I do think there are ways to improve your chances of being selected as an RA. First, have no infractions as a freshmen resident. Join in on the dorm activities as a freshmen. Become friends with the current RA’s who might be on the selection committee. Take the courses required. Be nice. At my daughter’s school I think they hire about 75 RAs from 150 or so applicants. Many are returning from the year before. It’s a good deal because they get room and board (a single and a full meal plan, worth about $10,000), about $500 in pay. They have hours they need to work the front desk, they have activities they lead in the dorm, so it is a time intensive job but you ‘work from home’. A friend’s daughter at another school picked all her desk duty time from midnight to 3 am so she can study and then she sleeps in as she picked afternoon classes.