Housing Lottery

Returning students select their room and roommate(s) each spring for the upcoming year through the housing lottery.

Students will receive a lottery number for housing and those with the lowest (best) lottery numbers choose first. The lottery is seniority-based. Rising seniors are assured the lowest numbers, followed by juniors, then sophomores.

The Honor Code and Code of Responsibility govern the lottery process. Any attempt at cheating, lying or falsifying information will be treated as an Honor Code violation. The Residence Life Office treats each student with fairness and expects students to treat their peers fairly.

Lottery Numbers and Process

Each year, every student is randomly assigned an undisclosed lottery number according to class status, with rising seniors having the best numbers and so on. Outside of random number generation, no other factors (i.e. current housing location, GPA, conduct, last year’s lottery number, etc.) affect the undisclosed lottery number assigned to a student. If the student has applied with a roommate or in a group of four, the group’s lottery numbers are averaged, and the average becomes the lottery number for the group. The lottery number is used to determine the order for which students will participate in the specific lottery. Once a student/group has applied for and been notified they have been accepted into a specific housing process, they are removed from the possibility of applying for any subsequent lottery processes. 

Applications are processed by the Residence Life Office and groups are put in order by lottery number average. Groups are notified what their assigned lottery time will be through the MyHousing system.

How to Navigate the Online Process

All applications are submitted online, links to applications are sent out by Dean Walter Snipes on a timely basis, approximately two weeks before they are due, via davidson.edu emails. Roommate matching and room selection happen online through the MyHousing system. Instructions for roommate matching (Davidson login required) are available online and will be in the lottery emails sent out by Dean Walter Snipes.

Accommodations and Adjustments

Students with documented medical or physical needs will need to contact the Office of Academic Access and Disability Resources at AADR@davidson.edu with requests for housing accommodations or questions about the process before lottery begins. Accommodation requests must be renewed each year with the AADR office, they do not roll over. The request and accompanying necessary documentation need to be submitted by Jan. 21, 2023 at 5 p.m.

Helpful Tips and Reminders

The following will help ensure a successful lottery process:

• Turn in applications on time. Late applications will be placed at the back of the stack, regardless of the applicant's lottery number. 
• Be mindful of your assigned lottery selection time that is available in MyHousing. You may select later than your assigned time but those in line behind you will be allowed to make their selections at their assigned times, they do not have to wait upon your selection.
• You must have a roommate to be eligible to sign up for a double room; four roommates to sign up for an Armfield apartment; and three roommates for the remainder of Martin Court.
• If you have questions about the lottery process, please ask before room selection on your respective night. College officials may not be available to answer all individual questions that night.

Please contact RLO@davidson.edu if you need names of people looking for a roommate. RLO will share a list of those who have reached out that they are available to room with and also include your name so others know you are available.