The Housing Lottery is the process through which eligible students select on-campus housing for the upcoming academic year. Students may participate as Individuals or in Groups to select available rooms based on their assigned priority.
Point Values
Learn how Point Values are assigned to individuals based on graduation year (Seniority) and how Group Point Values are calculated for groups with members of different class years (Mixed-Point Groups).
Lottery Numbers & Selection Times
Understand the timeline for when Lottery Numbers are randomly generated and when specific appointment times (Selection Times) are generated for each Point Value category.
Individuals: Going Solo!
Review the options available for students participating on their own
Groups: Team Up!
Review guidelines for forming groups of 2 to 6 students. This section includes information on priority deadlines, rules for groups with Columbia students, and how to regroup after Lottery Numbers are assigned.
How to Select
Instructions for how to select a room or suite on the Portal when your appointment time starts. This section also covers how to designate a Proxy if you are unavailable during your time slot.
Available Rooms
Access the live list of available suites and rooms (updated periodically during the Lottery) to see what spaces remain eligible for selection. This section also includes data from previous years' lotteries.