Housing Assignments & Room Selection
Overview of the Room Selection Process
Virtual Information Sessions:
Thurs 1/25, 3-4 pm
Mon 1/29, 5-6 pm
Thurs 2/1, 2-3 pm
Thurs 2/22, 10-11 am
Drop-in Hours:
Tues 1/30, 10-12am
Tues 2/6, 12-2pm
Wed 2/14, 1-3pm
Mon 2/26, 3-5pm
Access the Housing Application by clicking the My ResLife link on the Agora Portal. Be sure to complete the Housing Intent and Residency Agreement pages within the application. The housing application is due on Friday, February 2nd.
Before housing selection begins, have conversations about Plan A, B, C, and D with your entire group.
- If you are part of a group, select a group leader who will register your group.
- If you are not part of a group, sign up for Open Registration. For Open Registration you will give your top 3 preferences on where you would like to live, and will have the opportunity to give specific information if you so wish. In the middle of June, you will be informed of your assignment.
Blocking is a process where groups of students can request adjacent rooms. For example, a group of 16 students can "block" with the intent of living in two adjacent eight-person suites in Walsh Hall.
After registration closes, the computer system will randomly select the participants for each day. All members of the groups that participate in each drawing will receive an email informing them of their drawing results.
If your group is selected to pick a room, your group leader will receive an email with a scheduled "pick time" and other important details.There is no waitlist to move to alternate spaces after your selection. After you have selected your space, your selection is final for the next academic year.
Any student that is eligible for housing during room selection, but does not wish to form a group and select a space, is welcome to participate in Open Registration. Open Registration Sign-Up will be available for students to complete for several days before and after the group process. In the sign-up students may rank their room type preference (traditional, suite or apartment) and provide any roommate preference, if applicable. Students will be assigned to available spaces starting in June.
Group Selection Day
PrintGroup Room Selection Dates
Group Registration and Selection Times:
- Room selection will start on Monday, March 11, and continue through Monday, March 25.
- Groups register from 10am-1pm EST on each room type day.
- Room selection begins at 4pm EST the day after groups register.
- Group registration and pick times are different than previous academic years. If you have questions, please contact placement@bc.edu.
Group Selection Process:
| Room Type | Group Formation | Room Selection Pick Times |
|---|---|---|
| Early Open Registration | Opens: Mon 2/26, 9am | Closes: Fri 3/1, 11:59pm |
| 6 Person Apartments | Mon 3/11, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Tues 3/12 |
| 4 Person Apartments | Tues 3/12, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Wed 3/13 |
| 2 or 3 Person Apartments | Wed 3/13, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Thurs 3/14 |
| 6 Person Suites (Stayer) | Thurs 3/14, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Fri 3/15 |
| 8 Person Suites | Fri 3/15, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Mon 3/18 |
| 4 Person Suites (Walsh) | Mon 3/18, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Tues 3/19 |
| 6 & 9 Person Suites (Triple bedrooms) | Tues 3/19, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Wed 3/20 |
| Traditional Rooms | Wed 3/20, 10am-1pm | Starts at 4pm, Thurs 3/21 |
| Open Registration Sign-Up | Opens: Friday 3/22, 9am | Closes: Mon March 25th, 5:00pm |
Registration times for each day will begin at 10:00 am EST and end at 1:00 pm EST. Room selection pick times will begin at 4 PM EST the day after you register your group. We understand that with many students in different time zones, there may be challenges or complications with registration and selection times. If you foresee having issues with any dates or times, please let us know and we will do our best to work with you and your group.
Group Leader Responsibilities
- The Group Leader is responsible for creating the group during group registration from 10am-1pm EST.
- The Group Leader then verifies the group. Verified groups cannot be changed.
- Groups will randomly be selected to participate in the group selection process.
- If your group is selected to pick a room, your Group Leader will receive an email with your group pick time.
- If your group receives a pick time, your group must select housing on that day
- If your group is not selected you will be able to form a new group for another selection day.
- You do not have to register for a room type on every consecutive day
Helpful Hints
Don't register for housing you do not want.
Your social life will be what you make it, no matter where you live.
Pick one direct roommate and don't leave each other during the process.
Before housing selection begins, have conversations about Plan A, B, C, and D with your entire group.
