Rules & Exceptions

Submitted by tlp2104@columbia.edu on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 13:33

We believe that Room Selection should be as much about choice as possible. In order to accommodate as many special situations as possible, we have developed the following rules and exceptions. This section addresses all the special circumstances that arise during the Room Selection process.

Students should read this section for information about the Senior and Junior Regroup Rules, the Sophomore Wait List, living with Barnard students, Room Selection for Study Abroad students, and using a Proxy.

Please read this section carefully, as it should answer your questions. If you still have questions, please contact the Housing Office in 118 Hartley, or email housing@columbia.edu.

Spaces Excluded from Lottery

Spaces Excluded for 2013-2014 as of March 5, 2013.

All First-Year Student Space in Carman, John Jay, Furnald, Hartley, and Wallach.

Special Interest Housing Space

Interest Group Space
Hartley-Wallach Living Learning Center; no rooms in either building will be available in the lottery. A separate application is required.
MECAH River 101/2 - 111 (9 beds, 1 double)
Pan Africa EC H304 (6 beds - 1 double)

Casa Latina

 EC H504 (6 Beds - 1 double)
Metta House EC H1005 (6 Beds)
Community Health House EC H604 (6 Beds)
Writer's House WAL 201-210 (11 beds - 3 doubles)
Students For Substance Free Space MCB 101 - 109 (10 Beds - 1 double)

Fraternity/Sorority Housing in East Campus

Fraternity/Sorority Space
Greek Housing EC H603 (6 beds - 1 Double)
Greek Housing EC H803 (6 beds - 1 Double)
Greek Housing EC H1003 (6 beds - 1 Double)
Greek Housing EC H1004 (6 beds - 1 Double)

Assistant Directors, Graduate Assistants, Community Programming Assistants, Resident Advisors, and RA Riders

Residence Space
Broadway 315, 319, 415, 419, 515, 519, 615, 619, 715,719, 815, 819, 915, 919, 1015, 1019, 1115,1119, 1215, 1219
East Campus 610, 805A, 805B,, 1005A, 1005B, 1009A, 1009B, 1205A, 1205B, 1405A, 1405B, 1605A, 1605B, 1805A, 1805B, 2005A, 2005B, H105A, H105B, H202A, H202B, H401A, H401B, H505A, H505B, H601A, H601B, H706A, H706B, H801A, H906A, H906B
Furnald 201, 205, 323, 324, 423, 424, 523, 524, 623, 624, 723, 724, 823, 824, 923, 924, 1010, 1012
Harmony 304, 305, 504, 505, 704, 705
Hogan 2B1, 2B2, 4B1, 4B2, 7E5, 7E6
McBain 213, 216, 301, 334, 419, 429, 519,529, 619, 629, 719, 729, 819, 829
River 308, 309, 508, 509, 608, 609
Ruggles 220, 223, 420, 423, 620, 623, 820, 823
Schapiro 210, 212, 310, 312, 410, 412, 510, 512, 610, 612, 710, 712, 810, 812, 910, 912, 1010, 1012, 1110, 1112, 1310, 1312, 1510, 1512, 1610, 1612
Watt 2I, 4I, 6I
Wien 324, 325, 424, 425, 524, 525, 624, 625, 724, 725, 824, 825, 924, 925, 1014, 1015, 1113, 1114, 1223, 1227
Woodbridge 2K, 4K, 6K (both beds in all suites)
47 Claremont 24A, 24B, 24C, 44A, 44B, 44C, 64A, 64B, 64C
600 W. 113th Street 3D2, 4D2, 5D2, 9D2, 9D3
548 W. 113th Street 1F

Spaces withheld by Columbia Housing (for Facilities Services, Columbia Housing, and Residential Programs purposes)

Residence Space
Broadway 333, 433, 524, 527, 607,707, 807, 824, 924, 1024, 1039, 1124, 1207, 1236, 1307, 1324 
East Campus

