Frequently Asked Questions

The Room Selection process is proceeding with the plan to return to increased occupancy across campus for next academic year (with students living together in doubles, etc).

Our ability to offer campus housing is contingent on local and New York State directives. Health guidance based on the evolving pandemic may result in changes to campus density for the Fall semester, but for now 2 students will select into doubles for the Lottery.

We appreciate your flexibility during this time.

Yes. However, please note that only a very limited Barnard students are able to live at Columbia as part of the exchange:

• Students in select Special Interest Communities with an allotment of spaces for Barnard students.
• Students in select Greek chapters with an allotment of spaces for Barnard students.
• Rising-Seniors only who register for the Columbia Housing Lottery and are able to successfully select with their group before the "Barnard Cap" is met in the Lottery.

Columbia students who wish to be in a group for the Barnard Housing Lottery must declare a category of Barnard when they register for the CU Room Selection process (Feb 15 - 25). They cannot change to participating at Barnard after their registration ends.

For more information about BC@CU and CU@BU, please visit BC/CU Housing Exchange.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 is the deadline to cancel your room (or from the Guaranteed List) to avoid a cancellation fee.

• Housing Cancellation Form
• Cancellation Fee Schedule

Note: the deadline has been updated from the date posted prior to the start of Room Selection registration.

Students pick into room/suites differently each year. Where the rising-Seniors pick first determines what's still available for Rising-Juniors to pick next, etc.

More groups form for the 4, 5, and 6 Lottery than the number of available suites, so not all groups will be able to select a suite. Because there are usually a lot fewer 4- & 5-person suites available than 6-person suites, groups made up of rising-Sophomores may not be able to pick any 4- or 5-person suites.

A general rule of thumb is that suites made up of all singles tend to get picked before suites made up of singles & doubles and suite with singles & doubles get picked before suites of all doubles. However, this varies as older students may pick based on building location instead of room sizes.

Similarly, corridor singles tend to be picked before corridor doubles/triples. There are not enough singles for everyone who wants to live in a single to pick one during the Lottery. Rising-Sophomores who take part in the 123 Lottery are encouraged to register as a group of 2, so they can pick a double together if no singles are available.

The students with the last Lottery Numbers each year are not able to pick a room during the Lottery and will need to sign up for the Guaranteed List to be placed over the summer [More Info].

Room rates (and meal plan prices) will be posted at https://barnard.edu/bursar/tuition-and-fees once once announced by the Board of Trustees.

The option for eligible Juniors & Seniors to use financial aid to pay for off-campus housing was a one-time option for the 2020-21 academic year only.

It is not anticipated to be available again for the 2021-22 academic year.

No. Only students who are eligible for the Room Selection process may register and take part in the Housing Lottery.

Groups that form for the Lottery are not able to "pull-in" students who are not eligible (or who did not register for Room Selection). It is not possible for groups to pick housing and "save" a space for someone who was not eligible or who did not register.

Unfortunately, students who are not eligible to register for Room Selection are not eligible to participate in the Housing Lottery.

Students who are not eligible for Room Selection may apply for housing for the upcoming academic year on the Housing Portal when the application opens in mid-March. Note: while the College always hopes to be able to provide housing to as many applicants as possible, unfortunately assignment cannot be guaranteed for students who are not eligible for Room Selection.

For 2021 Room Selection Only -- students living in off-campus housing are still eligible to participate in Room Selection if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

For Fall 2021 and beyond --

No, neither International House nor the Bayit are considered on-campus housing, which means that students who live in these locations are not eligible for Room Selection.

Students may no longer live in Barnard campus housing after starting the Columbia portion of a dual-degree because they technically become Columbia students at that point.

• For students in a 4+1 program, the Columbia portion would start in year 5.
• For students in a 3+2 program, the Columbia portion would start in year 4.

Yes, it is possible for you to lose your Guaranteed Housing Status during the Room Selection process for the following reasons:

• Failure to register for Room Selection before the deadline.
• Indicating that you will not return to campus housing for next year on the Registration form.
• Failure to complete the Guaranteed List Form if you did not pick a room during the Housing Lottery.

Students who do not register for Room Selection will lose their guarantee of campus housing and not be able to participate in Room Selection, the Housing Lottery, the Guaranteed List, etc.

