Barnard College Barnard College
Residential Life & Housing > Room Selection

Housing Lottery

Form a Lottery Group

4, 5, and 6 Lottery

 

123 Lottery

Overview & Timeline #

The Housing Lottery is an opportunity for eligible students to select rooms in the Spring for the upcoming academic year. The order in which students select rooms is determined by point values and lottery numbers.

  • Students must register & submit the Intent Form during the available dates (9am Mon, Mar 24 - 1pm Fri, Mar 28, 2025).
  • Students may form groups or participate as an individual.
  • The Lottery runs in multiple parts (for 4-, 5-, and 6-person groups and then for Individuals & 2-/3-person groups).
  • Due to the finite number of beds available in the Lottery, some students may need to be assigned to rooms over the summer (as part of the Guaranteed List).
Lottery Stage Deadline to Form Groups (Eastern) Lottery Numbers Posted (Eastern) Selection Times (Eastern)
4 Lottery
4-person suites		 10am Mon, Mar 31 5pm Mon, Mar 31 9am-5pm Tues, Apr 1
5 Lottery
5-person suites		 10am Thur, Apr 3 5pm Thur, Apr 3 9am-5pm Fri, Apr 4
6 Lottery
6-person suites		 10am Mon, Apr 7 5pm Mon, Apr 7 9am-5pm Tues & Wed, Apr 8-9
123 Lottery
Studios, Corridor-style rooms, and remaining suite-style rooms		 Priority Deadline:
10am Fri, Apr 11		 5pm Fri, Apr 11 9am-5pm
Mon - Fri, Apr 14-18

To-Do List Before the Housing Lottery #

Forming Groups (+ Video) #

After registering, students may form groups on the Barnard Housing Portal. The deadline for each group size and/or Lottery are posted above.

Students who want to pick as an individual do not need to form a group on the Portal.

Only students who are eligible and registered for Room Selection before the deadline may participate in or join a group for the Lottery. Students who apply for housing without a guarantee of assignment cannot join a group for the Lottery.

Groups will share ONE Lottery Number & Selection Time. After each Lottery's deadline, groups cannot be modified for that Lottery (to add or change members). If a group does not pick during a Lottery, it will be unlocked after that Lottery is over so they add or change group members for a later Lottery.

For the 123 Lottery, students are encouraged to form 2-person groups (so they can pick into a double if there are no singles available to pick).

Groups with Columbia Students should also read:

Group Leader (during 4, 5, & 6 Lottery) #

Each 4-, 5-, or 6-person group will need to designate a Group Leader on the Housing Portal. The Group Leader will be responsible for logging into the Portal to pick when the group's Selection Time starts.

If the Group Leader is not free to pick during the Selection Time, they will need to pass leadership to another group member on the Portal. If no one in a group is free to pick for the group at the Selection Time, they will need to designate a Proxy.

Lottery Numbers & Selection Times #

  • To see a list of this year's (and previous year's) Lottery Numbers and Selection Times, CLICK HERE.

Students will be generated a Lottery Number (randomized by Point value) to determine the order they will select. Each part of the Lottery (4, 5, 6, and 123) will have different lottery numbers.

When their Selection Time starts, students may select from the spaces available on the Housing Portal. A new Selection Time starts approximately every 5 minutes. Students are encouraged to log into the Portal as soon as their Selection Time starts so they don't miss out on options to pick.

Lottery Numbers & Selection Times are non-transferable and cannot be traded between students.

4, 5, and 6 Lottery Numbers & Selection Times

  • Each group will share one Lottery Number & Selection Time (based on the Group Average).
  • If a group does not pick and reforms for a later Lottery, they will be generated a new Lottery Number & Selection Time.
  • For example, a 4-person Group that doesn't pick during the 4 Lottery and then adds another member will be generated a new Lottery Number & Selection Time for the 5 Lottery, etc.

123 Lottery Lottery Numbers & Selection Times

  • Lottery Numbers & Selection Times will generated in random order by Point value for all students, regardless if they are an individual or in a 2- or 3-person Group.
  • Each group will share one Lottery Number & Selection Time (based on the Group Average).
  • Order is not determined by group size or whether someone is in a group or not.

