Returning Student Housing Selection
What is Housing Selection?
Housing Selection is the process by which students declare their intention to live on campus, set their meal plan, and find their roommates and room for the following Fall semester.
Follow these three simple steps to apply for Housing:
- Log on to MCR and fill out the appropriate Housing Application
- Match and Select a Roommate using the Roommates & Rooms tab
- Select your desired room from available options during your allocated selection time. (Selection times will be posted in MCR on April 10th)
Here is a video tutorial to help you get started!
Housing Selection Timeline for Returning Students:
2/28/25- All Housing Applications Open: All students enrolled for classes must fill out a housing application in the MCR portal, including those requesting to live off-campus and those studying abroad.
3/24/25- Accommodations Application Deadline: All accommodation applications must be submitted by this date to be considered for Fall 2025 Housing. Please visit the Housing Accommodations website for more information.
3/30/25- All Housing Applications Close: Students must submit a housing application in the MCR portal before this date to participate in the selection process.
*Choose a Roommate: After you submit your housing application, you can match and select roommates via the "Roommates and Rooms" tab in your MCR portal. If you would like to choose your roommate, you must select and match with a roommate in MCR before your selection time! Otherwise, MCR will assign you a roommate based on your roommate profile.
4/9/25 Off-Campus Housing Approvals: Students will be notified if their request to live off-campus has been approved or denied. If your request has been denied, you will continue with the general selection process and be liable for Fall 2025 housing fees.
4/9/25 Accommodations Placement: Students with approved accommodations will be placed based on need and availability.
4/10/25 Selection Times will be posted in your MCR Portal: Click the Home tab on your MCR portal to view your selection time under the section labeled "Room Selection"
4/15/25 Rising Sophomore Selection: Sophomores will be given options at East, West, Skandera, and Pitzer@CCA Buildings C
4/17/25 Rising Senior Selection: Juniors and Seniors will be given options at Mead and Pitzer@CCA Building A, B & E
4/18/25 Rising Junior Selection: Juniors and Seniors will be given options at Mead and Pitzer@CCA Building A, B & E
Each student will be given a selection date and time within their class selection window. Your selection date and time will be posted in your MCR portal.
4/21/25-4/30/25 Swap Week: During this week, students can request to swap with other suites/room/roommates/etc. as long as all students are cc’d in an email to housing@mygril-yaoyao.com
Residence Life reserves the right to pause and update the Housing Selection Process at any time to review room availability and/or procedures.
Other Important Dates:
Q&A Drop-In Hours will be hosted in the ResLife Office (East Sanborn C300) from 1pm-5pm on 3/3/25, 3/10/25, 3/17/25, 3/24/25, and 3/31/25. (Every Monday during the month of March)
Members of the Housing team will also be tabling at McConnell to give students the opportunity to ask questions on 3/11/25 and 3/25/25.
The CCA Open House will take place on 3/9/25. This gives students the opportunity to see what CCA rooms look like, socialize with the CCA community and hear about transportation and meal plan options for CCA residents.
Roommate Mixer events will be held Tuesday March 11th from 8pm-9pm and Wednesday March 26th from 7pm-8pm in the Gold Student Center. There will be snacks and activities on roommate compatibility! This will give students looking for a roommate a chance to meet and discuss if they are a potential fit.
MCR Tutorial and More Housing Information
MCR Returning Students Housing Application Tutorial
Follow these three simple steps to apply for Housing:
1. Log on to MCR and fill out the appropriate Housing Application
2. Match and Select a Roommate using the Roommates & Rooms tab
3. Select your desired room from available options during your allocated selection time. (Selection times will be posted in MCR on April 10th)
Housing and Accommodations Information Session
Learn more about the accommodations process, important selection dates, and housing options at Pitzer!
FAQ's
Qualifications
All students seeking to live off-campus are required to submit an application to live off-campus for approval. This is regardless of class standing or previous housing arrangements (i.e. on or off-campus or abroad the previous semester). Only those students that receive written approval from the Residence Life will be permitted to live off-campus.
Students are granted off-campus status following the priority criteria below:
- Priority Qualifications
- Students living locally with family (Documentation required)
- Married students (Documentation required)
- Students with children (Documentation required)
- Students with verifiable medical documentation that warrants off-campus housing (Documentation required)
- Students 24 years old or older
- Rising Senior students
- And (as space remains)…
- Rising Junior students
- Rising Sophomore students
If an off campus application is approved, the student will be notified of their application status via Pitzer Housing email prior to Housing Selection and forfeits the opportunity to participate in the Housing Selection process.
All students who fail to submit an off-campus application by the deadline, are denied off campus approval, and/or do not attend room draw will be automatically placed in campus housing and will be responsible for all room and board fees.