601, 603, 602/604, 606, 608, 612, 614, 616, 618, 620, 801AB, 803AB, 804A-D, 1201AB, 1001AB
Furnald 101, 102, 103, 107, 311, 411, 426, 505, 626, 910
McBain 201, 232, 235
River 115, 202, 312, 515
Schapiro 223, 523, 619, 714, 816, 902, 1009, 1304, 1313, 1604
Watt 1I, 3N, 5O, 6F
600 W. 113 3A7, 4A7, 9A7, 10A7, 10D2 
Wien 420, 545, 630, 723, 932, 1024
Woodbridge 7G, 6B

Note: All space held out may be subject to change. Remember, any space listed above will not be available during Room Selection.

To Top

Proxy Rules

Students unable to make their appointment times to select a room in John Jay Lounge or during Online Selection should have a proxy act for them on their behalf. This process must be indicated during Room Selection Registration. All decisions, actions, and signed contracts by a proxy are binding on the original student.

To Top

Senior Regroup Rule

During In-Person Group Selection CC/SEAS rising seniors in groups made up of all 30-point members will be eligible for Senior Regroup. The group must be comprised of all 30-point Seniors that do not pick a suite at their appointment time. No Seniors from mixed point groups will be able to participate. Eligibility for Senior Regroup may result if there are no more suites that match the group size or if the group decides not to select any of the suites available at their appointment time. In Senior Regroup, CC/SEAS students will be able to reconfigure with other 30-point rising seniors who did not select a suite at their appointment time. Seniors in this category will have the option to re-form into a new group and be assigned a new lottery number that is valid only for the Regroup period. This process will take place in person after the completion of 30-point groups. Groups will all be given a numbered Lottery Ticket upon supplying the group list. After all groups lists are received, Lottery numbers will be selected and groups will be called. The new 30-point groups will choose from the remaining suites available. Group size must match the size of the available suite at this selection time; the group cannot sub-divide during the process. At the end of Senior Regroup, any seniors in this category who did not choose a suite will default to Online Selection, with their original lottery numbers from initial In-Person Group Selection. Each group can only reconfigure once.

Barnard students are not eligible for Senior Regroup. If the 30-point CC/SEAS members of a group decide to participate in Senior Regroup, the BC student(s) will default to BC Selection.

To Top

Junior Regroup Rule

During In-Person Group Selection CC/SEAS rising juniors in groups made up of all 20-point members will be eligible for Junior Regroup. The group must be comprised of all 20-point Juniors that do not pick a suite at their appointment time. No Juniors from mixed point groups will be able to participate. Eligibility for Junior Regroup may result if there are no more suites that match the group size or if the group decides not to select any of the suites available at their appointment time. In Junior Regroup, CC/SEAS students will be able to reconfigure with other 20-point rising juniors who did not select a suite at their appointment time. Juniors in this category will have the option to re-form into a new group and be assigned a new lottery number that is valid only for the Regroup period. This process will take place in person after the completion of 20-point groups. Groups will all be given a numbered Lottery Ticket upon supplying the group list. After all groups lists are received, Lottery numbers will be selected and groups will be called. The new 20-point groups will choose from the remaining suites available. Group size must match the size of the available suite at this selection time; the group cannot sub-divide during the process. At the end of Junior Regroup, any juniors in this category who did not choose a suite will default to Online Selection, with their original lottery numbers from initial In-Person Selection. Each group can only reconfigure once.

Barnard students are not eligible for Junior Regroup. If the 20-point CC/SEAS members of a group decide to participate in Junior Regroup, the BC student(s) will default to BC Selection.

To Top

Sophomore Pair-Up

During In-Person Group Selection, groups that have a point value of 10 and only contain rising sophomores have the option to break apart and pick available corridor doubles.

To have the most options, we advise you to form an even-numbered group of two to eight students and register for In-Person Group Selection. All groups in In-Person Group Selection have the option to drop down to Online Selection (for example, if there are not any suites left to choose, if their group size does not match the remaining suites, or if they simply do not want to live in any of the remaining suites), but groups and individuals that originally decide to register directly for Online Selection are not able to change to In-Person Group Selection at any point.

