This section contains important information about Room Selection 2013 policies and items you will need to know to complete the online process successfully. Read through these areas carefully and don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns.
Strict Enforcement of Room Selection Deadlines
A current resident student, regardless of reason, who misses the 11:59pm, March 29, deadline to submit next year's housing request on-line, or who meets the March 29 deadline but fails to complete an online form by the close of Preferenced-Based Shopping on April 17 will forfeit status as a returning resident. Any student who misses any of the deadlines during Room Selection should contact the Resident Life Assignments Office as soon as possible.
Priority Numbers Accessible Online April 3
Priority numbers will be available online through the Room Selection 2013 web site. Beginning April 3 at 9:00am, students can log in with their Directory ID and password to learn their priority number for the 2013-2014 academic year.
Why do I have a Priority Number?
Some rooms and buildings are more preferable than others, so Priority Numbers are used as part of the process to create the “virtual order” in which our students select available rooms. The numbers are based on a seniority system: the closer you are to graduation and the longer you've been living in Maryland's residence halls, the better (lower) your Priority Number.
New Priority Numbers are issued once every year. This year, they will be calculated after the March 29 deadline and can be accessed online beginning April 3. Priority Numbers range from 0001 (lowest or best) to about 6,000 (highest or worst). The range ultimately depends on the number of students who meet the March 29 deadline. One list of Priority Numbers is generated, and includes both men and women in the same list.
Your Priority Number determines your ranking among other residents on your unit for openings in single rooms and moves to rooms in your unit during the Unit Moves portion of Room Selection. Your Priority Number also is part of the process that determines your ranking for consideration during the Preferenced-Based Shopping portion of Room Selection. Your Priority Number is based on the number of "points" you accumulate:
- 2 points for every consecutive semester that you have lived in UM residence halls
- 2 points for every consecutive semester that you have been enrolled at UM, College Park
- 1 point for every 12 credits that transfer to UM, College Park from another college or university and show on your UM transcript. (Note: Advanced Placement [AP], Winter Term and Summer Term credits do not count.)
- 2 points forfeited for each sanction of Administrative Housing Probation
For residents who are "tied" with the same number of total points, the "ties" are broken and Priority Numbers are randomly assigned by computer within each point total. So, two residents with the same priority point total could have Priority Numbers that are significantly (1000-2000 places) different.
Moves to Suites and Apartments
Oakland Hall
Oakland Hall is primarily made up of Semi-Suites (2 double rooms connected through a shared bathroom) that house 4 students. To move to a Semi-Suite in Oakland Hall, residents will participate in Preferenced-Based Shopping in pre-formed groups of 4, 3, or 2 students to move into vacancies remaining in semi-suites after Unit Moves. Residents will not be permitted to preference spaces in Semi-Suites unless they can fill the entire unit.
Oakland Hall has a very limited number of double and single rooms with private bathrooms that may be available during Preferenced-Based Shopping. Roommate pairs and individual residents would vie for these vacancies based on their priority numbers. Please note that depending on Unit Moves activity by current Oakland Hall residents, single and double rooms in Oakland may not be available during Preferenced-Based Shopping.
Leonardtown Apartment Community
Students will continue to find it easier to move to the Leonardtown apartments with small groups of their friends, under Room Selection 2013 rules that apply to apartments.
The apartments are across Route One, immediately behind Fraternity Row. They are air-conditioned, carpeted, and fully furnished. Different floor plans in the 12 apartment buildings offer a choice of 4-person and 6-person units, each with two baths, two or four bedrooms, full kitchens, living/dining rooms, and plenty of shelving and closet space. The Leonardtown Community Center offers a computer lab, convenience store, study lounge, fireplace/TV lounge, meeting room, mailboxes, laundry, and 24-hour service desk. Parking is close-by in Lot 16.
The 650 spaces in the Leonardtown Apartment Community will be filled during the Unit Moves portion of Room Selection 2013 (selected by preferences from current Leonardtown residents and their "pull-ins") and during Preferenced-Based Shopping (selected by preferences from all other interested campus residents and their "pull-ins").
During Preferenced-Based Shopping, residents should be prepared to preference apartment spaces in pre-formed groups of friends. Normally, completely vacated Leonardtown apartments may be filled by groups of 4 or 6 students. Groups of 2 will only be able to select from units with 2 vacancies, groups of 3 will select from units with 3 vacancies and so on. Residents will not be permitted to preference spaces in open apartments unless they can completely fill up the entire unit. It is recommended that you be flexible and list many preferences during Preferenced-Based Shopping. Vacancy information will be available at this web site beginning at 9:00am on April 10.
