- Students attend an Info Session to learn about the Continuing Student Housing Application Process.
- Students apply for Housing for the 2024 - 2025 Academic Year on their Student Housing Portal linked here during the Continuing Student Housing Application Period (February 26th - March 4th).
- Students apply for Housing for the 2024 - 2025 Academic Year on their Student Housing Portal linked here during the Continuing Student Housing Application Period (February 26th - March 4th). Applications must be COMPLETED by 11:59 PM on March 4th to be considered on time.
- If wanted, students who are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery form roommate groups on their Student Housing Portal linked here.
- Students who applied to Campus-Wide Themed Housing are sent acceptance or denial emails. Students who are accepted to Campus-Wide Themed Housing MUST accept the offer by the deadline or their offer will be voided.
- Students who have Disability Accommodations for 2024-25 and who are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery meet with the housing coordinator to pick suitable housing for the upcoming year.
- April 9th - 18th, 2024 - Room Selection
- Pass 1: Affiliated and Full Groups can select housing at their Application Community
- Pass 2: All students can select housing at their Application Community
- Pass 3: All students can select housing at any location regardless of Application Community
- The housing coordinator assigns students off the waitlist.
How do I know if I am eligible for the Room Selection Lottery?
If I missed the Continuing Student Housing Application Period, can I still apply for 2024-25 housing? How do I apply for housing?
Yes. The housing application will remain open throughout the summer and can be accessed at studenthousing.ucsc.edu. L og in to studenthousing.ucsc.edu and click on the “Housing Application” button. Then select “Undergraduate Housing”. You will then be prompted to select “2024 - 2025 Academic Year”. Follow the instructions in the application.
If your application is sent after the Continuing Student Housing Application Period, your application will be considered LATE and you will be placed on the waitlist.
What makes a good housing application?
Honesty about your lifestyle and Flexibility with your room type. The housing coordinator's job isn't to judge how you live your life, their job is to try to find a room or apartment where you will be happy living with people with similar lifestyles.
NOTE: if you have a medical need for a certain kind of room, please work with the Disability Resource Center to get a housing accommodation.
Honesty:
In the housing application, you are asked about how you live and avoid the option " I don’t have a strong preference about. " if another option is more accurate. We recommend you fill out your lifestyle questions either by yourself or with someone who is going to be real with you about how you live.
If you know you tend to go to bed after 2 AM, stating that you " don’t have a strong preference about when I go to bed" informs the housing coordinator that you will be adaptable about your bedtime and do not mind changing your bedtime schedule for your roommate's comfort .
As a result, you may be matched with a roommate that wakes you up at 7 AM in preparation for their 8 AM class and you may find yourself getting little sleep.
Flexibility:
There is limited availability of housing at UCSC and limited single and double-occupancy spaces. Housing Coordinators try to assign first and second preferences whenever possible. If a student only has one preference and there is no more of that room type available, the housing coordinator will not look at that student's application until every person who has more room types requested has been placed before sending students alternate offers.
If you would prefer a single, put that as your first choice. But if you wouldn't mind a triple, put that as a later preference.
If there are 10 singles (10 beds) and 10 triples (30 beds) on a floor and 50 students wanting housing, the student who requested a single AND a triple has 40 possible beds they can get assigned to. The student who ONLY wants a single has only 10 beds they can get assigned to.
Once all singles have been assigned, any student did not list any other room types will not be offered housing until all students who requested non-single rooms have been assigned to housing.
Can I apply to more than one community?
No. You can only apply to one community.
You can maximize your chances of being assigned by ranking as many room types as you agree to accept in your housing application.
Tip: After completing your housing application, you will have the option to add more room preferences, including those in other communities. We highly recommend taking this additional step!
If possible, you will be assigned to your preferred housing community, but you may be assigned to any room type in your application even if it is not in your preferred community.
Are College Nine and John R Lewis College different communities?
