Housing Selection FAQ

In the Housing Portal. However, to participate in the the housing selection process, students must first update their profile information and electronically agree to the Housing and Dining Agreement in the Housing Portal. Students must also be registered for classes for the upcoming Fall semester.

Room selection is an online process, which takes place over the course of several days. The amount of housing credits (previous semesters spent in on-campus housing) determines your selection date and time.

Information regarding room selection will be sent to you via email each year. We will walk you through the process!

Students for whom a portion of college costs are provided by Wake Forest Need-Based Scholarship funds should carefully consider their housing and meal plan selections. Please read about the financial impacts of the various options and then contact Student Financial Aid at finaid@wfu.edu with any questions.

Think about what is more important: where you live or who you live with.

The likelihood of getting one or the other is higher than if you are trying for both.

We recommend having a plan A, B and C.

A group leader is a designated group member who is responsible for entering the Housing Portal during selection and selecting the housing assignment for all their members in their group. The group leader is the person who creates the group, but can pass the leadership to anyone in the group. A group leader has the ability to add and remove members from their group prior to selecting a bedspace.

You should review the Room Type Availability List close to your selection day, and make sure you’ve created a back-up plan. You will need access to the housing portal, as well as the information about your group, if you are selecting as the group leader.

Start with two double rooms and think about building up from there.  Create a list of additional people that can join your block.  Add someone and create a five-person block.  If there are no five-person blocks available, add another person and create a six-person block, etc.  You could also divide up into two doubles if there are no larger blocks available. Use this worksheet to help you plan!

You will need to go into the Housing Portal to submit your Senior Intent form. If you do not submit your intentions by the advertised deadline, Residence Life and Housing will automatically indicate that your intentions are to live off-campus.

When Housing Selection times are released, it’s crucial that the designated group leader is available to complete the selection process. If the group leader has a scheduling conflict, they should designate someone else in the group who can be available at that time. Please review this step-by-step guide on how to change the group leader.

For starters, we recommend keeping an eye out for events happening in your community that are designed to connect individuals who are also seeking roommates.

We have now created a Google Form for 25-26 Housing Selection for those searching for a roommate group. Once completed, our office will share the google spreadsheet with information for those also searching for a roommate group.

Another option is taking advantage of our “Search for a Roommate Group” feature available in the Housing Portal. For detailed guidance on how to use this feature, please refer to the step-by-step instructions in the document provided.

On the date that Housing Selection times are available, you will log into your Housing Portal to view your group and individual Housing Selection times. You will need to click through the application until you reach the “Selection Time” section. Please review this step-by-step guide on how to find your Housing Selection time.

Selection times are randomly generated based on your housing credits. The longer you live on campus, the earlier your selection time will be.

Selection times are not based on your GPA or number of class credit hours.

It is impossible to predict precisely and there are no guarantees. We recommend students track the availability list closely up to their selection time, and utilize this to make a plan A, B, and C as to how they might pivot should an option not be available. Use this worksheet to help you plan!

No, however you will receive communication from Residence Life and Housing prior to the start of the academic year on how to register your off-campus address and complete your required off-campus online course.

No, you must have the exact number of people to fill a block or a room.

In recent years, when rising juniors began selection the following options were available: Apartments, Suites on the Quad, Dogwood, and Magnolia, along with Single and Double rooms in a variety of locations. When rising sophomores began selection, the following options were available: Suites on the Quad has Double rooms in a variety of locations.

Housing Selection in April is “suited,” meaning you’ll only be able to select housing options that match the size of your group. For example, if you’re a single person, you will only be able to choose a single space in locations with shared hallway bathrooms, such as Efird. If there are no single spaces available during April’s selection, you will need to wait until July to complete your Housing Selection for the next academic year.

Housing Selection in July is not “suited,” which means you’ll have more flexibility. For example, if you’re selecting a space in a double suite, you can choose one side of the suite, and another person will be able to select the other side.

You will receive email communication from our office if you need to participate in the July Housing Selection process.

The Program Assistants will each turn in a roster for all students living in their Theme Community. Prior to Housing Selection, those students will sign up for their place in that community.

