Assignments
We know that there is a lot to consider when thinking about your home at Penn. Below you'll find some of the most frequently asked questions regarding assignments.
I am a returning undergraduate residents and missed room selection. Can I still apply for housing?
Are you a currently enrolled student who missed out on Room Selection? You can submit an application via the Rolling Undergraduate Application to be placed on our housing waitlist. The Rolling Undergraduate Application goes live on the afternoon of March 13. To access the Rolling Undergraduate Application, visit MyHomeAtPenn.
First-Year & Returning Residents
The spring room change period opens the afternoon of Monday, January 23. During this period, all residents of the College Houses and Sansom Place West can submit a request for a room change via MyHomeAtPenn. Please note that vacancies on-campus are scarce and may impact the ability of staff to process many room changes. Most vacancies are in shared bedrooms.
All submissions will be randomized, and room changes will be processed during three separate “waves” in the fall term. Room change offers will be sent on the following dates:
- Thursday, February 2
- Thursday, February 23
- Thursday, March 16
Students will have the weekend to accept or reject the offer. If an offer is accepted, students will be expected to move the weekend after offers are made. The periods for student room changes are:
- Friday, February 10 – Sunday, February 12
- Friday, March 3 – Sunday, March 5
- Friday, March 24 – Sunday, March 26
Students that either reject their offer or do not accept within the given window will be unable to move to the offered space and their request will move to the bottom of the list. Students will only be offered spaces that meet their requested preferences.
The spring room change form will close on Monday, March 13 at 11:59 pm.
Due to summer conferences and maintenance work, we are unable to show undergraduate rooms in advance. Our website has lots of information about the College Houses, including room type diagrams, lists of amenities, and much more! Diagrams may not be exact and are only meant as a general guide.
Unless otherwise requested, all rooms are designated as single-sex. However, students may apply for Gender Inclusive Housing. If you are under 18 years of age written parental permission must be provided in order for your request to be considered. Gender Inclusive Housing room assignments will be made without regard to sex assigned at birth or gender identity. Please refer to the Gender Inclusive Housing policy for details.
No. The gender of the bathroom (male/female/co-ed) is either predesignated or designated by the students on the floor at the beginning of the fall semester.
All University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students are required to live in on-campus housing for their first four semesters (excluding summers), regardless of the number of course credits (CU) or class standing. Sophomore transfers are required to live in on-campus for their first four semesters. Junior transfer students are required to live in on-campus housing for their first two semesters.
- Transfer students who lived on campus their first year at their previous institution may count those semesters toward the requirement. Students will provide campus residence and contact information in their application.
- Students who study abroad during their sophomore year may include that time toward the requirement.
- A student who has taken a leave of absence during their first two years living on campus may apply for an exemption from the residency requirement. The exemption will be approved if a student lived on campus for three complete semesters.
- Signing an off-campus lease or entering into a housing agreement within a fraternity or sorority house does not exempt the student from this policy
An exemption is only granted to students who meet one of the following criteria:
- The student is enrolled in the College of Liberal Studies or in the Penn Nursing BSN Second Degree Program.
- The student is married or in a University-recognized domestic partnership. Proof of marriage or domestic partnership is required.
- The student is living with their dependents. Official copy(s) of birth certificate(s) or federal/state income tax returns showing exemptions claimed for dependent(s) is required.
- The student is age 22 or older at the start of the academic year.
- Exemption requests must be submitted by February 18 for rising second-year and transfer students, by May 31 for Fall 2022 incoming students, and by June 30 for newly-admitted transfer and exchange students. Late requests will not be considered.
Students meeting one of the above criteria must submit an exemption request through MyHomeAtPenn.
If you feel you meet the above criteria for exemption and are interested in living off-campus for the 2022-2023 Academic Year, you will need to complete a Housing Exemption Form via MyHomeAtPenn. Once submitted, you will receive a follow-up email from the Housing Occupancy team requesting proof of residency. The proof of residency must be on official university letterhead, signed by personnel within the previous institution’s housing office. It must also include the following:
- Student’s full name
- Student’s College House/Residence Hall
- Student’s room number(s)
- Dates of occupancy
Once the proof of residency is submitted and is reviewed, you will receive determination from the Housing Occupancy Team via email. It is highly encouraged that you do not sign any binding agreements with off-campus properties until your final decision is received.