Housing Lottery Information
We have attempted to present frequently asked questions, along with answers, related to the Housing Lottery. We hope that the information is useful to you. Please feel free to contact the Residence Life Office if you have further questions or need additional information at PC Ext. 8277. You can also email your questions to Mrs. Beth Wilson at bhwilson@presby.edu.
1. What if I cannot attend the lottery, or what if my roommate cannot attend the lottery? What is a proxy statement? What happens if neither my roommate nor myself can attend the lottery?
If you are unable to attend the lottery for any reason (i.e. study abroad, class, practice, game/match), you must provide a fellow student with a Proxy Statement signed by you. The Proxy Statement will include your name and signature, your lottery number provided in BannerWeb, and the name of the person serving as your proxy. The Proxy Statement form can be found here. You will also need to attach a copy of your Banner Web page with your name, ID and lottery number.
If neither your roommate nor you will be present at the lottery, you both will need to complete the Proxy Statement and assign your proxy to a fellow student. This student can assume your place in the lottery process and sign you and your roommate up for a room at the appropriate time.
2. Do I really have to register for classes before the lottery? What happens if I have not registered for classes when it is my turn to sign up for a room in the lottery?
ALL students must be registered for Fall 2011 academic classes in order to participate in the Housing Lottery. (Information on class registration is available on the Registrar’s web pages.) Students cannot register for classes until they have submitted the $300 deposit and met with their advisor. You do not have to be registered for a designated amount of academic hours to participate in the lottery; you merely have to be registered for classes.
***If you have not registered for classes, you will not be allowed to sign up for any residence space at the lottery until you are cleared by the Registrar’s Office. ***Your roommate will be unable to sign up for a space, as well.
3. How did I get my lottery number?
PC assigns lottery numbers by means of a computer program that randomly assigns numbers to students based on the number of PC academic credit hours achieved, including hours signed up for in the spring semester. Students also receive up to nine bonus hours if they meet certain GPA requirements. (For more information on bonus hours, please see section four.) By a resolution from the SGA, transfer and AP hours do NOT count towards your total hours for the lottery.
Students in the lottery will be divided by gender. Females will receive lottery numbers that begin with the letter "F" and males will receive lottery numbers that begin with the lottery "M." All of campus housing (including senior housing) will be designated either male or female housing.
The easiest way to understand how you received your number is this: think of it as thirteen different smaller lotteries. You are placed within a tier based on the number of PC academic hours achieved (as described below) with bonus hours assigned for people with certain GPAs. The computer will then randomly assign numbers to every person within each tier. So even if you are the top of your tier in terms of hours achieved, you have an identical mathematical probability of receiving the same lottery number as the person at the bottom of your tier; but you do not compete for numbers with students who are not in your tier.
For example, if you have 77 PC hours, then you are placed within tier 6. You lottery number will be dependent upon how many people are within tier 6. All of the students within tier 6 are then, for lack of better term, jumbled and then lottery numbers assigned within that tier. All of the students within tier 6 will have lottery numbers higher (or worse) than the students in tiers 1-5, but their numbers will be below (or better than) the lottery numbers in tiers 7-13. The tiers are assigned as follows (partial hours were rounded for lottery purposes):
Tier |
Total eligible hours (PC hours earned+bonus hours) |
1 |
121 and above |
2 |
111-120 |
3 |
101-110 |
4 |
91-100 |
5 |
81-90 |
6 |
71-80 |
7 |
61-70 |
8 |
51-60 |
9 |
41-50 |
10 |
31-40 |
11 |
21-30 |
12 |
11-20 |
13 |
0-10 |
4. What are bonus hours?
By a 2009 resolution from SGA, in addition to factoring in total credit hours earned at PC, students can be awarded up to nine bonus hours if they meet certain GPA requirements. The breakdown is as follows:
GPA |
Bonus hours awarded |
3.75 and above |
9 hours |
3.6-3.74 |
6 hours |
3.3-3.59 |
3 hours |
3.29 and below |
0 hours |
5. How are changes made to the lottery?
The Office of Residence Life paired with the Student Government Association in the fall of 2003 and 2009 and started exploring ways to make the lottery easier to understand. Since that time, there have been numerous discussion groups with students and a forum open to the entire student body where individuals asked questions as well as made suggestions to improve the lottery. College officials also attended an SGA meeting to discuss possible changes to the lottery process. The Office of Residence Life used these meetings to gain student consensus about any changes that were to be made. The College holds the ultimate decision in terms of changes to the lottery.
