Bwog can somehow explain the past 22 days of housing, but the mystery behind the resurrecting 6-person Plimpton suite will remain unsolved.

Housing season has come and gone with students eager to obtain some sense of normalcy next fall. Bwog breaks down the Barnard and Columbia housing selections, compares students’ selections to previous years, and explains what comes next for those on waitlists.  

Columbia Edition: How did people choose? 

Seniors: 

As expected, the studio singles in Watt and the Brownstones went first, followed by dorms traditionally chosen by seniors: Ruggles, Claremont, and Hogan. Additionally, as was the case last year, all Nuss singles went to seniors. However, there were a startling number of Claremont suites left for juniors with high lottery numbers. 

Juniors: 

As mixed junior-senior groups began to pick, the number of smaller-suite groups (especially 4-person suites) began to dwindle, with very few (save for the 7-person) Claremont suites available for taking. By the end of the first only junior day, all 3- and 4-person suites were taken. Soon, all of River Hall along with most of Claremont had been selected. Remarkably, juniors did not end up selecting as many corridor singles and suites as was expected, giving sophomore groups with high lottery numbers a chance at living in one of the more coveted suites. Junior selection culminated in the end of all available Broadway and McBain singles. 

Sophomores: 

Sophomore housing kicked off strong with all of Furnald and all singles in Schapiro being swept up. After the second day, all singles and 8-person suites were completely taken up. Most sophomores were left with various doubles to choose from, save for a few 6- and 7-person suites. As sophomore housing neared its end, McBain, Carlton, Schapiro, and Harmony doubles were taken along with the shafted, Plimpton 6-person suite—after a quick resurrection, that was. The 7-person Claremont suites were a hard sell; not until the last day were these suites picked into. The last day of housing also saw a surprising reappearance of four corridor singles that were presumed long gone. Those singles were quickly taken up due perhaps to some fast-moving sophomores or a glitch in the system—who’s to say. 

Barnard Edition: How did people choose?

4-person Lottery: 

Barnard’s housing selection began with the 4-person lottery. Keeping with tradition, many seniors opted to live in Cathedral Gardens. The first pick was CG 5A—a shocking choice given it has historically been further down on the list. Additionally, all single suites were grabbed by seniors before their selection ended. Notably, 121 singles went faster than those in 620. 

5-person Lottery: 

This year, there were not many seniors in the 5-person lottery (with 30 fewer groups picking into the 5-person lottery overall), allowing some lucky senior-juniors groups to sweep up some desirable housing. Remarkably, Cathedral Gardens went much later than usual despite being a typically sought-after dorm. 

6-person Lottery: 

Surprisingly, only 2 all-senior groups entered the 6-person lottery, along with some junior groups, and many sophomore groups. This year, 96 groups entered the lottery with only 79 6-person suites up for grabs. Predictably, suites in Plimpton and Cathedral Gardens went first. The prioritization of suites with singles over those with doubles seemed to be a trend for this year’s lottery. Notably, many sophomores ended up in Plimpton, likely seeking a new setting having lived in the 600s for their first-year, Spring 2021 housing. 

123 Lottery: 

As has been the case historically, the most popular choice of housing was Sulz Tower. However, many seniors who wanted suite-style living chose 121. The second day of the 123 lottery saw all 600s singles taken along with singles in 110, 121, Sulz Tower, and Cathedral Gardens. On the third day of the 123 lottery, all Plimpton singles were taken, leaving most sophomores with doubles. All 616 and 620 doubles taken up were picked into on the last day of the 123 lottery. 

Is this notably different from previous years? 

Note: It is unclear what impact (if any) COVID-19 had on housing selections this year. Students might have opted to live in larger suites to become more social or preferred singles to limit in-person interaction. Due to the pandemic, there likely exists some uptick in off-campus housing which could have also had an effect on the lottery. Either way, the possible effects of COVID-19 and potential increases in off-campus housing are something to consider. 

Columbia Edition: 

This year, the popularity of 7-person Claremont suites declined as they were not completely picked into until the last day of housing. Although these 7-person suites were also not sought-after last year, previous years typically saw them favored by junior and senior groups. Another shock came when juniors did not end up selecting that many corridor singles and suites. But, overall, many historical similarities remained the same, save for a couple of odd choices by individuals. 

Finally, a big difference for this year’s housing process lies in the fact that, for the 2021-2022 school year, the Living and Learning Center (Wallach and Hartley) will be converted to just first-years. Barring upperclassmen housing in the LLC meant some sophomores were forced to join the Sophomore Waitlist.

Barnard Edition: 

Barnard’s selection process was subject to more variation than in past years. The first pick of housing in the 4-person lottery was CG 5A—a somewhat shocking selection as it has historically been further down on the list. Cathedral Gardens as a whole went much later than had been expected in the 5-person lottery. Additionally, 30 fewer groups (compared to last year) opted to enter the 5-person lottery. 

The 6-person lottery was also slightly different this year. While Plimpton has historically been a popular dorm, the cutoff last year for Plimpton was 100/70 whereas, this year, it was 100/49. Despite the existence of five more Plimpton suites in 2020 than 2021, Plimpton was still more popular this year. Additionally, new suite styles opened up, including 4 singles, 1 double style suites in 616 and 620. Overall, students tended to prioritize singles over doubles within the suites. Finally, many sophomores elected to live in Plimpton—likely because their first-year housing was mostly within the 600s. 

The 123 lottery was mostly normal as singles were chosen first, especially Sulz Tower. However, this year featured a surprising interest in Elliot (specifically for its singles) as, historically, Elliot was a less desirable dorm. But the 123 lottery was likely most consistent with years past. 

So, what’s next? 

Columbia Edition: 

Sophomores on the Sophomore Waitlist will receive assignments as they become available (due to cancellations) usually in mid-July. As of the time of publication, 2.5 Broadway and 2 Wien doubles remain uninhabited. 

Barnard Edition:

The deadline to fill out the form for the Guaranteed List is 1 pm on April 20. The deadline to cancel is April 22, and the deadline to update preferences is 4 pm on June 18. Assignments will be emailed to students by August 1. For help ranking building and room preferences, check out Bwog’s housing reviews. As of the time of publication, 9 Elliot doubles, 3 110 doubles, 2 600 doubles, 1 Cathedral Gardens double, and 3 Plimpton doubles remain uninhabited. 

And that’s it for this year’s housing lottery, marking the end of Bwog’s extensive coverage. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and in-person fall! If you want to share your housing experience with Bwog, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments or share them with tips@bwog.com.

Elliot via Bwarchives