Approximately 190 rising juniors and seniors are still without housing after this year’s lottery, housing officials said Wednesday. But all rising sophomores, including more than 170 who were on the list after the weekend’s lottery, have campus housing for next year.
Andrew Sonn, director of Housing Services, said his office is working to find beds for students currently on the waiting list. Housing officials placed rising sophomores waiting for campus housing in Madison and Mitchell Halls.
“We’ve been down in the trenches, working this out,” Sonn said. “We managed to get about 50 beds from pull-ins in mixed class halls who didn’t accept their assignments. The rest will come from beds being held for transfer students.”
Sonn refused to disclose the number of transfer student beds withheld from the housing lottery or how many of the beds will be assigned to non-transfer students.
“We have enough beds to accommodate both current and transfer students, as well as the (expected incoming) freshman class (of 2,400 students),” Sonn said. He said additional beds will be made available in the summer when students move off campus or leave the University.
While Sonn was hesitant to predict how many people the summer turnover might involve, sources close to housing predicted it would yield between 150 and 200 beds.
Sonn emphasized that students remaining on the waiting list can still apply for rooms in The Gallery in Rosslyn, Va., and Columbia Plaza. While students who choose Columbia Plaza are not allowed to re-enter the guaranteed housing selection process, students living in The Gallery will remain eligible.
A two-person apartment in Columbia Plaza can run between $850 and $1,650 per month depending on the configuration. Four-person apartments run from $2,100 to $2,550 per month.
In The Gallery, a one bedroom/one bathroom apartment ranges from $1,750 to $2,250 a month, a two bedroom/one bathroom ranges from $2,300 to $2,700 a month and a two-bedroom/two bathroom ranges from $2,500 to $3,100 a month.
Sonn described student interest in The Gallery as “very strong.” 95 individuals have filled out reservation forms for the building – 35 were received this week. Assuming each individual represents between one and three roommates, this leaves approximately 30 units open of the 125 GW initially made available.
Officials said rising juniors and seniors on the waiting list should not worry about getting housing.
“If you couldn’t select because of housing not being available during your time this weekend, then you will receive an offer,” Sonn said. “We will be making offers on a rolling basis in the order people originally had their appointment times.”
Sonn said Housing Services will be contacting students on the waiting list starting with lottery number 3,000.
Sonn said he hopes to have all offers to rising juniors and seniors out by Saturday.
“We’re giving students 24 hours to consider their offers,” Sonn continued. “If they decline or we don’t hear back from them, we go to the next grouping waiting for offers.”
Students on the waiting list said they had questions about whether they would be placed with their desired roommates, but Sonn said his office does its best to keep roommates together. “We are hopeful that it will work out. Moreover, if you receive a housing offer, you should take it now. We will be working over the summer to put friends and roommates back together.”
Some students said they are apprehensive about Housing Service’s plans.
“I’m on the waiting list right now, but I’m talking with some friends about moving into an apartment with them,” said Bryan MacKay, a rising junior. “I just don’t want Housing Services to put me into a hotel and then make me move later in the year.”
But some students said they are beginning to feel more confident about their housing situations.
“I was on the waiting list, but I got pulled in,” said Omar Woodard, a rising junior and Student Association senator. “Things are looking pretty good now.”
