Our goal is to provide you with a living environment that best suits your preferences, based on availability.  In late May, an online Housing Preference form is made available to you as a newly enrolled student.  A Network ID and password is required to log-in to the form.

Buildings and roommates are matched on the basis of the information collected through this form and enrollment deposit date.  It is critical that you complete the online housing form accurately and honestly.  As you complete this form, please be prepared to answer questions about your preferences related to:

Building Characteristics: size, class and gender breakdown, and a wellness option.

Roommate Matching Characteristics: responses to questions about sleep, study, and cleanliness habits.

For example, if you are looking for a quieter living space, then your responses will differ from the responses of a classmate who prefers more activity in the hall.

We do our best to match your preferences with an available living environment.  Sometimes the preferences you indicate do not coincide with the building you hoped to live in.  Also, as buildings fill up, you may be assigned to a lower preferenced living environment

As a incoming student, you will be instructed to complete the online Housing Preference Form in mid-May.  You will receive your room assignment and roommate information via your Lafayette email account by July 15th.


Living With a Roommate

As a first-year student,  you will live with a roommate because we believe there is value in learning to negotiate common living space.  We recognize this experience may be an adjustment for you if you  have always had your own room at home.  Further, we know while the prospect of making new friends is exciting, it also can be a little scary to think about sharing space with someone you don’t know that well.

The most important piece of advice we can offer you in building a roommate relationship is to COMMUNICATE.  How is your roommate supposed to know the glow of his laptop is keeping you up at night unless you tell him?  Or the new air freshener she bought makes your allergies flare up? A successful roommate relationship takes a little work.

You may not realize it at the time but the experience of getting to know someone and communicating regularly helps you to develop interpersonal skills that will be invaluable as you build relationships in the future.

To assist you and your roommate in establishing a comfortable and respectful environment in your shared space, your Resident Advisor will walk you through the creation of a Roommate Agreement.  This activity provides the framework for a discussion about your expectations for your room and each other.