Housing Lottery
The 2025-2026 Housing Application for general selection closed at 5PM on October 23. Students who submit a housing application now will have the option to be added to the housing wait list.
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. Being issued a lottery number guarantees the opportunity to select housing from available housing stock as designated by class year.
Please note:
- First year undergraduate students and graduate students should not complete this housing application. More information will be available in spring 2025 about rising sophomore housing selection (for current first year undergraduates) and new/continuing graduate students. If you’re unsure of your class standing, please contact studentservices@tufts.edu for clarification before completing the 2025-2026 housing application.
- 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 about those processes 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. If a student receives a housing lottery number and an approval for accommodation(s), Residential Life and Learning will reach out between November 4, 2024 and November 8, 2024.
- 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 2025-2026 academic year.
All students who have submitted an intent to study abroad will automatically be placed on a study abroad waitlist, despite when their application for campus housing have been submitted. Students on the study abroad waitlist will receive priority consideration only if the study abroad program is cancelled; this information will be shared with Residential Life by the Global Education Office. 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.
While the application for lottery numbers for juniors and seniors is available until October 23, 2024, the application for theme and special interest communities will remain open for all undergraduate students until January 23, 2025. Rising juniors and seniors who are waitlisted (unless waitlisted due to study abroad intent) are still eligible for theme, special interest, fraternity, and sorority housing.
Housing Application, Group Formation, and Selection Timeline
- September 18: Housing applications open for general and special interest communities
- October 18: Deadline to request an accommodation through the StAAR Center or OEO
- October 23: Housing applications close for juniors and seniors at 5:00PM
- October 30: Rising junior and senior lottery numbers are distributed via email
- November 4 – November 8: Housing Accommodations Placements
- November 12: Sophia Gordon Group Formation (4-person and 6-person groups)
- November 13 & 14: Community Housing (CoHo) Group Formation (various group sizes)
- November 19 – Sophia Gordon Housing Selection for approved groups
- November 20 – CoHo Housing Selection for approved groups
- November 21 – General Housing Selection
- December 4 – Deadline for priority consideration for the waitlist
- December 11 – Waitlist numbers released
Accessing the Housing Portal
- Log into SIS.
- Click on “About Me,” then click on “Housing.”
- Once you have reached the Home Page, click on “Application” on the top left of the screen.
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/suite/apartment sizes available to you. Your group size may change during the process – so have a backup plan in mind before you begin.
- Watch our recorded Housing Selection Webinar.
- 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 2025-2026 as long as they select a space as instructed at their assigned selection time.
- Lottery Numbers: Rising Juniors/Seniors need to apply for housing 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, exchanges, or sold. Lottery numbers are assigned randomly.
- Waitlist Numbers: Rising Juniors/Seniors that 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 (December 4, 2024) and when the request to join the waitlist was received after December 4, 2024.
- There are two wait lists. There is a Priority Housing Waitlist for students who did not receive a lottery number but submitted their 2025-2026 Housing Application by 5PM on December 4, 2024. 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.
Theme, Special Interest, and Fraternity/Sorority Housing
For students interested in theme and special interest communities, applications will be available through January 23, 2025 for rising juniors and seniors. A separate selection process will be held. Students interested in theme and special interest communities should complete the community specific application via the housing application. More information on those communities can be found here.
Students interested in living in their fraternity or sorority house should fill out a housing application and work with their leadership to make sure they are on the roster shared with our office.
Theme, special interest, fraternity, and sorority housing will have their own selection process, details will be shared at a later date.
Housing Lottery and Selection Webinar
Aimed specifically at rising sophomore students 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 Housing Lottery and Selection Webinar from Spring 2024
Rising Juniors and Seniors
Watch the Rising Junior/Senior 2025-2026 Housing Selection Webinar