Housing Selection
2019-2020 Housing Selection Process Overview
Welcome to the housing selection process overview page! We have a new housing application that allows you to find roommates and complete the housing selection process from the comfort of your own room. Please review this page carefully so you are aware of how the housing selection process will work this year.
Application
All students can access the new housing application in the Res Life Portal, which can be found at the top, right of this page and on the Residential Life website.
The new application allows for better matching of roommates based on the answers to the questions in the housing application. Please answer each question honestly.
To get started, please complete the following in the Res Life Portal:
1. Complete the ‘Returning & Transfer Student Application’ or the 'First Year Student Application'.
2. Complete the information requested in ‘My Info’
3. Find and match yourself with your roommates. Only students who have completed a housing application will be able to search/be found in the roommate matching process. Each student in your group will need to match themselves with all the others in your group.
4. Select a ‘Dining Plan’.
Priority Numbers
For returning students, priority numbers will be used to determine when you will select your housing. The highest priority numbers will be given to those students with the highest number of earned credit. Credits in progress will not be considered when determining priority numbers. The highest priority is '1'.
When choosing a roommate group, keep in mind that the priority numbers of all roommates will be averaged to determine when you will select your housing.
Roommate Matching
Roommate matching can occur in one of three ways:
1. You search for and select specific people you know and would like to live with during the application process. All roommates will need to add each other as roommates in the roommate finder, which is part of the new housing portal.
2. You can use the search function in the roommate finder in the housing portal to find students who answered application questions similarly to you. You have full control to focus your search on specific questions or all questions.
3. You can let us use the new roommate matching software to find you the best match based on your application questions. For returning students, this process will occur after the housing selection nights.
Help Guide for Selecting a Roommate
Housing Selection Details
Because we are entering a phase of residence hall renewal, there will be a fewer number of single rooms available in 2019-2020.
When you go through the housing selection process, students must fill a complete room. Stuyvesant Hall will allow for students to sign up for one half of a suite (2 students), and Smith, Hayes, and Welch require students to fill an entire suite (4 students).
Any vacant spots within a roommate group will be filled with another student using the Roommate Finder system. That matching and room placement process will occur after the roommate selection process is complete.
First Year Housing Options
All First Year students live together because we understand first year students are going through similar issues as they relate to their transition away from home. In their first year, OWU students will live in Smith, Welch, Bashford, and Thomson. For more information on our housing options, please our Housing Options web page.
Early Housing Placement Process
The following houses and circumstances will go through the early housing placement process, which takes place March 21-27.
| Bigelow Reed House | This house is reserved for students majoring in Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, and International Business. Students and roommate groups comprised of students all studying in these majors will be given priority assignments in Bigelow Reed House over others. |
| House of Black Culture | Students who have lived in the house in the past will be given priority. All other placements are decided based on application question responses. |
| Panhel House | This house is reserved for women in a sorority. Each sorority is allowed 5-6 spots in the house. For those interested in living in the house, selection will be based on credit hour. |
| Honors House | Only students in the Honors Program may live in the Honors House. For those who express interest in living in the house, selection in to the house is decided in consultation with the Honors Program. |
| SLUs | SLUs recruit and select their own members. SLU Moderators will communicate rosters and room assignments to Residential Life. |
| Fraternity Houses | Fraternities recruit and select their own members. Fraternity RAs will communicate rosters and room assignments to Residential Life. |
| Housing Accommodations | For those with official housing accommodations through Student Disability Services. |
| Special Interest Floors | Any other special interest floors that require early placement |
| Resident Advisors/Moderators | Those hired for a Res Life staff role will be placed in their housing assignment |
Returning Student Housing Timeline
| February 18, 2019 | Returning student housing application opens |
| February 18-March 27, 2019 | Roommate matching is open |
| March 20, 2019 | Priority deadline for returning student applications |
| March 21, 2019 | Housing priority numbers sent to each returning student |
| March 21-27, 2019 | Early placement for House of Black Culture, Bigelow-Reed House, Panhel House, Honors House, SLUs, Fraternities, and special interest floors. |
| March 27, 2019 | Returning student application deadline for housing selection |
| March 28, 2019 | Returning student application closed for housing selection; Group priority numbers and housing selection date/time sent to students. |
| April 1, 2019 | Housing selection night 1, 6pm-9pm |
| April 2, 2019 | Housing selection night 2, 6pm-9pm |
| April 3, 2019 | Housing selection night 3, 6pm-9pm |
| April 4, 2019 | Housing selection night 4, 6pm-9pm |
| April 5, 2019 | Returning student housing application reopens for late applications |
| April 6-June 1, 2019 | Late applications processed and placements made on rolling basis |
First Year & Transfer Student Selection Timeline
| February 18, 2019 | First year and Transfer student housing applications open |
| February 18-June 30, 2019 | Roommate matching is open |
| May 15, 2019 | Priority deadline for first year and transfer student applications |
| June 30, 2019 | Final deadline for first year and transfer student applications |
| July 12, 2019 | Housing placements shared with first year and transfer students |
Small Living Unit Application & Renewal
The application for new and renewing Small Living Units (SLU) is now available. Please review the application for a full timeline and overview of the application and renewal process. If you have questions, please direct them to reslife@owu.edu.
New & Renewing SLU Application
The new & renewing SLU application is available be clicking here.
2019-2020 SLU Selection Important Dates
November 26, 2018: Application out, shared with SLUs, RAs, and OWU Daily
December 14, 2018: Applications due
January 11, 2019: Moderator application due, SLUs must have two moderator candidates.
January 24 and 25, 2019: SLU Presentations
January 30, 2019: SLUs notified of application status. SLUs notified of house placement.
February 11-14, 2019: SLUSH
February 16-23, 2019: SLU Interviews of potential members
February 24, 2019: SLU membership decisions
February 25, 2019: SLU’s notify applicants of their membership status
March 8, 2019: SLUs share roster and placement of new members