<p>Do freshmen students have to apply for housing, or is it done automatically through the office of admissions?</p>
<p>If so, where should we go? Am I getting something in the mail about this?</p>
<p>Also, do freshmen get to pick what halls they want to live in?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, once you have sent in your deposit you will have to apply for housing online. The online application usually opens sometime in April. Freshmen do get to pick from among several residence halls designated for freshmen. You can rank your choices or halls and also request particular roommates as well. There is a freshman page where there is a discussion board and you can ask more questions of GW staff. Here's the link....the page still isn't quite updated from last year, but it's getting there.</p>
<p>Welcome</a> Class of 2012 - gwired.gwu.edu/freshmen</p>
<p>That's a helpful link - it even has the dates for the orientation sessions. I notice there are course registration dates for freshman listed before the Colonial Inauguration sessions. Is that when they choose classes? It seems a little early, I'm not sure my D would know what to sign up for at that stage.</p>
<p>Oops, now I found the GW First Class thingy. They have a nice website.</p>
<p>First Class is a tutorial to be done before online registration, i believe and a student signs up for a registration time after the tutorial. Class selection can be tweaked and changed as space permits after orientation and students have the opportunity to meet with advisors during orientation. The online registration process for freshmen is relatively new and much improved. My D, (entered fall 05) registered during orientation in an assigned time slot in the computer lab there and found it a little stressful (perhaps becaus she had an 8 am registration time??) GW also reserves equal amounts of class space for each registration session...so each group has access to equal numbers of class space regardless of whether they are in the first or the last group to register ---which I believe is a very fair way to do it. The best way to register is to read all the general curriculum requirements carefully and begin with those and intro required courses for the student's major if one is selected. Also pay close attention to classes with prerequisites (that obviously freshmen should not register for to begin with).</p>
<p>how does gw decide roommates? is there like a survey to fill out or is it just random?</p>
<p>Our experience was that you could request roommates if you already know someone or meet someone at orientation that you would like to room with. There is also a brief interest/personality type survey in the past...and all of these are used for placement along with the preferences of dorms you list when you register for housing. You will get plenty of instruction and support info when it is time to register for housing</p>