Make plans where no one gets "cut out." Blocking can help with this.
Blocking
Blocking allows several groups to select housing at the same time.
The number of blocked groups allowed is based on room type:
- Two-person apartments: Four blocked groups
- Three-person apartments: Three blocked groups
- Four-person apartments: Three blocked groups
- Six-person apartments: Two blocked groups
- Eight-person suites: Two blocked groups
- Nine-person suites: Two blocked groups
- Six-person suites (Stayer): Two blocked groups
- Six-person suites (Triple): Two blocked groups
- Four-person Suites: Three blocked groups
- Traditional style rooms: Eight blocked people
Groups must be the same size and apply for the same type of housing.
Blocked groups have one leader who registers for everyone.
Blocking does not improve or hurt your chances of housing.
Special Considerations
Living Learning Communities
If you are interested in applying to one of our Living Learning Communities be sure to complete the appropriate pages within the same Housing Application.
Sophomore Living Experience
For the 2023-24 academic year, we are establishing a new living community in Walsh for sophomore students. If you are interested in selecting one roommate, developing relationships with new students, and confirming your housing assignment prior to room selection, this option might be good for you. If you are interested in this opportunity, please make sure that you complete that section of your housing application by Friday, February 3rd. More information about the sophomore living experience can be found in the tab at the top of this page.
Housing Accommodations
Any student requesting a housing assignment based on a medical condition, psychological or physical disability must register or re-register with the Disability Services Office by the priority deadlines established for each semester.
To be considered for needs based housing accommodations, students should:
1. Complete the Disability Services Registration Form online.
2. Submit documentation (either attach it with your online registration, or email/fax it to the Disability Services email disabsrv@bc.edu). Please review Documentation requirements on their website.
3. Make an initial registration meeting with Disability Services staff. Your meeting will take place via phone/Google Hangout. To schedule a meeting please use their online scheduling calendar. If you encounter issues, please call (617) 552-3434. (Please note that both the registration and documentation steps must be complete prior to your meeting.)
4. Documentation will be reviewed by the Office of Disability Services on a rolling basis. Students will be notified via their BC email account once their request(s) have been reviewed and a decision has been made.
FAQ
FAQ
I missed the Housing Application deadline. What do I do?
Room selection is a deadline-driven process and students that miss a deadline may no longer be eligible for University housing. If you do not submit your housing application by the deadline and would still like to live in University housing, you must file a housing appeal via the MyResLife link on the Agora Portal.
Where is the room selection process held?
The entire room selection process is held online, in the MyResLife area on the Agora portal.
How does the room selection process work?
Students can choose to participate in room selection as a group (Group Selection) or as an individual (Open Registration).
There are four main parts to the Group Selection process:
Housing Application: In order to begin the room selection process, eligible students must indicate their housing intent within the returning student housing application via the MyResLife link on the Agora Portal.
Group Registration: The Group Leader registers the group for a particular room type via MyResLife. Group registrations take place between 9am and 1pm.
Room Draw: Following the close of registration, a computer-driven random drawing will select the participants for each day. All members of the groups that participate in each drawing will receive an email regarding their drawing results.
Room Pick: If a group is selected to pick a room, the Group Leader will receive an email with the scheduled time at which he/she will select next year's room assignment online. The selection will take place later that same day. If your group receives a pick time, your group must select housing on that day
After a group has picked a room, the process is over. If a group was not drawn for a particular accommodation type, that group will have to continue through the process for the next available day.
If a student decides to participate in Open Registration instead of Group Selection, he/she must complete the Open Registration portion of the housing application, located on Agora under MyResLife.
I have three years of housing. Can I live off campus my sophomore year and live on campus my junior year?
If a student was granted three years of housing, the mandatory year off campus is junior year. Students are not permitted to change this. If a rising sophomore student with three years of housing chooses to move off-campus, he/she will have to remain off campus for both sophomore and junior years; but will be eligible to move back on campus senior year.
How do I apply for a Living & Learning Community?
Applications for Living & Learning Communities (LLC) are made available within the Housing Application. Students should answer all required questions regarding Living & Learning Communities within the Housing Application. The upperclassmen LLC options are: Sustainability, Honors, and Healthy Living Community. To learn more, please visit the Living & Learning Programs page.
