Returning Student Housing Process

Housing Selection Dates

Mandatory Housing Applications are due March 2nd at 12:00 AM. Within the following week, students will receive the exact time when they will be able to begin selecting housing based on their priority number. Students who do not submit a housing application will not be able to participate in housing selection and will have to wait until housing selection is over to select housing.

After the housing application is signed, housing selection will open for students split by cohorts (which receive specific priority numbers) and it begins on March 30th and 31st for rising seniors. The selection dates are as follows:

  • Rising Seniors (priority numbers 1000 – 1999): March 30th and 31st
  • Rising Juniors (priority numbers 2000 – 2999): April 2nd and 3rd
  • Rising Sophomores (priority numbers 3000 – 3999): April 7th and 8th

Housing Exemption Form

If you are currently living on-campus and will be attending Allegheny during the 2026-2027 academic year, you must complete either the Housing Application to live on-campus, or the Housing Exemption request to be released from the Residency Requirement. The Housing Application is due March 2nd, 2026, at 12:00 AM.

Housing Application/Meal Plan Selection: All students who will be on-campus must sign their Housing Application no later than March 2nd, 2026, at 12:00 AM. Each student has received an email with instructions to access the agreement in the Self-Service Portal as well as to choose a meal plan.

  • Housing Exemption Request Form: Students requesting a change in status (e.g. commuting or living off-campus) must make a request using this form. You will need to be logged into your Allegheny account to complete this form.

2026-2027 Allegheny Housing Selection Process

Directions

Beginning Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30 AM, you will be able to complete the Housing Application for 2026-2027 in your Self-Service Portal. Completing this application is required to participate in the room selection process. Again, Housing Applications are due March 2nd, 2026, at 12:00 AM.

After 7:30 AM on Tuesday, please log into your Self-Service Portal:

  1. Log into your Allegheny email account
  2. At the top right, click on the Google waffle icon
  3. Select Adirondack
  4. Select Housing Agreement > 2026-2027 Returning Student Housing Agreement from the left menu
  5. You will be prompted to sign the agreement and select a dining plan
  6. You will receive a confirmation message when your Housing Application is fully submitted

If you have any questions, please email reslife@allegheny.edu

Housing Selection Process

Students who are eligible for the Housing Selection Process will receive a Housing Selection number via their Allegheny email after the Housing Application is complete. The assigned Housing Selection time is based on this priority number.

Housing Selection Numbers: Students are sorted into cohorts based on the year that they entered Allegheny (not necessarily the same as class year or credits earned), and students are assigned a housing selection number based on the time they submitted their housing application, with earlier submission times getting lower numbers. Groups will select a housing option based on the best (lowest) number in the group. If you are living with students with an earlier selection number, you are not required to participate in selection. Housing Selection Forms must be fully completed at the time of selection. Residence Life will double check information to make sure all students have listed each other as roommates. Providing false information to obtain or fill a space will result in forfeiture of participation in the Housing Selection Process.

Roommate Selection: Spaces must be completely filled at the time of selection and maintain full occupancy.

Students without Roommates: Students who are not a part of a roommate group during Housing Selection will be paired accordingly based on their housing agreements after Housing Selection.

In situations where there are roommates, only one student needs to make the selection (the student with the lowest priority number in the group).

Changes in Housing Assignments: The College reserves the right to make adjustments to housing assignments in order to accommodate all housing needs. Students will be informed if changes must be made to assignments after Housing Selection.

Students who are not eligible or choose not to participate in the Housing Selection Process will be assigned to a vacant space.

Room Rates can be found at this Allegheny College page. 

Eligibility

Students eligible for the Housing Selection Process: Students who will be on campus for the fall semester, including students studying abroad during the spring semester, who are not included on the list below.

Students Ineligible for Housing Selection Process: These students are not eligible to participate in the Housing Selection Process

  • Students who will not be on campus during the fall semester. 
  • Students who are living in fraternity houses, special interest housing, language houses, gender-inclusive, and thematic housing; these students are pre-housed.
  • Students who have accepted a position with Residence Life; these students are pre-housed.

Students exempt from the Housing Selection Process: These students need not participate in the Housing Selection Process. If a student would like to change their status, they must complete the Housing Exemption Request Form.  Allegheny College may grant exemptions to the on-campus residency requirement based upon the following guidelines:

  • The student has lived on campus at other colleges/universities and may be exempt from the Allegheny requirement for the number of semesters lived on campus elsewhere.
  • The student commutes from the primary residence of a parent, legal guardian or family member within 50 miles of the college
  • The student is married and/or has dependents
  • The student is 23 years of age or older
  • The student is enrolled as a part-time student (11 credit hours or less).

Housing Agreement

The Housing Agreement is due by March 2nd, 2026, at 12:00 AM.

Students who do not complete the Housing Agreement by the deadline will not be eligible to participate in the Housing Selection Process.

Students who are currently on leave and approved to return for the fall semester must fill out the Housing Agreement by the due date to participate.

Accommodations: If you would like to request a housing accommodation, please see the Housing Accommodation Request page and/or contact the Director of Student Accessibility and Support Services, John Mangine (jmangine@allegheny.edu, 814-332-2898).

TIPS

  • Have multiple options in mind: Residence Life will be live-updating the rooms as they are selected.  Your group must have the same number as the option you are choosing (e.g. you must have 5 people to choose a 5-person option).
  • Apartment-style Housing: Rising 3rd and 4th years are now able to pull rising 2nd years ‘up’ during their room selection for the following: North Village 2, Allegheny Commons, and College Court.
    • Rising 2nd years will NOT be able to be ‘pulled up’ into North Village 1.
  • Have backup plans: Plan for scenarios where you may have to change the number in your group (e.g. the last four-person apartment was selected before your group of four could select, so you will split into two groups of two). Please note: this could also change your selection time based on the best number in your new group.
  • Sophomores may have limited access to single rooms. Please plan on having a roommate and come prepared with that option.  
  • Choose roommates carefully: Please have conversations with possible roommates about living preferences and desired housing options before the selection process begins.
  • Be honest about your plans: It helps to be upfront with those in your group about what happens if plans changes (e.g. no more 5-person options are available, and the group must split) before selection night. Individuals will not be able to be included in multiple groups. Please do not give a group your ID number if you are not planning to room with them.

FAQs

  • How much will housing cost next year?
  • What if I came to Allegheny as a transfer student?
    • Residence Life places students to the cohort that most matches their experience. Please contact Residence Life (reslife@allegheny.edu) if you believe you are not in the correct cohort. For more information, and please visit our page for Transfer Students.
  • Can I apply for special interest AND also go through Room Selection?
    • If you are selected and approved for Special Interest Housing, Greek Life Housing, and Language Houses or have been accepted for Accommodation housing, you will be taken out of the room selection process. 
  • How can I guarantee that I get a single?
    • Residence Life cannot guarantee housing to students going through the Housing Selection Process. See below for housing accommodation-related single rooms. 
  • What if I require a housing accommodation due to a disability?
  • Can I change my housing after Housing Selection?
    • If there is a vacancy in another space that you are asked to fill or if you have a space and want to fill it you may do so except during the housing freeze period.