There are two kinds of waitlist applications available to students:
On-Campus Housing Waitlist - For students without an on-campus reservation
High-Demand Housing Waitlist - For eligible students with an on-campus reservation
Click on the respective sections below to learn more:
On-campus housing waitlist
The On-Campus Housing Waitlist is designed for students who do not currently have
an on-campus housing reservation but would like the opportunity to live in university
housing. It is intended for students who do not meet any current eligibility requirements
for Returning Resident or New Student applications or have missed housing application
deadlines.
Eligibility to Participate
To be eligible for the on-campus housing waitlist, students must be actively enrolled
in classes for the academic year for which they are applying and must not have an
on-campus reservation for that year.
Graduate students who are enrolled in online education programs, Southampton Campus
programs, or Graduate Certificate programs may apply to live at West Campus, but will
not be permitted to participate in the room selection process for subsequent academic
terms unless there is excess space availability.
When does the On Campus Housing Waitlist go live?
The on-campus housing waitlist will go live in the Housing Portal on March 14, 2025, at 10 AM for the 2025-2026 academic year.
*For any students who missed the Phase 1 deadline of the returning resident room selection
application and were eligible to participate, the waitlist was made available in the
Housing Portal on March 7, 2025, at 10 AM.
The on-campus housing waitlist will close on February 20, 2026, and will not accept
any new applicants. The following Tuesday will be the last day for any waitlist offers
for 2025-2026, pending space availability.
High-Demand Housing Waitlist
The High-Demand Housing Waitlist is designed for students who already have an on-campus
housing reservation but are interested in moving to a different or specific housing
option. This waitlist allows students to request a change to a residence hall, room
type, or community that is in higher demand and often has limited availability.
The following high-demand waitlists are offered:
West Apartments Single
Chávez/Tubman Single
Second Year Living Community (2YLC)
Chapin and Schomburg Apartment Single
Eligibility to Participate
In order to qualify for a high-demand waitlist, students must have an on-campus reservation
and meet the specific criteria for the respective residence hall/community as outlined
below:
West Apartments Single & Chávez/Tubman Single
Students must have 57 or more credits, including the current semester enrollment,
at the time of applying
Students must not be on residential or disciplinary probation with the University
Second Year Living Community (2YLC)
Students must have previously been selected to be eligible for 2YLC but were unable
to select a space within the community during returning resident room selection.
Chapin & Schomburg Apartment Single
Must be a graduate student who does not currently have an assignment in this room
type.
When does the High-Demand Housing Waitlist go live?
1. West Apartments Single & Chávez/Tubman Single will go live:
For U4 students on June 20, 2025
Male/GIH: 10 AM
Female: 11AM
For U3 students on August 25, 2025
Male/GIH: 10 AM
Female: 11AM
2. Second Year Living Community will go live for students on June 20, 2025
Male/GIH: 10 AM
Female: 11 AM
3. Chapin and Schomburg Apartment Single waitlists will go live for students on August
25, 2025
Male/GIH: 12 PM
Female: 1 PM
The high-demand housing waitlist will close on February 20, 2026, and will not accept
any new applicants. The following Tuesday will be the last day for any waitlist offers
for 2025-2026, pending space availability.
Applying to a Housing waitlist
To apply, students must log in to the Housing Portal and click on the Waitlist Application button on the homepage. The application is
available from 10 AM to 10 PM and students must read and complete all relevant pages
to successfully submit their application.
For a detailed step-by-step guide on how to apply, please click on the link below:
Once students have applied, they must return to the housing portal each month to recertify
their waitlist application. For more information, please review the FAQs below.
Space Availability and Waitlist Offers
The demand for on-campus housing remains extremely high, with campus housing currently
operating at 100% occupancy. Applying to the waitlist does not guarantee housing, and the ability to immediately accommodate students on the waitlist is limited.
