Room Changes & Swaps

Due to the limited amount of space in the FY residence halls, room change requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis only.  Students with roommate concerns will first participate in a roommate discussion/mediation, during which time the roommate contract will be evaluated and adjusted as needed.  For more information, please speak to your RA or contact the Associate Director for the Quad.

First Year students may look for Room Swaps on the Housing Portal

Room Change Requests will be accepted during the time periods below. Each request period will have a different timeline and expectations/policies.

• Fall Room Changes (early September)
• Mid-Year Room Changes (late November)
• Spring Room Changes (late January)
• Summer Room Changes & Studio Single Wait List (May/June)

Room Swaps are available for a longer period of time throughout each semester.

Room changes at other points in the academic year will be considered and granted only after students have demonstrated an attempt to mediate any roommate/suitemate conflicts.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that students who request a room change will receive one. While the College does try to prioritize requests by class year, the likelihood of receiving a room change mostly depends on the number of & location of vacancies available, the criteria of a student's request, and/or on the number & types of requests from other students.  The number of vacant rooms at any point is typically limited so room changes are usually more the result of swaps or "musical chair" moves between spaces. Students are encouraged to also look for Room Swaps on the Housing Portal. 

The more flexible the criteria you specify on your Room Change Request form (indicating what room types and/or bulidings you’d be willing to switch to), the more likely a room change may be possible.  However, you should only specify room types & residence halls you would be willing to live in because all granted room changes must be completed. Students can also look for Room Swaps, to have more control over whether deciding to move.

While Res Life will attempt to assign students to requested rooms if possible, it cannot be guaranteed.  Because room change requests are considered in Class Year priority, a request by a Sophomore to move into a specific single might not not be possible if there are not enough spaces elsewhere to provide room changes for Senior & Junior applicants, etc.

All rooms in Barnard campus housing are the same rate, with the exception of Studio Singles (see Room Rates). Students who move into (or out of) a Studio Single will be charged a prorated increase (or credited a prorated refund) for the rest of the semester.
 
Upperclass students who move into floors 2-8 of the Quad will be required to enroll in the Standard Meal plan (if they are not already enrolled at that level).  Students who move out of floors 2-8 of the Quad who wish to drop to a less comprehensive meal plan would need to arrange it with the Bursar office after they move to their new room

You will more than likely be assigned a roommate/suitemate.  If you know someone specific who is interested in moving into that vacant space, you can encourage them to apply for a Room Change to request to move in with you.
 
Also, please note that the granting of a room change is not guaranteed, so your roommate / suitemate may not receive a room change.

If a space remains open in your room after the Room Change Request process, you must continue to keep this space open and ready for assignment at any time. Vacancies may be used later in the semester for emergency room changes.

Unfortunately we cannot provide a list of empty rooms.  There are few vacant rooms at any time.  

Room changes are usually more of a game of "musical chairs," where one student receiving a room change creates a vacancy which may be assigned to another student requesting a room change, and so on.  It is impossible to predict which rooms may be available for room changes until all the requests forms have been submitted and reviewed.

Students who may wish to have more control over whether they would move or not are encouraged to look for Swap Rooms on the Housing Portal.

Due to the limited number of vacancies and large number of students who apply for housing, it is not possible to pay a fee to turn a double into a single room, etc.

Students who may need an accommodation should fill out the Housing Accommodation Request form for CARDS (Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services), in addition to the room change request form.