Please read the following scenarios to understand our suggestion:

1. Suppose that you are a rising sophomore and you select Online Selection as an Individual. You were hoping for a single, but there weren't any single rooms left at your appointment time. You will have to select a half-empty double, and you will have to room with someone that you do not know. If you had chosen during In-Person Group Selection, you would have been able to live with a friend during the year.

2. Suppose that you are a rising sophomore and you select In-Person Group Selection with a friend. You received an amazing lottery number, and you and your friend decide to try for singles. You are allowed to just skip your appointment time at In-Person Selection and be automatically dropped down to Online Selection. You will receive an Online Selection appointment time based on your shared lottery number and you can select individually.

3. If you and a group of friends want to live together in doubles on the same floor, you can form a group but pick into corridor doubles at your appointment time. 

To Top

Sophomore Waitlist

First-year space is reserved prior to summer cancellations, therefore it is projected that some members of the rising sophomore class (Class of 2016) who are eligible to receive 2013-14 rooms, but have high lottery numbers, will not be able to select a specific room during Room Selection. In the event that all available space is chosen before a student’s appointment time, he/she must complete an online 2013-14 Sophomore Wait List form, which is available to them during their Room Selection Appointment Time. This application should be completed no later than May 3, 2013. He/she will be offered an assignment as space becomes available through cancellations (usually in late August).

You must complete the necessary form to be eligible for housing in the Fall and maintain guaranteed housing status. Do not skip your appointment or fail to pick a room during Room Selection in hopes of being placed on the Sophomore Wait List. Students who do will automatically be assigned into remaining Room Selection inventory.

To Top

Living with Barnard Students

At Columbia

Rising junior and senior Barnard students may participate in Columbia Room Selection only as a member of a group during In-Person Group Selection. They must be present during In-Person Group Selection. Groups containing Barnard students must have the total number of Columbia students be greater than the total number of Barnard students (51%), and all members of the group must be eligible for Room Selection. Groups with BC students may choose into suites in East Campus, Hogan, Ruggles and 47 Claremont. Although BC students will not have their point values counted toward the group total, the point value of any Barnard student who joins a group of Columbia students must be greater than or equal to the lowest point value among the Columbia students within that group.

Note: BC students who register as part of a group for CU In-Person Group Selection must also register for BC Room Selection; otherwise they will not be elibible to take part in CU In-Person Group Selection.

There is a cap for the number of rooms exchanged with Barnard. It is equal to the number of CC/SEAS students who sign up for Barnard housing during Barnard's Group Selection and the eligible Barnard students assigned to a sorority. Barnard students who have not yet selected with their CU group when the Exchange Cap is reached will be automatically removed from the group (if the Barnard student has registered for Barnard Room Selection, she will be able to select a room at Barnard). The group's point value will remain unchanged and the lottery number will stay the same but they must drop to Online Selection. Barnard students are not eligible for the Senior Regroup rule regardless of their class year.

Barnard College students who are guaranteed housing are eligible to live with CC and SEAS students in selected SICs.  In these areas, BC students cannot make up more than 33% of the SIC or house (i.e.- a group of six must have at least 4 CC/SEAS).   The following are the maximum BC capacity for each approved SIC or organization through the CU/BC Housing Exchange:  Metta House - 2; Pan African House - 2; Casa Latina - 2; Community Health House - 2;   Q-House – 2; IRC - 4;  DG - 5, KAT - 5, AXO - 2, SDT - 5 and ADP – 7.

At Barnard

A CC or SEAS student who is eligible to participate in the CU Room Selection process may register for Barnard's Room Selection in order to be "pulled-in" by a BC group to select a BC suite (CU students who register will not receive their own BC lottery numbers nor may they select into BC housing as individuals). Groups with CU students are eligible to select into Plimpton Hall, 601 W 110th Street, 600, 616 or 620 W 116th Street or Cathedral Gardens.  