Yes, College Nine and John R Lewis College are different communities. If you want to live with a roommate or roommates, please make sure you all apply to the same college, be that College Nine OR John R Lewis College.
I WANT TO LIVE WITH MY FRIENDS, BUT.
. They aren't eligible for the Room Selection Lottery. Can I assign them along with me during room selection?
No.
Only students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery can be assigned during room selection.
. They aren't eligible for the Room Selection Lottery. What can we do to increase our chances of living together?
For students who are unable to participate in Room Selection, the housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests. The chances are low that multiple spaces will open in a room or apartment that will accommodate a large roommate group. But there are a few ways to improve the chances of getting assigned to preferred roommates:
- Apply to the same community: only students who apply to the same community can request each other as roommates.
- When available to students ineligible for the Room Selection lottery, request each other as roommates.
- List at least one room type in common with your roommates.
- Make sure you fill out the lifestyle questionnaire accurately.
- If the housing coordinator is unable to assign you to your preferred roommate, they will still try to assign you to the best roommate match.
- It does not matter how similar or different your questionnaire answers are, if there is a roommate request, housing coordinators will do their best to meet roommate requests.
- Tips on making a good housing application can be found under "What Makes A Good Housing Application".
- If the housing coordinator is unable to assign you to your preferred roommate, they will still try to assign you to the best roommate match.
. We want different room types. Will our roommate group or our room type be considered first during the assignment process?
Talk to your friends about what housing you prefer and what things you are willing to compromise. If you are unable to come to a compromise that leaves all parties happy, consider different roommates or a smaller roommate group.
For eligible students, some students will be able to assign themselves during Room Selection. Roommates will be able to place themselves and their roommates into rooms. It will be up to the student assigning their roommate group to ensure that everyone's room preferences are met.
Keep In Mind: The College Nine and John R. Lewis College apartments have specific configurations that may not accommodate everyone's first choice in room type.
For students who are unable to participate in Room Selection, the housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests. However, if a roommate group has NO room types in common, the housing coordinator will then assign students based on their room preferences and try to keep students in similar areas.
Keep In Mind: The Housing Coordinator will assign people to housing as there are available spaces. Even if all roommates have the same room type on file, the housing coordinator may not have enough spots in a room to completely assign all roommates. For example: three (3) roommates will all accept a triple room, but there is only one triple available with two (2) spots.
We STRONGLY recommend all roommate groups have at least one multi-occupancy room type in common. If you have a 5-person group, roommates should list a triple room option in case a smaller room type is unavailable.
. We have different lifestyles. Will our roommate group or our lifestyle questionnaire be considered first during the assignment process? Should we make sure our lifestyle questionnaire is as similar as possible?
No, every student should fill out the lifestyle questionnaire accurately. The housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests, even if your lifestyle questionnaire might inform us that you live different lifestyles.
We trust that roommate groups have already discussed the difference in their lifestyles and will come up with roommate agreements that help address any conflict that might arise.
Furthermore, an accurate lifestyle questionnaire allows the housing coordinator to make a good roommate match should they need to assign an additional occupant to your room later on in the year.
What SHOULD be identical between me and my roommates on our applications?
- Application Community
- College Nine ≠ John R. Lewis College
- Themed Housing Areas if you want to live at the ILC, for example, together.
- At least one room type or set of rooms that comprise an apartment that can house the entire roommate group. For example,
- College Nine and John R. Lewis College do NOT have 8 people apartments.
- If a roommate group of 8 applies, the housing coordinator cannot house them anywhere at College Nine or John R. Lewis College without breaking the group.
- Gender composition preferences (should not contradict)
- If Sammy Slug does not prefer single-gender housing and Beatrice Butterfly does not prefer mixed-gender housing, the housing coordinator CANNOT assign them to a room together that will meet their gender composition preferences.
- we do not have a Schrodinger's gender composition floor
- If Sammy Slug will accept single-gender housing, but prefers mixed-gender housing, and Beatrice Butterfly will accept mixed-gender housing, but prefers single-gender housing, the housing coordinator CAN assign them together.