Students opting to live off-campus are responsible for the terms of their lease agreements and related expenses. For example, if a student determines they will break their off-campus lease, then the student is responsible for related financial costs and any related terms of lease agreements. Additionally, students currently receiving financial aid are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions as they plan for the upcoming year. More information below.
Financial Aid Packaging
- Students on financial aid are encouraged to review the updated Cost of Attendance (COA) calculation regarding how students’ financial aid packages change depending on their selection of campus housing, off-campus housing, or living at home/with relatives.
Who is eligible for a single room?
- Resident Assistants, approved Housing Accommodations, Rising Seniors are eligible for single rooms in WES, PAS, CCA and Mead halls based on availability.
- Rising Sophomores are not eligible for main campus single rooms (unless due to disability accommodation) regardless of credits recorded in the Registrar’s Office. Sophomores are eligible for single rooms at CCA based on availability.
- Please note single and double rooms are all charged the universal room rate.
How can I secure a single room?
Single rooms are available in a variety of ways including:
- Housing Selection process with a Roommate Group.
- Assigned by Rezlife due to approved Housing Accommodations.
- Assigned by RezLife to Resident Assistants to fulfill their position requirements.
How many single rooms are there?
- Only 23% of main campus residence halls rooms are singles.
A majority of single rooms are utilized by students who require accommodations.
What if we don’t have enough people to fill a full suite?
In the case your Roommate Group loses 50% of its participants after a suite is secured, the open spaces in your suite will be filled by the MCR algorithm.
What if someone in our suite does not return to Pitzer in the fall or spring after we secure housing with a Roommate Group?
In the case one of your applicants pulls out of your Roommate Group because they will not be on campus (i.e. taking a leave or late abroad decision), your Leader may be able to meet with the Residence Life Office to explore the different options available for the space.
If students are not enrolled in fall 2025 courses by Monday May 19th, the student will be removed from their housing assignment. Once the student has enrolled in fall 2025 courses, the student will be assigned to a bed that is available at that time.
Fall Semester 2025 Leave/Abroad
- Please fill out a Housing Application stating that you will be abroad Fall semester 2025. Residence Life will confirm with the International Programs offices.
- Spring 2026 Return –
- Pitzer will follow up in Fall regarding a Housing Application for Spring.
- Actions while you are abroad in Fall:
- Please email room preferences to Housing@mygril-yaoyao.com so we can coordinate that easy placement.
- If you are not pulled into a suite, complete an updated Housing Application in November. Your Spring placement will be posted before Winter Break in the MCR portal.
Spring Semester 2026 Leave/Abroad (Not Graduating)
- Fall 2025 – Off Campus Housing
- Current application required – Please complete an Off Campus Application now, indicating on the form you will seeking off campus for Fall only due to a Spring Study Abroad.
- Must be approved according to the current Off Campus Application process detailed in the Housing Selection timeline.
- Please note that if you did not participate in the Off-Campus Application process, you are not eligible to apply for Off-Campus housing later.
- Current application required – Please complete an Off Campus Application now, indicating on the form you will seeking off campus for Fall only due to a Spring Study Abroad.
- Fall 2025 – Campus Housing
- Current application required – Please complete a Housing Selection Application.
- Move forward with Roommate Matching/Group Explore and Final Selection steps.
- Actions while you are abroad in Spring:
- You will have to submit a housing application for the following year (Fall 2026)
- Be up to date on your Pitzer email for communication regarding the following year’s (Fall 2026) Housing Selection process
- Complete your Housing Application online for the following year (Off Campus, Housing Accommodation, or Housing Selection).
- Current application required – Please complete a Housing Selection Application.
Full Year Abroad (Not Graduating)
- Please fill out a Housing Application stating that you will be abroad for the entire year. Residence Life will confirm with the International Programs offices.
- Actions while abroad
- Be up to date on your Pitzer email for communication in spring regarding the following fall’s Housing Selection process (February 2026)
- Complete your Housing Application online for the following fall (Off Campus, Housing Accommodation, or Housing Selection).
What happens if my Plans change?
- Please notify us by emailing Housing@piter.edu as soon as possible.
- Depending on timing in relation to the Housing Selection process, you may search to see what groups/beds are still available. If no beds are available at that time, you will be placed on the Waitlist, to be assigned by Residence Life when space becomes available.
The Housing Waitlist means that these students will typically get a housing assignment in early August after all the summer movement is complete or, for spring semester, in mid-December. Housing is freed up over the summer due to study abroad, leave of absences, first-year class enrollment, etc. The Residence Life Office will contact students on the Deferred Housing list to give them their housing placement as soon as something becomes available. If you did not get the placement you hoped for, you can also ask to be placed on the waitlist in the chance something you prefer opens up.