There are several factors that influence when a space may open up, including cancellations,
withdrawals, and room changes, that make it difficult to predict if and when a student
will be reached. Because of the uncertainty surrounding waitlist offers, we strongly
encourage students applying to the on-campus housing waitlist to actively explore
off-campus housing options. Resources can be found at this link, provided by the Office of Commuter Student Services & Off-Campus Living.
If spaces are available and offers can be made:
Over the summer and before the start of the Fall semester, offers are made on Tuesdays
and Fridays.
During the semester, offers are made on Tuesdays only.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to check their Stony Brook email on these days.
They will be notified via email if they are reached on the waitlist and offered a
space. If offered, students will have 3 days to accept or decline their housing offer
within their initial waitlist application, after which the offer expires.
Waitlist recertification is the process by which students confirm their ongoing interest
in remaining on the housing waitlist. We recognize that, after applying, some students
may have secured alternative housing or may no longer wish to transfer to the high-demand
housing they originally applied for. To ensure that housing offers are made to students
who still need or want on-campus housing, all waitlist applicants are required to
recertify their interest each month. This step helps us maintain an up-to-date waitlist and offer available spaces only
to those who are still actively seeking housing.
Students will receive emails reminding them to recertify before the end of each month.
If a student does not complete the recertification process, will be removed from the
waitlist at the beginning of the following month, and they will be notified.
Students can recertify via the Waitlist Application in the housing portal.
No, the On-Campus Housing Waitlist does not guarantee a specific room, room type,
or location, and we are unable to accommodate special requests. The primary purpose
of the waitlist is to provide students with an opportunity to secure on-campus housing
as spaces become available, which means offers are based on current vacancies rather
than student preferences. If an offer for housing is made, the waitlist applicant
will see room information and room rate details as part of the offer.
If you accept the space you are offered, you will have the opportunity to swap or
change your assignment during the next designated room swap/change period. Alternatively,
you can choose to add your name to the High Demand Waitlist for a chance at a different
space if you are eligible.
Please note that if you decline the offer, you will need to rejoin the waitlist, and
we cannot predict if or when you will receive another offer.
If students are offered a space before the start of the Fall semester, they will be
able to sign up for a regular Fall move-in appointment to arrive in time for the start
of the semester.
If students are offered a space during the semester, they will be able to select an
arrival date within 10 days of the date of their offer.
Students can contact their area office if they are looking to change their arrival date after accepting their offer. However,
changes are only allowed within the permitted move-in time frames.
No, students are not required to pay a housing deposit to join a waitlist.
If students are offered a space before the start of the Fall semester, they are billed
starting the date the agreement begins.
If students are offered a space during the semester, their bill for that semester
is pro-rated based on the date of their arrival. Billing starts no later than 10 days
from the date of the offer if the student arrives outside of the 10-day window.
Students can contact the respective area office if they are looking to change their arrival date after accepting their offer. However,
changes are only allowed within the permitted move-in time frames.
If you accept and later want to cancel, you can submit a housing agreement cancellation
request via the housing portal. Students will be charged a termination fee in line
with our cancellation policies. For more information on dates and fees, please visit
our Housing Agreement Cancellation, Termination, and Financial Liability Information webpage.
If a student is reached on the waitlist and offered a space but is not enrolled in
classes at the University, they will be removed from the waitlist and will no longer
be eligible for an offer.
Additionally, after the University's add/drop deadline, any students on the waitlist
who are not enrolled in classes will be removed and notified.
If a student is reached on the waitlist and can be offered a space but has a financial
account hold, they will be skipped on the waitlist for that week and notified. The
student will have one week from the date they are notified to clear their financial
hold. If the hold is not cleared by the deadline, the student will be removed from
the waitlist and will need to re-add themselves to it.
No, the high-demand waitlist is only for students who currently have an on-campus
reservation.
The housing waitlist is for the entire academic year. Students can apply to the waitlist
at any time. If a student is only looking for housing in the Spring semester but receives
an offer in the Fall, they can decline the offer, but they will need to re-add themselves
to the waitlist and await an offer.
For any meal plan questions, please contact their office at mealplan@stonybrook.edu after you have accepted your offer.
