<p>How easy is it to get on campus housing in sophmore year? We were told at Parent's Weekend the student must put their request in on November 17.</p>
<p>I believe, last year, they were able to accept everyone who requested housing. I know I beat the lottery and got the single for this year. :)</p>
<p>lil how does that work? Do you put down your top x number of choices? Or do they just pull your name out of hat (so to speak) and then you have your choice? Could a sophomore get stuck in supplemental housing? If you could just shed some light on it for us that have kids going into their 2nd year, we'd appreciate it.</p>
<p>When we met with housing reps a few weeks ago, they told us that they were able to assign some kind of housing slot to everyone who wanted one - but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the slot they wanted. Some got supplemental, others didn't get the dorms and/or roommate(s) they requested. My S (a freshman) didn't get any of his choices this year. </p>
<p>There is a staggered process. The first deadline is, I believe, for Eastview Terrace and Nittany Apartments. Then the deadline for regular housing requests is a few weeks later. </p>
<p>From the explanation they gave, regular housing is assigned via a random process. Basically, the computer just puts people in available slots in one big frenzy. It's not a first-come, first-serve type of thing, so as long as you sign up before the deadline, you have an equal chance as someone who signed up weeks/days earlier. </p>
<p>They told us that anyone could be assigned to supplemental. I know of a few sophomores who got supplemental this year. The only upside is that it'is cheaper than a regular room, but we are still really hoping he isn't one of the "lucky" ones who get supplemental next year.</p>
<p>I think most kids who request housing in the dorm do get it, but remember it's not guaranteed after freshman year. My daughter started as a freshman in 2005. She requested dorm space for sophomore year, but did not get it. I read somewhere that for 2006, there was an exceptionally large freshman class coming in and close to 2,000 upperclassment who requested dorm space did not get it. She found out in the beginning of February that she did not get in and had to scramble to find an apartment. It was slim pickins since most of the apartments had already been rented. Most of the kids make arrangements for their apartments in November or December for leases starting the following August. My son is a freshman this year and has already put his application in at 2 rental agencies.</p>
<p>Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for the replies.</p>
<p>I can see this being as stressful as the application process to get into UP, when you have an unorganized child.</p>
<p>You request this around late November. You enter information such as same building/floor/room as your current room and top 3 choices in terms of areas (south, west, east, etc.). If you also put down a "preference" roommate and he puts you down, it will increase both your chances because if one of you gets the contract, the other one will too. But this "preference" roommate does not guarantee that you will be roommates though. Then around the summer time or whenever, they will tell you if you got the contract.</p>
<p>Also, probably a week or two after the regular contracts, they will release the East View Terrace, singles, and the other special rooms. These go by lottery, and you normally hear back in January if you got one. They send you an email with the room number too.</p>