Regrouping for the 123 Lottery #

  • For the 123 Lottery ONLY, students may continue to form groups after the Priority Deadline (but NOT for the 4, 5, or 6 Lottery).

  • Students who form 123 Lottery groups after the priority deadline will pick using the LAST Selection Time in the Group.

  • For example, if 2 individuals form a group after the priority deadline and one has a Selection Time at 10am on Thursday and the other has 2pm on Thursday, both students will need to now wait until the later Selection Time (2pm on Thursday), to pick together (not after the earlier Selection Time).

  • Students are strongly encouraged to form groups BEFORE the 123 Lottery Group priority deadline (10am, Friday, April 11, 2025). That way their Selection Time won't be pushed to later in the Lottery.

Point Value (Class Standing) #

Students' Point Value for the Lottery determined by their graduation year (except for First Years), as recorded by the Registrar's Office in the campus computer system as of Friday, February 28, 2025.

Projected Graduation Date Point Value Class Standing
February or May 2026 400 rising-Senior
February or May 2027 300 rising-Junior
February or May 2028 200 rising-Sophomore
  • Students who enrolled as First Year students for Fall 2024 will automatically have 200 points (rising-Sophomores). Transferred credits (AP, IB, other colleges, etc) may not be used to classify current First Years as rising-Juniors for the Lottery.
  • Students who graduate mid-year are classified by the Registrar's office as February Graduates. This means that a student who plans to graduate after the Fall 2026 semester would be classified as a February 2027 graduate and have 300 points (as a rising-Junior).
  • Classification with 400 points (as a rising-Senior) is intended to give students priority for their final year or semester only. Students may only be classified with 400 points *ONCE* during their Barnard career.
    • Students classified with 400 points who will not be graduating in 2026 should correct their graduation date with the Registrar and email Residential Life & Housing by Friday, February 28, and request to be reclassified with 300 points (as a rising-Junior).
    • Students classified with 400 points for a previous Room Selection will sign up for the Guaranteed List to be assigned to a room over the summer. They may not participate in the Housing Lottery again.

Students may verify their Point Value on the Housing Portal (click ROOM SELECTION). The Point value for a Group will depend on the Group Average.

Students who need update their projected graduation date should the Registrar form below by Friday, February 28, 2025.

Requests for the Registrar to change your graduation date must be supported by the number of credits you have earned. Changes to Point Values may take several days before showing up on the Housing Portal.

Group Average (and Mixed-Point Value Groups) #

All groups will have a Group Average, which represents the average of member's Point Values (see above for Point Value).

The Group Average is the A) total number of points added together B) divided by the number of students.

A group made up of students who all have the same Point Value will have a Group Average that equals individual Point Values. For example, four students with 400 points each would have a Group Averge of 400 points.

A group made up of students with different Point Values will have a Group Average that comes "in-between" those of groups where all members have the same Point Value.

  • For example, a group with three 400-point members and two 300-point members will have a Group Average of 360 points (400 + 400 + 400 + 300 + 300 = 1800 divided by 5 = 360 points).
  • Groups are prioritized for Lottery Numbers and Selection Times by descending order of the Group Average (i.e. 400 point Groups go first).
  • That means that a group with a 360 point average like above would be prioritized for a better Lottery Number and Selection Time than a group with a 340 point average (ex. two 400-point and three 300-point members).

Important! Any group with 200-point members (i.e. rising-Sophomores) will automatically be prioritized for a Lottery Number that would come *AFTER* groups with all 300-point members (i.e. rising-Juniors).

  • This ensures that groups with 300-point members (rising-Juniors) are able to pick before groups with 200-point members (rising-Sophomores) start to pick.
  • For example, a Group made up of 2 rising-Seniors, a rising-Junior, and a rising-Sophomore would have a point average of 325, but would receive a Lottery Number that comes *after* that of Groups made up of all rising-Juniors (300 points).

Columbia Students: the Point Value of any Columbia members in a group will be calculated in the Group Average.

Proxies for Selection Times #

Students should not give their passwords to other students to log in & pick for them on the Portal.