Eligibility Codes & Categories
Individual Eligibility Codes
Each eligible student is given a number code based on their class year. Note that a student with one semester left to complete their degree is coded as a junior, even though their current class year is senior.
Juniors & Seniors = 1
Sophomores = 2
First-Year = 3
Categories and Blocking
Students can form groups and combine their individual eligibility codes to make a group total. The totals then fall into the categories below. Groups of students can then block together with other groups so as to share the same pick time to choose their separate rooms. Groups can only block within their own category, meaning a group that falls into category 1 can only block with another group from category 1, category 2 can only block with category 2, and so on.
2-Person Apartments Category 1 = 2 or 3 | 6-Person Suites (2 triple bedrooms in 90 STM)
|
3-Person Apartments Category 1 = 3 or 4 | 8-Person Suites Category 1 = 8 or 9 |
4-Person Suites and Apartments Category 1 = 4 or 5 | 9 Person Suites (3 triple bedrooms in Vanderslice) |
6-Person Suites and Apartments Category 1 = 6 or 7 | 2, 3, & 4-Person Traditional Style Rooms Category 1 = code average 1.0 |
Historical Data
Sophomore Housing
- Approximately 20% of the class live in College Road
- Approximately 35% of the class live in Walsh
- Approximately 30% of the class live in traditional style housing (College Road, 66 Comm Ave, Greycliff)
- Approximately 45% of the class live in 8-person suites
Junior Housing
- Approximately 40% of juniors live on campus
- Of those on-campus, approximately 55% live in apartment style housing, 40% in suite style housing, and 5% in traditional style
- Of those on-campus, juniors typically live in Reservoir, Stayer, Vanderslice, and other on-campus apartment options.
Senior Housing
- Most seniors live in apartment style housing
- About 20% of seniors live in the Mods, 20% in Thomas More Apartments, 35% in Ignacio and Rubenstein, and 15% in Gabelli and Voute.
- Approximately 75% of seniors live in 6-person apartments
- Approximately 20% of seniors live in 4-person apartments
Study Abroad Information
PrintStudy Abroad FAQs
If I’m studying abroad for the fall semester, can I still go through room selection?
Yes. If a student is eligible for on-campus housing they are able to select a space during the March Group Selection process, or complete the Open Registration process. Students who are going abroad in the fall, are not required to participate in the housing selection process; it typically is a back-up option in case a student’s study abroad plans change.
Do I still need to submit an appeal if I have guaranteed housing?
Yes. Residential Life will do their best to communicate with students who are already eligible for on-campus housing about the housing application process, but if you do not already have an open housing application, the appeal form will notify Residential Life that you are interested in living on-campus.
I only want on-campus housing for the spring semester, is that an option?
Yes, students that are going abroad in the fall semester are able to request on-campus housing for just the spring semester. We would ask that students submit a housing appeal for the applicable spring semester, and then Residential Life would be able to provide a Spring Only Housing Application for a student to complete. We cannot guarantee that all students returning from abroad will be able to live on-campus in the spring, but typically there is space available for anyone that is interested in housing for just the spring semester.
If I select a room during room selection and study abroad in the fall semester, can my room be held for me until when I return to campus in the spring semester?
No. Once you have confirmed to be studying abroad in the fall semester, you will be removed from your housing assignment for the entire academic year. Once you have been removed from your housing assignment, you will no longer have claim to this room for the spring semester, which means that another student will be assigned to any vacant spaces by Residential Life. Please note that rooms that end up being vacated cannot be held or blocked by you or your roommates within the space. If it is found that students are deterring students from moving into the vacancy, then they could be referred to the Student Conduct process.
What happens if I’m removed from my housing assignment and then my study abroad program is canceled?
In the event that your study abroad program may be canceled, you would need to submit a housing appeal, even if you do have guaranteed housing for that year. If your appeal is approved, our office would work with you to try to assign you to a space on-campus. However, you may not be able to be assigned to the room you selected during room selection.
Can I request to live in a specific place or with a specific person when I return to campus?
Yes and yes. Within the spring only housing application, you will be able to list your preferences for room types (i.e. traditional, suite, apartment), as well as listing any specific roommate requests. However, our office may not be able to meet your request depending what rooms are available.
