Rising Juniors and Seniors
The 2027-2028 Housing Application will be available at the end of September 2026. Students will be able to access the Housing Application in their Housing Portal. This page will be updated with deadlines and process in the net few weeks.
Accessing the Housing Portal:
- Log into SIS.
- Click on “About Me,” then click on “Housing”
- Once you have reached the Home Page, click on “Housing Applications” on the top left of the screen.
University housing is not guaranteed for juniors and seniors. All rising juniors and seniors interested in living in University housing must apply for the chance to be issued a lottery number and added to the wait list. Being issued a lottery number guarantees the opportunity to select housing from available housing stock as designated by class year.
Please note:
- Graduate students should not complete this housing application. More information will be available later in Spring 2027 for new/continuing graduate students will be available.
- There is a different process for rising juniors/seniors who want to apply to live in a theme, special interest, fraternity or sorority community. More information will be available soon.
- Students with medical or religious accommodations should note their accommodation in their housing application on the appropriate page and work directly with the StAAR Center and/or the Office of Equal Opportunity to ensure that proper registration and paperwork have been submitted. Approval for accommodation(s) does not guarantee a housing lottery number on campus housing.
- If you have previously been approved for accommodation(s) please re-confirm with the office that approved your housing accommodation that you want to continue to use your accommodation(s) in the 2027-2028 academic year.
All students who submit an intent to study abroad and a 2027-2028 housing application will automatically be placed on a study abroad waitlist, despite when their application for campus housing was submitted. Students on the study abroad housing waitlist will receive priority consideration only if the study abroad program is cancelled as confirmed by Global Education. Students who change their minds about studying abroad will be added to the general waitlist for juniors and seniors. If a student who submits an intent to study abroad form is issued a lottery number, their lottery number will be rescinded ahead of group formation.
More information about theme and special interest housing for the 2027-2028 academic year will be shared at the end of September 2026.
General Tips for the Lottery
- When signing up as a group, make sure the group leader is available to make the final selections for others in the group. If the group leader is not available, re-form your group by the deadline with another group leader or contact Residential Life to change your group leader.
- Have up to five options in mind for your housing preferences.
- Review all of the options for room/apartment sizes available to you. Your group size may change during the process so have a backup plan in mind before you begin.
- If you have questions, please ask! We are partners with you in helping navigate the housing process. We welcome all questions, so please stop by, call or email us.
Understanding Lottery Numbers vs. Waitlist Numbers
- Students who are given a lottery number are guaranteed a housing assignment for 2027-2028 as long as they select a space as instructed at their assigned selection time.
- Lottery Numbers: Rising juniors/seniors need to apply for housing by the deadline to be eligible to receive a lottery number. The junior/senior housing supply determines how many lottery numbers are assigned to applicants. Students are only allowed to utilize the lottery number assigned to them by Residential Life and Learning; lottery numbers cannot be transferred, exchanged, or sold. Lottery numbers are assigned randomly.
- Waitlist Numbers: Rising juniors/seniors who apply for housing and do not receive a lottery number are eligible to receive a waitlist number. Being on the waitlist means you are not guaranteed housing. If you are given a waitlist number, you will be updated regularly regarding your status/likelihood of receiving on-campus housing. The process of issuing waitlist numbers is dependent on the date the application is completed before the priority deadline to join the waitlist.
- There are two wait lists. There is a Priority Housing Waitlist for students who did not receive a lottery number but submitted their 2027-2028 Housing Application by the deadline. There is a Study Abroad Waitlist for students who complete a Housing Application and an intent to study abroad form. Residential Life will offer on campus housing to students on the Study Abroad Waitlist after the Priority Housing Waitlist has been exhausted.
- Lottery Number Ranges: In all of the ranges noted, the lowest number selects the earliest in the process within each class year's group. Rising seniors (including fifth-year seniors) have been assigned lottery numbers between 1 and 300. Rising juniors have been assigned lottery numbers between 300 and 500. Rising sophomores have been assigned lottery numbers between 1000 and 3000.
Rising Sophomores
The 2027-2028 housing application for rising sophomore students will be available during the Spring 2027 semester. Since university housing is required for sophomores*, failure to complete an application will result in an application being created for you. It is imperative that you complete this application on your own as you will have the opportunity to make a note as to whether you are interested in being contacted regarding housing accommodations, priority preference housing, or update your profile.
Different from the first-year housing placement process, rising sophomores have the opportunity to select who they live with and where they live through two separate processes: group formation and housing selection processes.
If you have previously been approved for accommodation(s) please re-confirm with the office that approved your housing accommodation that you want to continue to use your accommodation(s).
*Please note that BFA rising sophomores who currently live on Beacon St. can request to be released from their two-year residency requirement. All sophomore students live on the Medford/Somerville campus as housing for sophomores isn’t available on Beacon St. Please check your Tufts email for more detailed information about requesting a housing exemption.
Accessing the Housing Portal:
- Log into SIS.
- Click on “About Me,” then click on “Housing”
- Once you have reached the Home Page, click on “Housing Applications” on the top left of the screen.
Rising sophomores who did not get the type of space they applied for through group formation or who chose not to participate in group formation will be assigned a space by Residential Life staff. Residential Life staff will refer to students' lottery numbers if any single rooms are available after selection and place students with the lowest lottery number in single rooms, if they are available. In multiple occupancy spaces, like double, triples, and quads, Residential Life staff will make roommate matches based on students' Housing Survey responses striving for matches that are 70% or better. It is normal part of the rising sophomore housing selection process for some students not to receive a housing assignment until the end of July prior to the start of their sophomore year.
Theme, Special Interest, and Fraternity/Sorority Housing
THEME AND SPECIAL INTEREST HOUSING
More information about theme and special interest housing selection will be available towards the end of September.
FRATERNITY AND SORORITY HOUSING
Students interested in living in their fraternity or sorority house must fill out a housing application and work with their organization's leadership to make sure they are on the roster shared with Residential Life. Students who submit an intent to study abroad form are not eligible to be included on their organization’s housing roster.
Students on Leave
Any student currently on personal leave of absence or a medical leave of absence may apply for housing if they intend to return from their leave in Spring 2027; the Spring 2027 Housing Application will be available in mid-October 2026. Please make sure you complete all necessary requirements and adhere to any necessary deadlines.
Students who have taken a leave from the University may potentially not qualify for off-campus living per the two-year residency requirement. Qualification is dependent on the number of semesters students have completed for their residency requirement. For more information on the residency requirement, please visit the Housing Guidelines and Policies page
Webinars
Rising Sophomores
Residential Life hosting the rising sophomore housing selection webinar on February 11 and a recording willl be posted shortly!
Watch the Rising Sophomore 2026-2027 Housing Selection Webinar
Watch Housing Lottery and Selection Webinar from Spring 2025
Rising Juniors and Seniors
Aimed specifically at rising juniors/seniors and their families, this housing lottery and selection webinar will explain in detail the process in order to be successful during the group formation and housing selection periods.
Watch the Rising Junior/Senior 2026-2027 Housing Selection Webinar