Students who miss the registration deadline may submit an application on the Housing Portal to be on the Non-Guaranteed Wait List, which means that they would only receive housing if space becomes available over the summer.

Please come to the Residential Life & Housing office (110 Sulzberger), call Residential Life & Housing at 212-854-5561 or email housing@barnard.edu ASAP.

Please register well in advance of the deadline! If you wait until the last minute, the Residential Life & Housing office may not be available to assist you.

A Google Sheet showing available rooms/suites (which will update automatically during the Lottery) will be shared with students by March 19, 2021.

For more information, please visit Available Spaces.

For photos, videos, 360 views, and floorplans for each of the residence halls, please visit Housing Options.

Some room / suites may not be available in the Lottery for the following reasons:

• Several floors and suites are reserved to hold quarantine & isolation space for next year.
• Rooms may be assigned to to Resident Assistants (RAs) and/or their RA Pull-Ins.
• Rooms may be assigned to students who received Pre-Lottery Disability Housing Accommodations and/or their CARDS Pull-in.
• Rooms with accessibility features (strobe alarms, semi-private bathroom, etc.) may be reserved for later CARDS accommodations.
• Suites in Plimpton are reserved to balance the BC/CU Housing Exchange.
• Hewitt 5-8 is reserved for new First-Year students if needed.

Hewitt

• Gender Inclusive: 2, 4, 6, and 8th floors
• Women-Only: 3, 5, & 7th floors

Sulz Tower

• Gender Inclusive: 10, 12, 14, & 16th floors
• Women-Only: 9, 11, 13, & 15th floors

Elliott

• Gender Inclusive: the bathroom closest to rooms numbered 1-10
• Women-Only: the bathroom closest to rooms numbered 12-21

In all locations, students are welcome to use neighboring bathrooms as needed.

If your current room is available to pick when your Selection Time starts, you may pick it. However, there is no method for automatically claiming the same room before the Lottery.

Note: If you pick the same room for next year you still need to completely move out in May and may not leave any belongings behind over the summer.

Note: First Years are not able to return to the same rooms on FY floors in Brooks, Reid, Sulzberger, or Hewitt.

Usually more groups form for the 4, 5, and 6 Lottery than the number of available suites. That means that not every group may be able to pick a suite.  Groups who are not able to pick a suite can reconfigure to take part in a later Lottery (including the 123 Lottery).

Additionally, there usually are more students taking part in the 123 Lottery than the number of available spaces. This is because:

• Many students will pick rooms at the Lottery and then cancel housing to move off-campus, study abroad, take a leave of absence, etc.
• Some rooms need to be held from the Lottery to reserve space to balance the BC/CU Housing Exchange, to hold rooms with accessibility features (ex. strobe alarms) for later CARDS housing accommodations, and/or to cluster spaces for incoming first year & transfer students.

This means that all the spaces available to pick during the Lottery will "run out" before every student get a change to pick. The students with the last Lottery Numbers who do not get to pick a room will sign up for the Guaranteed List to be placed over the summer [More Info].

There are also more students who want to live in singles than the number of singles available. Rising-Sophomores who take part in the 123 Lottery are encouraged to register as a group of 2, so they can pick a double together if no singles are available.

Lottery numbers & Selection Times are non-transferable and cannot be traded between students or groups.

No, students in a 2- or 3-person group receive one shared Lottery Number & Selection Time, which is generated in random order by class year just like for Individuals.

Students must completely fill any room they wish to pick during the Housing Lottery. Individuals may not pick into Doubles or Triples by themselves in the 123 Lottery.

This is why students are encouraged to form a 2- or 3-person group for the 123 Lottery. Students in a 2- or 3-person could pick singles if available, but only students in a group would be able to pick into a Double or Triple if there are no singles available.

You will likely receive a new roommate. Spaces that open up over the summer will be assigned to students on the Guaranteed List and/or Non-Guaranteed Wait List (ex. incoming Transfers, students returning after a leave of absence, commuters).

Spaces that open up during the academic year will likely be filled by room changes or assignments to new Spring students.

While the College always hopes to alert students to a new assigned roommate with as much advance notice as possible, students with vacancies in their room must keep the space open and ready for assignment to another student at all times.

