<p>Hello, everyone! Yesterday I had the awesome privilege of being accepted to Columbia University, though I do have some questions about living at Columbia if there are any current students/graduates/prospective students in the know. </p>
<p>How much does housing cost? I've scoured the housing site, but I can't find anything as to how much different options are. Does it cost more or less to live in singles or suites, and how do room rates compare between the four first-year halls? </p>
<p>Also, how much weight does the housing application hold? If I select a preference for a single room in John Jay, how much weight will that application have and how likely is it to be disregarded?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any information! If any helpful website links exist, they are appreciated. I apologize if this is a repeat post, but I haven't found any answers so far.</p>
<p>As a freshman, there are limited options for housing. The two main choices are Carman and John Jay. In Carman, you and your roommate and another room of two share a bathroom. In John Jay, you will have a single and floor bathrooms for each gender. All freshman housing is $7,126 for the year. It’s really a tossup about whether or not you get your housing preference. I believe that a majority of people do get their top preference, but there’s always people who won’t. </p>
<p>OK, thank you very much for the information! The site is very useful too. I appreciate the help, I am more excited than ever to send my ‘yes’ letter in!</p>
<p>So the way freshman housing works is that everyone is that everyone fills out an ordered list of preferences. Then Housing assigns everyone an internal lottery number. Whoever gets 1 gets their first choice, then 2 gets their first choice, and so on until you reach someone whose first choice is already sold out, so to speak. Then they get their second choice, and it moves onto the next person.</p>
<p>As a result, the vast majority of people will get their first or second choice. But those unlucky people who get the highest lottery numbers will end up in their last choice, since everything else will already be taken. Make sense?</p>
<p>Yes, it does! I have a lot better idea now of what to expect, and I appreciate the clarification. I shall now await the lottery with eagerness! “May the odds be ever in my favor…”</p>