Each group will consist of a Group Leader and Group Members. Group Members can be any eligible current campus resident who met the March 29 deadline, an eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions website.
Group Leaders are responsible for submitting the preferences for their groups. Group Leaders are also responsible for determining final placement of all Group Members into available bedrooms in their apartments. Group Members are responsible for ensuring Group Leaders correctly submit bedroom placements.
South Hill Suite and Apartment Community
Students will now find it easier to move to South Hill suites and apartments with small groups of their friends, under Room Selection 2013 rules that apply to these suites and apartments. The suites and apartments are located just south of the Memorial Chapel in the South Hill area of campus. They are air-conditioned, carpeted, and fully furnished. Different floor plans exist in the 13 suite and apartment buildings offering a choice of 2-person to 6-person units, most with multiple bathrooms and a mix of double and single rooms.
The 1380 spaces in the South Hill Suite and Apartment Community will be filled during the Unit Moves portion of Room Selection (selected by preferences from current South Hill residents and their "pull-ins") and during Preferenced-Based Shopping (selected by preferences from all other interested campus residents and their "pull-ins").
During Preferenced-Based Shopping, residents should be prepared to preference suite or apartment spaces in pre-formed groups of friends. Normally, completely vacated South Hill suites and apartments may be filled by groups of 4 or 6 students. Groups of 2 will only be able to select from units with 2 vacancies, groups of 3 will select from units with 3 vacancies and so on. Residents will not be permitted to preference spaces in open suites or apartments unless they can completely fill up the entire unit. It is recommended that you be flexible and list many preferences during Preferenced-Based Shopping. Vacancy information will be available at this web site beginning at 9:00am on April 10.
Each group will consist of a Group Leader and Group Members. Group Members can be any eligible current campus resident who met the March 29 deadline, an eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions website.
Group Leaders are responsible for submitting the preferences for their groups. Group Leaders are also responsible for determining final placement of all Group Members into available bedrooms in their apartments. Group Members are responsible for ensuring Group Leaders correctly submit bedroom placements.
Pull-Ins During Unit Moves
Traditional Hall
If a vacancy exists in the room where you will live next year, you may name a "pull-in" of another eligible on-campus resident who met the March 29 deadline, eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions website. Please note that additional "pull-in" restrictions may apply to specific buildings, floors or living-learning programs.
Please Note about Traditional Hall Pull-ins: If you and your current roommate want to return to the same room, you must both opt in to do a Unit Move and both must preference your current room as your first choice. Do not attempt to have one of you name the other as a pull-in.
Apartments/Suites
The following scenarios are acceptable for pull-ins into suite or apartment spaces:
- Pulling into the other half of your current double room
If you want to pull someone into the other half of the double room you are currently living in, you can name a "pull-in" of any eligible on-campus resident who met the March 29 deadline, an eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions web site. - Moving to and pulling someone into an empty double room
If you preference a move to an empty double room, you can name a "pull-in" of any eligible on-campus resident who met the March 29 deadline, an eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions web site, to the other half of your new room at the same time. - Pulling into vacancies NOT in your same bedroom
If you want to request a "pull-in" or multiple "pull-ins" to available vacancies in your South Hill apartment or suite or your Leonardtown apartment that are NOT in your same bedroom, you can name a "pull-in" of any eligible current campus residents who met the March 29 deadline, an eligible student returning from a special program, an eligible Freshmen Connection 2012 participant, or a new first-time freshman who has already confirmed their housing agreement online via the Undergraduate Admissions web site.
Consolidation Policy
In order to create more open rooms for returning residents, summer moves, and new freshmen, the Department of Resident Life is continuing a consolidation policy for 2013-2014. Once Room Selection 2013 is completed on April 17, any returning resident occupying a double, triple or quad that is not completely filled is subject to consolidation with other returning residents. For example, if one double room in a traditional hall has only one occupant, and another room down the hall also has only one occupant, Resident Life reserves the right to move the two residents together (based on priority number) in one room in order to open up a completely vacant double. Resident Life will strive to keep consolidated residents on their floors, in their buildings, and within their communities.