Shortages delay sophomore housing

This year, 169 groups of second-year students applied for the 140 true quad units available. 

Students not applying as part of a group of four, or as individuals, were immediately put on the housing waitlist. 

By April 15, all students on the placement list received housing and all second-year students who are not commuting have since been assigned housing.

Christina D’Aversa, associate director of Housing Services, said the shortage of available housing is a natural part of managing student accommodations. 

“The puzzle is that you will lose students between now and August for various reasons: study abroad, medical withdrawals, unfortunately, academic dismissals and transfers,” D’Aversa said. “We also tend to see a chunk of people that we lose in late April, late May, then July when bills come out and August when bills are due.” 

Only true quads and singles were initially available during the initial housing selection process. D’Aversa said 12% of second-year housing units are true doubles, including Warren Square, House 89 and House 87. 

D’Aversa said a true space is a unit not shared with anyone outside one’s chosen group.

Some Gryphon housing in the Singleton, Hitch and Maida houses and Broadhead were not offered because they do not qualify as true spaces.

Spaces were also reserved for students with accommodations and were unavailable during the selection process. 

Angelia Yang, ‘27, was in a group of four and was placed in a Trembley apartment April 13. She said her group was separated into four singles in the same complex.  

“Our placement time was at 9 p.m. exactly, and when we went to the website it said ‘no availability,’” Yang said. 

Owen Gray, ‘27, was also put on the housing placement list. 

“It was a little bit stressful, our placement time was late at 8:39 p.m., and when we went to the website there weren’t any rooms available,” Gray said. 

Gray’s group was also split up into two doubles in House 87. He said housing services quickly sent his group a housing preference form.

The housing preference form allows students to rank what they find most important for their living situation, including the type of housing, dorm location or keeping their group together. 

Groups that had to be split up were placed in housing close together, either in the same dorm or hall. 

Students dissatisfied with their housing placement can join a room change list as early as June 1. 

On-campus housing is currently at capacity, but spaces may open up as students leave. If this happens, students will have a better chance to move closer to their preferred housing arrangements.