Villanova students are guaranteed three years of housing if they are admitted as resident students, which means that housing for senior year is not guaranteed. During the Fall Semester of junior year, rising seniors receive an email regarding their housing for the upcoming academic year.

Villanova uses a lottery system, in which students interested in living on-campus for their senior year participate. This lottery only guarantees housing for approximately 600 students, leaving about two-thirds of the senior class without housing accommodation. However, the number of lottery spots can change per year, depending on the senior year class size. Although some students prefer to live off campus for their senior year, this situation is stressful for students who do not have a car on campus, students who rely on financial aid for housing accommodations and international students.

People would expect that students who win the housing lottery are excited about it. However, this is not the case for everyone. Some students, whose preferred roommates do not win the housing lottery, end up weighing the pros and cons of living on campus with random roommates or living off-campus with their preferred roommate during their senior year.

Although there is a limit on the number of students who get housing for senior year, there are also students who do not win the housing lottery and are placed in a “waiting list.” Some students, luckily, get off the waiting list.  For those who do not, they need to secure an off-campus apartment or house.

In addition, for students who win the lottery, get a housing selection time assigned. The earlier your time, the better chances of getting one of your preferred housing options. For seniors, typically, their preferred housing option is to live in the Commons. I feel that part of the problem is rooted in Villanova’s housing portal. Navigating the portal is really confusing, especially when you have to add your other roommates to your housing selection. I remember having to contact the housing department to clarify my questions about the process. While they helped me, I feel they should make their website more user-friendly.

While I reflect on the housing selection process, I think the housing department can create a video for students on how to navigate the portal and also send out emails about the reality that not everyone gets on-campus housing. This can warn students earlier about the situation, and students can begin searching for off-campus housing earlier rather than waiting until the Spring Semester of junior year to start looking for options.