Barnard students may only live in eligible Columbia Greek & Special Interest Communities (SICs). That application and assignment process takes place prior to the start of the Barnard Room Selection process. Students must be eligible for Barnard Room Selection to be assigned to Columbia housing.
Barnard students cannot be "riders" (pull-ins) for RAs or ODS accommodations at Columbia.
Barnard students are not permitted to take part in the Columbia Housing Lottery.
Assignments in Columbia housing are at the discretion of the Barnard Res Life and Columbia Housing office. Students may be reassigned to Barnard campus housing if necessary.
Billing & Contracts: Barnard students living at Columbia sign a Barnard Housing Agreement and are responsible for Barnard room rates and cancellation policies.
Future Eligibility: Participants remain eligible for Barnard Room Selection the following year, provided they do not cancel housing or take a leave of absence.
ℹ️ More info about Barnard students living in Columbia Housing
Eligible Columbia students may live at Barnard through a Barnard Lottery Group, as a pull-in for a Barnard RA, or as a pull-in for a Barnard student with CARDS Pre-Lottery accommodations.
Registration Steps for CU Students: Columbia students must complete both steps below to participate:
Register for Columbia Room Selection and indicate participation in the Barnard process.
Submit the Barnard Intent Form (selecting Barnard Lottery, RA Pull-In, or CARDS Pull-In as the category).
Columbia Housing will send a list of registered students to Barnard. CU students will be added to the Barnard Portal on the morning of Wednesday, March 4, 2026; they will not be able to log into the Barnard Portal before that date.
Billing: Columbia students living in Barnard housing are charged room rates set by Columbia, not Barnard.
Lottery Participation: CU students may not select in the Barnard Lottery as individuals; they must be part of a Group (see below for more information).
Assignments in Barnard housing are at the discretion of both the Barnard Res Life and the Columbia Housing offices. Students may be reassigned to Columbia campus housing as needed.
ℹ️ More info about Columbia students living in Barnard Housing
Groups including Columbia students must consist of 50% or more Barnard students.
Example: A 6-person group may have 1, 2, or 3 CU members, but not 4.
Point Values: The Point Values of Columbia members are included in the calculation of the Group Point Value.
Groups with male CU Members: Must have 4-6 members and must select an entire empty suite. Coed groups cannot select partial suites or corridor-style housing.
See below for information about the required Open Housing Form for coed groups
Groups with only female CU Members: May select an entire suite or rooms in the same suite. They cannot pick into multiple suites or corridor-style rooms (Hewitt, Sulz Tower, Elliott).
The BC/CU Housing Exchange functions by trading an equal number of beds between the two schools. Consequently, the number of Columbia students permitted to select a room in the Barnard Lottery is limited ("capped") to match the number of Barnard students permitted to live in Columbia housing.
How is the Cap Calculated: The specific number of Columbia students allowed to pick (the "Cap") is calculated by taking the total number of Barnard students with Columbia housing assignments (i.e. no more than 25 students in Greek and SIC units) and subtracting the number of Columbia students already assigned as pull-ins for Barnard RAs or CARDS accommodations.
Example If there are 20 Barnard students living in Columbia housing next year and 4 Columbia students are pull-ins for Barnard RAs or CARDS accommodations, the Cap will be 16 (20 - 4 = 16).
When is the Cap Calculated:
The Cap is calculated after the deadline to register for the Barnard Room Selection process (i.e. when we know exactly how many BC students are confirmed for assignment in CU Housing and how many CU students registered for the Barnard Lottery).
If the Cap is Reached: If more Columbia students register for the Barnard Lottery than the Cap allows, students will be emailed to let them know what the Cap is.
Tracking: Students can monitor the Selection Times Google Sheet during the Lottery to see how many Columbia students have already selected a room.
Cutoff: Once the Cap number has been reached, any remaining CU students will drop back to the Columbia Room Selection process. Groups will need to drop the Columbia member(s) from their group in order to select.
Open Housing Agreement Form (PDF)
Lottery groups with Columbia students may select a suite together regardless of gender identity.
ℹ️ More information about Columbia Open Housing
Requirements: All members of a coed group must sign and submit the Open Housing Agreement Form before their Selection Time.
Romantic Couples: Open Housing is highly discouraged for romantic couples, as room changes may not be possible if a breakup occurs.
Vacancy Policy for Open Housing: If a member of an Open Housing group cancels their housing or moves out:
The remaining residents must identify an eligible replacement to fill the vacancy within a specific window (typically between 24 hours and one week).
If a new roommate is not identified, the suite reverts to an all-women assignment. Any male Columbia students in the suite would be reassigned to a Columbia residence hall.
Assignments in Barnard housing are at the discretion of the Columbia Housing office. Students may be reassigned to Columbia campus housing if necessary, even if a replacement suite member is found.