Room Selection Process

The Office of Community Living is excited to work with students on new ideas and plans for intentional housing opportunities that will have a wide array of amenities and features. Through Room Selection Process (RSP), we provide students the opportunity to live with friends and like-minded individuals with common interests, passions, and identities to foster a common sense of belonging, purpose, and values. Students have the opportunity to develop lasting friendships and learn the importance of connection and meaning-making in residential experiences.

Looking for the Returning Student Housing Form?

How Does it Work?

Room Selection Process Guidebook (NEW)

As a four-year residential college, Albion affirms the educational benefits inherent in the residential aspect of our undergraduate experience, and as such requires all students to reside and board within the College residential system.

New first-year and transfer students joining the Briton community in the Fall semester will not participate in the Room Selection Process, but will submit style and roommate preferences through the New Student Housing Request Form.

Every returning student receives a unique “Lottery Number” which helps ensure a fair and equitable process. Lottery numbers are not random. However, they are based only on units completed as provided by the Albion College registrar. Other factors, such as grades, Greek or athletic status, leadership in student organizations, etc. do not impact lottery numbers. Lottery numbers impact the date and time of students’ designated selection time blocks.

All students must first complete the Returning Student Housing Form and form their roommate profile in eRezLife (log in using College username and password). The form will be open from March 11 – 25, 2024.

We encourage students to discuss living options, community styles, and building choices with their friends and then decide to form a roommate group. Students are provided a timeslot to select their specific apartment or room in lottery number priority . These assigned timeslots will begin with the lowest numbers on April 1, 2024.

Any student who selects a room during the RSP but is not registered for Fall semester classes by the end of April may be removed from their selected assignment and placed on a wait list, pending registration.

If you are planning to study off-campus during the Fall semester, you are not eligible to apply for housing during the Room Selection Process. Students returning from an off-campus program in January are assigned a room during Winter break, and will receive communication and support from Community Living. Assignments are based on the availability of rooms/spaces.

Where Should I Apply?

Students should consider all possible living arrangements in our upperclass student communities, as they need to apply as a group, according to their preferred housing style and location.

Selection options in eRezLife will be coded as “groups must fill” – meaning that whatever the number of students required for the suite or apartment, the group must have that many members.

For example, a group of 2 junior/senior-standing students applying for an apartment is eligible for the 2-person apartments in Burns Street Apartment and Munger Place Apartments. A group of 4 students is eligible for all 4-person apartments and 4-person suites in Whitehouse or Mitchell Towers, but not apartments of 2 or 6 or 8. Students must apply in groups of 4 for suite-style living (Mitchell Towers and Whitehouse Hall).

Note: only junior and senior-standing students are eligible to select apartment-style housing options. Second-year students are eligible for Whitehouse Hall, Mitchell Towers, Seaton Hall, Ingham Hall, and I-Space modern languages living-learning community.

Note: fraternity members are required to live in their assigned chapter house.

We encourage students to consider preferred living styles beyond the building. Where you live can be a gateway to learning and leadership opportunities, and the opportunity to contribute your voice, work, and passion to new programs, deepening the knowledge and awareness of your peers, and serving the greater Albion community. Themed communities are integrated throughout our residential communities, and students can apply to live within them as part of the general application process (e.g. suite-style and community-style).

When Will Applications Become Available, and How Should I Plan?

Before Housing Forms open, you should begin considering several critical factors to your success, such as:

1. The kinds of environments that improve your well-being (substance-free, 
2. Interest in thematic communities (e.g. I-Space, Queer Connection Community)
3. Who you may want to live with and what your most important roommate priorities may be
4. How you describe yourself and these priorities
5. Potential impacts to your financial status and managing your aid package and cash flow
6. The level of responsibility of care for your housing space you are prepared to maintain (e.g. cleaning bathroom, kitchen)

This year, ALL students will engage RSP Step 1. Please prepare to complete this eRezLife form when it opens March 11 – 25.

Step 1: Complete the housing form for the 2024-2025 academic year

• ALL students complete the form as an individual
• Questions on the form will include roommate preferences that are tied to your account in eRezLife
• Upon completion of the housing form, you may begin steps 2 and 3

Note: The MOST important step is step 1, where we collect your information to help you make the best decision about your housing next year.

Step 2: Create your roommate profile

• You will select which of these preferences to make public or private on your profile
• You will be able to include your preferred contact information (phone, email, socials)
• You will be able to edit your preferred screen name and add a photo

Step 3: Form a roommate group

• Invite others or accept invitation to join a roommate group
• Roommate groups will be the group that selects a housing assignment
• Groups must fill the number of beds in the housing assignment (e.g. groups of four are required for suites in Whitehouse or Mitchell Towers, groups of two are required for Burns Apartments, groups of four or six are required for Mae Apartments, depending on which space is preferred)
• We recommend that you discuss preferences as a group and create a group sized accordingly
• One person should prepare to be the “spokesperson” for the group, to select assignments in step 4

Step 4: Browse housing options

• Based on eligibility from size, class year, gender identity, and other factors, search and favorite different housing preferences to prepare for your selection timeblock

Step 5: Select assignment

• Groups will select a specific housing assignment from available spaces during a pre-designated timeblock (prioritized by Group Lottery Number (GLN), the average of member lottery numbers
• Step 4 is not an application – you are actually choosing your assignment on behalf of your group!
• Meal plan options (as required/eligible where you are now assigned) will be available immediately after you select your room

Note: housing options will be available to browse 14 days before your assigned time block.

Note: Incomplete groups/others unassigned will be placed on a waitlist and assigned by Community Living based on preferences submitted in Step 1.

I’m Off Campus Right Now - How Do I Participate?

Informational emails, programs, and workshops will be offered to all students who are enrolled in classes, internships, and off-campus programs. We encourage all current students to engage in events and meetings offered during the Spring semester to learn more about intentional housing plans and options for next year.

Exemptions and Accommodations

While the classroom is at the heart of the educational mission of Albion College, as a residential college, Albion College also strongly believes in the personal growth and learning that students gain when sharing a living space with roommates on campus. If you are experiencing difficulties based on your room and board assignment, please speak with your Area Coordinator or other Community Living staff. We are happy to meet with you to discuss your situation.

Housing policies and expectations are initially defined in the Student Handbook. However, some factors, such as documented disabilities may lead students to seek accommodations and exceptions to housing policies. To request exemptions or accommodations, students must provide adequate supporting documentation to Community Living and the Housing Petitions Committee for review. In some circumstances, students may be referred to other campus partners, such as Accessibility Services or Dining.

If you plan to request an exemption or accommodation, please review our detailed Exemptions and Accommodations page, and schedule an appointment to register with the Office of Accessibility Services as applicable.

Housing assignments are subject to change based on enrollment, space allotment, and the State of Michigan Executive Orders on Public Health. If your assignment does change you will be notified via email. Students may be asked to consolidate or move to new housing arrangements based on quarantine and isolation needs. In the event of temporary closures, restrictions, and/or adjustments to the academic schedule, Albion College shall not be obligated to issue refunds or credits, whether partial or full, for such interruptions or adjustments.