First-Year Housing Process

Access to the first-year housing application typically opens in late April or early May. Incoming first-year students will receive an email from Housing & Residential Services (HRS) with details regarding the housing application process and the application submission deadline. Important housing dates will also be posted on the Housing Dates & Deadlines webpage.  

All applicants are given equal weight; it does not matter when you submit your housing application, as long as it’s received by the posted deadline. Building placements are made according to a lottery process, so don’t feel rushed to complete the online form – take your time when evaluating the housing options and be honest when sharing your living preferences. You can also amend your submitted preferences at any time before the deadline – just make sure your changes are saved within the housing portal. 

The application captures students' housing preferences, including which living community students prefer to join. Through the application, students may also choose to form a group of up to four total students who are interested in the same building placement. While HRS will make every effort to assign students to one of their top three residence hall preferences, there is a possibility that a student may receive an assignment in any of the available residences based on space availability. But don't worry! There are multiple opportunities to change your housing assignment at MIT (see below).   

Careful attention is paid to student room assignments to help ensure a positive living experience. A unique feature of MIT’s residential system is that student Room Assignment Chairs (RACs) coordinate individual room assignments in each building along with members of their House Team. While a key set of principles guides the room assignment process, each house approaches room assignments a bit differently, and information about each house’s room assignment process is linked below. 

After receiving living preference information from students, HRS shares these details with student RACs to facilitate individual room assignments for each residence hall in coordination with the House Team. Confirmed room assignments will be shared with incoming students according to the posted date.

When students arrive on campus for the start of the academic year, they can participate in Residence Exploration (REX), which allows them to explore each house and participate in special programming organized by existing residents. After seeing each living community during REX, students who would like to change their housing assignment are welcome to participate in the First Year Residence Exchange (FYRE) process. 

FYRE, which is dependent upon housing availability, allows students to change their housing assignment.  Students who are unsuccessful at changing their housing assignment are also welcome to apply through the building switch process, which enables successful residents to change their housing assignment beginning the next semester.  

The in-house rooming process for first-year residents occurs after FYRE but the exact process differs between each residence. Summaries of the in-house process are available on each residence page while full action plans are available in the links below. 

Generally, each house process fits into categories of processes:

In-house first-year Assignment Process

Some residences have in-house assignments based on the room preferences for direct roommate matching. Others assign rooms based on subcommunity preferences following the in-house exploration of subcommunities (i.e., floors, halls, wings, or entries). Some residences make assignments based on both subcommunity & room preferences. 

Opt-in or opt-out

In some residences, you are automatically included in the in-house process unless you opt-out. If you opt-out, you will retain your initial room assignment. In other residences, you have to opt-in to switch your room assignment. If you do not opt-in to switch your room, you will retain your initial room assignment