It is time for another year of housing selection! Housing selection is a virtual process for returning students that will take place in the housing portal beginning in mid-March.
Please read through the information below to learn more about the available selection processes and your options. We are here to support you through every step of this process.
The housing selection season is an exciting time for our office. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the application, roommate groups, room selection, or the different processes available. Please submit a contact form or give us a call and we will return your call as soon as possible.
Students applying for 2023-2024 Housing will use the application found on the Housing Portal. The application will be available in the housing portal starting February 1!
Returning Students
Welcome to the returning student Housing Selection page! We are excited you are planning to live on campus with us again next year. UMW and national data shows that students who live on campus are more likely to succeed academically and have an overall more enjoyable experience at UMW.
We have provided a wealth of information about Housing Selection below and within the links provided. Please read everything thoroughly and contact our office if you have questions. For students participating in specific processes, additional information will be sent via email after applications are submitted.
Please note: First-year students who sign an agreement to live on campus during 2022-2023 are bound by the two-year residency requirement and may not choose to change to commuter status without being released by the Contract Review Committee. Students obligated to the second-year fulfillment who do not participate in the Housing Selection process will still be assigned a space and be held to the terms and conditions of the Housing and Dining Agreement.
Housing Selection Timeline
- February 1: Housing and Dining Application opens for 2023-2024 academic year
- March 13: ALL Housing and Dining Applications DUE for returning 2023-2024 students (roommate groups finalized)
- March 14: Housing selection begins for students with approved ODR Accommodations (only accommodations that affect physical placement, excludes students with ESAs, bed shakers, etc.)
- March 21: Same Building Sign-Up process opens; students who have signed up to live in their same building will choose their space on this day (reminder: students must fill their entire room, apartment, or suite). Roommates must be placed at this time.
- 4-person roommate group timeslots will begin March 21
- 3-person roommate group timeslots will begin on March 23
- 2-person roommate group and individual (1-person) timeslots will begin March 24
- March 28: 4-3-2-1 process for Housing Selection; group leaders will log in during their assigned time slot and select their room space as well as assign their own roommates
- 4-person roommate group timeslots will begin March 28
- 3-person roommate group timeslots will begin March 30
- 2-person roommate group timeslots will begin April 4
- 1-person roommate group timeslots will begin April 6
Options for Upperclass Students
- Manual Assignment by Residence Life and Housing – Certain circumstances require Residence Life and Housing staff to manually assign students to rooms. This includes some ODR accommodations, Flexible Housing groups, or Themed Living Communities. Our goal is to provide as many students as possible the opportunity to use the Housing Portal to select their space; if a manual assignment is needed, a member of the Residence Life and Housing team will let you know prior to the Housing Selection process.
- Same Building Sign-Up – Students who currently reside in an upperclass hall have the opportunity to select their same building for the following year. Students will be asked during the application process if they plan to Same Building Sign-Up. Same Building Sign-Up requires students to fill their space or be consolidated if there are spaces open. Please note: this is not applicable to first-year students who live in first-year halls.
- Self Select a Room – Students who are not part of the aforementioned groups will be assigned a room selection time to go into the Housing Portal and select a space from the available rooms. If part of a verified roommate group, the group leader will assign all group members during their selection time.
- Must Fill Space – Students participating in Housing Selection, regardless of which process they are a part of, must fill their selected space. For example, if you sign up for a suite in Eagle Landing, you must have a roommate group that allows for you to fill all four spaces in the room. This goes for all spaces, including the UMW Apartments.
Housing Selection Process
Students participating in the 4-3-2-1 process will choose their spaces for next year based on roommate group size and classification. Students who have a four-person group and have a group leader who is a Senior will select their spaces first. Students with a four-person roommate group can only see and select spaces that match the number of students in the group. If you wish to live in the UMW Apartments, you will need to find an apartment that has four spaces available, but if you wish to live in Eagle Landing or a suite-style hall, you can select an entire apartment or entire suite. Once Seniors have selected, Juniors with a four-person roommate group will select, and then Sophomores, etc.
After the four-person roommate groups have gone, it will move on to the three-person roommate groups and will again begin with Seniors, move on to Juniors, and so on. Three-person roommate groups can only see and select spaces that have three vacancies, and no more. A three-person group can not select three spaces in Eagle Landing and leave one vacancy. Whatever space you choose, you will need to fill. After three-person groups, we will go by classification for two-person groups, and then finally for individuals who are not in a roommate group.
If there are vacancies in an apartment or suite, that apartment or suite will be subject to consolidation. This means if you select a single space in a 4 person apartment, you may be moved to another room or apartment in order to fill that apartment and open the apartment you were in. Consolidation will not change the type of room you have selected. For example, if you selected a single room, you will only be moved to a single room. If you have selected a double room you will only be moved to a double, etc. During consolidation, we will not break up roommate groups.
To learn more about these options, please read further on the Housing Selection Processes web page