Students who graduate mid-year or plan to study abroad for the Spring must submit a Housing Cancellation Form by December 1, in order to avoid a cancellation fee.

Students who cancel their Spring housing for any other reason (to move off campus, take a leave of absence, etc.) will be charged cancellation fees.

Groups who do not pick during the 4, 5, or 6 Lottery may form a larger Group (ex. add a student to turn a 4-person into a 5-person Group, etc.) to get another Lottery Number & Selection Time for a later Lottery stage OR participate in the 123 Lottery.

Individuals or 2- or 3-person Groups who do not pick during the 123 Lottery would need to sign up for the Guaranteed List in order to receive a room assignment over the summer.

New Lottery Numbers & Selection Times are generated for each stage of the Housing Lottery.

For example, if you do not pick during the 4 Lottery and then add a 5th Group member to take part in the 5 Lottery, you will be generated a new Lottery Number & Selection Time for the 5 Lottery.

All selections are binding and final. Once you pick a room or suite, you may not change your selection during the Lottery.

Additionally, once you choose a room or suite, you may not cancel that room to be on the Guaranteed List instead.

Only rising-Seniors may request room changes over the summer. Rising-Juniors & Sophomores may apply for the Studio Single Wait List or a 1-for-1 Room Swap over the summer.

No. Students can participate in the 123 Lottery as an individual.

However, individuals are only able to pick a Single if available when their Selection Time starts. If there are no singles available, they will need to sign up for the Guaranteed List to be assigned to a room over the summer.

Students (especially rising-Sophomores) are encouraged to form groups to provide more opportunities for selection. A 2-person group can pick a double in the 123 Lottery if 2 singles are not available (individuals cannot pick into doubles by themselves).

Students looking for other student to form a group are encourage to:

• Talk with other students in your classes.
• Post on the official group for your Class Year or other affinity groups on Facebook. Ex. Class of 2024 Facebook Group.

Students who are considering forming a group for Room Selection should discuss with each other whether they would be compatible roommates or suitemates.

Unfortunately we are not able to randomly assign students to groups for the Lottery. Students who do not form a group would participate in the 123 Lottery as an individual. If they are not able to pick a room during the Lottery (or do not wish to pick from what is available at their Selection Time), they would sign up for the Guaranteed List to be assigned over the summer.

Class year standing for a group is determined by dividing the total of the individual class year points by the size of the group. More Information.

Each group will have a Group Leader designated on the Housing Portal. For the 4, 5, and 6 Lottery, only the Group Leader is able to log in and pick rooms when the group's shared Selection Time starts.

If your Group Leader is not free for the group's shared Selection Time, they should pass leadership to another group member on the Housing Portal. This should be done BEFORE the Selection Time starts so your group doesn't miss out on being able to log in and select.

During the 4, 5, & 6 Lotteries, groups may only pick suites that match the size of their group (ex. a 5-person Group may only pick a 5-person Suite).

However, 2-, 3-, 7- and 9-person suites are part of the 123 Lottery and may be picked into by individuals and 2- & 3-person groups. There may also be spaces leftover to pick in RA suites and suites where CARDS Pre-Lottery housing accommodations were made.

No, groups may only select suites (or rooms) that have the same number of spaces as group members.

Students who are currently not enrolled or who live off-campus may not be part of Groups for the Housing Lottery. If they apply for the non-Guaranteed Wait List, they will be assigned over the summer (space permitting).

For example, a group of 5 students would only be able to pick a 5-person suite (they can't pick a 6-person suite and hold an open space for another student).

The Group Leader is responsible for assigning rooms within the suite to each group member during the group's Selection Time.

Please make sure that your group discusses in advance who wants to live together in doubles, the size or arrangements of rooms, etc; because you will not have a lot of time to finalize those decisions during your Selection Time.

After the Group Leader assigns the rooms during the Lottery, those assignments cannot be changed until the Summer Room Swap Request process.

Students may request 1-for-1 room swaps (see Summer Swaps for the request deadline).

If someone in your group is planning to cancel housing and you want to have their room, you must both complete the 1-for-1 room swap request BEFORE they cancel their housing. Students cannot swap a room with another student after they have cancelled.

For groups made up of students from different class years, a Group Point Average will be calculated to determine priority for Lottery Numbers & Time Slots. More Information.