Fall Study Abroad Information
If you have completed the housing application by the appropriate deadlines, you are still able to participate in the group or open registration room selection process, regardless of whether your intent in your housing application is “On Campus” or “Study Abroad”.
Once Residential Life receives the finalized Fall study abroad list, our office will go ahead and cancel your housing application and room assignment for the entire upcoming academic year. You will no longer have any claim to that room, which means that another student will be assigned to any vacant spaces by Residential Life.
If you are confirmed to study abroad for the Fall semester prior to Residential Life receiving a finalized list from the Office of Global Education, you will need to submit a housing cancellation form to formally notify Residential Life of your plans (Agora > Other Services > MyResLife > Forms).
If you are eligible to live on campus for the upcoming academic year, you will still be eligible to live on campus for the Spring semester when you return from abroad, if you choose to do so. Residential Life will contact students in the middle of October that are abroad in the Fall Semester via email and provide a Spring Only Housing Application.
If you are not eligible to live on campus for the upcoming academic year, you will need to appeal for spring housing (Agora > Other Services > MyResLife > Forms). If approved, you will receive an application.
Spring Study Abroad Information
If you have completed the housing application by the appropriate deadlines, you are still able to participate in the group or open registration room selection process in March, regardless of whether your intent in your housing application is “On Campus” or “Study Abroad”.
If you plan to study abroad in the Spring semester, you are not required to live on-campus for the Fall semester.
Residential Life will receive a finalized Spring study abroad list by November 1st from the Office of Global Education, then our office will go ahead and cancel any on-campus housing assignments for the spring semester.
If you are confirmed to study abroad for the Spring semester prior to our office receiving a finalized list from the Office of Global Education, you will need to submit a housing cancellation form to formally notify Residential Life of your plans (Agora > Other Services > MyResLife > Forms).
You will be required to fully move out of your room either 24 hours after your last exam, or by 5 PM on the last day of residence halls being open in December, whichever comes first.
Important Dates
January- Early February: Students who are eligible for on-campus housing for the upcoming academic year must complete their housing application by the required deadlines.
February-March: Students who are eligible for on-campus housing and have completed the required application steps may participate in the Group Selection or Open Registration room selection processes.
May 31st: Any student that has confirmed their plans to study abroad in the fall semester or full academic year should submit an housing cancellation form to Residential Life (Agora > Other Services > MyResLife > Forms) to notify Res Life they are going abroad.
June 1st: Residential Life will receive a confirmed roster of students from the Office of Global Education for those that are studying abroad in the Fall Semester or full academic year. Residential Life will then cancel a student's on-campus housing for the entire academic year.
Mid-October: Students that are abroad in the fall semester and eligible for on-campus housing will receive an email in regards to completing a Spring Only Housing Application.
October 31st: Any student that has confirmed their plans to study abroad in the Spring semester should submit an housing cancellation form to Residential Life (Agora > Other Services > MyResLife > Forms) to notify Res Life they are going abroad.
November 1st: Residential Life will receive a confirmed roster of students from the Office of Global Education for those that are studying abroad in the Spring Semester. Residential Life will then cancel a student’s on-campus housing assignment for the spring semester.
December-January: Students who completed their Spring Only Housing Application will receive their assigned room space for the spring semester.
Sophomore Living Experience
We are excited to share some information regarding a housing opportunity that will be available during room selection this upcoming January-March 2024.
This year we have students who have taken advantage of our Sophomore Living Experience in Walsh, and for the 2024-2025 academic year, the Office of Residential Life will continue offering this specialized community for sophomore students. If you are someone who is interested in selecting one direct roommate, developing new relationships with your peers, and confirming your housing assignment prior to room selection, this is for you! Sign up is easy- once the room selection application is open next semester, you will be able to apply. Students will then be notified then once it is available!
Some highlights of the program are:
If selected to join the Sophomore Living Experience, you will be placed into a 4 or 8 person suite in Walsh with your one selected roommate.
Once you have agreed to the Sophomore Living Experience, you won’t have to participate in the other parts of the room selection process, and you will have your building confirmed before room selection in March.
You will get access specific residential education programing designed to enhance the community on the floor.
Finally, you will have the opportunity to create new relationships with other sophomore students and will not have to worry about forming a large roommate group during room selection.