My Simmons

Room Selection

2023-2024

Room Selection is a process the Office of Residence Life (ORL) facilitates every Spring semester for students to apply and receive housing for the next academic year. Room Selection is a term that refers to students either being placed by the Office of Residence Life or who are selecting their room on their own or with a roommate group.

Room Placement indicates that students are placed in their room by a member of the Residence Life team, with their building preferences in mind. Room Placements occur with Eligible Housing Accommodations that are building specific needs, Approved Religious Observation Requests, and Living-Learning Community Admits. Room Selection is a time period where students go to a physical location to select which room they want to live in. For both Room Placement and Room Selection, a student must have an active Housing Application on file for the next academic year.

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Applying for On-Campus Housing

The Housing Application opens on Tuesday, January 31 at 9 AM on your Housing Portal.

The Housing Application will close when we reach the first 630 applications. We will close the application at this point, due to the number of beds we have allocated to rising upperlevel students. Students must apply as soon as the application opens to make their best effort in being one of the first 630 applicants. Students who apply within the first 630 threshold will be able to participate in the overall Room Selection process. Students who do not meet the first 630 threshold will be given an opportunity to fill out the Returning Student Housing Waitlist Application when it opens on Tuesday, April 11th at 9am. Assignments will be given to individuals on the waitlist in order of application submission date and time.

Students must click the SUBMIT button on the last page of the application in order to participate in Room Selection. Roommate groups can only pull in a student who has a submitted application on file.

Once a student SUBMITS the Housing Application they will receive a confirmation email (check spam and junk folders). If you do not get this email, it may indicate that you did not click submit. The Housing Portal will also inform you of the application status.

Housing Accommodations

Housing Accommodation requests are processed by the Office of Accessibility Services. To learn more about registering for a Housing Accommodation, please visit the Register with Accessibility Services webpage. Please direct all questions about accommodations to the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at [email protected]. If you currently have an active Housing Accommodation on file, you must renew each year.

OAS will provide a list of students who are deemed eligible for specific Housing Accommodations to the ORL. OAS will provide a list of students who are deemed eligible for specific Housing Accommodations to the ORL, such as single room, low occupancy bathroom, elevator or first floor. ORL places students, who have eligible accommodations and an active housing application, in the order of eligibility date. ORL meets the housing accommodation based on available room inventory. ORL takes building preferences listed on the Housing Application into account when placing eligible students. Students that ONLY have a Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal accommodation and have an active housing application on file, will participate in Room Selection and not be placed.

Students who are placed will also receive a Time Slot to participate in Room Selection. This means they can create a roommate group if they are not in a single room or elect to participate in the process without the accommodation.

  • Monday, January 23, 2023 – Housing Accommodation Request Opening
    • OAS will start reviewing submissions on this date
  • Monday, February 20, 2023 – Housing Accommodation Request “Closing”
    • Submissions after this date cannot receive priority in Room Placement
    • Accommodations will be honored depending on room inventory if submitted after this date
  • Monday, March 13, 2023 – Housing Accommodation Placements
    • Placed by eligibility date
    • Once Room Assignments are shared, we will not change them based on preferences. You will receive a timeslot to adjust your assignment during selection.

Religious Observation Requests

Massachusetts law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students’ religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. While Massachusetts law does not require accommodations for religious beliefs in the residence halls, our goal is to meet religious observational needs as best we can.

Religious Observation Requests are processed by the Office of Spiritual Life. Please direct all questions about this process to the Office of Spiritual Life at . The form to request a Religious Observation will open on Monday, January 23, 2023.

The Office of Spiritual Life will provide a list of students who are approved for a Housing Religious Observation Request to the Office of Residence Life. ORL places students, who are approved and an active housing application, in the order of approved date. ORL meets the request based on available room inventory. ORL takes building preferences listed on the Housing Application into account when placing approved students.

Students who are placed will also receive a Time Slot to participate in Room Selection. This means they can create a roommate group if they are not in a single room or elect to participate in the process without the approved request.

  • Monday, January 23, 2023 – Religious Observation Request Opening
    • The Office of Spiritual Life will start processing these requests on this date
  • Monday, February 20, 2023  – Religious Observation Request “Closing”
    • Submissions after this date cannot receive priority in Room Placement
    • Request may be honored depending on room inventory if submitted after this date
  • Tuesday, March 14, 2023 – Religious Observation Placements
    • Placed by eligibility date
    • Once Room Assignments are shared, we will not change them based on preferences. You will receive a timeslot to adjust your assignment during selection.

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs)

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) create a comprehensive connected experience that encourages student learning through academic coursework and unlimited opportunities for personal discovery and reflection. Research shows that students, who live in LLC environments are more likely to stay in college, earn a higher GPA and experience a greater degree of satisfaction with their overall college experience.

