Does anyone know what the dorm/housing process looks like for Fall 2018 admissions? Believe last year the housing portal opened on Feb 15 - is this year pushed out with the later Jan 25 priority acceptance date? On the day it opens is it basically a free for all in terms of getting online and making deposits and getting a housing priority number?
Sorry if this is posted online but I don’t see it. Thanks
The portal opens at a particular time in the morning. Something like 8 or 9 a.m…can’t remember exactly. Make sure you know the time. If it’s during the school day as it was last year, then it would be good to have one of the parents be on top of this rather than have your kid be fiddling with a phone or be unable to do it at school. You want to try to log in AS SOON AS YOU CAN right at or before the time the portal opens. Yes the site will lag. You have to keep trying. It might take you up to an hour to get in, but you’ll get in eventually. The best numbers are LOW numbers. However, even if you get a high number, don’t despair, because remember, not everyone trying to get a number will end up going to FSU. So even if you end up with something like 4,000, you’ll still get a spot on campus. However the lower your number, the better choices your student will have when it comes time to select housing.
Also, be aware that if your student already has someone in mind as a roommate, FSU housing goes by the higher (worse) number. So if your student has a great number and the friend has a bad number, they both have to go by the worse number. Which means BOTH families should be trying hard to log into the portal ASAP.
I was able to get great number for my son (under 100), and then he didn’t end up attending FSU. lol.
They have several nice new housing options on campus. (Dorman, Deviney, Magnolia, Azalea) etc.
Shouldn’t that date be available by now? When the portal will open for getting a priority number; likely next month? I couldn’t find it on the website under something listing Housing Dates…
Aside from students login information, what else is needed to get a priority number? Is it just getting a priority number or filling out a housing contract. Thought I heard it was like $25 to get a priority number but google search didn’t get me much.
Is it obvious where to go in the portal to get a priority number? google search got me to later on instructions related to picking out actual dorm well after have priority number.
This was posted on fsu reddit page yesterday:
We are very excited about admissions decisions being released later this week and wanted to give you a heads up about our NEW housing contract process for newly admitted students!
The Fall/Spring contract will open on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 9 AM. However, we know that you are busy and may have tests, school events, or family commitments at that time. NEW FOR THIS YEAR, you have the flexibility to submit the housing contract at any time from when it opens on February 1 through February 5 and be included in our earliest Welcome Window group. Students who submit contracts during the Welcome Window will all be entered into a lottery and will receive a randomized contract number on February 6th. The Welcome Window is your opportunity to be one of the earliest students to commit to living on-campus for next year!
If you submit your contract on February 7th or later, you will receive a contract number based on the date and time your contract is submitted. The contract number serves as your “place in line” for receiving on-campus housing. Your contract number will be larger than those who contracted during the Welcome Window.
Please remember to activate your FSUID before accessing the housing portal to complete your housing contract. To activate your FSUID, visit my.fsu.edu and click “Activate my FSUID”. You will need: a. Your EMPLID as provided by Admissions (a nine-digit number) b. Your date of birth c. The last five digits of your social security number
Please note: On-campus housing is not required or guaranteed for incoming students at FSU. The housing contract is binding if you attend FSU. The housing contract does not commit you to FSU.
Thanks. I wasn’t sure if that was geared to current students who get priority and then later incoming freshman would get a date to try to get priority number. Googling about FEEs didn’t get anywhere. I assume there is a small deposit to get a priority number that will then be applied to housing contract if decide to attend FSU?
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the update, My2caligirls. That is a MUCH less stressful (and more fair!) way for them to handle the housing sign-ups. FSU has a great reputation for being very customer-friendly, and this is another example of them trying to make their process better for everyone.
Thanks, I get it now. 
Don’t like new system. It is now a lottery and you have no control over your number. I wouldn’t mind so much if they had a lottery day by day for numbers, but to have 5 days of applications thrown in a big pool then a lottery of those folks does not reward the kids who make the effort to apply as early as they can.
It’s still a lottery when you’re sitting at the computer sweating from 9 am to 10 am and hitting refresh constantly.