If you are in a group, only 1 student needs to log in during your Selection Time to pick for the group. However, if the other student(s) in your group want to submit the Guaranteed List Form instead of picking a room, they would not be able to pick a room just for you on the Portal -- you would need to log into the Portal to pick for yourself (or have a proxy pick for you).

If you have a conflict which prevents you from being able to log into the Portal to pick at your Selection Time, you can submit the form below to the Res Life office to designate another student to pick for you as your proxy.

The form should be submitted to the Res Life office at least 24 hours before your Selection Time, so that we can schedule a staff member to assist the Proxy. The Proxy will need to come to the Res Life office (110 Sulzberger) at least 5 minutes before the Selection Time starts (and bring laptop with them if possible).

In order to help your Proxy have an idea of what to select for you, you can give them a Proxy Worksheet to guide them.

Available Rooms to Select #

For a list of spaces available to select in the Lottery, visit barnard.edu/reslife/room-selection/available.

Preparing for your Selection Time #

  • Watch the videos about how to pick rooms (see below)
  • Look at the information about each residence hall (including floor plans!) and the list of the Available Rooms & Suites.
  • Prepare a ranked list of buildings / suites / rooms you'd like to live in, in case your top choices are not available when your Selection Time starts.
  • If you're in a group:
    • Discuss your preferences as a group in advance, so you're not scrambling when your Selection Time starts.
    • Discuss your non-negotiables. Are there specific buildings or room types you don't want to select? Do group members have specific needs? Once the group picks, it's not possible for any group member to pick a different space, join a different group, or sign up for the Guaranteed List instead.
    • Discuss who would live together in doubles as roommates in case you aren't able to pick singles.
    • Discuss what you will do if your top preferences are not available.  Will you pick something else or not pick so you can regroup for a later part of the Lottery?
    • Determine which group member will pick for the Group (only the Group Leader specified on the Portal can pick during the 4, 5, and 6 Lottery).
    • Plan to meet with your group at least 15 minutes before your Selection Time starts. Check which of your ranked preferences may still be able to select. 
    • If you can't be in the same room together for your Selection Time, schedule a Zoom meeting. The Group Leader can share their screen for the others to see them logged into the Portal when picking.

4, 5, and 6 Lottery (+ Video) #

Groups may only pick suites that match the size of their Group (ex. a 4-person Group cannot pick a 5-person Suite).

Reminder: Only the Group Leader can log in to pick for the group during the Selection Time. If the Group leader is not available for the Selection Time, they will need to "pass leadership" to another group member on the Portal before the Selection Time starts.

If your Group does not pick a suite, it will be "unlocked" after the end of that Lottery so you may regroup for a later Lottery (ex. add another member to a 4-person Group to then take part in the 5-Person Lottery). Students who do not pick during the 4, 5, or 6 Lottery (or were not part of a 4-, 5-, or 6-person Group) will then take part in the 123 Lottery.

123 Lottery (+Video) #

During the 123 Lottery, students must completely fill any room they wish to pick. That means that individuals cannot pick into a double (or triple) by themselves.

Students are encouraged to form 2-person groups to provide more flexibility for picking (so they can pick into a double if no singles are available). Groups can also pick singles if available at their Selection Time (and the singles do not have to be on the same floor or in the same building).

Regrouping for the 123 Lottery

Once all spaces have been picked, the remaining students will sign up for the Guaranteed List, to be placed over the summer. Students may also decide to sign up for the Guaranteed List if they do not want to pick from the rooms available at their Selection Time.

IF YOU ARE IN A GROUP:
Only one member of the group should log into the Portal to pick during your group's Selection Time (if multiple group members log in, it may keep your group from being able to pick).

If a group member plans to sign up for the Guaranteed List instead of picking a room but the other(s) wants to pick a room, the student wanting to pick a room must be the one to log into the Housing Portal at your Selection Time (students cannot pick a room for another group member without also picking for themselves at the same time).

Guaranteed List #

Students who do not pick a room during any of the Lotteries will sign up for the Guaranteed List to be placed over the summer.

For more information (including deadlines), visit barnard.edu/reslife/room-selection/guaranteed-list.