6. I am positive that there has been a mistake with my number I am a rising junior, and I know that a rising sophomore has a better number than I do. What should I do?
Every year there are students who believe that there has been a mistake in terms of their numbers. If you believe there has been a mistake, you are more than welcome to contact the Office of Residence Life to set up an appointment to inquire about your situation. There are, however, several reasons why someone who has been at PC for a shorter period of time than you have, may have a "better" number. First, remember that lottery numbers are issued based on PC academic hours earned only. If a student has taken a high number of classes, including summer school classes, it is possible that the student may be considered a junior by academic hours, even though they have only been at PC for a year. Secondly, you need to check your own hours and remember that only PC academic hours count towards the lottery. AP hours or summer school hours from another institution do not count towards your lottery tier classification. If you think there has been a problem, please read over the section above detailing how lottery numbers are issued and then check your facts again if there are still questions, then contact the Office of Residence Life to set up an appointment.
7. Why does the College only count PC hours earned? This places transfers in a difficult spot!
In 2003, the SGA passed a resolution whereby only PC hours earned would be considered for the lottery. The SGA used the following as a basis for its decision: there were multiple instances where students were coming to PC with a massive amount of AP hours, and, thereby, "jumping" classifications. The result of this was that there were instances where juniors were receiving numbers well below that of first-year students.
Because of the fact that many students felt that lottery numbers should only be based on the number of years that a student actually attended PC, the SGA approved the resolution only to count PC hours. The SGA was aware that transfer students would be placed at a disadvantage in the lottery, but felt that there were safeguards in the lottery to help these students. By safeguards, the SGA knew that transfers could sign up with another student who had a high number of PC hours, and that their lottery number would not count in that case. Additionally, the SGA knew that the Senior Waiver existed to insure that transfer students could sign up for senior housing during their actual senior year.
8. What is a Senior Waiver?
Any student who will be graduating by May 2012 is eligible to live in designated senior housing (Senior Hall, Townhouses, Scottish Arms). However, students who are below 90 hours will need to present the following forms to register for senior housing:
- A Senior Hours Waiver Form (click to download form)
- A major card, signed by your academic advisor, showing you will graduate by May 2012.
You need to submit these forms to the Residence Life office no later than March 30 at 5:00 p.m.. You will be provided with a form that you must bring to the Housing Lottery in order to sign up for senior housing.
9. What happens if I was not issued a lottery number?
If you were not issued a lottery number, most likely, the College has information indicating that you are not returning to PC in the fall or that you are graduating soon. You should contact the Office of Residence Life as soon as possible. We will investigate the situation and work with you on a solution.
10. How do I register as a commuting or married student?
Students who will be commuting daily from their family residence, who are married and wish to live off campus, or who are independent students (based on IRS definition) must receive approval from the Office of Residence Life. To receive approval, a Commuter Agreement Form must be submitted and then have approval granted by the ORL. Forms are also available in the Office of Residence Life. Any student found to have made a misrepresentation of this form (i.e., be registered as a commuting student and not actually living at home), may be charged with an Honor Code offense and be forced to pay the College fees that would have been paid if the student were living on campus. A $100 fine may also be imposed.
11. What if I am going abroad or studying in Washington during the Fall 2010 semester?
You cannot signup in a room for the fall during the Campus Housing Lottery, unless you are willing to pay the entire cost of having that room held for you while you are away. We insure that all students who are abroad during the fall semester have housing during the spring. We communicate with you via e-mail while you are away and keep you updated about what housing options exist for the upcoming semester. If you sign up for a room in the lottery and then leave, the Office of Residence Life will place a student with your roommate at our discretion. You may contact us with additional questions about the possibility of paying for a room on campus while you are away to hold your place, but this is the only situation that would allow you to participate in the Campus Housing Lottery.
