Room Selection and Groups

Completing an HLS Housing application will allow you to participate in room selection.  All applications submitted will have an equal chance in the room selection lottery window.  Submitting your application early does not improve your chances for a better room selection window.

To be included in the room selection lottery window your application must be complete and submitted.  An application that is “incomplete” will not be included in the room selection lottery window.

Our application process does not require a housing deposit, and submitting an application does not obligate you to choose a room in the room selection process if you do not wish to.

Forming a Group

Groups are created during the initial housing application process, and must be formed by the end of the housing application period. Students will not be able to create groups after the housing application deadline.

Here is some detailed information about creating a group that you might need:

  • Although a group can have as few as 2 students in it, that group is not limited to only 2 bedroom suites. This means that a group of 2 students can still select to live in 5 Mellen St even though that house has 7 rooms.
  • Students are not obligated to select a room with their group mate(s). Students can decide to log on and select a space individually, instead of having the group leader select for all group members. Creating a group does not require that group mates select a space together. 
  • Creating a group does not restrict students from viewing the entire available room inventory. During Room Selection Windows, students can view the available vacancies and decide at that time whether or not they would like to select a space for themselves individually, or select as a group. There is no need to cancel your group if you decide to select individually.
  • Room Selection as a Group
    • Suitemates will receive the same room selection window.
    • During room selection, in order to select a suite together, one of the suitemates will need to assign himself and his suitemate to a suite.
      • Either suitemate will be able to assign the other suitemate to a room. It does not have to be the person that initially made the suitemate request.
    • Students who have entered into a group can later decide to select individually. To do so, the student may log onto their own housing application to participate by themselves.
  • Signing Contracts after Group Selection
    • Once a suitemate assigns themselves and their  suitemate(s) to a space, ALL students will need to sign their OWN individual housing contracts within three days of the room being selected. This means that each student must login to the Student Life Portal and sign their own contract. Room reservations will expire for each individual student if they have not signed his contract within 3 days of the room being selected. The student who selects on behalf of a group should make sure to notify the groupmate(s) once they have been assigned him to a room.
    • If one groupmate signs their contract and another groupmate fails to sign their contract, ONLY the student who did not sign their contract will find their room reservation as expired. The groupmate(s) who did sign their contract before the deadline will NOT lose their own room assignment. Please note that any expired rooms will immediately return to the vacancy inventory for any other student to select into.
  • Future Options
    • If one of the suitemates, for any reason, cancels their HLS Housing application, it will dissolve the group that they are in. However; it will not delete the application or room reservation of their groupmate(s).
    • Once group members have been assigned to a dorm-style room (Apartments cannot be changed), any member of that group can individually swap their room using Room Swap. If one groupmate changes or cancels their reservation, this will not impact their groupmates’ reservation. The open vacancy will immediately be released into the inventory for others to select from.

Spring-Only Room Selection

J.D., L.L.M., and S.J.D Students

  1. Submit a Spring Only housing application at the Student Life Portal by Tuesday, November 16th at 5:00pm. The Spring 2022 application will be made available starting on October 20th.
  2. You will receive your official room selection e-mail from Housing@law.harvard.edu (make sure your e-mail filter does not block this address!) on November 17th.
  3. Participate in Room Selection (please see below for dates)
  4. The Cancellation Policy applies once the Residence License Agreement (or Apartment Lease, if applicable) is signed.
    • Please note that any student who wishes to cancel their contract during the academic year (any time between August and May) is responsible for a $1000 cancellation fee and the rent for the space until it is selected by another non-contracted student (which is never guaranteed).
  5. Room Assignments are finalized on December 14th as of 1:00pm ET.
  6. Spring Move-In Information and Instructions will be e-mailed out in early December. Spring Only move-in dates can be found on the Residence Calendar. Please refer to your move-in date prior to making travel arrangements as these dates are COMPLETELY FIRM.

Spring 2022 Semester Room Selection Dates (JD, LLM, SJD)

Room Selection begins for all New JD, LLM, and SJD applicants:   1:00pm ET on Thursday, November 18th

The Room Swap Tool also opens at 1:00pm ET on Thursday, November 18th. This tool is used for participants to change their dorm room only (apartment residents cannot change their assignment once they sign their lease).

Room Selection ends for all New JD, LLM, and SJD applicants:   1:00pm ET on Tuesday, December 14th.

The Room Swap Tool also closes at 1:00pm ET on December 14th.

Room Assignments are Final for all JD, LLM, and SJD students as of 1:00pm ET on Tuesday, December 14th. 

Spring 2022 Exchange Students

  1. Submit a Spring Only 2022 housing application on the Student Life Portal by December 6th at 1:00pm ET. The Spring 2022 application will be made available starting on October 20th.
  2. You will receive your official room selection e-mail from Housing@law.harvard.edu (make sure your e-mail filter does not block this address!) on the afternoon of December 7th.
  3. Participate in Room Selection (please see below for dates)
  4. The Cancellation Policy applies once the Residence License Agreement (or Apartment Lease, if applicable) is signed.
    • Please note that any student who wishes to cancel their contract during the academic year (any time between August and May) is responsible for a $1000 cancellation fee and the rent for the space until it is selected by another non-contracted student (which is never guaranteed).
  5. Room Assignments are finalized on December 14th as of 1:00pm ET.
  6. Spring Move-In Information and Instructions will be e-mailed out in early January. Spring Only move-in dates can be found on the Residence Calendar. Please refer to your move-in date prior to making travel arrangements. These dates are firm and we cannot accommodate early arrivals.

 Please note that we are unable to guarantee that space will be available, nor can we guarantee a specific residence will have vacancies.