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Room Selection FAQs

Can I live off campus?
Simpson College has a four-year residency requirement to promote a vibrant campus community and to provide for our students’ holistic growth and development. If a student is married, age 24 or older, a veteran, has a dependent living with them, or lives with parents/guardians within a reasonable distance, the Residency Requirement can be waived. In those cases, the student would file a Petition (located on left column of their SC Connect main page). Please be aware that financial aid will be adjusted for off-campus students so you need to work with Financial Aid before any decision is made. Decisions about granting petitions or changes to these requirements rest with the Dean of Students.

How do I get a lottery number? How is it determined?
For Fall 2024, lottery numbers are randomly generated by an Excel spreadsheet.  A number for each residential student is generated in the range below.  GPA does not affect room lottery numbers – this is a common misconception.

3000-3500 for rising sophomores

1500-2000 for rising juniors

0-500 for rising seniors

Please note that class standing is determined by start date at Simpson and anticipated graduation date.  Credits and/or anticipated graduation date will be used to determine class standing of transfer students.

Full lottery number information can be found here

I’m graduating in 2.5 or 3 years.  How does that affect my number?
For your 2nd year, you’ll receive a rising sophomore number, but for your third (and final) fall semester or year, you’ll have a rising senior number if your anticipated grad date is correct with the Registrar’s Office.

We only have 3 people on our 4-person application.  Can you just put someone with us?
To be fair to those with complete applications, only room applications with the full number of people depending on your room/apartment preference will be ranked.  If accepted, they will be moved to the end of the rankings for their respective preference, and if space does not allow for all incomplete applications, those may be split and/or have people added to them.  Incoming transfers may be added to an application, but they need to be selected by your group and deposited to Simpson by the time of room selection.

Can we put a transfer or international student on our application?
Only current Simpson students who are full-time at the time of room selection may participate in room selection and be on an application.  For new transfers who have current students with whom they’d like to live, we just ask that they have sent in their enrollment deposits by the night of room selection in February and/or March to be eligible on an application.   In order to offer priority to current students of the same year, incoming transfers will be assigned a lottery number at the highest end of the appropriate class (for example, a rising junior incoming transfer would be assigned a number of 2000).  If an incoming transfer is added to an application and is not a deposited student prior to the evening of room selection, the application will be moved to the end of the room selection process.

For all other new transfers and international students, we will work with the Admissions team to house them over the summer into openings on campus.

Can sophomores live in the apartments?
Yes, they can, but usually this only happens if they join an application with three rising juniors or seniors.  This will bring the group average up, which will disadvantage that application in relation to one with four juniors.  Sophomores are generally not allowed to move into the apartments during the middle of the year if they don’t draw into that area during room selection.  A maximum of one rising sophomore is allowed on each apartment housing application.

If I’m traveling abroad during the fall, what do I do?
Students who are off-campus for the fall cannot be on a room application.  The Associate Director of Residence Life will reach out to those course participants during the latter half of the fall semester, and that person will communicate options which are or will be open during the spring. In almost every case, it’s easy to find housing on-campus for the spring which meets your preferences.

I’m planning on living off-campus in the fall – how do I do that?
Living on campus is required for most students, but there are some exceptions listed in the Student Handbook.  You can petition to live off-campus via your “My Forms” tab on SC Connect.  The Dean of Students will evaluate petitions and notify petitioners of their status.  Living off-campus may affect your financial aid; it’s encouraged that all students planning on living off-campus consult with the Office of Financial Assistance to check into this.

If I’m currently abroad or off-campus, can I be on a housing application?
Yes, just simply email the Associate Director (
heather.emery@simpson.edu) to let your intent to live with a certain group be known.  This will take the place of the signature normally required on applications.  An email can also be attached to an application when it is turned in.

Are there times when I won’t be allowed to stay in my room?
Your contract is for the use of your room for the dates specified on the residence agreement and assignment. Certain dates and periods during the academic year are excluded from this agreement (winter break). You are expected to vacate college housing during these periods. If you desire to be allowed to remain in college housing during these closed periods, and you are not required to be on campus for an approved college activity, you will be assessed about nineteen dollars ($19) per night for the length of your stay. Permission to remain on campus must be approved in advance by the Associate Director or Director of Residence Life.

What are the proposed room/board rates for 2024-2025?
Check out the Business Office’s website for the most up to date cost information.

ALL students living on campus are required to have a meal plan. Only students living in Theme Houses or apartments can have the 7 meals per week plan.

What else do I need to know?

Have you read everything on the web and still can’t find the answer to your question? Discuss your questions with your CA or email heather.emery@simpson.edu.