Room Draw FAQs
Room Draw
What happens if I miss the Intent Declaration deadline. Can I still declare my intent to live on campus?
Any student who has not registered intent to live on campus by the time Intent Declaration closes, and who is not required to live on campus, will be assumed to be living off-campus as outlined in the Undergraduate Housing policies.
Students who miss the Intent Declaration deadline and wish to live on campus can join the Housing Waitlist by using the Request Housing process in the Undergraduate Housing Portal. After the Room Draw process has ended for participating students, any remaining beds may be offered to waitlist students who have requested a pending room assignment.
I am not currently on-campus (Study Abroad, LOA or MLOA), but intend to return to Yale College in the fall. Can I still participate in the Housing Process?
If you are scheduled to return to Yale College in the fall, you may be included and participate in the housing process. To ensure you are listed as eligible, you must notify the Undergraduate Housing Office via email of your intention to live on campus and must also adhere to all Room Draw deadlines.
Please note that students in this category, who notify the Housing Office after the intent declaration period has concluded, will be directed to join the waitlist to sign up for a pending room assignment.
I am planning to / considering studying abroad next fall. How should I proceed?
Students planning to or considering studying abroad in the fall can either:
- Declare Off-Campus: Indicates that you will not need on-campus housing.
- Request Housing After Room Draw: You may submit a request to receive an assignment after room draw has closed (if you’d like to request housing as a backup) via the housing portal. The Housing Request form opens in the portal once the Intent Declaration period closes. Please note, if you later decide to study abroad after contracting a room, you will be subject to a relinquishment fee as outlined in the Undergraduate Regulations.
I am considering studying abroad in the fall. What happens if I choose to participate in the room draw process?
Any student studying abroad who contracts a room either through the room draw, via an auto-allocation assignment, or through accepting a pending assignment and then reverses their decision will be charged a relinquishment fee equal to one-quarter of the term room rent, in accordance with the Undergraduate Regulations. Please refer to the question above for recommendations on how to proceed for students planning to study abroad.
I will be abroad/away during the fall term, but intend to return for the spring term. How can I register for housing?
Students who will be away from Yale in the fall term may not draw a room for the following year. Students returning in the spring can submit a request for housing separately via the Housing Portal. The request form for second-semester housing will be available to students after the start of the fall term.
For more information, please see the Off-Cycle Students section of our website and our Housing Requests FAQs.
I am a rising sophomore, but am turning 21 before the first day of the fall semester. Am I required to live on campus?
If you are a rising sophomore and will be 21 years of age or older by the first day of the fall semester, or are married, you may request to move off campus for 2026-2027. To do so, please send an email to undergraduatehousing@yale.edu with your request and relevant information.
I previously registered my intent as on-campus, but have decided to live off-campus. How can I change my intent?
If you would like to update your intent during the Intent stage of Room Draw, you can do so directly in the Housing Portal. Students can update their housing status at any time during the Intent stage of Room Draw. After Intent has closed you may request to change your intent from on- to off- campus by emailing undergraduatehousing@yale.edu to do so.
While students are able to withdraw before room selection without financial penalty, it is expected that all Yale College students will participate in the Housing Selection process in good faith, knowing that their peers are making important housing decisions based on how many students have registered intent to live on campus, and how many beds are available. If you are not truly planning to live on campus, please register your intent to live off-campus.
I am applying to be a FroCo next year. How should I declare my intent?
Any student interested in living on campus should declare on-campus intent. Students applying to be a first-year counselor should declare an on-campus intent as they will live on campus as FroCos. Please be mindful of forming groups with other students while awaiting FroCo decisions.
Students who withdraw from the FroCo process, or are not selected, and wish to live off-campus will be able to withdraw from the housing process without financial penalty (as long as they do so prior to room selection).
Where can I find additional information about the suite configurations available to my class year in my college?
Housing inventory information for each college and draw will be available at the beginning of the group formation stage, which opens on February 19th.
How do I apply for an accommodation?
Housing Accommodations are granted solely by the Student Accessibility Services office. The deadline for requesting/renewing housing accommodation requests is January 15, 2026. Please refer to Student Accessibility Services website for additional information.
I have an approved ADA accommodation. Can I still proceed through grouping and participate in suite selection?