Groups with CU students may select into suites regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity, as part of the Open Housing program in Cathedral Gardens, 601 W 110th St, and 600, 616, and 620 W 116th St. Co-ed groups will be required to sign the BC Open Housing Agreement/Contract (see the Open Housing section of Barnard's Room Selection Guide for more information.)

CC and SEAS students are eligible for BC Room Selection only if they meet Columbia's eligibility requirements and perform the following tasks:

1)  FORM A GROUP - The group must be at least 50% BC students. All CU members of the group must be eligible for CU Room Selection. The group may only select a suite that matches the number of students in the group (ex. a 5-person group may select a 5-person suite, but not a 6-person suite).  Please note that the class year of the CU student(s) DOES affect when the group may select (see #3 below).

2)  REGISTER FOR ROOM SELECTION - CU students who wish to participate in Barnard Room Selection must register online (http://barnardreslife.org) between Wednesday, March 6 at 1pm - Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 1pm.

Any CU student who intends to participate in Barnard Room Selection MUST still register for Columbia Room Selection. S/he must select "Individual - CU Living at Barnard" on the Category Declaration page. S/he cannot be a part of Columbia In-Person Group Selection or Online Selection as a group. Any CU student (or his/her proxy) who chooses a room during the Barnard Room Selection process may not later participate in Columbia's In-Person Group Selection or Online Selection. In the event s/he does not get into a Barnard suite or decides not to select with his/her group during Barnard Room Selection, the CU student will automatically be entered into CU's Online Selection as an individual only.

3)  CHECK YOUR SELECTION TIME - CU students will not receive an individual Barnard lottery number, but they will be able to see their group's appointment date/time on the online registration page (see http://barnard.edu/reslife/roomselection/calendar/ for dates that the appointments will be posted).  The group's appointment time is determined by the "best" lottery number within the group.

If all of the students in a group, including the CU student(s), are the same class year, the group will select on that class year's Selection Day.

If a group is comprised of students of different class years (including the class years of the CU students), the group will select on the class year Selection Day of the lowest class year member(s) of the group.  For example, a group comprising rising-Juniors and Sophomores will select on Sophomore Selection Day but using the best rising-Juniors' lottery number (in effect, choosing in between all-Junior and all-Sophomore groups).

Please see http://barnard.edu/reslife/roomselection/guide/ for more information.

4)  CHOOSE YOUR ROOM - BC Room Selection will take place in the Lewis Parlor (Brooks Hall, 1st Floor) on April 5 (rising seniors), April 9 (rising juniors) and April 12 (rising sophomores). The CU student(s) must be present (or must have a designated proxy present with a signed copy of the BC Proxy Form) at the appointment time in order to be "pulled-in" with a group to select a suite. A CU student may not select a room during BC Room Selection as an individual. A CU student who selects a room at BC will be asked to sign both a BC housing contract and a CU contract rider at a later date.

To Top

Study Abroad

Study Abroad for Fall Term

Students who plan to be away for just the fall term must still register for Housing, stating their intent to Study Abroad during the fall term. While they are abroad, students must complete a Housing Application, indicating that they would like to reside on-campus during the spring term. After eligibility is confirmed, assignments will be made based on seniority, the date the application is received, available housing, and the preferences indicated. Room assignments will be emailed in early January.

Study Abroad for Spring Term

Students on an approved Study Abroad leave in the spring term who are guaranteed housing can either select a proxy to choose a room for them during In-Person Group Selection, choose their own room during Online Selection, or file a Housing Application for the following fall term.

To Top

Non-Guaranteed Waitlist

Students who lose their right to guaranteed housing (See Undergraduate Assignment Policies for reasons) are not eligible to participate in the Room Selection process. Non-guaranteed students must submit a Housing Application for every semester that they are requesting housing. Applicants are prioritized on a Wait List according to class standing and proximity to campus. As rooms become available, either prior to or after the start of the semester, Wait Listed applicants are assigned to the existing vacancies once all the guaranteed students are assigned. We do not expect to have housing available for non-guaranteed applicants before the start of the school year.

To Top