🏠 Georgetown University — Parent Guide

🏠 How housing selection works at Georgetown University

Georgetown University guarantees on-campus housing for all first-year students and uses a points-based lottery system for returning students. All housing applications and selections are managed through theHoya Housing Portal.

First-Year Students:Incoming freshmen are guaranteed a room on campus. In May, sends a welcome email with instructions for completing the housing application in Hoya Housing. Students fill out a Living Preference Questionnaire (LPQ), sign the Housing Occupancy Agreement, and use theCHARMSroommate-matching tool to search for or confirm a roommate. Students cannot request a specific residence room — all first-year assignments are random. Singles are not available for first-year students except through the disability accommodation process. Housing assignments and move-in instructions are sent during the first week of August.

Returning Students — Points-Based Lottery:Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors use a selection-points system to determine order in the housing lottery. Each class year is assigned a base point value:

• Rising seniors: 4 points
• Rising juniors: 3 points
• Rising sophomores: 2 points

DuringGroup Formation, students declare roommate groups. A group's average point value determines its place in the selection queue — higher averages get earlier selection times. Ties are broken randomly. Once the Group Formation deadline passes, no member changes are permitted.

Phase 1 Selectioncovers apartments, townhouses, and suites (excluding doubles). Groups of exactly 4 select first; a pull-in process allows larger units (5+ beds) to add additional roommates immediately after the group's initial selection.

Phase 2 Selectioncovers singles, doubles, triples, and any spaces left unfilled in Phase 1. Groups of 1, 2, or 3 participate here. Once a selection is submitted, it is final.

Senior Eligibility:Rising seniors must apply for Senior Eligibility during the fall semester of their junior year (applications open in late October, close in late February on a first-come, first-served basis). Up to 700 seniors are approved. Eligibility approval is required to participate in Housing Selection but does not guarantee a specific room or building. Students with high financial need are guaranteed eligibility if they apply by the deadline.

Key dates(approximate — verify each year in Hoya Housing):

• October–February: Senior Eligibility application window (prior fall/spring)
• Spring semester: Group Formation and Housing Selection phases open
• May: First-year housing application opens; LPQ and CHARMS open for incoming students
• Late June: CHARMS closes; first-years without a confirmed roommate are randomly paired
• Early August: Housing assignments and move-in instructions sent to all students

For current deadlines, room availability, and step-by-step tutorials, visit theLiving Application Process page.