Room Selection FAQs
For 2026-2027 Housing
How do I sign up for Housing for the 2026-2027 academic year?
Rising Juniors and Seniors may apply to participate in Fall Housing Selection Process and Rising Sophomores may participate in Spring Housing Selection Process for rising sophomores by completing the 2026-2027 Application in the Housing & Dining Portal. Please refer to your specific Housing Selection Process for dates.
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 & Dining Portal will show your current class code (first-year student, sophomore, junior, or senior) as assigned by the Office of the University Registrar (OUR). If you are classified incorrectly in the Housing & Dining Portal, please contact the Housing Office immediately by filing an online request or calling us at (607) 255-5368. If you do not let us know that your class code is incorrect, you may be at a disadvantage during your intended selection process.
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?
There are two separate housing selection processes that allow students to select their specific room on campus. Rising Juniors and Seniors may participate in the Fall Housing Selection process that occurs during the Fall semester for the next academic year. Rising Sophomores must participate in the Spring Housing Selection process which occurs during the Spring Semester of their first year on campus.
During these individual processes, students will have the opportunity to select from any Upper-level designated building depending on the availability at the time of their selection. Students also can indicate a new or continued interest in living in a Program House.
Processes related to Co-Ops, Sorority or Fraternities, or other Affiliated Houses are not captured during Housing Selection but may occur in the same time frame.
If I sign up for Housing, do I have to participate in General Room Selection?
All Rising Sophomores are required to participate in and complete the Spring Housing Selection Process unless they have been selected to live in a Greek House, Language House, Veterans House, a University Co-Op, an approved Off Campus House Option, or have received an approved exemption by April 1. The deadline for you to notify Housing and Residential Life that you are approved to live in one of the previously mentioned facilities is March 13 in the Housing Application. Failure to do so may incur monetary penalties for any housing assignment cancelled according to the cancellation fee schedule.
When will my Room Selection timeslot be?
You will receive your exact timeslot after all timeslots have been assigned by the Housing office once the application deadline has passed. You will be notified of your timeslot via your email and in the Housing & Dining Portal.
Which housing options are available during Spring Housing Selection?
During Spring Housing Selection, you may select a room in any of the Upper-level designated buildings depending on the availability at the time of their selection.
How many students receive each Room Selection timeslot?
The number of students assigned to a specific timeslot is dependent on the class size and interest in living on campus. Based on past years’ processes, there are about 65-70 students assigned to 20-minute timeslots over the course of two evenings.
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.
What happens during Spring Housing Selection?
At the beginning of your timeslot, sign in to the Housing & Dining Portal and pick your room, and your blockmates rooms if you are in a block. Once you select a room(s) you will be asked to electronically accept the housing Terms and Conditions and sign your housing license. All signed housing licenses are legally binding, and you should read thoroughly.
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.
How should I prepare ahead of Spring Housing Selection?
Follow the steps listed on the Room Selection Instructions page. Before your timeslot, refer to these resources in the Housing & Dining 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 Spring Housing 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 the same class year.
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 Housing & Dining 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 Housing & Dining 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. Students can join a block regardless of the gender identity in the Housing & Dining Portal. Students will need to contact the Housing office during their timeslot as the system will not allow students who have different gender identities in the same room and will require and override from our office or they can request a proxy by our office.
What happens if our block selects gender-inclusive housing, but during Room Selection we do not fill the suite/ double / quad / triple and there is a vacant space?
That vacant space will be taken by another student who matches the gender identity of the currently assigned student in our system.
Are rooms / suites pre-designated for male and female students?
During 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 or female based on the gender of the first person who reserves a bed in the room / suite.
Which room configurations are available for blocking?
Each building is a blocking section. At predetermined periods during room selection, students may be restricted to only filling an entire room/suite or allowed to fill any available room space. Please refer to your process's specific details for more information.
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 Room Selection through the Bed Availability Reports during Room Selection.
When blocking with friends, can we choose all single rooms?
This depends on which part of your specific room selection process we are on. Please refer to your process's specific details for more information.
When blocking with friends, do we have to “fill” each of the rooms, or the suite, that we block?
This depends on which part of your specific room selection process we are on. Please refer to your process's specific details for more information.
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 & Dining 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 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 Spring Housing 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.
Can I view the floor plans of buildings I’m interested in before Room Selection?
Floor plans will be viewable before and during Room Selection through the Bed Availability Reports and in the Floor Plan report in the Housing & Dining Portal. For the security of our residents, we do not post floor plans online for the general public to view. You may also visit the Housing Office to look at paper copies of floor plans.
What happens if you run out of rooms during Room Selection?
Any student subject to the residential requirement who signs up for Spring Housing 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. 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.
For Rising Juniors and Rising Seniors, a waitlist will be available to those who are still interested in living on campus. Offers will be made throughout the Academic Year and Summer to students who are on the waitlist.
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 and failure to select a room during the Spring Housing Selection Process will result in you being assigned to a room based on what is available after the process is complete, or being placed on the guaranteed waitlist as we wait for a room to become available.
What happens if I’m not available during my Housing Selection timeslot?
There are a number of reasons why you may not be available during your assigned time slot, including sports practice, academic commitments, religious observances, etc. If you cannot participate during your timeslot, you may:
- Sign in to the Housing & Dining Portal to choose your room any time after your timeslot, as long as it’s before Room Selection ends.
- 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. To request a proxy, you must submit an online request.
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 may be placed on the Guaranteed Waitlist if there is not a bed immediately available during their respective process. Assignments will be made on a rolling basis, and the Housing and Residential Life Office will make a concerted effort to accommodate preferences and roommate requests but that is dependent on the availability of rooms.
Regular Wait List: Rising Juniors and Rising Seniors who are interested in living on campus but cannot select a space during the Fall Housing Selection process, will be placed on the Regular Wait List. Obtaining a room assignment while on the waitlist is not guaranteed. After the Fall Housing Selection process is complete, Rising Juniors and Rising Seniors in need of housing for the following academic year are encouraged to explore off-campus options and can reach out to our office 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. Please note that we have updated our cancellation fee schedule beginning with assignments for the 2026-2027 Academic Year.
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 Spring Housing 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 and South Campus. In past years, approximately 20% of rising sophomores were able to select spaces in 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 Fall and Spring Housing Selection.
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. We do offer a waitlist for students who are not able to select a room during the Fall Housing Selection process but still want to be considered for hHousing throughout the 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 Housing & Dining 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 buildings have each style of configuration by visiting Residence Hall Configurations.