- If Sammy Slug does not prefer single-gender housing and Beatrice Butterfly does not prefer mixed-gender housing, the housing coordinator CANNOT assign them to a room together that will meet their gender composition preferences.
What SHOULD NOT be identical between my roommates and me on our applications?
- Your lifestyle questionnaire (unless all parties DO live in the exact same way).
- Your ranking of room types (unless all parties all want the same kinds of rooms in the exact same way).
Can my roommates be preassigned with me if I have a DRC accommodation?
Roommates are not a disability accommodation UNLESS they are licensed medical professional who must reside with you.
If you are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery, have a DRC accommodation on file for the 2024-25 school year, and apply by the deadline, you will be offered the option to get pre-assigned. Disability-related pre-assignment is an offer, not a requirement. Students can decline the offer of preassignment and choose to take part in room selection.
THE ROOM SELECTION PROCESS AND PRE-ASSIGNMENTS:
When is Room Selection?
April 9th - 18th, 2024.
- Pass 1: Affiliated and Full Groups can select housing at their Application Community
- Pass 2: All students can select housing at their Application Community
- Pass 3: All students can select housing at any location regardless of Application Community
- After Room Selection ends, all students who are unassigned are put on a waitlist for their applied community .
Who is eligible to participate in Room Selection?
If I apply to College Nine, where can I assign myself during Room Selection? How do I apply for the College Nine and John R. Lewis College apartments?
Students who apply to College Nine and are eligible for room selection will be able to pick:
- rooms at the College Nine Residence Halls
- rooms within apartments at the College Nine and John R. Lewis College apartments
Students will NOT be able to pick rooms within the ABC community and ILC during room selection as those spaces are pre-assigned.
Which apartments can I assign myself during Room Selection if I apply to College Nine?
All students who apply to College Nine or John R. Lewis College can live in apartments within the College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartment Buildings.
Apartment Configurations:
Apartments Available for All Students Who Apply to College Nine and John R. Lewis College:
- 5 Person Apartment – one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Double (only 2 available)
- 6 Person Apartment – two Apartment Triples
- 6 Person Apartment – one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Large Triple
- 6 Person Apartment – one Apartment Large Triple, one Apartment Large Triple
- 6 Person Apartment – two Apartment Small Doubles, two Apartment Singles
- 7 Person Apartment – one Apartment Quad, one Apartment Large Triple (only 1 available)
Apartments Available ONLY for Students Who Apply to College Nine:
- 5 Person Apartment –one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Small Double (only 3 available, attached to a Residence Hall)
If our group is 50% College Nine Affiliates, 50% Oakes College Affiliates, and we all apply to College Nine, will the Oakes College Affiliates get a first or second pass timeslot at Oakes College?
No. The first two passes of room selection are ONLY at the college where you applied to live.
As the Oakes College students are not affiliated with College Nine, they will not a time in the first pass of room selection.
Who is eligible for pre-assignment?
The following student groups are eligible to be assigned before Room Selection:
- Resident Assistants (RAs) and Neighborhood Assistants (NAs)
- Students with documented Disability Accommodations for the 2024 - 2025 academic year
- Students accepted to campus-wide themed communities such as the International Living Center
- Students accepted the Camper Park
Pre-assignment is ONLY for students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery. The ONLY exceptions are RAs and NAs as living on campus is part of their terms of employment.
Do pre-assignments take spaces away from other students who are eligible for room selection?
No. Any pre-assigned space will go to a student who is eligible for Room Selection. One preassigned bed means one less person in the lottery.
- RA Rooms aren’t available during room selection.
- Less-common accessibility spaces aren’t available during room selection (for example, flashing doorbells and carpet free spaces) to ensure students who need those spaces have them available.
- Themed communities aren’t available during room selection.
- The camper park is not available during room selection .
I want to live the ILC, do I have to apply to College Nine or John R. Lewis College?
