Waitlist Information

The following information will help explain what it means to be on either the non-guaranteed or the guaranteed waitlist, and how to increase your chances of being assigned based on historical context. It is important to note that even if you are on the non-guaranteed waitlists you still have a very good chance of being assigned to on-campus residential housing. Offers from the waitlist will begin to made after April 3, 2009. 

What is the non-guaranteed waitlist?

Due to the large number of third- and fourth-year applications coupled with the uniqueness of preferences, a population of unassigned students is placed on the non-guaranteed waitlist. Because third- and fourth-year students are not required to live in on-campus residential housing, GW Housing Programs cannot guarantee that these students will be assigned. However, our office will work very hard to ensure that every student with flexible preferences will be assigned. Historically, we are able to accommodate these students shortly after second-year students on the guaranteed waitlist have been assigned and additional space becomes available. 

 What is the guaranteed waitlist?

Due to the large number of second-year applications coupled with the uniqueness of preferences, a population of unassigned students is placed on the guaranteed waitlist. As second-year students are required to live in on-campus residential housing, all students on the guaranteed waitlist will be assigned housing. As space becomes available in the days after assignments are released, these students are the first to be assigned. 

 How to increase your chances of being assigned

Students on the guaranteed waitlist will be assigned housing, and thus need not adjust their application preferences. On the other hand, students on the non-guaranteed waitlist are encouraged to log into their housing application and generalize their preferences. In other words, students with very specific preferences (e.g., singles only building preferences, or multiple roommate preferences) will have a more difficult time being assigned due to the nature of available spaces through cancellations. Students that are flexible with their preferences will most likely be assigned.

 What Happened Last Year?

In 2008, we assigned approximately 350 students from both waitlists. Statistically, 70% of third- and fourth-year students assigned from the non-guaranteed waitlist were placed in New Hall, City Hall, and Ivory Towers. Additionally, nearly 50% of second-year students assigned from the guaranteed waitlist were placed in the Dakota, FSK, and JBKO.  Historically, the University has rarely been in the position of being unable to assign students from both waiting lists, and we are confident we will be able to repeat this success again.