Second-Year Student General Housing Registration

No priority in room assignment is given to students who complete housing registration earlier than others. We encourage students to take their time, as there is no benefit to completing housing registration quickly.

Steps to Complete Second-Year General Housing Registration

To manage this for multiple classes of returning undergraduate students, CLRE must create a structured process and provide students with long periods to make effective decisions around roommates. Choosing Your Room Type is a three-step process:

Step #1: Roommate Matching and Roommate Group Creation

Available Tuesday, January 20, 2026

To get housing registration started, students will complete the following in their GW Home portal: complete required housing profile information, complete the roommate matching questionnaire (even if you know who you want to live with), and have the option to search for roommates or create roommate groups:

Already know who you want to live with next year?

Before creating a group during housing registration, communicate with your desired roommates and determine who will be the roommate group leader, then follow the steps below during housing registration via your GW Home portal.

1. Create A Group: The chosen group leader will click “Create New Group” and create a Group Name and Password.
2. Share Group Name and Password: The group leader shares the Group Name and Password they created, in Step 1, with their desired roommates.

NOTE: Do not share the Group Name and Password with people you do not want to live with.

1. Join A Group: After desired roommates complete the initial steps of their housing registration, roommate matching questions, and roommate search profile, they will click “Join a Group with Group Name and Password” and enter the Group Name and Password that was shared with them by the group leader.

NOTE: A group must be created prior to desired roommates being able to join a group with a Group Name and Password.

1. Accept Roommate Requests: The chosen group leader will click “Accept Request” after each of their desired roommates join the group.

NOTE: Only accepted roommate group requests will be considered when CLRE makes housing assignments.

Want to find a roommate for next year?

During housing registration via your GW Home portal:

1. On the Roommate Matching and Roommate Group page, click “Search for Roommates by Roommate Matching Questions”
2. Fill in Roommate Matching Questions: Answer how you would want a roommate to answer the roommate matching questions and the roommate gender identity questions.
3. Send Roommate Requests: Read through your search results and select “Add to Group” to send a roommate request to people you would potentially like to live with. You may also “Send a Message”, if you want to begin a conversation with the person before sending a roommate request.
4. Await Responses: If your roommate request is accepted you will form an automated roommate group and be notified via email.  If your roommate request is denied you will be notified via email and may enter the search process again.

Want Campus Living & Residential Education to pick your roommate?

1. On the Roommate Matching and Roommate Group page, click “Save & Continue” to skip the Roommate Groups page.
2. Continue with your Housing Registration.

NOTE: Not participating in Roommate Matching & Roommate Groups does not guarantee you will not have a roommate. It is highly likely CLRE will assign you a roommate based on your responses to the roommate matching questions.

Step #2: Complete General Housing Registration

Available Wednesday, February 11 - Wednesday, February 25, 2026

During this period, students will complete the following via the GW Home portal:

• Indicate interest in upperclass living-learning communities (if eligible) or District House affinity living
• Rank residence halls room types
• Select a meal plan for the 2026-2027 academic year
• Sign your 2026-2027 Housing License and Dining Plan Agreement (HLA).

About Ranking Residence Halls & Room Types

• Students will rank a list of residence halls with number 1 being the top preference. This ranked preference list is used to assign students to a hall and room size as high as possible on their list.
• When ranking halls and room types as a roommate group, only the Group Leader's ranked list will be taken into account for housing assignments.
• Students should keep in mind the size of their roommate group and their class year when ranking building and room size preferences. We prioritize keeping roommate groups together (not splitting them up) over rankings of building and room sizes, with our belief that who you live with is more important than where you live.
• All upperclass students not in living-learning communities are required to rank all possible room types. While CLRE does everything possible to ensure students are assigned to rooms near the top of their preference list, each year demand for specific halls and room sizes can outnumber the number of spaces we have in those room sizes. All students should prepare for the possibility that they and their roommates are assigned to halls and room sizes lower on their preference list
• Single rooms with private bathrooms are not eligible for ranking, as they are typically reserved for students with Disability Support Services (DSS) housing accommodations for that specific type of room. If a student receives a housing accommodation for a single with a private bathroom or kitchen, CLRE will use hall preferences in a student's housing registration to assign them to a single room that meets the DSS housing accommodation

Step #3: Learn of Housing Assignment

Coming Thursday, March 5, 2026

On assignment release date, all students who completed General Housing Registration by the deadline will be notified of their housing assignment for the 2026-2027 academic year. Housing assignments will be released on a rolling basis throughout the day.

Frequently Asked Questions: Second-Year General Housing Registration

General Questions and Roommate Groups 

Is Housing Registration “first-come, first-serve” when housing assignments are made?

No! Nothing is "first-come, first-serve" in housing registration and students who finish housing registration quicker than others are not more likely to receive a top preference in housing assignment. We encourage student to take their time completing their housing registration.

As a rising 2nd-year student, can I make a roommate group with rising 3rd-, 4th-, or 5th-year students?

No, 2nd-year students can only form roommate groups with other 2nd-year students. Upperclass 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-year students can only form roommate groups with other upperclass students.

I didn’t participate in Room Renewal because I thought I’d get my desired building and room type, which is no longer available. Can I still participate in Room Renewal?

No. Unfortunately, once the Room Renewal period has concluded, that option is no longer available. 

Creating Ranked Preference Lists 

Why do students have to rank all available residence halls and room types?

We require students to rank all available residence halls and room types to highlight that students may get assigned to any available residence hall and room type. The ranked list is critical to ensure students get assigned to rooms as high as possible on their lists and Campus Living & Residential Education wants to ensure that students have evaluated all possible residence hall options.

What are the chances I’m assigned to one of my top choices?

While we wish we could guarantee that every student or roommate group will be assigned to a residence hall and room of their top choice, Campus Living & Residential Education must factor in the collective rankings of all students who register for housing. These vary from year-to-year. We do not guarantee that students will get any specific top set of choices (top 5, top 10, etc). Some residence halls are historically preferenced higher than others - for example, South Hall for rising 3rd/4th/5th year students. Students should be aware that when some residence halls are highly-preferenced, more students will be disappointed to not be assigned to that residence hall.

Campus Living & Residential Education believes that all students can thrive in GW residential living environments and can find success at college no matter what time of room they live in.

Can I rank fully single rooms in my preference list?

Only students with DSS-approved housing accommodations for fully single units with private bathrooms or kitchens will be able to rank single rooms in their preference list.

Cancelling Housing or Studying Abroad

I’m planning on studying abroad in the upcoming Fall semester. Should I register for housing?

If you are considering or unsure about studying abroad in the Fall you should still register for housing for the next academic year, and then cancel your next academic year housing once your study abroad plan/program is confirmed. You can then register for spring only housing sometime in the upcoming fall semester.

If you are certain that you will be studying abroad in the fall semester of the next academic year, do not register for housing. Registration for spring semester housing only will open sometime during the upcoming fall semester.

I’m planning on studying abroad in the upcoming Spring semester. Should I register for housing?

Yes, please register for housing for the next academic year. During the upcoming fall semester you will then cancel your spring housing.

If I cancel my Fall semester housing because I am studying abroad in the Fall, am I guaranteed to be placed into the specific room and/or building that I want for the following Spring semester?

We are unable to guarantee specific room placements for those returning from fall abroad for the Spring semester, though we will attempt to honor all requests we are able to.

I’m considering transferring from GW after this semester. Should I register for housing?

If you are considering or unsure about transferring after the spring semester, you should still register for housing for the upcoming academic year, and then cancel your academic year housing once your transfer is confirmed.

If you are certain that you will be transferring after the spring semester, do not register for academic year housing.