<p>So, here's the thing. I will be living off-campus my first year of school due to not being able to pay for room and board. However, it's not an attractive option for me, so I'm looking to get housing for my sophomore year. My financial situation will most likely not have changed. Is it possible to apply to be an RA even though I did not dorm my first year? My instincts tell me no, but is there a chance? Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>I suppose each college has its own rules, but I’ve never heard of any requirements that you actually live on campus the year before to become an RA. As long as you’re on campus now, it should be possible.</p>
<p>I don’t know of such a requirement, and if there were one, it would be dependent upon the school. I do know some RAs live off campus for a year or so before becoming RAs, though I do not know if they lived in dorms first.</p>
<p>At my school all the housing jobs say that they prefer for you to have housing job experience or at least experience living on campus.</p>
<p>My university recommends living on campus before applying, and you need letters of recommendation from a current RA and a community director [which would be next to impossible to get if you didn’t live on campus]. Check out the application and requirements at your school. I’m sure Residence Life would have that info.</p>
<p>I don’t know that I would want my RA to never have lived in the dorms before…</p>
<p>^I wouldn’t.</p>
<p>My university requires that you lived on campus at least for a semester before applying for a ResLife job. But it varies depending on the school, it doesn’t hurt to ask</p>