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Junior-Senior Housing Lottery & Selection Process

Selection Process

Students will be able to submit applications online for the 2025–2026 Junior-Senior Housing Lottery in February.

Five- and Six-Person Houses (Limited Availability)

  1. Complete this Five- and Six-Person Housing Form, including the names of all students applying together. This must be completed by Thursday, Feb. 20, at 11:59 p.m.
  2. Students will receive an email by Feb. 24, saying whether they were placed into a house.
  3. Each student placed in the house will need to come to the Residence Life and Housing Office to sign their Housing Agreement the following week.
  4. Any students who did not successfully secure a five- or six-person house may complete a Housing Application for a one- to four- person space by Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 11:59 p.m.

Note: Once a student or group of students selects a unit, they will be removed from the remainder of the lottery and will be ineligible to choose another rental unit.

One-, Two-, Three- and Four-Bedroom Apartments and Houses 

In order to participate in the lottery, please follow these instructions:

  1. Go to the Whitman Student Housing Portal.
  2. Select “Sign in with your school account,” using your Whitman credentials to log in.
  3. Click “Apply for Housing” and select “Junior/Senior Housing 2025–2026.”
  4. Complete the entire Housing Application by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
  5. You will receive an email with your randomly assigned lottery timeslot. These timeslots will occur between March 3–7.
  6. Create Roommate Groups with other students who have completed their Housing Applications. Decide on your roommate groups ahead of time!
  7. Any roommate can log in at their assigned time, or anytime thereafter until March 7, and choose a space for the entire group!
  8. Come by the Residence Life and Housing Office the following week March 10–14 to sign your Housing Agreement in person. 

Students may also come to the Residence Life and Housing Office to choose their unit in person if they choose to do so. If a student will be unavailable to choose their room due to scheduling, they can inform the office of their preferences and the office can choose a space for them.

Finding Roommates

Students are required to enter the lottery with a group that fills the beds in the apartment or property they wish to rent. For example, only a group of six students may apply for a property that has six beds. A group of four students does not qualify to apply for a five- or six-person unit.

Students looking for additional roommates for their group or who are looking for someone to replace them, are invited to fill out the roommate request form. Other Whitman students who are looking for roommates or looking to be a roommate will be able to see a list of students seeking roommates and contact those students directly.

Similarly, students who are leaving for a semester to study abroad, who are planning on graduating half-way through the academic year, or who are not planning to live in their unit over the summer (only applies to 12-month agreements), are encouraged to plan ahead and look for a tenant to replace them for the remainder of their housing agreement. Students who vacate their units early without finding a replacement will be charged a fee. Students may use the same form to post a public request for available tenants. Public postings may be viewed here.

Priority

All students will have the same priority, meaning the same chance of going first in the lottery. A student’s priority in the lottery is not informed by class standing, graduation date, GPA or student group affiliation. All students entering the lottery must have already completed the four-semester on-campus housing requirement, including the semester they are currently in when the lottery takes place.

Some students may receive priority based on a medical accommodation or other extenuating need on a case by case basis. If a student is granted priority, it applies to any other students applying for housing with that student.

Medical Accommodations

Students who require medical accommodation should be in touch with the Academic Resource Center (ARC) with sufficient time prior to the housing lottery to have the need assessed and appropriate accommodations approved. Accommodations for Junior-Senior Housing must be approved by the ARC by Tuesday, Feb. 25. The Academic Resource Center includes Disability Support Services and can be reached at dss@whitman.edu.

Contact Us

For questions about the housing selection process, please contact the Residence Life and Housing Office at on_campus_housing@whitman.edu or 509-527-5297.

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