hall, Boldt Tower, Main
• Keeton House
• Rose House – Baker South, Founders Hall, Lyon Hall, Main, Mennen Hall

Current residents of the Sophomore Village on North Campus (for 2024-25 just Ganędagǫ: Hall) are ineligible for Same Room and eligible for Same Community (North Campus Residence Halls) and General Room Selection.

Language House in Toni Morrison Hall (suites 234-246) is available by separate application only. Current residents are ineligible for Same Room and eligible for Same Community and General Room Selection. Current residents may preference same room on their 2024-25 Language House application.

Veteran Program House is available by separate application only. Current residents are eligible for Same Room, Same Community, and General Room Selection. Use the 2024-25 Veteran Program House application for Same Room and the 2024-25 Academic Year application for Same Community and General Room Selection. If you want to change rooms within Veteran Program House, please email housing@cornell.edu.

How do I create a roommate group? If you live in a multi-occupant room (double, triple or quad) and you would like to pull-in an eligible roommate, we ask that you first have a conversation about your plans with your current roommate – as you are both eligible for the same room.  To create a roommate group, all applicants must have a started application.  To start an application, simply log into the housing portal, select the application and click ‘apply or continue.’  The student who is pulling in will 'create a new roommate group' in the portal application. This will require them to set up a username and password when they create a new roommate group. Please use a username/password that is unique and easy to remember. The student who created the roommate group will give the username and password to other members of the roommate group to join through the portal.  To join the group, you must join using the username and password provided to you by the student pulling you in.

If I create a roommate group, can I assign myself and my roommates to different rooms? For all students, selection is limited to one room in Same Room and Same Community. If they select a multi-bed room, they can assign roommate(s) to that room. General Room Selection allows students to select more than one room and assign students to the same or different rooms within a building.

Am I required to have a meal plan? Starting in fall 2021, all newly admitted students are required to have a meal plan.  Students selecting space on West Campus will be automatically enrolled in the House Meal Plan.  Students selecting space on North Campus and South Campus will be automatically enrolled in the Universal Meal Plan.  More information about Cornell Dining Meal Plans (and options) can be found here.

I am currently on an approved leave (health, personal or required), am I able to participate in this process? This process is open to any rising junior and rising senior who intends to be a registered full-time student for fall 2024.  If you are currently on leave, but are planning on returning during spring 2024 or fall 2024, and you wish to live on campus you are encouraged to participate.  Students currently on leave can be pulled in during phase one (same room) and phase two (same community) or self-select during phase three (general room selection).

I currently have SDS accommodations. Do I need to re-register? Students who are have housing accommodations through Student Disability Services do not need to re-register with SDS.  As this is a self-selection process, we would encourage students to select a room that meets their access needs.  For most students, this is best accomplished through same-room renewal. 

Once I select a space am I then required to live on campus, or can I use it as a backup if I cannot find off campus housing? Once you have signed a license to live with us, it is binding for the term. This process should not be considered a fall back or contingency plan.

I plan on joining a Fraternity but will not know until after selection. What happens then? The upper-level room selection process is a self-selection process.  Once you have signed a license to live with us, it is binding for the term. Should you join a greek membership organization with a live-in requirement, you will need to submit a cancellation request via our housing portal.  These requests will be reviewed by our housing operations team in consultation with the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life.  Students released from our license are subject to the cancellation fee as detailed in our terms and conditions.

Are first-year residence halls available during the fall upper-level process? No.  First Year residence halls are ineligible for all upper-level processes.

What if I want a sophomore as a roommate? Any space not filled during upper-level room selection will be made available to rising sophomores during sophomore room selection. In the summer, there will be the opportunity to swap rooms using the swap module in the housing portal.

I’m a current student leader (Resident Assistant, Resident Language Fellow, Undergraduate Resident Fellow) and unsure of my plans for next year.  Am I allowed to participate in the fall upper-level process?  Yes.  We would encourage any student who wishes to live on campus for the 2024-2025 academic year to participate.  While you will not be eligible for phase one (same room), you are eligible to participate in phase two (same community) and phase three (upper-level general room selection).  Should you be rehired as a student leader and accept the position, our office will cancel your selected space and reassign you to your student leader space.

I am going to apply to be an RA and am unsure if I should go through selection. Will doing so hinder my chances of being an RA? All rising juniors and rising seniors who wish to live on campus for the 2024-2025 academic year are encouraged to select a room during the fall selection process.  Students who are hired to continue as and RA will have their assignment changed from the room selected to a room in the community they have been selected to serve.  Participation in this process has no impact on the RA selection process.

What residence halls or houses are gendered? All upper-level residence halls will be mixed gender for 2024-25 with the exception of Balch Hall and Lyon Hall (part of Flora Rose House on West Campus) which are open to women only. A portion of Balch Hall reopens fall 2024 for first year and upper-level students.

I’ll be a graduate student next year, may I participate? Students who will be graduate or professional students for 2024-25 are ineligible for undergraduate housing and may apply for Hasbrouck Apartments beginning mid-January 2024.

What happens during phase three - General Room Selection? Phase three of our fall process allows you to reserve a room (or rooms, if you are selecting with friends) in any building that has available space for upper-level students. Once you select a room (or rooms, if you’re selecting with friends), 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.

