This post was written by Hatchet Staff Writer Amanda D’Ambra.

More than 700 students were waitlisted for on-campus housing for the 2011-2012 year, a University official confirmed Wednesday, a number comparable to last year’s waitlist.

Director of GW Housing Programs Seth Weinshel said 720 students were placed on the housing wait list — 30 fewer than last year.

Weinshel said he expects students will be taken off the wait list as students decide to go abroad or move off-campus and cancel their housing assignments.

According to D.C. law, freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus. About 100 sophomores are currently on the wait list.

“I’m not too worried because I am guaranteed housing as a sophomore,” Tess Mulrean, a waitlisted freshman, said. “The only problem is going to be if I don’t get the roommates I want. I don’t know at this point where I am going to be living or who I am going to be living with.”

Mulrean applied with a friend for a double for next year, and they were both placed on the wait list.

“I know that we are going to be able to move up and possibly be in upperclassman housing, which is fine with me…. But I know a lot of people are complaining about prices if that happens, because they weren’t anticipating paying for upperclassman housing as sophomores, and now they are forced to,” Mulrean said.

Zach McNamara, who chose to apply for gender-neutral housing, did not expect to find himself on the wait list.

“We opted for gender-neutral housing and thought that would increase our chances of getting assigned to the residence hall we wanted, but obviously it didn’t,” McNamara, a sophomore, said.

McNamara applied to live with three other roommates, one male and two females. They listed Ivory Tower and Amsterdam Hall as their top preferences.

“It’s probably just because so many people who end up canceling housing because they are going abroad or moving off-campus register anyway,” McNamara said. “Right now it’s just an overload, but it will end up opening up.”