It happens!  Come to the Help Desk in Angelou Residence Hall and we will see what we can do.

• On a case-by-case basis during housing selection, the Office of Residence Life and Housing may allow a student to delete an active assignment and select again if an error or mistake was made in the selection process. If you selected as a group, the entire group’s assignments will be deleted and the entire group will need to reselect their housing.
• Under no circumstances will a student who selects for a group of residents during General Room Selection be allowed to change rooms between General Room Selection and the Fall Semester. The earliest opportunity for a room change for those students is the Room Change process over Winter Break.
  • Unapproved room changes may result in a fine, return to the original assignment and loss of opportunity to move during the room thaw process.

There is a second round of the room selection process which occurs during the middle of the summer each year.  All students who are required to live in campus housing, but do not select during the first round of housing selection, are automatically placed on the list to select during the second round. Again, this is a normal part of our assignments process and occurs each year.

During the summer, rooms open up across campus for a number of reasons, including when students decide to go abroad or transfer. After allowing time for these changes to be processed, unused spaces are made available in our second round of housing selection. Students on the list for the second round will receive an email with a selection day to go online and select at that time.

You will not be able to choose one space in a double room.  You can select any available single or wait until Second Round Selection in the summer.  There will be a wide range of spaces across campus, which will all be segmented into doubles and singles by this point.

Lists of types of available spaces will be posted on the Residence Life and Housing website approximately one week prior to room selection.  Specific room numbers are not provided, but instead the building and room type like the example below. This list will be updated in real time, usually on a delay of ~15 minutes.

Yes, all on-campus students must have a meal plan based on their area minimum. Once the group leader assigns their group members to their housing spaces, group members will get a notification to log back into the Housing Portal in order to select their meal plan.

We understand that Housing Selection may get a bit confusing. Please reference this document that was created to help share how different group types move through the housing selection process.

The short answer is no. The system is set up where it will only allow you to enter Housing Selection at your group selection time.

However, if you leave your group, the system will then allow you to enter Housing Selection at the individual time. If you enter at your individual selection time, you will only be able to see spaces for groups of 1.

Wake Forest University views living on-campus as integral to a liberal arts education and the Wake Forest experience. As such, the University has a six-semester resident requirement.

In support of students with disabilities, the Office of Residence Life and Housing has a wide variety of housing and dining options on-campus which can accommodate the vast majority of disability needs. For more information, please refer to our Housing/Dining Accommodations page.

Accommodations are recommended and granted for the individual student.  In order to be fair to 4000+ students, it is generally not possible for someone with an accommodation to pull-in an entire group. Our team works with students on a case-by-case basis based on their recommended accommodation(s).

Rising sophomores are unable to pull in other students, as this cannot be guaranteed in the general rising sophomore selection experience.

Greek blocks are a group of rooms that are blocked off for a Greek organization’s members.  They are located in various residence halls across campus and accommodate about 20-30% of the organization’s membership.  There are increased expectations and accountability for Greek members living in blocks.

Students living in Greek blocks are expected to live in the block for the entire academic year (unless studying abroad).  These students are expected to follow the same residence hall guidelines in the Guide To Community Living.  Students living on blocks are expected to contribute positively to the residence hall community.  The chapter may be held responsible for the behavior of members living in the block.

Managers will turn in a roster with all members that will be living on the block for the next academic year, placing you in your room. These members will receive specific selection instructions. Assignments on a Greek block come with an agreement to live there for an entire academic year unless you are transferring, studying abroad, or withdrawing from the university.

These members will receive specific selection instructions.

You should connect with your chapter President or the designated person in your chapter who manages your organization’s block. They will be able to provide more information about how to submit your name to join your organization’s block.

You will know before the end of March if you are selected to live in your organization’s block or not.

If you are not selected, then you will have time to form a roommate group on the Housing Portal before going through the housing selection process in April.

Students who wish to live off-campus but have not fulfilled the residency requirement, will be given the option to participate in the off-campus lottery. There is no guarantee that just by entering the lottery that you will be chosen. Students should not sign a lease until they have received an email from the Residence Life and Housing office saying they have been released.