Based on what your accommodation is and the inventory available in your residential college, your accommodation may require that you form a group of a specific configuration or may require that you are pre-assigned* a room by the Housing Office. Students will receive notification about what is necessary to meet their accommodation in the Housing Portal when Group Formation opens. For additional information, please visit the Additional Resources page.
*Students in this category will not participate in grouping nor room selection.
I am a rising junior/senior with an approved medical accommodation for next year. Is my housing guaranteed?
Students participating in the junior/senior draw should note that an SAS accommodation does not guarantee on-campus housing. The option to use an SAS accommodation or not only comes into play if on-campus housing is available and secured.
Students participating in group formation are encouraged to review the available, undersubscribed suites/sizes and form a group that will meet their accommodation and provide a better chance at remaining on-campus.
I submitted a request for an accommodation after the deadline. Will I still receive my housing accommodation?
While requests for accommodations will be considered after the deadline, the accommodation cannot be guaranteed to be met if a request was not received by the deadline.
How can I request a change of college affiliation?
The application process for change of college affiliation is overseen centrally by the Yale College Dean’s Office. Students may request a change of college affiliation at the start of the spring term by completing this application. For more information, please visit the Additional Resources page.
I do not want to group and do not have a preference as to where I live. Can I be assigned randomly and not participate in the room draw?
If you are planning to live on campus but prefer not to participate in grouping, you can opt out of the remaining stages of room draw by selecting to Opt Out of Grouping. If you select this option you will be assigned to a bedroom by the Housing Office and you will not participate in any further stages of room draw.
Please note that selecting this option does not guarantee a single room. Students who opt out of grouping will be assigned to a partially filled suite with students in their same draw (class year), and will have suitemates and/or a roommate.
If I opt out of grouping and request to be manually assigned, when will I know my housing assignment?
Students who select to Opt Out of Grouping will be assigned to available housing after Room Selection is complete. You will receive email notification of your assignment, along with the names of any suitemates, after room selection has ended in early April.
Where can I find the list of bathroom designations for my college?
A list of bathroom designations will be available once Group Formation opens. Students will be able to view this information in the Housing Portal.
What are the single gender bathroom options?
All residential bathrooms are assigned as a women’s bathroom, a men’s bathroom, or a gender-inclusive bathroom. The bathroom types alternate, so that students can always find options by heading up or downstairs. In many cases, when there are two bathrooms on a floor, at least one bathroom is assigned as gender-inclusive. This provides students with the flexibility of being able to participate in room draw with their desired classmates while still having access to their preferred bathroom.
I see bathroom designations on the room tile when looking at the available suites. What does this mean?
This indicates the designation of the bathroom on the same floor of the suite in question. This does not mean the suite is gendered. In some cases, two bathroom designations are listed because there are two bathrooms on the floor.
I see bathroom designations when looking at floor plans. What does this mean?
This indicates the designation of each residential bathroom within the college. This does not mean the suites on that floor are gendered.
How do I utilize the bathroom information to select a room?
Students are able to live in rooms and suites of any gender configuration. Students are expected to take bathroom designations and locations into account when forming groups and selecting rooms and suites.
How do I create a group?
Students can create a group in the Housing Portal. After logging in using your NetID and password, click the “Room Draw” link in the highlighted gray title bar. Scroll down and click the “Continue Housing Process” button and you will proceed to the Group Formation landing page. You can create a group by clicking on the “Create Group” button at the bottom of the page.
How can I make changes to my group (add a member, change group size, change group leader, etc.)?
Students may make changes to their group within the Housing Portal. After logging in using your NetID and password, click the “Room Draw” link in the highlighted gray title bar. From here, navigate to the Group Formation page where you will see your group’s information.
On this page you will see options to edit, delete and add members to your group. You will also see options to make one of your group members the new group leader, remove group members, and send group members a message.
If you are looking to add members to your group, you will need to adjust the desired group size by clicking on “Edit Group”. You will then be able to search for and add additional group members.
How can I see the floor plans?
Students can view available suite information along with their college floor plans within the Housing Portal. Navigate to the Group Formation landing page. On the left-hand side of the screen will be a link “List of All Available Suites”. Click on the List of Available Suites link to view a full roster of available suites and a link to college floor plans.