No. You do NOT have to apply to College Nine or John R. Lewis to live at the ILC. A supplemental application for a themed community communicates “I would like to live at the ILC. If I do not get into the ILC, I would like to live at the college or community I originally applied for" .
I plan on being an RA next year, what should I do?
Please follow any instructions sent to you by the hiring committee.
If you do not plan to live on campus unless you get the RA position, it is your responsibility to cancel your housing application in the event you do not get hired for the RA position.
The housing coordinator suggests you apply for housing as if you are not going to get the RA position. This includes applying for the community where you (and your roommate group) have the best chance of getting a first pass time slot in the Room Selection Lottery, completing competitive supplemental applications (if applicable), and picking all room types that you would accept. This ensures you are setting yourself up for success in the event you do not get the RA position.
As an example, if you apply for College Nine but are hired at Oakes College, the housing coordinators for both communities will work together to get you assigned to the right space for your job .
Can my roommates be preassigned with me if I have a DRC accommodation?
Roommates are not a disability accommodation UNLESS they are licensed medical professional who must reside with you.
If you are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery, have a DRC accommodation on file for the 2024-25 school year, and apply by the deadline, you will be offered the option to get pre-assigned. Disability-related pre-assignment is an offer, not a requirement. Students can decline the offer of preassignment and choose to take part in room selection.
ASSIGNMENTS AND THE ASSIGNMENT PROCESS:
How are housing assignments made?
During Room Selection, students can assign themselves to housing.
After Room Selection, housing coordinators assign students off the waitlist based on rooms available and what rooms a student has requested. When looking at roommate compatibility, housing coordinators will do their best to make good matches best on what is listed on the student's housing application. We have some tips on what makes a good housing application!
If there isn't an available room of the type you requested, housing coordinators will try to offer alternative housing. However, housing coordinators will first assign everyone who has requested available room types before offering alternative offers.
If Student A and Student B both want a residence hall large triple, but Student B has also listed a residence hall (regular) triple, and there are no residence hall large triples available, the housing coordinator will assign Student B to the regular triple.
After every student who requested a residence hall triple on their housing application are assigned and there are leftover spaces, only then will the housing coordinator offer housing to those who did not request that room type like Student A .
Do I need to change my college affiliation to apply to a certain community?
NO! You do not need to change your college affiliation to live in another community as a continuing student. All you need to do is apply for that community during the continuing student housing application period.
However, students eligible for the Room Selection Lottery will only be given a timeslot for Room Selection during the first pass if they apply to the college of their affiliation. For more information, please refer to the Room and Apartment Selection section of the Continuing Student Housing Application Period Website linked here.
All petitions to change college affiliation must be submitted by March 15th, 2024, for your change to your College Affiliation to be effective for Spring Quarter. Petitions to change college submitted after March 15th, 2024 will become effective in Fall Quarter - not in time for Room Selection.
If you'd like to change your college due to that college's themes, resources, and academic support, you can learn more about the College Change Procedure on the registrar website.
Will College Affiliation affect my likelihood of getting housing?
Yes! The first pass of Room Selection info linked here are exclusive to affiliates (and their roommates). Starting during the second pass of room selection, affiliation will not increase or decrease your likelihood of getting housing.
WAITLIST, CHANCES, AND ALTERNATE OFFERS
How can I increase my chances of getting housing?
Here are some ways to increase your likelihood of getting housing on campus for the fall.
- Mark or flag housing emails as Important/VIP/etc. on your phone and in your email.
- The housing emails will be sent primarily from housing@ucsc.edu and 9housingJRL@ucsc.edu.
- In particular, mark the "Housing Application acknowledgment" email you were sent when you applied to housing. By marking your “Housing Application Acknowledgement” email as important, your email will know to prioritize all housing emails so you are more likely to see an alternate housing offer.
- The most common room type currently available is a residence hall triple - if you would accept this room type but have not specified it on you housing application, you should do so.
Please understand that there is a limited supply of on-campus housing and not everyone will receive an offer for this housing.
