Rising Sophomore Lottery

Dunster House Students and Moose Mascot

 

After your first year, you'll move to a House that will be your home for the remainder of your undergraduate experience.


If you are an eligible first-year student (rising sophomore), you’ll find out which House community you’ll join during the Rising Sophomore Lottery. After you enter the lottery, you’ll  randomly be assigned  to one of the twelve Houses. If you plan to live off campus for Fall 2024, you should cancel your housing after the lottery. Sophomores who move off-campus prior to living in the Houses are affiliated with the Dudley Community.

About the Lottery

Eligibility and Requirements

All first-year students who complete the fall term are required to participate in the lottery, including students who: 

  • Are on a leave of absence or have been required to withdraw 
  • Are intending on taking a leave of absence 
  • Are intending to move off-campus 
  • Are intending to apply to live in the Dudley Co-Operative.

Please keep in mind that you need to submit a rising sophomore housing lottery application even if you intend to block as a group of 1 and should still create a blocking group via the residential portal.  

If you are a first-year student who did not complete the fall term, you will be assigned to Harvard Yard when you return to the College. If you have any questions about this, you can contact the First-Year Experience Office or your First-Year Resident Dean

Dates and Deadlines

 

How to Apply

Each member of your blocking group must: 

  1. Log in to the Residential Portal and select Applications from the main menu. Next, select Upper-Level Academic Year 2024-2025
  2. Blocking group leaders should set a name and password for the blocking group
  3. Join the blocking group
  4. Submit the lottery application
  5. You can continue to make edits to your registration through Wednesday, Feb 28, at 12 PM.
     

Blocking Groups

Many students choose to enter the Lottery as a blocking group (a roommate group) of up to 8 students and are guaranteed to be assigned to the same house.  

  • You may enter the lottery as an individual (blocking group of one).  
  • The size of your blocking group will not impact your lottery assignment. 
  • You might not share the same suite with all students in your blocking group. Suites in the Houses are first selected by Seniors and Juniors in the House lottery. Your House Administrator will assign you to spaces available after the Senior and Junior lotteries. 

Please note that your blocking group is just one part of your residential community experience. There will be many opportunities to meet friends and find community in your new House outside of your blocking group. 

Blocking Group Names

We encourage group leaders to be creative, yet thoughtful, when creating a blocking group name.  

  • Each group's name must be unique. While group name has no bearing on the results of the lottery, it is visible to fellow students during the registration process and is provided to House staff at the conclusion of the lottery process.  
  • Blocking group names and members are also shared with the Alumni Office for their records.  
  • The College Housing Office reserves the right to edit group names that are offensive or in poor taste.  

Blocking Group Changes

You must email the College Housing Office with any changes to your blocking group after submitting your lottery application before 12:00 pm on the application due date. We are unable to accept changes by phone. Group leaders should send the email and CC all members of the blocking group. 

If you run into any difficulty making edits to your blocking group, please email the College Housing Office. Here are some examples of some edits that need to be made manually: 

  • Changing your letter recipient. 
  • Re-naming an existing blocking group. 

Blocking Group Leaders and Letter Recipients

Each blocking group must designate a group leader and a letter recipient. Your group leader and letter recipient do not need to be the same person.

  • Your group leader will set a group name and password in the Residential Portal so that other members of the blocking group can join. Group leaders should only share the group name and password with members of your group.  
  • Your letter recipient is a student in your blocking group who will receive the letter containing your group's housing assignment on Housing Day. If you are a letter recipient, you should coordinate with your current suitemates in the Yard so that only one blocking group is waiting for an assignment per suite – this will help prevent confusion. 

How to Prepare for the Lottery

Do

  • Talk with your current suitemates in the Yard to determine whose blocking group will receive the letter in your suite. It's often easier (and reduces confusion) when only one blocking group is in a suite.  
  • Be open and honest with your blocking group. If you need tips for having conversations about blocking groups, your PAF and Proctor are great resources. Keep an eye out for when your proctor is holding entryway meetings.  
  • Have fun! Housing Day is an exciting time where you can join a supportive community you will be a part of for the remainder of your time at the College.  

Don't

  • Don’t try to create a blocking group of a specific size. Every year we see many groups of 1 or 2 and many groups of 7 or 8. Do what works for you and your group - your blocking group size does not influence your House placement.  
  • Don't wait too long to have conversations with your prospective blockmates. It's better if everyone is on the same page well in advance of the application opening and if there are no surprises when people are registering.  
  • Don't stress! Your blocking group won’t necessarily determine your sophomore roommates. Each House will run a separate process to assign sophomores to rooms. Blocking only ensures that you end up in the same House. 

Canceling Housing

If you cancel your Fall 2024 housing to move off-campus, your affiliation will change to the Dudley Community. You must complete a separate form to cancel your housing to avoid a late fee. 

Room Assignments

Upper-level student room assignment lotteries happen in April. After that, House Administrators will send rising sophomores questionnaires about their housing preferences and rising sophomores will receive assignments later in the summer in August.  

Disability-Related Access Needs in Housing

Disability Access Office (DAO): Students that have a housing need due to a disability may be eligible for accommodations during the Housing Lottery. Students with disability-related access needs in housing should contact the DAO as soon as possible. Rising Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors should indicate new or additional Housing Accommodations for Fall 2024 by Friday, January 26. Students should apply to the Disability Access Office using the registration process and include any supporting documentation

College Title IX 

You may request to a Title IX Resource Coordinator that you are placed in the same House as another party for reasons related to sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct. 

Gender Inclusive Housing 

All Houses offer gender inclusive housing; therefore, requests for gender inclusive housing are not considered in the Lottery. If you have certain gender or gender identity-related needs that may not be met in particular houses, please reach out to the College Housing team well in advance of the Lottery to discuss your concerns. 

Questions

Please contact the College Housing Office with questions about the lottery or housing day logistics.  

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