You do not complete the upcoming academic year housing application. However, you are required to submit your Senior Intent form on the Housing Portal by the established deadline indicating your desire to live off-campus for the upcoming academic year.

No, but students may decide to sign up for a meal plan if they would like to.

Theme Communities are residential living and learning spaces where a group of students who share an interest around a specific theme live together in community. Theme Communities can be assigned to suites, floors, apartments, or houses within the Wake Forest residential community.

Residents interested in creating a Theme Community should complete the Theme Community Application available on the Residence Life and Housing website.

It is the responsibility of each Theme Community member to support and uphold the mission of their community and aid the Theme Program Adviser in meeting the goals set forth for the community. Members should actively engage with and positively contribute to the Theme Community through attendance at community meetings and events.

Each​ ​Theme ​Community​ ​is​ ​responsible​ ​for​ ​selecting​ ​and​ ​recruiting​ ​their​ ​own​ ​community members.​ Housing assignments are based on the estimated number of Theme Community members. ​​Communication​ ​regarding​ ​the​ ​room​ ​registration​ ​process​ ​and​ ​roster​ ​changes​ ​will​ ​be​ ​communicated through​ ​the​ ​Assignments​ ​Team​ ​within​ ​Residence​ ​Life​ ​and​ ​Housing.

Students who decide to back out of a Theme Community will need to go through the Housing Selection process for the upcoming academic year.

Students studying abroad during the Fall Semester will NOT select housing during Housing Selection for the full year. Instead, students abroad for the Fall Semester will be required to select their housing for the Spring Semester online in December.

• In Mid-December, you will be required to electronically self-select your actual spring room and meal plan.
• An e-mail from the Office of Residence Life and Housing will be sent to your WFU e-mail account with log-on times and instructions on self-selecting your spring room and meal plan.
• Wake Forest University views living on campus as integral to a liberal arts education and the Wake Forest experience.  In support of that view, Wake Forest University has a six-semester residency requirement; your semester abroad will count as one semester towards this requirement. You will be expected to return to on-campus housing upon your return to the University.

Students planning to study abroad during the Spring Semester should proceed with Housing Selection for the Fall Semester. During the Fall Semester, these students should notify the Office of Residence Life and Housing by visiting the Housing Portal > Room Change and selecting the appropriate reason.

During the spring semester, these students will be able to participate in General Room Selection for the following fall from abroad.

Studying abroad in the Summer will not affect your room selection process, as you will be on campus for both Fall and Spring semesters.

No, however, you will be asked to submit the Senior Intent form by the established deadline.

When the Off-Campus Lottery period is active, it does not matter if you apply when it opens or right before the close date. You have the same odds of being selected.

To start, each person from the group must go into the Housing portal and select that they would like to participate in the off-campus lottery. Once in the housing portal, you can form a roommate group. If someone from the roommate group is selected for the off-campus lottery AND everyone in the group has elected to participate in the lottery, then everyone in that group will be selected for off-campus.

No. If you select for the Off-Campus lottery and do not get chosen, it will not impact your on-campus housing selection time. Housing Selection times are determined by your housing credits.

Selection in the off-campus lottery is binding. Once selected, you will not participate in the upcoming Housing Selection process and will need to acquire housing off-campus for the remainder of your time at Wake Forest University.

If at any point you find yourself wanting to return to on-campus housing, please notify us in writing at housing@wfu.edu. Please understand that you are no longer guaranteed priority selection and our ability to allow you to return to campus is based on availability.

Yes, you will need to fill out the Housing Application.

If you complete the Housing Agreement for the upcoming academic year but later decline the position or become ineligible, you will still be responsible for fulfilling the Housing Agreement. Students with fewer than six housing credits will participate in the Housing Selection process. If you have six housing credits and are eligible to live off-campus, you can change your intent before the deadline without any penalty. However, if you request to live off-campus after the deadline, a cancellation fee of $250.00 will apply.

If you are assigned to a space with suitemates, our Assignments team will contact you to provide direction on how to pull-in suitemates. If you do not pull anyone into your suite by the established deadline, students will be able to select to live in that suite during Housing Selection.