Learn about the housing and roommate preference process before room selection begins in June for first-time incoming freshmen. If you are a returning resident, please see our returning residents page.
Housing Preferences
Explore our on-campus residence halls and our Living Learning Communities (LLCs) to determine your housing preferences. After you sign and return your housing contract and satisfy the $300 advance payment, you will be able to submit your housing preferences online. Here you can indicate:
- Your five residence hall preferences
- Your Living Learning Communities preferences
- Your bathroom preferences (community vs. shared/private)
- Your roommate preference
If you change your mind after you enter your preferences, you can always log back in and update them before room selection. Room selection timeslots are assigned in housing application date order, not in the order housing preferences were submitted. We will assign rooms to students who miss their room selection timeslot based on their preferences and roommate profile matches.
Roommates
Once you receive a contract offer and pay your $300 advance payment, you have access to the Roommate Groups page in your housing portal. This page gives you the option to search for roommates by details (gender, age, college, major or UT EID), profile questions or profile percentage match (the housing portal gives a percentage match based on the answers to students’ profile questions).
If you would like to share your room with a specific person, you will need to indicate your roommate preference. Students can submit a roommate request, and once approved, they will be paired together. The student with the earlier room selection timeslot will select the room assignment for both students in the roommate pair based on available space.
If you already have a roommate or roommate group in mind, you have the option to “join a group” by searching for that group name or by UT EID to request a specific student.
Many students opt for a random roommate assignment (the “potluck” option). When going this route, you still participate in the room selection process and place yourself in a room with another student in it. When looking at the room, you will be able to see the profile information of the student already in the room to help with your selection.
If our office assigns your room, we will use your age, classification, major and profile percentage match to pair you with an appropriate student. Please note that supplemental contract holders are unable to request or accept roommate requests.
Room Selection FAQs
When does room selection begin?
The room selection process begins in early June for first-time incoming freshmen. The room assignment process for Living Learning Communities begins June 1.
How are room selection timeslots assigned?
Applicants who apply early are more likely to be able to select a preferred housing assignment. Since the housing application opens on August 1, students who wait to apply may not receive their top housing preferences. This does not mean that applicants who apply late will not be able to live on campus. While housing is not guaranteed, we aim to offer housing contracts to as many incoming first-time freshmen as we can.
What happens if I don’t participate in room selection or miss my room selection timeslot?
Students who do not participate in the room selection process will be manually assigned based on their preferences and roommate profile matches. These assigned rooms can be found on your housing application portal in early July. Please note that this does not pertain to the majority of students; it mostly applies to students who receive supplemental contracts or contracts later in the process.
How will I be contacted?
Housing contract offers, notifications and confirmations are sent by email. Update your contact information (including your email address) whenever something changes so you receive communication from us.
When do the residence halls open?
Residence halls open for the fall semester in late August. Check the Academic Calendar for the residence hall opening and closing dates.