12. What do I do if I cannot find a roommate?
If you do not have a roommate and/or are having difficulty finding one, please notify the Office of Residence Life by March 22. We will keep a list of students seeking roommates. Stop by and fill out an information sheet in order to be added to the list. You may also want to check with your RA to see if they are aware of any students looking for roommates.
There will be a meeting on Tuesday, March 29, at 4:30 p.m., on second floor of Springs Campus Center for those who do not have roommates and want to see if they can match up before lottery.
Students without roommates will NOT be allowed to sign up for a room in the Campus Housing Lottery and will be placed with other students at the discretion of the Office of Residence Life at the conclusion of the Campus Housing Lottery.
13. What if I am interested in roomming with an international exchange student?
In the 2011-2012 academic year, PC students can request to room with an international exchange student. In order to be considered for this arrangement, please complete the Request for International Exchange Student Form and submit to the Office of Residence Life no later than March 23. This form allows you to request the nationality of your roommate. You will be assigned an international roommate prior to the lottery and will be able to participate in the Housing Lottery.
14. What if I am a current upperclass PC student who wants to room with a transfer or incoming first-year student?
Returning students will not be permitted to live with transfer or incoming first year students, unless special permission is granted by the Office of Residence Life. If you are in this situation, please contact the Office of Residence Life no later than March 23.
15. Can I stay in my current room without taking part in the lottery?
No. "Squatting" in your current room is not allowed. All students must go through the lottery to get a room.
16. What if I want to live in a single-occupancy room or in CIH?
The Office of Residence Life will assign all single-occupancy rooms before the lottery begins. Please click hereto gain access to the form to request a single room. The ORL will assign single rooms according to lottery numbers. ( Deadline for requesting single rooms has now passed. )
CIH selects students by means of an Application process. Deadline for completing the application process for CIH is March 16. If you wish to speak to someone about the possibility of living in CIH, please contact Liz Dille in the Office of International Programs at ext. 3777. (Deadline to live in CIH has now passed.)
If you are not living with an RA , placed in a single room, in a fraternity house, in CIH, or receive off-campus status, then you will have to go through the lottery.
17. Tell me more about living in a suite-style room!
All of the rooms in Clinton Hall (with the exception of the 4th floor) & Georgia Hall are suite-style (two double-occupancy rooms joined by a bathroom). Rooms in Barron and Grotnes that have doors in between them will NOT be considered suites in the lottery. Groups of four (4) should arrive together at the lottery (proxy statements are allowed) and can sign up for a suite based on the lowest lottery number among the (4). All groups of four (NOT Three) may sign up in a suite-location if they are available. Groups of four (4) requesting a suite will ONLY be allowed to sign up for rooms in Georgia or Clinton.
18. What do I do if I lost my lottery number?
Once lottery numbers have been assigned, you can access your lottery number and tier on BannerWeb at any time:
- Log into BannerWeb
- Click on "Student and Financial Aid"
- Click on "Housing Lottery Number"
19. How will I know what housing is available when I am at the lottery?
Large housing charts will be placed on the wall of Springs indicating which rooms have been taken and which ones are still available. Students will be able to look at these charts before they sign up so that they can see what is open. These charts also contain the names of students who have already signed up in the rooms as well as the RAs on the floor.
20. What happens if you run out of rooms at the lottery?
If we run out of rooms at the lottery, we will place all of those students who do not have a room in a temporary assignment (on Clinton 4th Floor for women and Georgia 3rd Floor-long hall for men). At that time, we will ask students placed temporarily to indicate their preferences for housing if they are required to move. If the space in Clinton and Georgia is needed for incoming students, then we will move temporarily placed students to open spaces in other housing areas.
There is no reason to worry, however, because the College will place all students before the start of the Fall 2011 semester. While we will make every possible effort to insure that groups of roommates stay together, that may not be possible if the accommodations are not present.
21. What if I want to change rooms after the lottery?
For obvious logistic reasons, the Office of Residence Life does not allow room changes after the lottery. No room changes, unless officially approved by the Dean of Campus Life, are allowed until after the first week of class in the fall 2011 semester.
