Margo Ellis, News Editor

As the housing lottery approaches, students, both new and returning, may feel the weight of their options. Decisions about where to live and who to live with can be stressful sometimes. 

This year, the Housing Office aims to implement changes to make the process easier, while providing more options for students unsure about their residential futures on campus.

In an email sent to the classes of 2027, 2028, and 2029 on Feb. 23, the Housing Office highlighted changes to the housing selection process this spring and outlined specific dates students should watch for in the coming months. 

The initial application, due on Mar. 20, requires students to indicate whether they plan to bring a car to campus. Josh Kusch, senior director of Residential Communities and Housing (ResComm), said that this collaboration between ResComm and Campus Safety is an attempt to remedy some of the parking issues that began this past academic year. 

“We’re really just trying to partner with them to see if we can better meet students’ needs,” Kusch said. 

The parking struggles arose alongside another controversial change: the First-Year Quad. While the FYQ is remaining intact, Kusch said he hopes to integrate more positive changes for the sophomore and junior classes in the upcoming years. 

Kusch noted that while seniors can look forward to apartments and first-years can enjoy living close to the rest of their class, sophomores and juniors need something to look forward to as well. 

Cluster housing is one of ResComm’s answers to this issue. 

“My hope and my goal is to really set some markers for the sophomores who are living on campus, and the juniors. These clusters are a way to kind of get at that, recognizing that the suites have been so popular in previous years,” Kusch said. 

Following the initial implementation of cluster housing last year in which students can select a “block” of consecutive double rooms to live in with their friends, ResComm has increased the number of students that can form a cluster group to six, eight, or 10. 

Kusch clarified that this change won’t necessarily increase the number of rooms taken by cluster housing, but is intended to allow students to live in larger, more inclusive groups.

For some students, however, these changes may not completely fix their frustration with the First-Year Quad.

Derek Aponte-Rosado ‘28 said that he was disappointed last year when he learned that many of the dorms on East Quad wouldn’t be available to him as a sophomore. 

“I felt frustrated because, originally, my first thought was to move into a suite with a set of friends,” he said. “We were thinking Shepardson was gonna be available for us, so we’re like, awesome, let’s plan to live in this suite together, and then we learned we couldn’t because it became part of the First-Year Quad.”

Aponte-Rosado and his friends took advantage of the newly-offered clusters, and he now lives in Shorney. 

“It’s nice to live next to my friends, but I would love the private bathroom that comes with a suite,” he said.

Still, Aponte-Rosado is unsatisfied with the First-Year Quad and the changes it caused. “I feel like, as an upperclassman, I haven’t been able to interact with many of the freshmen because they’re in their own quad,” he said.

Kaleigh Coffman ‘29 said that while she enjoyed living on East Quad as a freshman, she also feels that she missed out on these connections.

“I really liked being on East Quad just because it’s… quieter. Shepardson is really nice, the bathrooms are nice,” Coffman said. “I think a con was the First-Year Quad situation. I feel like I missed out on more interclass interaction, and it just feels weird being around freshmen all the time.”

Coffman also expressed some confusion about the overall housing lottery process and wished the Housing Office would make some aspects of the process easier to understand.

Kusch was quick to encourage students feeling similarly to Coffman to talk directly with ResComm.

“Anytime students have feedback about their living experience or ways that we can improve or enhance that… I would just encourage any students to come to our office or email me and go, ‘I have this idea. This would help make this better for me. What do you think?’” Kusch said.

Additionally, Kusch was excited to note a few positive changes coming to campus housing this fall, including a newly renovated building and the continued availability of auxiliary housing, such as Bancroft House and Rose House.

“Sawyer [Hall] is coming back online,” Kusch said. “And it’s going to be air-conditioned!”

For first-years curious about the process or unsure of what to do next, Kusch also encouraged them to start exploring the many housing options available on campus. 

“We have 35 different residence hall buildings where students live, and 17 different room types,” he said. “Check them out, walk around, get a feel for the buildings… also feel free just to reach out to your CA if you have any additional questions about the buildings, or about connecting with different people.”

For more information about this year’s housing lottery, students can contact ResComm or look for future emails from the office that will provide more specific information about housing options and the selection schedule.