How the Draw System Works
DRAW RANK
- Residential Committee Members and others eligible for priority draw rank.
- (current) First-year students.
- (current) Second-year students.
- (current) Third-year students.
- (current) Fourth-year students.
- (current) Fifth-year students.
Utilizing an applicant’s current year of study and in accordance with draw rules for priority, applicants are assigned a random draw rank. Students with children who have supporting documentation on file by March 26 will be ranked and randomized at the top of their year of study. A computer program then considers each application in turn by draw rank. When considering your application, the system will find your highest preference such that all roommates (if any) are still available (have not been assigned other housing), and such that units of that type are still available. Moreover, enough beds must be available to house all incoming students who applied by April 15. If the system can accommodate your first housing type preference (based on the available housing), you will be placed on the list for that type of housing. If you were successful in getting an apartment to share with other student(s) (whose names must have appeared on your application and vice versa), they will also be successful for the same apartment based on your application, and their other preferences will be ignored. Note: When applying for an apartment, the roommate with the best draw rank will pull in all other roommates. Year of study for all roommates is not averaged.
If your first housing type preference is not available (all units/beds of that type are already taken), the program will consider your other housing type preferences in order. If you were unsuccessful for all types of housing you applied for, you will be placed on the wait list if you have indicated this on the application and will be ordered by draw rank. For the purpose of the Draw, the graduate housing stock is divided into five types: studio (Lawrence), one, two, and three bedroom apartments, and the GC/Annex rooms.
RANDOM ROOMMATE OPTION
The Random Roommate feature allows the student to apply for any apartment unit type they choose, regardless of occupancy level, and be randomly assigned a roommate. This feature can be found in the Placement Options section of the application.
How does it work?
The Random Roommate system matches students in the following order:
- Unit Type
- Gender
- Year of Study
For example, Jane Doe applied for a random roommate(s) in a two bedroom and three bedroom unit. The system will match her with other students who applied for random roommates in the same unit type. The system will then match her with other students of the same gender, then by year of study. NOTE: If there are no students of the same gender are available, then the student will be assigned a roommate of the opposite gender.
Once the students are matched, they will be included with all other students in Room Draw. IMPORTANT: If the system is unable to match a student through this process then the student will be listed as unsuccessful for those unit types applied for. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for other options that do not require a roommate in order increase their chances of obtaining housing through the Draw.