What if the number of members in my group does not match my desired group size?
Students will not be able to proceed to lottery and will be disbanded if the number of group members does not match their desired group size. Students can adjust their desired group size within the Housing Portal.
I do not have a group yet. How can I find other students to group with?
Students can utilize the “Suggest Roommate” or “Suggest Roommate Group” tools within the housing portal to identify other students not yet in a group or groups that still need additional members.
I do not want to group and do not have a preference as to where I live. Can I just be assigned randomly and not participate in the room draw?
If you are planning to live on campus but prefer not to participate in grouping, you can opt out of the remaining stages of room draw by selecting Opt Out of Grouping. If you select this option, you will be assigned to a bedroom by the Undergraduate Housing Office and you will not participate in any further stages of room draw.
Students who select this option should be aware that this is not a pathway to guarantee a single room. Students who opt out of grouping will be assigned to a partially filled suite with students in the same draw (class year), and will have suitemates and/or a roommate. Learn more about the process here.
What happens if I don’t form or join a group?
To be eligible for room selection, students must create or join a group. Students who do not form a complete group at the end of group formation, along with students in disbanded and oversubscribed groups, will be relegated to regrouping. Any student who is not part of a group when regrouping closes will not be able to proceed in the housing selection process.
I am a junior. Can I form a group with my friends in the senior draw?
No. Students can only group with students participating in the same draw. Juniors can only draw with juniors, seniors can only draw with seniors, and sophomores can only draw with sophomores.
I am sponsoring a student transferring from another college. Am I required to group with them?
Yes, sponsoring a student who is transferring from another college comes with the expectation that you will be in a housing group with that student. Failure to group with your sponsored student may lead to the rescinding of the transfer approval.
I see a “Placeholder” student. What is this?
Colleges may have a couple of placeholder students rostered into the group formation process. These students may or may not be visible in your draw, depending on your class year. Each placeholder student represents an incoming transfer student, reinstated student, an opt out of grouping student or a student who requested housing after the process to be housed in your college next academic year. Any group may opt to add one of these students, and should know that by doing so, they understand that a student will be added to their suite over the summer. Each placeholder request must be reviewed and approved in advance of group formation closing.
How can I add a placeholder to my group?
If placeholders are available to your draw, they can be found by utilizing the Suggest Roommates or Search for Roommates by Details tools. You can send a request to add a placeholder to your group like you would with any other student. Please note that each placeholder must be reviewed and approved in advance of group formation closing. Please write to the Undergraduate Housing Office at undergraduatehousing@yale.edu to request approval for a placeholder.
My friend requested housing late. Can I add a placeholder and request that they fill that spot?
Placeholders can only be used if they are available to your class draw and are not intended for students to use as a placeholder for a friend on the assignment pending list, nor can we guarantee specific student assignments into your group. Placeholders are meant to be used by students who are having trouble filling a group and understand that the spot could be filled by a transfer student, reinstated student, opt out student, etc.. There is no guarantee nor a mechanism for students to request how that spot is filled. Students should take this into consideration before requesting a placeholder.
Group formation has ended, and my roommate has decided to live off-campus, how will this impact my ability to participate in room selection?
If a member of your group requests to be removed from the housing process after group formation has closed, the Undergraduate Housing team will take steps to ensure all suites are fully filled. This may mean that a group is redesignated to the correct group size (i.e. a quad that loses a member may be designated as a triple) if possible. Or, a “placeholder” may be added to the group so that the number of assigned members aligns with the original group size. After room selection has concluded for participating students, this spot will then be filled by the Housing Office with an incoming transfer student, a reinstated student, or a student who opted out of grouping.
When will I know if my group’s suite size is oversubscribed or if we made it through to lottery?
Students will receive communication from the Housing Office, in the days following the close of Group Formation, informing them of their group’s status. For more information, please review the Room Draw Timeline.
I declared intent late and didn’t have time to group before group formation closed. What’s going to happen?
Students who do not form a complete group at the end of group formation, along with students in disbanded and oversubscribed groups, will be relegated to regrouping. Any student who is not part of a group when regrouping closes will not be able to proceed in the housing selection process.
My group was disbanded and now I must regroup. How can I see what suite sizes are still available?