How should I prepare ahead of phase two (Same Community) and phase three (General Room Selection)?  Follow the steps listed on the Room Selection Instructions page.  We recommend having your roommate group established prior to both processes.  We also recommend making sure all members of your roommate group have the same mixed-gender setting.  If you plan on assigning students of different gender identities to the same room (double, triple or quad) or same suite, all individuals should opt-in to mixed-gender housing.  If your roommate group is all male or all female, there is no benefit of opting in to mixed-gender.

Before you select, refer to these resources: 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.

How do I live with my friends? To best manage this process and ensure equitable access to space across campus, we are limiting the size of roommate groups for all phases of our fall process to a total of 4 students.  When you sign up for the fall process, the Roommate Group page will allow you to create or join a roommate group. Each roommate group has one designated leader that is responsible for assigning everyone in the roommate group to any space within the same building.

Who can be in my roommate group? All students must be eligible to participate in the fall process to create or join a roommate group.

How can we change a roommate group leader if necessary? The roommate group leader can reassign roommate group leader responsibilities to another student in the group through the portal at any time prior to selection.

Are you able to change roommate groups once you have joined? A student may remove themselves from a roommate group at any time prior to selection.

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. You may opt in to mixed-gender housing after viewing a video and agreeing to the rules. Note that everyone wishing to share a room or suite with someone of a different gender must opt in when signing up for our fall process. 

What happens if I decide that I no longer want mixed-gender housing? If you opt in to mixed-gender housing when you apply, you will be able to change your opt-in status at any time during the fall process.  You may need to refresh your browser to see the update take effect.  If you are unable to change your status, please contact the housing@cornell.edu to have your status changed.

What happens if our roommate group selects mixed-gender housing, but during phase three (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 mixed-gender in the system. This student could be of any gender.

Are rooms / suites pre-designated for male and female students? During the fall process, rooms / suites are pre-designated as male (“M”), female (“F”), or dynamic (“D”). A dynamic room / suite has its gender designation changed to male or female 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 mixed-gender options described in the previous question.

Which room configurations are available for roommate groups?  During phase one (same room) and phase two (same community), you may only assign roommates to the same room.  During phase three (general room selection), you may assign roommates to multiple rooms within the same building.

When selecting with friends, do we have to “fill” each of the rooms, or the suite? 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 in a mixed-gender roommate group.

What if I’m not planning to live with a friend, or with a roommate group? You may select your own room during phase one, any available bed in same community during phase two, or any available bed during phase three.  You can choose a single room, 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 during your timeslot. If selecting with friends, you may assign - or be assigned to - any free bed in the same building as your friends’ beds.

How much time do I have to choose a room?   For same room, you have from 10am on September 5 through 10am on September 13 to renew your room.  For same community, you have from 10am on September 14 through 10am on September 18 to select a room.  For general room selection, you will have from 10am on September 20 through 4pm on September 21 to select a 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.

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 license within five minutes, the room will NOT be held for you, nor will rooms for any roommates who you may have assigned. If you are assigned by another student, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as the assigning student has assigned you to a bed and signed their own housing license. Within two 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 licenses 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 license indicates knowledge and acceptance of the stipulations listed in this instructional information and in the Terms and Conditions for Single-Student Housing, Academic Year 2024-2025.

Can I view the floor plans of buildings I’m interested in before Room Selection? Floor plans will be viewable starting with phase two (Same Community) and continue to be viewable through phase three (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.

What happens if you run out of rooms during the fall room selection process? A finite number of rooms will be made available for our fall selection process.  The total number of bed spaces available during fall room selection will not exceed 2,000 beds.

What if I don’t like any of the rooms available? Our goal is to make as many rooms available during this process as possible.  Once these spaces are sold out, they are sold out. 

What happens if I forget to participate? Any leftover inventory will be made available during the March 2024 room selection process.

What happens if I’m not available during fall room selection?  You may sign in to the housing portal to choose your room any time after the process begins (September 5 at 10:00am) as long as it’s before Room Selection ends (September 21 at 4:00pm). Each phase of the fall process has multiple days to select.

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 Contracts 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, 2024, 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 accommodations. How do I apply? We recommend that all students who may have access needs to complete the registration process with Student Disability Services Our fall upper level process is a self-selection process.  We recommend you select a room that meets your housing accommodation need.  For students who live in unique housing, not available to students without an accommodation (for example, a room with a private bathroom), we would encourage you to select your current room during same room renewal.  Should you select a room that does not meet your access needs, please contact housing@cornell.edu no later than 5pm on October 5 to be placed on a priority waitlist for reassignment.

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’ same room and same community processes.

Can I continue living in my current residence? In most cases, yes!  With the exception of Veteran House, Language House and Ganędagǫ: Hall, you will have the option to select your same room or another room within your community.

I’m interested in living in a Program House. How do I apply? With the exception of Veteran House and Language House, all program houses will be available during same room, same community and upper level general room selection.  No separate application is required.  You do, however, need to understand and acknowledge the mission of the program and the expectations for living in the house.

I’m interested in living in a University Co-op. How do I apply?  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.