Returning-Student Housing - Campus Life

Timeline for 2026-27 Academic Year Housing

February 23, 2026	Housing portal opens for returning students
March 16, 2026	Deadline to request accommodations from DAR
March 16, 2026	Housing portal closes for returning students
April 13, 2026	Housing selection night #1 (sophomores, with priority to roommate groups)
April 14, 2026	Housing selection night #2 (sophomores)
April 15, 2026	Housing selection night #3 (upper division, with priority to roommate groups)
April 16, 2026	Housing selection night #4 (upper division)
June 1, 2026	Deadline to cancel 2026-27 housing contract

Preparation

To prepare for returning-student housing selection, first review the information on housing assignments and waitlist, and contact residence life if you have questions.

Note: If you need a disability-related housing accommodation, please connect with Disability and Accessibility Resources as soon as possible!

Sign-Up

Students who want housing for the 2026–27 academic year must sign up for housing via the housing portal between February 23, 2026 and March 16, 2026. Your application for housing will include room preferences as well as roommate choices. To learn more about your options, visit these pages:

Room & Roommate Choices

Where Can I Live on Campus?

Language Houses

Housing Selection Process

What are the important dates?

February 23, 2026: Housing portal opens for returning-student applications
March 16, 2026: Housing portal closes for returning-student applications
April 6-9, 2026: Building information tabling days
April 13–16, 2026: Housing selection nights
April 17, 2026: Housing selection overflow
June 1, 2026: Cancellation deadline

Why did Reed switch from auto-allocation to housing selection?

Since the pandemic, residence life had auto-allocated residents into room assignments across campus. The auto-allocation process, while simple in theory, has impacted returning student satisfaction with on-campus housing through not pairing in verified roommate groups, assigning spaces outside of preference, and other concerns.

In an effort to increase resident satisfaction and to provide returning students with agency regarding their assignments, residence life returned to housing selection during the 2025–26 academic year. This shift has allowed students to know what their assignment is and who their roommate is, if applicable, and provides upper division students with an earlier opportunity to make decisions about whether they want to live on campus based on the spaces available to them.

All first- and second-year students will be required to live on campus.
Study abroad semesters will count towards a student’s residency requirement.

Residential Buildings by Student Group

Student Classification	Buildings
First-year students	Chittick, Naito, Sullivan, Trillium, Woodbridge
Sophomores	Bragdon, Foster, Griffin, McKinley, MacNaughton, Scholz
Juniors & Seniors	Anna Mann, Aspen, Birchwood, Chittick, ODB, RCAs, Sequoia, Sitka
Interest-Based Housing	Student of Color Community, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Kollective, Language Houses, and Queer Collective

Steps

All eligible students who are required or want to live on campus must complete the 2026–27 Academic Year Housing Application between Monday, February 23, 2026, and Friday, March 16, 2026.

Housing Selection Number

All applicants will receive notification of their housing selection time slot via email the week prior to their scheduled selection time.

Housing Portal

Returning students must submit applications through the housing portal between February 23 and March 16 to be eligible for housing selection. In the housing portal, returning students select their board plans, review a renter’s insurance option, and identify potential roommates and building preferences. While the building preferences will not be utilized for selection, they are helpful if a student cancels or does not choose an assignment during the selection process and then later determines they want to live on campus.
1. Students who are offered an assignment in an interest-based community will be auto allocated.
During a selection time slot, a student will be able to review the housing floor plans for their building options and select a placement.
Once a placement is determined, the student, and their roommates if applicable, will notify a residence life staff member.
The residence life staff member will assign their placement via the housing portal, as well as confirm their board plan.
When room and board selection are confirmed to be in the housing portal, a sophomore will have completed the housing selection process. A rising upper division student will log into the portal to sign their housing contract.
Once a contract is signed, the student will have a placement for the 2026–27 academic year. If a rising upper division student decides not to reside on campus and is eligible to live off campus, they will have until June 1 to cancel their housing contract. After June 1, cancellations will not be permitted unless the student is granted an appeal exception due to an extenuating circumstance that the student has little to no control over.

Order of Time Slots

April 13, 2026: Sophomores (roommate groups prioritized)
April 14, 2026: Sophomores continued
April 15, 2026: Upper division (roommate groups prioritized)
April 16, 2026: Upper division continued
April 17, 2026: Overflow time for students who did not select an assignment, applied after the application deadline, or want to make a change to their selected room.

FAQ

What if I can’t make the timeline or I'm abroad?

A student can indicate a proxy who can select a placement on their behalf. When utilizing a proxy, the student will have 24 hours to sign their contract after a placement has been selected. If the student who utilized a proxy does not sign the contract within 24 hours for their selected room, the room will go back into the selection pool.

Does applying earlier increase my chance of a better time slot?

Applying earlier does not increase the chance of a better time slot. Roommate groups will be prioritized in the selection process, and students are encouraged to confirm a roommate while the housing application is open.

Can I change or swap my time slot?

No: Time slots cannot be changed or swapped.

What if a rising upper division student misses the application deadline?

Students are able to apply for housing after the application deadline and select a housing assignment during an overflow period.

What if a rising sophomore misses the application deadline or does not get a preferred assignment?

A rising sophomore who does not submit a housing application will be assigned an on-campus placement as part of the residency requirement. If a sophomore would like to change their placement, they would be able to review available options and select a different housing assignment during the overflow periods.

What if a rising upper division student doesn’t get a preferred assignment?

A rising upper division student is not required to live on campus. If their preference is not available, they can decide to select a different housing assignment or opt for off-campus housing.

What if a student is selected as a resident for an interest-based or specialized community?

If a student is selected as a resident for an interest-based community, then the student does not participate in the housing selection process. If the student wants to participate in the housing selection process, then they would be declining the offer to reside in an interest-based community.

How long does an upper division student have to cancel if they change their mind?

A rising upper division student will have until June 1 to cancel their housing contract. After June 1, cancellations will not be permitted unless the student is granted an appeal exception due to an extenuating circumstance that the student has little to no control over.

How is a number assigned to me?

A selection number is auto-generated within a classification. For example, the number range for sophomores is 1–999, and the upper division range is 1000–2000 (when presented to the student, the number will be shortened, e.g.: 2002 for upper division = 02 for selection).

Will residence life prioritize or guarantee housing for students outside of the two-year residency requirement?

Residence life is currently not expanding the guaranteed two-year (four-semester) residency requirement.

What if a student selects a partially vacant assignment?

Seeking out a roommate prior to housing selection is highly recommended. Residence life reserves the right to assign roommates, reassign residents who are without roommates, change room assignments, and/or use a room when it is not occupied.