Once regrouping opens, students of disbanded groups can log onto the Housing Portal to see available undersubscribed suite configurations as well as other students who are participating in regrouping.
My friend missed the intent deadline. Can I still add them to my group?
No. Students who missed the intent deadline cannot participate in the housing process and so, do not have access to the room draw housing portal. Once room selection has concluded for participating students, any remaining beds may be offered to students who requested housing on a first-come, first-served basis. Housing placements will begin in April once room selection has concluded.
If I’m participating in regrouping, can friends in a confirmed group join me?
No. Students who are in confirmed groups and moving forward to room selection may not leave their group in order to participate in regrouping. Regrouping is limited to students who were pushed to the regrouping stage. Students participating in regrouping may only form groups with other students who are also in regrouping.
I don’t see a placeholder student available on the regrouping portal. Can I request to have one added to my group?
Students should make every effort to work with the other students participating in regrouping to fill their suite accordingly. Students can utilize the search functions in the portal to help find students still needing to join a group. Placeholders will only come into play if students are truly unable to fill a suite due to there not being enough students to fill the group.
What happens if I’m in a group size that’s oversubscribed at the end of regrouping?
If there are group sizes that remain oversubscribed after regrouping closes, a pre-lottery will take place and groups will be randomly disbanded.
- For sophomores, students who are disbanded after regrouping will be randomly assigned to available beds in their college draw after room selection has concluded.
- For juniors and seniors, students who are disbanded will be designated as off-campus. Juniors and seniors who are designated as off-campus can opt to join the assignment pending list, through the request housing process in the portal, if they still wish to live on-campus.
What happens if I am not able to fill my group by the regrouping deadline? Will I have to live off-campus?
Students should make every effort to fill their groups with other students participating in regrouping. Students can utilize the search functions in the portal to help find students still needing to join a group.
Students who take every action to follow the process and form a group to the best of their ability will not be forced off-campus because there are not enough students to fill the group. In those instances, placeholders will be slotted into the group to be later filled by a transfer, opt out, or reinstated student. However, students must form into a group size that remains available and undersubscribed in their draw.
How can I add a placeholder to my group?
If placeholders are available to your draw, they can be found by utilizing the Suggest Roommates or Search for Roommates by Details tools in the portal. You can send a request to add a placeholder to your group like you would with any other student. Please note that each placeholder must be reviewed and approved in advance of regrouping closing. Please write to the Undergraduate Housing Office at undergraduatehousing@yale.edu to request approval for a placeholder.
I missed the deadline to regroup. What can I do?
Any student who is not part of a group when regrouping closes will not be able to proceed in the housing selection process and can opt to join the housing waitlist via the Housing Portal.
- For sophomores, students who are disbanded due to inaction or invalid group size at the end of regrouping will be randomly assigned to available beds in their college after room selection has concluded.
Regrouping has ended and my roommate has decided to live off-campus, can I still go through the lottery and room selection process?
If a member of your group requests to be removed from the room draw process after regrouping has closed, the housing team will take steps to ensure all suites are fully filled. This may mean that a group is redesignated to the correct group size (ie a quad that loses a member may be designated as a triple) if possible. Or, a “placeholder” may be added to the group so that the number of assigned members aligns with the original group size. After room selection has concluded for participating students, this spot will then be filled by the Housing Office with an incoming transfer student, reinstated student, or a student who opted out of grouping.
How do I select my room?
Room selection will take place within the Housing Portal. At the beginning of your appointment, the group leader will log onto the housing portal to select a suite from the available inventory and assign rooms to all members of their group.
- March 23rd - timeslots released to rising sophomores and juniors
- March 31st - timeslots released to rising seniors
How long will I have to select a room?
Each room selection appointment will last for 15 minutes, during which time the group leader can select a suite and assign beds to all group members. Students will continue to have access to the room selection portal from the beginning of their appointment time until their suite selection has been finalized or room selection has ended.
Once a suite has been selected, there is a hold on that suite for 10 minutes, during which the group leader must assign all group members to a bedroom and finalize their selection.
Students who have not finalized their suite selection at the end of the 15-minute appointment window, will still retain access to room selection. However, they will not have exclusive access to the portal, as the housing group with the next timeslot will also have access.
