c/o Sophie Griffin
Welcome to Ask The Argus, a column brought to you by the magnificent Features section! Every once in a while, we bring you the hottest advice from your wonderful, trusty, seasoned writers. This week’s edition will tackle the housing selection process! Struggling to figure out where to live? Can’t live without your best friend and current roommate? Can’t live with them? Trying to figure out how to smuggle in a cat? The Argus has got you covered!
Here are a few tips from Staff Writer Sulan Bailey ’25, along with updates from Assistant Director of Residential Life (ResLife) Kieran Duffy, to consider as you begin your housing selection.
The housing selection process can be intimidating. What are the best strategies to navigate it?
Start applying now. If you’re interested in living in a Copenhagen, program house, or community-based living (CBLV) space during the next academic year, applications are open for these housing outcomes. You can complete these applications by opening your WesPortal and navigating to Offices and Services > Residential Life > Housing Selection. These applications must be submitted by Friday, April 1 at noon. Details on how to apply can be found on the ResLife website.
Before you delve too deep into the housing process, be sure to ask yourself: what do you most value in a living space? If you’re someone who wants to be close to things, aim to live on a street that is proximate to Wes shenanigans. If you prioritize a sense of community, maybe look at select program houses that fit your interests. If you want to live with a group of your besties, a Copenhagen sounds like the best option for you. Every living space on campus brings something different to the table, so be sure to make sure what you want when you think about life on campus next year. We recommend reaching out to your friends or peers that may have done this process before to get a better sense of where you may want to be next year.
If you are truly indecisive, heed my advice when I say that you can not go wrong. Yes, it sounds cliché, but there are so many great opportunities and places to live that you will seldom find a completely terrible fit for you. Even if you do not get your first choice of living space or housing unit, chances are you will be close to your friends or, better yet, better equipped to make new ones!
What housing types are the best way to feel a sense of community and how can I be assigned to that type of housing?
CBLV and program houses are a great way to find a smaller community within the University. Of course, it’s possible to feel at home in a dorm, but large buildings can sometimes be impersonal. And who doesn’t like having the option to bake banana bread at 2 a.m. in a real kitchen?
Apply to a program house with a friend. A new option being introduced in this year’s round of housing selection is the opportunity for students to apply to program houses in pairs. Students can now indicate on their application that they would like to apply on the condition that both applicants will be accepted into the program house. Some program houses have both single and double rooms, so you might not know until room assignment day which one you’ll get. If that feels like a lot of uncertainty, applying with a friend could help you get a better idea what your housing situation will look like.
Be flexible. General Room Selection (GRS) is decided by a point system, in which students with more points are issued priority for their preferred spaces. Students accrue 0.5 points for every semester they’ve lived on campus, so older students have more points. In any case, there’s no guarantee that you will be assigned to any of your preferred spaces. In a situation where there are more five-person groups applying than there are five-person spaces available, but there are four-person spaces that haven’t been filled, students will have the opportunity to reconfigure into groups of a different size in order to be placed in a space. All students being assigned through GRS should be prepared for the reconfiguration process.
What if I don’t get my first housing choice?
If you don’t get your first housing choice, there may be a hidden upside. If you get randomly assigned to a program house across campus from all your classes, you’ll get to take a walk in the fresh air every morning. It’s easier this year to decide who your roommate will be, but joining an unfamiliar living space might introduce you to new, cool people or help you learn something new about yourself.
Give feedback. If you particularly liked or disliked aspects of the housing selection process, be sure to reach out to Duffy by email (kduffy@wesleyan.edu) or share your feedback with the University Residential Life Committee. While ResLife can’t guarantee that you will receive the change you are looking for, believe me, we have all had a terrible roommate experience (or five), and you can let ResLife know about it. Everyone’s ideal living situation will look different, so be vocal about what you want!
Avoid the drama! While the housing process might seem like a make or break moment for friendships, it doesn’t have to be. Have honest and open conversations with potential roommates about what you are each looking for before you find out that they want an illegal iguana. Even though it might be stressful at the moment, in the long run you will be so much happier if you are comfortable being home.
Sulan Bailey can be reached at sabailey@wesleyan.edu.