How does the waitlist for students without confirmed housing assignments work?
The waitlist is NOT a numbered list and does not work as such. The waitlist is as long as there are students wanting housing on campus. Students are assigned off this list based on what spaces are available and how well they will get along with any current residents.
To use a metaphor, the waitlist is a box of puzzle pieces and as there are spaces available, the housing coordinator will evaluate the available puzzle pieces and put the piece that fits best into the available space. Once a match is made, a student is assigned.
Am I on the waitlist?
Technically, all students who have an active application for the 2024 - 2025 academic year and who have yet to be assigned to housing are on the waitlist. You can check if you have an active application by logging into your Student Housing Portal at studenthousing.ucsc.edu.
As stated on the Housing Contract (Article 6, Section 6, Subsection 12, Paragraph 6, Point ii), if a student has been offered two alternate housing assignments and either declined or did not respond to the email at all, “the University reserves the right to terminate the waitlist application. The Student will be required to submit a new waitlist application if interested in future university housing.”
Should I look for Off-Campus Housing?
Yes. We encourage all students waiting for housing assignments to look for Off-Campus Housing. The Community Rentals office has a lot of resources including a first-time Renter's Workshop.
If you secure Off-Campus Housing, it is your responsibility to cancel your housing application once you have signed the lease.
When can we make a roommate group?
Students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery should be able to select roommates as soon as they complete the application. Students who plan to participate as a roommate group should make their roommate group no later than April 8th.
Students who are ineligible for the Room Selection lottery will be able to form a roommate group AFTER Room Selection (April 19th onwards).
One a student is assigned to housing, they will not be able to join a roommate group.
Why can’t I select my roommates?Students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery should be able to select roommates as soon as they complete the application.
Students ineligible for the Room Selection lottery will be able to select roommates after Room Selection has concluded. This is to prevent confusion and any unnecessary stress for students during Room Selection.
If you cannot find your roommate, here are some common problems to troubleshoot:
- Have your roommates submitted an application?
- You cannot add a roommate who does not have an application on file.
- Keep in mind, College Nine and John R Lewis College are DIFFERENT communities.
- If not, you can reenter the application and mark yourself as visible!
Uh-oh, I applied to the wrong community! Can I change the community I applied to?
The only way to change your application community is to cancel your housing application.
Before 11:59 PM on March 4th, 2024:
You can cancel your housing application and reapply without affecting your eligibility to participate in room selection, as long as the new application is finished by 11:59 PM on March 4th.
After 12:01 AM on March 5th:
You cannot change the community you applied to without voiding your eligibility to participate in room selection and/or lowering your chances of getting on-campus housing. You should immediately inform any roommates you had plans with so they can modify their plans.
You should add all the room types available at the residential community that you meant to apply to in your application. Keep in mind, your first choice of room MUST be at the residential community where you applied.
PREFERENCES, BILLING, FEES, ETC:
I want to change my room preferences/meal plan/billing plan. What can I do?
Students are able to return to their completed applications in order to make changes to room, theme, meal plan, billing, and other preferences up until the point they are assigned housing. A student CANNOT change their community type after submitting a housing application. After a student is assigned, students cannot change their room or theme preferences.
How do cancellation fees work?
Cancellation fees are ONLY applied to your account if you have been ASSIGNED to housing. For more information please refer to the Continue Student Housing Application Website linked here.
What resources are available to help students look for off-campus housing?
Our office does not specialize in off-campus housing. Please refer to the Community Rentals Office (linked here). The Community Rentals Office serves as a resource for UC Santa Cruz students, faculty, and staff interested in seeking off-campus housing.
What is the difference between beds A, B, and C in a triple room? How are bed spaces determined?
The letters at the end of the assignment do NOT denote bed space. They are there so our database can list three people in one room. We trust students to be able to discuss with their roommates who will get what bed.
If you have a medical need for a certain type of bed, please work with the Disability Resource Center to get a housing accommodation.
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