When to apply
These timelines are for autumn quarter applicants. Your student status and application date determine when you will be assigned and how you are assigned. If demand is high, commuting distance may also be taken into consideration.
Family housing: Students may apply any time after they've been admitted to the UW.
Priority 1: April 3–May 31
Who: Newly admitted graduate students
Process: Randomly assigned within your group and you participate in your room selection.
Priority 1: May 6–June 15
Who: New transfer students
Process: Assigned by HFS based on your group, the date you applied and commuting distance (if there is a waitlist).
Priority 2: May 6–June 15
Who: Newly admitted first-year students
Process: Assigned by HFS based on your group, the date you applied and commuting distance (if there is a waitlist).
Priority 3: On or after June 16
Who: Newly admitted first-year, new transfer students, and new graduate students
Process: Assigned by HFS based on your group, the date you applied and commuting distance (if there is a waitlist).
Priority 3: On or after May 6
Who: Continuing UW students
Process: Assigned by HFS based on your group, the date you applied and commuting distance (if there is a waitlist).
Priority 4: On or after May 6
Who: Nonmatriculated students
Process: Assigned by HFS based on your group, the date you applied and commuting distance (if there is a waitlist).
Room selection and assignment
We will notify you of your room selection appointment time. During your appointment time, you will log in, search for available rooms that meet your criteria, and assign yourself. If you have a mutually requested roommate, you can also assign that person to the room with you.
- For the best chance of assigning yourself to one of your preferred rooms, log in to the room selection website as soon as you can after your appointment time begins.
- We cannot accommodate requests for earlier appointments based on schedule conflicts.
- Have a backup plan. If there isn’t space available in your preferred building, room or apartment type, have second and third options ready to choose from.
Room selection process
- Search for your room based on your building choice, room type choice and bathroom type choice.
- You may choose to assign your mutually requested apartmentmates with you, provided they are not already assigned.
Changing your room
- You may search and select as many times as you like during your selection period.
- You can only change your own assignment, not the assignment of your mutually requested apartmentmates.
Assignment by HFS staff
- Once 12-month buildings approach full occupancy for autumn, we will begin making assignments on students' behalf, based on their preferences and available vacancies.
- Assignments for winter, spring and summer will also be made by HFS staff.
- Students who apply for family housing will be assigned during all 4 quarters by HFS based on availability and priority.
MUTUALLY REQUESTED APARTMENTMATES
- You will only be given search results for areas that you are both eligible for and that you both have selected as preferences.
- If your apartmentmates didn't preference or aren’t eligible for the area you are trying to assign yourself to, you will not be given any search results.
PAIR AND GROUP ASSIGNMENTS
A pair or group is comprised of yourself and one or more other students. You may assign yourself and one or more other people as long as:
- The other person is not already assigned; and
- All group members enter the UW student ID numbers of all other members on the application; and
- All group members have the same preferences; and
- All group members are eligible to live in the area selected.
Apartmentmate requests must be made using UW student ID numbers, not names. Be sure to have the UW student ID numbers of all students you want to be assigned with before you submit your application.
Applicants who apply with a group of two or more will be able to assign their entire group of mutually requested apartmentmates. The first group member to select online may assign everyone to an available room or apartment; however, they will not be able to designate which room within an apartment is assigned to each person.
If, after being assigned by a group member, you wish to adjust your individual assignment within an apartment, you will have the opportunity to make your request by completing an online request. Details will be emailed to you after room selection ends.
Confirmation of your assignment
Assignment confirmations will be emailed after room selection ends. Please contact us if you have any questions.