New Fall Undergraduate Students

Timeline

The room selection process for new undergraduate students for the upcoming academic year occurs in June. The process is all done online so that you can select your room from the comfort of your home, room, or even another country! New first-year students and new transfer students can apply for housing in the housing portal when they receive their Tribe Guide beginning May 1.

Ongoing Improvements

The �鶹�ƽ�� Housing & Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan to modernize and revitalize our residential and dining facilities is in progress. Within 10 years we plan to completely renovate or replace 80% of our residence halls providing housing that is worthy of current and future W&M students.

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Friday, May 1, 2026 at 12pm - goes live.
Friday, May 29, 2026 - Submit disability housing accommodation requests and associated documentation to the Student Accessibility Services office by this date.
Friday, May 29, 2026 - Submit religious housing accommodation requests to the Planning, Strategy & Integrative Practices Office by this date.
Friday, May 29, 2026 - Sign the housing contract in the by Friday, May 29, 2026.
- First-year students and transfer students who are required to live on campus who sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application by Friday, May 29, 2026, due date will be the first new student group eligible to participate in the new student room selection process.
- New first-year students and new transfer students who are NOT required to live on campus and who wish to request on-campus housing must sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application by Friday, May 29, 2026, due date to request to participate in the new student room selection process.
- Students who sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application AFTER the Friday, May 29, 2026, due date will be contacted by Residence Life with information regarding the next steps.
Thursday, June 11, 2026 - New students will be emailed their room selection time slot this afternoon.
- Transfer students not required to live on campus may receive a housing waitlist notice if the number of transfer student housing applications exceeds the available on-campus bed inventory and will not be guaranteed on-campus housing. Residence Life does not anticipate having a 2026-27 transfer student housing waitlist and anticipates housing all transfer student housing applicants for the 2026-27 academic year.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 - Early room selection (9am-5pm)
- Students with approved disability housing accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services office
- Students with approved religious accommodations through the Planning, Strategy & Integrative Practices Office
- Democracy Scholars selecting into Cedar Hall (REQUIRED)
- Monroe Scholars selecting into Monroe Scholar housing (OPTIONAL)
- Sharpe Scholars selecting into Cedar Hall (REQUIRED)
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - Traditional selection - 9am - 5pm
- Roommate groups and students seeking a single (if available) – Must fill all bed spaces to select the room or suite (9am-3:30pm)
- Students without a roommate can select into a bed space (3:30pm-5pm)
- Room selection ends for the day (5pm)
Thursday, June 18, 2026 - Traditional Selection (9am-5pm)
- Roommate groups and students seeking a single (if available) – Must fill all bed spaces to select the room or suite (9am-3:30pm)
- Students without a roommate can select into a bed space (3:30pm-5pm)
- Room selection ends for the day (5pm)
After Online Room Selection - Residence Life will reach out to housing applicants who did not self-select into a space regarding the next steps

Review the online selection process carefully to learn what you can do ahead of time to ensure your best possible outcome during your time slot. Preparation includes reviewing the new student time slot, guide information below, and information about our Residence Halls. In the fall semester, first-year students on campus are housed in first-year students' residence halls only.

If you would prefer to be assigned with a random roommate instead of being a part of a roommate group, at the end of your time slot day, beginning at 3:30pm through 5pm the same day, you will be able to self-assign to a room without a roommate group. Know that you will be assigned a roommate randomly and that the roommate questionnaire will not be considered at the time of assignment.

While we are unable to anticipate if this will occur in any given year, we want students and families to know how decisions are made in the event the yield of the incoming class is higher than expected.

Residence Life will pull students from the new student self-selection process based on the most recent admission deposits paid/waived date and send them an email notification on June 11, 2026, to inform them that they are on hold for a housing assignment.

Required to Live On Campus

New first-year students who ARE required to live on campus as part of the two-year live-on requirement WILL have a room assignment before they arrive on campus in August.
Any student on hold from the self-selection process will be administratively assigned a room by Residence Life over the summer as spaces open.
Typically, the number of newly admitted students adjusts over the summer to make room for all new students who are required to live on campus.

Not Required To Live On Campus

New students who are NOT required to live on campus but wish to do so will be added to the room selection process only if spaces are available after the required new students are processed.
Suppose there are no spaces available for new students who are not required to live on campus. In that case, they will notified on June 11, 2026, that they can choose to remain on the transfer student housing waitlist (no guarantee of on-campus housing) or cancel without a fee as long as there is an active housing waitlist.
Residence Life does not anticipate having a 2026-27 transfer student housing waitlist and anticipates housing all transfer student housing applicants for the 2026-27 academic year.

Housing contracts will be available online beginning at 12pm on May 1, 2026 for new students.

Complete a 2026-27 Housing Application & Contract by Friday, May 29, 2026

First-year students and transfer students who are required to live on campus who sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application by Friday, May 29, 2026, due date will be the first new student group eligible to participate in the new student room selection process.
New first-year students and new transfer students who are NOT required to live on campus and who wish to request on-campus housing must sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application by Friday, May 29, 2026, due date to request to participate in the new student room selection process.
Students who sign the housing contract in their 2026-27 housing application AFTER the Friday, May 29, 2025, due date will be contacted by Residence Life with information regarding the next steps.

By signing the housing contract, you are committing to pay for on-campus housing for the full 2026-27 academic year, meaning you commit before you know your specific room assignment. Please review the contract carefully, including the limited cancellation policies. The housing contract is a legally binding document.

Many factors will come into play as you prepare to complete the room selection process. Take some time to consider your plans, including selecting your roommate(s) (single rooms are limited), researching your rooming options, learning about self-assignment time slots, and exploring how various factors may affect your final rooming selection.

Learn below what to expect from online room selection before your time slot begins.

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Your room selection is completed online in the during your assigned time slot. New time slots begin every 10 minutes from 9am - 5pm each weekday during the process. A maximum of 40 students will enter the process during each time slot.

Roommate Group

If you select with a roommate(s), you must create your roommate group before starting your room selection time slot; complete it within the application (available throughout the online process).

Group Leader

The group leader should be the person in your roommate group who has the best room selection time block and will be the individual who has to make the room selection for the group. See the guide below for instructions on adjusting roommate group leaders.

What do the non-group leaders do?

Nothing! Once you agree to be a part of a roommate group, you are giving the group leader the ability to select housing for everyone in the roommate group. Once the group leader selects housing, you are officially committed to campus housing for the next academic year.

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Roommate group instructions (pdf)

Special interest housing room selection (pdf)

Early room selection instructions (pdf)

Single occupancy hall or private bathroom (pdf)
Groups of two or more (pdf)
No roommate group (pdf)

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