22. What happens if the roommate I sign up with during the Campus Housing Lottery does not return to PC in the fall?
That departing individual places students whose roommates do not come back to PC in a difficult spot. Students who have an open spot in their room before the start of the Fall 2011 semester will be assigned a roommate at the discretion of the Office of Residence Life in order to maximize space. While we will work with you to find an acceptable situation, the Office of Residence Life has the ability to move students and place them together at our discretion.
23. What if I know someone is signing up with a roommate who will not be returning in the fall because that student wants a single room?
If you know someone who is intentionally manipulating the housing lottery by signing up with a roommate who will not be returning, please notify the Office of Residence Life immediately. Any student caught manipulating the system by using another student's lottery number, signing up an individual with a false proxy, misrepresenting one's self, signing up to room with an individual you know will not be at PC next year, or other similar acts, will be subject to a $100.00 fine and will not be allowed to participate in the Housing Lottery. He or she will be placed in whatever rooming accommodations are open at the conclusion of the campus housing lottery by Residence Life Staff. This may also be considered an Honor Code offense. You also need to know that the student who was attempting to manipulate the lottery will have another student placed with him or her should that person's roommate not return.
24. What are the costs for living on campus next year?
The housing and meal plan costs for the 2011-2012 academic year will be the same as they have been for 2010-2011:
Room type |
Cost |
| Single | $2635 per semester |
| Typical Double | $2130 per semester |
| Carol International House | $2395 per semester |
| Room in the Senior Hall | $3025 per semester |
| Room at the Townhouses | $2910 per semester |
| Room in Scottish Arms* | $1695 per semester |
| * - includes no utitlities except water | |
Meal plans |
Cost |
| 17 meal plan | $2205 per semester |
| 8 meal plan** | $1372 per semester |
| All resident students must be on a meal plan. ** - Available only for students in Senior Hall, Townhouses, or Scottish Arms. |
|
25. How do I check to see if I am "financially cleared" to participate in the lottery?
If you were able to register for classes, then you should be OK to participate in the lottery. To both register for classes and participate in the lottery, you will need to pay your $300 advance deposit. "Holds" are placed on student accounts for multiple reasons (including incomplete conduct sanctions). If you have a hold on your account for any reason, you will not be allowed to participate in the lottery until the hold is removed. If you have any questions about a hold on your account, please contact the PC Business Office at 833-8208.
26. Do I have to be on a meal plan next year?
All residential students will be required to be on a campus meal plan in the 2011-2012 academic year. Students in the Senior Hall, Scottish Arms, or Townhouses may choose between an eight (8) or 17 meal plan; all other students, including those in CIH and the fraternity houses must be on a 17 meal plan. Commuting students may also elect to be on a meal plan. All students are automatically assigned a 17 meal plan. Seniors living in the three senior housing options need to complete a Request an eight meal plan and present at the time of the Housing Lottery.
27. What if I do not want to be on a meal plan?
As stated above, all residential students must be on a meal plan. Students who wish to receive special permission to be excluded from a meal plan for health-related reasons must first contact Mr. Don Sawicki in the dining hall (833-8398). The student will need to meet with Mr. Sawicki and demonstrate that current dinning options cannot meet the student’s health needs. Following this meeting, Mr. Sawicki will make a recommendation to the Dean of Campus Life, who has the ultimate decision in this situation. The Dean of Campus Life may schedule an appointment with the student at her discretion.
28. What happens if someone is caught manipulating the lottery system?
Any student caught manipulating the system by using another student's lottery number, signing up an individual with a false proxy, misrepresenting one's self, signing up to room with an individual you know will not be at PC next year, or other similar acts, will be subject to a $100.00 fine and being placed in whatever rooming accommodations are open at the conclusion of the campus housing lottery by Residence Life Staff. This may also be considered an Honor Code offense.
*Please note that housing assignments confirmed through the housing lottery process, in rare cases, may be changed due to enrollment needs for the institution. As much as possible, these changes will be communicated in a timely manner and alternate arrangements considered.