Room Selection

Room Selection is the process by which students select a room for the next academic year. There are three phases:

1. Registration, followed by the lottery
2. Group Suite Selection
3. General Selection

The order in which students select their room is determined by two numbers. First, students are subdivided according to their point value. Rising seniors get 30 points. Rising juniors get 20 points. Rising sophomores get 10 points. A student's status is determined based on the year he entered Columbia, not on the year he expects to graduate. If students form a group for a double or suite, the group point value is the average of its CC and SEAS members (but not Barnard members), unless they invoke the East Campus Exclusion Rule (see below).

Second, students are subdivided according to their randomly-assigned lottery number, which can range from 1 to 3000. Thus, a student with 30pts & #1 gets to choose his room before a student with 30pts & #3000, who in turn gets to choose his room before a student with 20pts & #1, and so on.

Registration

Strategy

The best strategy is to sign up for Group Suite Selection in a group of friends. Your group will get two shots at room selection. First, you can pick a double or suite in Group Suite Selection. Or, second, you can drop out of Group Suite Selection and pick a single in General Selection. This is absolutely the best strategy for rising sophomores.

Important rules

• Men and women may form groups together for Group Suite Selection and General Selection. However, doubles can only be assigned to students of the same gender.

For a double or a suite

Sign up for Group Suite Selection with your friends. Group sizes can range from 2 to 8. You'll only be able to pick a suite that exactly matches your group size. E.g., 2 people can only pick a double, or 5 people can only pick a 5-person suite.

East Campus Exclusion Rule (ECER): If you want to try to get an East Campus high-rise 5-person suite which has 3 singles and 1 double, you can invoke the rule during registration (and not later). Only the top 3 point values of the 5-member group will be averaged to calculate the group point value. However, the group will then only be able to pick an EC high-rise 5-person suite. If all of these are gone by the time the group shows up for their appointment time, the group will automatically drop to General Selection. If the group chose to stay together in such an event, each individual will receive a point value equivalent to the sum of the 5 point values divided by 5. E.g., 30+30+30+10+10 / 5 = 110 / 5 = 22. If the group chose to disband in the event of dropping to General Selection, each individual will receive their class point value, either 10, 20, or 30. ECER groups can have a maximum of 2 Barnard students, and their points will not count.

For a single in a corridor-style residence hall

Sign up for General Selection as an individual.

For a single in a corridor-style residence hall near your friends

Sign up for General Selection as a group with your friends. Group sizes can range from 2 to 10.

Selection

Group Suite Selection

• Group Suite Selection will take place from April 9 to April 13 in John Jay Lounge.
• All group members or their proxies will need to come together with their CUIDs. The group can come at their appointment time or any time afterwards.
• If a group does not want to pick a double or suite, or it is unable to, the group will automatically drop to General Selection. This applies even if only one member doesn't go along with the group. Group members will keep the same lottery number, and receive a new appointment time accordingly.
• Available doubles, minus the unavailable spaces detailed below
• Available suites, minus the unavailable spaces detailed below
• Unavailable spaces

General Selection

• General Selection takes place online in April.
• You can log in and select a room any time from your assigned appointment time until the end of General Selection. It is obviously better to select a room as soon as possible after your assigned appointment time.
• The available rooms include all single rooms, and any doubles and suites remaining from Group Suite Selection.