Our goal is to foster a strong sense of student belonging, self-efficacy and well-being through our LLCs. LLCs reflect purposeful programming achieved through the collaborative efforts of campus partnerships. LLCs create a rich educational living experience that compliments classroom learning. LLCs provide unique learning experiences that facilitate social connections and positive identification with their community.

Process for Joining a LLC

Step 1: Interested students must submit an LLC Application by Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The application will reopen on Sunday, January 15, 2023 to allow more candidates to apply.

Step 2: LLC Applications will be reviewed by the 3 Area Coordinators and Director of Residence Life. LLC Application essays will be reviewed on 2 criteria: Genuine interest in belonging to the community and as an upperlevel student, what you would contribute to the LLC of interest. While we appreciate proper grammar and punctuation, LLC Applications will not be reviewed based on these criteria. Students interested in more than one community must complete an LLC application for each LLC

Step 3: Invitations will be sent to residents accepted into each LLC on Monday, January 16, 2023 for the first round of acceptances. Invitations will be sent to residents accepted into each LLC on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 for the second round of acceptances. Residents not accepted will be notified and offered the opportunity to remain in the alternate pool. Should any resident decline their invitation, Residence Life will contact a member of the alternate pool with an invitation to join.

Step 4: Students invited in the first round must accept the invitation to live in the LLC by Monday, January 23, 2023. Students invited in the second round must accept the invitation to live in the LLC by Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

Step 5: All students “LLC accepted” and “LLC alternate” must apply on the first day the Housing Application opens on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Completing the Housing Application is a requirement for living in an LLC.

Locations of the 2023-2024 Upperlevel Living-Learning Communities:

  • Rising Upperlevel Honors – Dix 4th Floor (35 Beds)
  • Rising Upperlevel Trans & Non-Binary – Dix 1st Floor (16 Beds)
  • Rising Upperlevel BIPOC – Mesick 4th Floor (37 Beds)

Participating in Room Selection

Time Slots

Time Slots are a 10 minute time period where a group or an individual will go to a physical location to select their room for the upcoming academic year. These Time Slots are assigned by the Office of Residence Life and students will receive their Time Slot in the Simmons email on a singular day from Monday, February 27, 2023 – Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Time Slots are organized by a specific priority order with Rising 3+1 and Seniors going first, Rising Juniors going second, and Rising Sophomores going next. ORL uses the Class Year listed in Workday as the student’s designation in this process. For example, if a student is listed as a First Year in Workday, they will be a Rising Sophomore in the Room Selection process.  Application date and time determine in what order those within each group select their room. The first 630 applicants, who are not admitted to a Living-Learning Community or are not a selected Resident Advisor for the 2023-2024 academic year, will receive a Time Slot.

If a student is not available during their time slot they can have someone in their roommate group select for them. If all individuals in a roommate group cannot make it, the Office of Residence Life will select for the group via the Roommate Grouping & Proxy Form. The Roommate Grouping & Proxy form will be sent to Housing Applicants in late February.

If a student has already been placed via the Housing Accommodation or Religious Observation Request Process or they joined someone with an earlier time slot, they do not need to attend their timeslot.

Roommate Group and Proxy Form

The Roommate Group and Proxy Form is a form that all members of a roommate group must fill out. The form will be sent to Housing Applicants in late February and can be submitted from Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – Monday, March 13, 2023 at 5pm in person to the Office of Residence Life or via email to [email protected]. A Roommate Group will only need to fill out one form, but can submit updated forms if there are any changes until 5pm on Monday, March 13, 2023.

The Roommate Group and Proxy Form serves as consent for all members of the group to live together and for all members of the group to be able to pick a room for the group. The form also serves as permission for the Office of Residence Life to place students if none of the roommate group can attend their best Time Slot. ORL uses this form to verify that all roommate group participants have an active housing application on file. Submission of the Roommate Group and Proxy Form is not a guarantee that a roommate group will remain intact as the roommate group may be too large for the room types we have available at the time of the roommate group’s best Time Slot.

If a roommate group needs to break up at the time of their best Time Slot, due to there being no availability of their room type that fits the number of occupants, all individuals cannot benefit from the best Time Slot if the group is recalibrated. Below is an example of a group breaking up:

  • Residents A, B, C, and D want to room together in a 4 person suite in Evans (limited suites available). Resident A has the best time slot of the 4 person group, then Resident B, Resident C, and Resident D in descending order. The group shows up to their selection time slot and realizes all suites, even the 4 person suites, have been selected by people before them. They choose to break up into two groups (A & C and B & D). Residents A & C can select at the time of Resident A’s timeslot, but Residents B & D have to come back at Resident B’s time slot. Their new goal is to respectively be in two doubles on the same floor. Resident B & D can no longer benefit from Resident A’s time slot because the groups has been recalibrated

Planning

Room Selection is an active process and ORL highly suggests that students plan accordingly. Students have to have a clear understanding of the process and read all communication sent by ORL, review the resources (listed below), create multiple back-up plans, and have clear conversations with their roommate groups.

