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Campus Living & Residential Education

Division for Student Affairs

Room Swaps

Beginning-of-Semester Room Swaps

Students who want to change their room assignment after moving into their residence hall for the academic year may utilize the Room Swap system during the designated Room Swap period. It is designed to allow students to complete a one-to-one person "swap" of assigned rooms by connecting students with other students on campus who are also looking to change rooms. The Room Swap process can only be used during published Room Swap time periods.

Mid-semester room changes throughout the 2024 - 2025 academic year are made on a case-by-case basis and are not facilitated through this Room Swap Module. Please know that room changes are not automatically granted due to high residential occupancy. Additionally, we offer resources for navigating roommate conflicts.

How Room Swap Works

When the Room Swap period opens, students who explore Room Swap will register for swapping in their GW Home Portal.

In registering for Room Swap, students indicate their top two preferred residence halls among the halls they are eligible to live in. The Room Swap system provides for search options with other individuals and groups. If mutual matches occur, students can view those and contact those matches via email. Should two students agree to swap, they identify a mutually-desired weekend to move to their new rooms.

What if I don't have any matches?

If few swap matches are available after registering for Room Swap, students are encouraged to wait until more students register for Room Swap or adjust their hall preferences to identify more matches. Students are encouraged to regularly check for matches in the GW Home Portal throughout the entirety of the Room Swap period.

Eligibility Rules for the Room Swap Module

A room swap is between two people mutually agreeing to swap housing assignments. The housing assignment of only the students swapping will be impacted; roommate(s) do not have their housing assignment impacted by a room swap.

  • First-year students living in first-year halls may only swap with first-year students. First-year students will only see student profiles of other first-year students.
  • Second-year students may swap with other second-, third-, or fourth-year students living on campus, other than students living in 1959 E Street and South Hall, which are third- and fourth-year only buildings. Second-year students may swap into all other upperclass buildings. Second-year students are restricted from living in this location. 
  • Third-year students may swap with other second-, third-, or fourth-year students living on campus.
  • Fourth-year students may swap with other second-, third-, or fourth-year students living on campus.
  • Students in FSL Housing who seek a change in their housing assignment should notify their House Manager. 
  • Upperclass students participating in an Affinity Housing Program who seek a change in their housing assignment should contact their Affinity Group Coordinator. 

Exclusions

Some student populations are excluded from participating in the Room Swap Module:

  • Undergraduate Students living in FSL Housing (all locations);
  • Upperclass students assigned to District House Affinity Housing (room numbers that contain an 'N' or 'S');
  • Exchange Students;
  • Students participating in Gender-Inclusive Housing.