No. If you wish to pick as an individual during the 123 Lottery, you do not have to form a 1-person group.

Students are encouraged to form 2-person groups for the 123 Lottery. Because students must fill any room they wish to select during the Lottery, only a group of 2 could pick into a double. But a group of 2 could also pick two singles if available, so being in a 2-person group would give you more flexibility.

Yes! Students who might study abroad for the Fall should still participate in Room Selection to secure a room for the Fall in case they do not go abroad. 

If you pick a room (or sign up for the Guaranteed List) and then get into a Study Abroad program, you will need to submit the Housing Cancellation Form (by Thursday, April 22, 2021* to avoid cancellation fees). * Note: this deadline has been updated from the date posted prior to the start of Room Selection registration.

If you return to campus for the Spring, you may submit a Housing Application for Spring assignment. If you are abroad for the full year, you would take part in next year's Room Selection to pick housing for the following Fall.

Probably not.

Students who may study abroad for the Fall are encouraged to go through Room Selection and select a room as a backup in case they do not end up going abroad. However, if you select into a suite with a group of friends and then cancel your housing assignment to go abroad, that room will be assigned to a student from the Guaranteed List (or a Fall transfer, student requesting to return from a Leave of Absence, etc.) as a full-year room assignment.

Res Life will not force that student to move out of the room to make a vacancy for you in the Spring. The space you picked cannot be kept empty for the Fall semester for you to return to in the Spring.

You can try to find a friend who is planning on studying abroad for the SPRING. That student could be in a Group with your friends to pick a suite (and you can choose a backup room elsewhere on your own or sign up for the Guaranteed List in case you don't go abroad for the Fall). Then, you can request on your Spring Housing Application to be assigned to that suite when you return (into the vacancy created by that other student leaving to study abroad for the Spring). However, please note that requests to be assigned to a specific room cannot be guaranteed and that person may decide not to go abroad (and create a vacant space for the Spring).

Barnard students may live at Columbia (and vice-versa) through the Barnard / Columbia Housing Exchange. Each school must exchange an exact equal number of students for the exchange to work.

This means that if more Barnard students register for the Columbia Lottery than CU students register for the Barnard Lottery, the number of Barnard students allowed to pick with groups at Columbia will be "capped." For example, if 15 Barnard students register for the Columbia Lottery and only 8 Columbia student register for the Barnard Lottery, the maximum number of Barnard students who will be allowed to pick with groups at Columbia ("the cap") will be 8. This number varies from year to year and cannot be predicted prior to the end of Room Selection Registration.

Students who live on the other school's campus as part of the BC/CU Housing Exchange will be eligible to go through their Room Selection process again for the following year. However, students who cancel housing to move off-campus or take a leave of absence would cease to have a guarantee of housing and will not be eligible to participate in Room Selection.

Groups with CU students may not be able to select if there are no suites more available when the group's Selection Time starts.

Note: Columbia students may only participate in the 4, 5, and 6 Lotteries and may not take part in the 123 Lottery.

Yes. For more information, please visit barnard.edu/reslife/reslife/room-selection/lottery#group-point-averages

All selections are binding and final. Once you pick a room or suite, you may not change your selection during the Lottery.

Additionally, once you choose a room or suite, you may not cancel that room to be on the Guaranteed List instead.

Only rising-Seniors may request room changes over the summer. Rising-Juniors & Sophomores may apply for the Studio Single Wait List or a 1-for-1 Room Swap over the summer.

If you aren't able to to pick a room during the Lottery (there aren't any rooms left or you don't want to select from what is available), you will sign up for the Guaranteed List to be assigned to a room over the summer.

For the answers to additional questions, check out https://barnard.edu/reslife/room-selection/guaranteed-list.

• Why do some students not get to pick a room during the Housing Lottery?
• Where will I be assigned? Will I get a single? How do you prioritize the assignments?
• When are assignments made / sent to students? Why do you wait so long to send out the assignments?
• Can I request to live in a multiple with someone else?
• What if I don't like the room assigned to me?

Yes! When you register for Room Selection, choose the category of "Guaranteed List." Once you finish registering and signing the Housing Contract for next year, you'll be able to fill out the Guaranteed List Form and provide ranked building and room preferences for next year.

More Information about the Guaranteed List