Housing Selection

We’re excited for you to participate in the Housing Selection process! Our goal is for this process to be easy, clear, and transparent for students. If you have participated in Housing Selection before, much of this will be familiar. Key changes are outlined below, but regardless of your knowledge level, we highly recommend reading through the Spring Selection Guide below.

If you have any questions after reading through the information and linked materials found on this page, please reach out to us at housing@bates.edu, or by stopping by our office in Chase Hall, Campus Life Suite. It is much better to have your questions answered now, rather than waiting until Housing Selection begins.

Overview

The basic steps of housing selection are to 1) Apply on HouseCat, 2) Make a group if you are looking to live with others, 3) Wait for your timeslot – the time you select housing on selection night, 4) Select housing! Selection nights are separated by class year, and all students in a class year select on the same selection night regardless of group size. Mixed class year groups are possible but have specific guidelines below. Students are able to make changes to groups during selection so that they can select housing based on what is available and what their group is looking for. 

The process and resources here are designed to give students ample information about their housing options and provide more autonomy in the process.  The best thing students can do is to be prepared: read through the resources available, have top choices and back up options, have open conversations with friends, and be ready to be in the HouseCat portal on selection night. 

Resources

The resources below are from last year. Updated materials for the current year will be available soon.

Selection Guide

The Spring Housing Selection Guide has all of the specifics you need for housing selection. It has dates, updates, FAQs, detailed explanations, and more! This guide should be useful to all students going through Housing Selection, whether this is your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time navigating the process.

Video How To

Watch one of our “How To” videos to learn about a part of housing selection – whether for the first time or as a refresher.

Planning Worksheet

The Housing Selection Planning Worksheet is intended to help you stay organized and prepared as you plan for housing selection for the next academic year. By breaking down the process into manageable steps, it will guide you in identifying your top room preferences, backup options, and important deadlines.

The Selection Availability Website will be available after the application opens.

The Selection Availability Website will show each room, some of the room and building features, and whether it has been selected or not. This website will update every 10 minutes during selection while timeslots are opening and will update daily outside of that.

The Housing Selection 2025 Data can provide students with insight to help establish general expectations for any given class year, by including historical data from the previous year. Based on the data, a student could make adjustments to their plan for housing selection, given the estimated likelihood of ending up in any given building or room type.

The Housing Tour section of our website has been revamped. Additional information about each building has been added. In addition, the following information regarding housing options has been created:

The On-Campus Residential Regulations (updated for 26-27) provides information about student rights, privileges, and responsibilities when it comes to living on-campus. You will be asked to sign an agreement during your Housing Application Process in HouseCat, confirming that you have read and understood the info in this document.

The Housing Accommodations web page has been updated and expanded to include more information. While it was designed for students with Housing Accommodations, the information can also be helpful in learning more about each building on-campus.

What is new this year?

  • JB Parking unavailable:  We anticipate that Student Parking in the JB lot will not be available during the upcoming academic year due to construction at the Fitness and Well-Being Center. The lot will be reserved for the construction team throughout this period. Students may use other designated student parking areas across campus.
  • Hayes House will be available for Housing Selection.
  • Small House and Wood St House will be unavailable for Housing Selection.

Important Dates

Applications for 2026-2027 will open on HouseCat the week of March 9, 2026. Below are the dates for each class year’s process.

Monday, March 23Senior Applications Due by 11:59pm
Tuesday, March 24Senior Timeslots Released by 8:00pm
Wednesday, March 25Senior Selection Begins at 4:30pm
Thursday, March 26Senior Selection Ends at 4:30pm
Monday, March 30Junior Applications Due by 11:59pm
Tuesday, March 31Junior Timeslots Released by 8:00pm
Wednesday, April 1Junior Selection Begins at 4:30pm
Thursday, April 2Junior Selection Ends at 4:30pm
Monday, April 6Sophomore Applications Due by 11:59pm
Tuesday, April 7Sophomore Timeslots Released by 8:00pm
Wednesday, April 8Sophomore Selection Begins at 4:30pm
Friday, April 10Sophomore Selection Ends at 4:30pm

In addition to reading and understanding the documents linked on this web page, please feel free to either:

  • Join us in-person for an Info Session or to ask questions!
    • Commons Tabling: March 10th, 11:30am-1:30pm, Commons Fireplace Lounge
    • Info Session: March 10th, 6:00pm-7:00pm, Commons 221
    • Rising Sophomore Info Session: March 11th, 7:00pm-7:30pm, Chase Lounge
    • Roommate Matching Mixer: March 11th, 7:30pm-8:30pm, Chase Lounge
    • Virtual Info Session: March 16th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, Zoom
    • Commons Tabling: March 23, 11:30am-1:30pm, Commons Fireplace Lounge
    • Commons Tabling: March 30th, 11:30am-1:30pm, Commons Fireplace Lounge
    • Commons Tabling: April 2nd, 11:30am-1:30pm, Commons Fireplace Lounge
  • Flip through our Housing Selection 26-27 Presentation (will be posted after the first info-session) on your own time. Note that this is the same presentation as presented in our first Info Session listed above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Students must submit an application and agree to the On-Campus Residential Regulations to participate in Selection.  To be eligible for Selection, you must be enrolled as an active student for the upcoming Fall semester.  Your class year and enrollment eligibility will be confirmed with the registrar on the day your class year’s applications are due.  For more information regarding eligibility, check out the Selection Guide.

We have a roommate matching event for students looking for roommates!

We also highly suggest reaching out to your JA or CA to see if they know of anyone who is looking for a roommate.  Additionally, talking to others in your social circles, clubs and orgs, or teams to see if they are looking for roommates or know others who are can be the most helpful.

We’ve also created this Roommate Matching Guide to assist students seeking roommates in their class year.

Currently studying away: Selection occurs online through the HouseCat portal and most students will be able to participate while studying away without issue.  If you believe that accessing the portal while away will be an issue for you, please reach out to Residence Life at housing@bates.edu.  

Studying away for the upcoming Fall semester: For students who are not enrolled at Bates in the upcoming Fall Semester but will be returning to campus for the upcoming Winter Semester, you will not participate in Spring Housing Selection.  You will participate in Winter Placement which typically occurs in November and December the Fall prior to your return.  

Studying away for the upcoming Winter semester: You may participate in the current Housing Selection process.  Once your study abroad program is confirmed and processed by the Registrar, you will be removed from housing.

It is possible to have mixed class year groups in Selection.  However, you will be unable to make a mixed class year group on your own in the HouseCat Portal.  Instead, you must contact housing@bates.edu so that a group can be manually created for you.  

Process

  • At least 48 hours prior to the application deadline for the housing selection round you are participating in, email housing@bates.edu and copy each student that wants to be in the group.
  • Everyone must reply all to confirm that they want to be in the group.
  • Residence Life will then create the group for you.

NOTE: Mixed class year groups will go at the beginning of the round of the lowest class year in the group. We highly suggest you check out the other important information in the Mixed Class Year Groups section of the Selection Guide.