Will I be able to see all available suites in my college during room selection?
During a room selection appointment, students will only be able to see suites that correspond with their confirmed group size. For instance, a group of six will only be able to view and select from available sextets. You will not be able to see suites that have been previously selected or any suite that is “held” by another group still finalizing their selection.
How will we be able to assign rooms if we won’t know our suite until our room selection appointment?
All members of your group must be assigned to a bed within a suite before you can finalize your suite selection. Students have the ability to view available suites and floorplans prior to the opening of room selection. Students are encouraged to discuss assignments and any back up plans with their groupmates prior to their room selection appointment to ensure a smooth selection experience.
Ultimately, if you’re unsure about room assignments within your selected suite, it is recommended that you just move forward with assigning beds to all suite members. There will be an opportunity to make room changes within your suite after room selection has concluded.
Can I appoint a proxy for room selection?
Students will not be able to have a proxy select a room for them. Room selection is completed through the housing portal which is CAS protected and linked with individual student identities. Only the Group Leader will be able to make a suite selection and assign bedrooms.
If you are the group leader and will be unavailable during your assigned room selection appointment, you may assign another student in your group to be the leader in the Housing Portal. Students can make these changes any time before their room selection appointment. Please note that students will not have access to reassign group leaders once their timeslot becomes active.
How can I change our Group Leader?
Only the group leader may reassign another student in their group to be leader. If you are the leader of your group, you can make this adjustment within the Housing Portal. After logging into the portal using your NetID and password, navigate to the “Room Draw” tab in the gray navigation bar, scroll down and click “Continue Housing Process”. From there, scroll to the bottom of the page where your group information is outlined. Find the group member you’d like to assign as leader and click the “Make Leader” button. Click “Yes” to confirm the adjustment.
What if I am a group of one and cannot make my assigned room selection appointment?
Students will have access to the room selection portal from the beginning of their appointment time until either suite selection has been finalized or room selection has ended. If you missed your room selection appointment and room selection is still underway, you should log in to the Housing Portal as soon as possible and finalize your selection.
Do all members of the group need to be present during room selection?
The group leader is responsible for selecting a suite and assigning beds to all group members. Students must place all group members into a bedroom and confirm their suite and room selection to secure their selected housing.
If you are the group leader and will be unavailable during your assigned room selection appointment, you may assign another student in your group to be the leader in the Housing Portal. Students can make these changes any time before their room selection appointment. Please note that students will not have access to reassign group leaders once their timeslot becomes active.
My group missed our room selection appointment. What can we do?
Students will have access to the room selection portal from the beginning of their appointment time until either suite selection has been finalized or the room selection period has ended. If you missed your room selection appointment and room selection is still underway, you should log onto the Housing Portal as soon as possible and finalize your selection.
I’ve made other housing plans. How do I withdraw from the housing process?
Students may choose to withdraw from the Housing Process at any time, but should be mindful of any associated fees. To withdraw from the housing process without financial penalty, students must submit a written request to undergraduatehousing@yale.edu before room selection begins for their draw class:
- For rising sophomores and juniors, withdrawal requests must be made no later than 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 24th.
- For rising seniors, withdrawal request must be made no later than 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 1st.
Requests received after the above deadlines will be subject to certain withdrawal and/or relinquishment fees. Please visit the Room Draw policies page for more information.
What happens if I or one of my group members decides to withdraw from housing just before or during our room selection appointment?
The housing team will take steps to ensure all suites are fully filled to account for any students that may have withdrawn from the process prior to room selection. Your group will either be reconfigured to match the updated group size, or a “placeholder” may be added to the group so that the number of assigned members aligns with the original group size. After room selection has concluded for participating students, this spot will later be filled by the housing office with a transfer, opt out, or reinstated student.
How can I switch bedrooms after room selection?
In-suite room switches will be allowed beginning, Monday, April 6th, through Friday, April 10th. During this time, students will be able to swap rooms using the Housing Portal. Please note that only the Group Leader will have the ability to adjust bedroom assignments.
Requests for in-suite room changes received after the end of the room switch period will not be reviewed until the Fall 2026 move in period has concluded. Please see the Housing Policies & Regulations page for more information.