Students may also fall into multiple categories in this process, for example they may be admitted to a Living-Learning Community and have an eligible accommodation on file with OAS. In this case, we may not have enough rooms that meet their accommodations on the floors that are hosting the LLCs and the student will need to choose which avenue they want to pursue. Or students may be admitted to multiple LLCs and they will need to make a choice.

Room Selection Days

Room Selection Days will occur from Monday, March 20, 2023 to Friday, March 24, 2023 and Monday, March 27, 2023 to Friday, March 31, 2023.

On the day and time of your (or the best time within your roommate group) Room Selection Time Slot, the individual or roommate group will come to a predetermined location to select their room. Each Time Slot is 10 minutes long, so individuals/ roommate groups need to be prompt. If students miss their time slot, the Residence Life proxy will select for them. There will be a professional staff member from the Office of Residence Life to assist in answering questions. You cannot change your room selection after your timeslot. That includes going to another roommate’s timeslot. Once a roommate group has selected their room, all other time slots for that group are considered voided.

If a student is studying abroad during the Spring 2023 and has the best time of the roommate group, the individual can zoom into the selection time, but it needs to be pre-arranged or a roommate can select for the student studying abroad.

Resident Advisor Candidates and Kotzen Scholars

Resident Advisor Candidates

Resident Advisor Candidates are required to fill out a 2023-2024 Housing Application as part of the RA Selection Process and must be part of the first 630 applicants. Candidates who do not complete this requirement are not eligible to be offered the RA position. As a candidate for the RA position you will fall into one of the following categories regarding your Housing Contract:

  • If you are offered the RA position and accepted, you will not be responsible for your Room and Board charge as part of your compensation package.
  • If you are offered and decline OR are not offered the RA position, and still wish to live on campus you will be able to participate in the Room Selection Process.
  • If you are offered and decline OR are not offered the RA position, and DO NOT wish to live on campus for the 2023-2024 Academic Year, you must cancel your Housing Application on your Housing Portal by April 5th to avoid financial responsibility based on the Tuition and Refund Schedule.

Kotzen Scholars

Kotzen Scholars are guaranteed housing for all four years of their Simmons University experience. The Office of Residence Life is working with this population to ensure that they have housing for the upcoming academic year.

Kotzen Scholars still have to be part of the first 630 students who apply prior to the Housing Application closing in order to participate in Room Selection. If Kotzen Scholars do not fill out the Housing Application prior to its closing, we will no longer have a bed for them during the Room Selection process, but will be prioritized on the Housing Waitlist.

Returning Student Housing Waitlist Application

The Returning Student Housing Waitlist Application will open on April 11th at 9am on the Housing Portal for those that did not fill out the Housing Application during the Room Selection process.

We will provide housing assignments to students by submission date and time when vacancies open, but will give priority to Kotzen Scholars.

Any student who submits an application prior to the application closing, but is not part of the first 630 applicants, will be notified by ORL that they cannot participate in the Room Selection process. That application will be canceled and ORL will share instructions on how to submit the Returning Student Housing Waitlist Application after its opening.

Important Dates Overview

  • 12/1 – LLC Application Opened for First Round
  • 1/2 – LLC Application Due for First Round
  • 1/15 – LLC Application Opened for Second Round
  • 1/16 – LLC Decisions Sent for First Round
  • 1/23 – LLC Acceptance Due for First Round
  • 1/23 – Housing Accommodation Request Opens
  • 1/23 – Religious Observation Request Opens
  • 1/31 at 9am – Returning Student Housing Application Opens
  • 2/1 – LLC Application Due for Second Round
  • 2/8 – LLC Decisions Sent for Second Round
  • 2/15 – LLC Acceptance Due for Second Round
  • 2/20 – Housing Accommodation Request “Closing”
  • 2/20 – Religious Observation Request “Closing”
  • 2/27-3/1 – Room Selection Time Slot Release (Range)
  • 3/1 – 3/13 – Roommate Grouping and Proxy Form Submissions
  • 3/13 – Housing Accommodation Placements
  • 3/14 – Religious Observation Placements
  • 3/15 & 3/16 – Living-Learning Community Placements
  • 3/20 – 3/24 – Room Selection Days
  • 3/27 – 3/31 – Room Selection Days
  • 4/11 – Returning Student Housing Application Waitlist Opens

Room Selection Resources

  • Room Selection Information Sessions Presentation – for more information on the Room Selection Process, Room Types, Roommate Groups, etc you can review our presentation here. You can also view a narrated version here. Both versions share the initial Housing Application Launch date. The Housing Application will now be available on Tuesday, January 31st at 9 AM.
  • Floor Plans – Floor Plans now reflect the 2023-2024 Room Inventory.
  • Available Rooms Document – The Available Rooms Document will be linked on your Housing Portal to plan for Room Selection Days. The document will be updated daily, but is not considered a living document.