Selecting as a Group
Students may participate in Room Selection as part of a 2-10-person group, though it is encouraged that students form even-numbered groups to improve their chances of selecting a room during their appointment time. Each group must identify a Group Leader during Room Selection Registration in the Housing Portal.
Participating in Room Selection as Part of a Group
The Role of the Group Leader
Every group must assign a Group Leader. At the time of selection, the Group Leader will be responsible for making the actual housing selection for all members of the group. Any decision or action made by the Group Leader is binding to the group they represent.
Prior to Selection, the Group Leader should understand each individual group member’s housing preferences as well as prepare alternate plans for the group if the group’s first choice is no longer available.
The Group Leader’s Responsibilities
The Group Leader must:
- Create the group during the registration period and provide all group members with the group name and password so that they can join.
- Complete their own registration through the Statement of Intent to step.
- Remind all group members to complete registration through the Statement of Intent step.
- Verify the group in the Housing Portal only after all members have joined the group and completed registration through the Statement of Intent step.
The Group Leader should:
- Understand each individual group member’s building preferences.
- Prepare alternate plans for the group in the event that the group’s first choice is no longer available.
- Know which group members would like to be paired together if no singles are available at the time of selection.
- Confirm that they are available during the group’s appointment time. If they have a conflict, they should select a different member of the group to become Group Leader and manage the selection process.
- The Group Leader will select the rooms for themselves and all group members during the group’s appointment time.
- The Group Leader may log in before their appointment date/time, but selection will not be available until their appointment time begins. Selection will be available from their scheduled appointment time through the end of Room Selection.
- Group Leaders can change group room assignments during the appointment time as long as it is done before they confirm the rooms. Once confirmed, no changes can be made.
- The Group Leaders must sign their own Occupancy Agreement.
- The Group Leader should remind their group members to sign their own Occupancy Agreements.
Steps for Forming and Selecting as a Group
The Group Leader plays a very important role during Room Selection. During the group’s appointment time, they are solely responsible for assigning group members to rooms. Based on student feedback, assigning a member of the group who is responsible, organized, and a good communicator to be the Group Leader is a smart Room Selection strategy.
Note:
- Certain buildings are available only to rising sophomores during selection and are therefore not visible in the Portal to other classes. For this reason, mixed point groups of rising sophomores and rising juniors should designate a rising sophomore as the group leader so they can assign sophomore group members into those buildings.
- Barnard students cannot be group leaders in Columbia Housing Room Selection and can only participate with an all-rising senior group.
- The Group Leader will create a unique group name and password during their registration process and then share the information with all group members.
- Group names are public to Housing staff and other students participating in Room Selection. Please be respectful when selecting a group name.
- Avoid using special characters in your group name. Special characters may not be recognized by the Portal which can cause issues when individuals attempt to find the group.
- Individual group members will enter the group name and password at the Group Formation step of registration to join the group.
- Once all group members have joined the group and completed registration through the Statement of Intent, the Group Leader must log back in to verify the group. The group leader should NOT verify the group until all group members have added themselves to the group. Group verification is required for a group to be assigned an appointment time.
Students can only be part of one group at a time. If a student wants to change groups, they will need to log into the Housing Portal and leave the first group in order to join the new group before the end of registration. If group membership changes after verification, the Group Leader will need to re-verify the group.
When appointment times begin for rising juniors and rising sophomores, corridor-style singles and odd-numbered suites may not be available. We strongly encourage these students to form even-numbered groups to improve their chances of being able to select a room.
Selecting Into Suites or Apartments
To pick into a suite or apartment, the group must fill every bed space so that there are no vacancies. For instance:
- A group of 2 cannot select into a 4-person suite.
- A group of 6 can select into a 4-person suite, and the remaining 2 group members will need to be assigned to rooms outside the suite, in a 2-person suite, 2 corridor-style singles, or a corridor-style double.
Selecting Across Multiple Floors or Buildings
Groups can select into spaces in the same building or in different buildings depending on the group’s needs and the availability of rooms during their appointment time.
Examples of Group Selection
Example 1: Group of 6
Even-numbered groups have more options because they can divide into many different configurations, as long as the group can fill all suites or doubles completely. Once all corridor-style doubles are taken, even-numbered groups can still divide into corridor-style doubles.
A group of 6 has the following options, depending on the inventory available during their selection appointment:
- One 6-person suite
- One 5-person suite*, plus one corridor-style single
- One 4-person suite, plus two corridor-style singles or a corridor-style double
- Six corridor-style singles
- Three corridor-style doubles
Example 2: Group of 5
Odd-numbered groups do not have as many options as even-numbered groups. Once all odd-numbered suites and corridor-style singles have been selected, odd-numbered groups will not be able to divide evenly into pairs to select into corridor-style doubles, and will not be able to choose a room during their appointment.
A group of 5 has the following options, depending on the inventory available during their selection appointment:
- One 5-person suite*
- One 4-person suite, plus one corridor-style single
- 5 corridor-style singles
- Two corridor-style doubles plus one corridor-style single
*In Room Selection for AY 24-25, all 5-person suites were selected within the first five days of Room Selection.
The Group Leader is the only member of the group who will have access to online selection during the group's appointment time. They will be responsible for assigning each group member to a room.
Review the steps for selecting your room.
Group FAQs
During Registration:
- Register for Room Selection
- Join the group in the Housing Portal during the registration period using the group name and password created by the Group Leader
- Complete your application through the Statement of Intent before your Group Leader has verified the group. The Statement of Intent must be completed before the end of registration.
- If you leave your group, notify your Group Leader because they will need to re-verify the group.
Before Selection:
- Communicate your building and roommate preferences to your Group Leader. It may be helpful to create a list of your preferences to share with your Group Leader.
After Selection
- Log in to the Housing Portal to sign your Occupancy Agreement
Group size does not impact the group's lottery number or selection time.
Lottery numbers are determined by point value. Point value is assigned based on class so that rising seniors have the highest point value and therefore receive the lowest lottery numbers and earliest appointment times. Group point value is the average of all individual group member point values. For example, a group of two rising juniors will have the same point value as a group of 10 rising juniors. Learn more about point values, lottery numbers, and selection times.
Remember, even-numbered groups have more selection options during their appointment time.
The Group Leader can appoint another member to Group Leader before the appointment time. The new Group Leader will be responsible for managing selection during the group’s appointment time.
Students can only be a member of one group at a time. You cannot join multiple groups.
Individual Group Members
Students may leave or change groups during registration. Please notify your Group Leader when you leave your group.
Group Leaders
Group Leaders must designate a new leader before the system will allow them to leave their current group.
Changes in group leadership are binding.
Yes, as long as students are from adjacent classes (i.e., rising sophomores-rising juniors and rising juniors-rising seniors). Rising sophomores cannot form groups with rising seniors.