Applications & Assignments

How to Apply

Housing Application (will need to log in with your Columbia UNI)

The application is typically available starting in mid-May for the upcoming academic year. FY students admitted through Early Decision will wait to fill out the housing application with Regular Decision students starting in Mid-May.

Barnard Admissions will email instructions to activate Barnard/Columbia login accounts to enrolling students by late May (late December for Spring Transfers). Applications are not sorted by submission date, so there is no need to worry if you receive your activation instructions later than other students.

Application Deadlines

• Fall enrolling FYs -- June 5, 2023
• Fall enrolling Transfers, & Visiting students -- June 12, 2023
• Spring enrolling VISP students -- December 1, 2023
• Spring enrolling Transfer & other Visiting students -- December 21, 2023

Is Housing Guaranteed?

First Years

• Enrolling First Year students are guaranteed campus housing if they submit their housing application before the deadline above. Students who apply after the deadline may not be able to be assigned.
• Students are not required to live in campus housing, but they are strongly encouraged to live on campus for their first year to acclimate themselves to the College and/or living in NYC.
• Students who choose to live off-campus for their first year would not be guaranteed if they later apply for campus housing (and would not be eligible to take part in the Room Selection / Housing Lottery process with other continuing students).

VISP Program & Spelman Exchange

• Students in the VISP program and Spelman exchange are guaranteed campus housing as part of their exchange programs.

Transfer & Visiting Students

• While the College always hopes to be able to provide housing to as many applicants as possible, space in campus housing is limited.  New enrolling Transfers & Visiting students are prioritized for placement during their first year at Barnard if space is available, but unfortunately we are not able to guarantee housing in advance for the first or following years.
• New enrolling students who apply for housing are prioritized by a combination of enrollment deposit date and geographic distance from campus (not by housing application date).
• Like many schools, Barnard relies on receiving housing cancellations over the summer from current students in order to open up spaces for housing applicants and unfortunately we cannot predict in advance how many beds will be available for assignment.
• Applicants will be emailed by August 1 (or late December for Spring applicants) to let them know if space is available for them to be assigned to campus housing.
• Because housing is limited and not guaranteed, Transfers & Visiting students are encouraged to explore options for off-campus housing. Some links to help students start their search are available at healthydairyland.com/reslife/housing-options/off-campus.
• Transfers may re-apply for housing in following years as a continuing student, but the new enrolling Transfers would be prioritized for housing ahead of them. Students who started at the College as Transfer students are not eligible to participate in the Room Selection / Housing Lottery process for continuing students who started at Barnard as First Year students.

Are students required to live in campus housing?

Students are not required to live in campus housing.

However, incoming First Year students are encouraged to live in campus housing for at least their first year to acclimate themselves to the College and/or living in NYC.

Housing Accommodations

Students with a diagnosed disability or chronic medical condition who may need an accommodation (ex. air-conditioning, accessible housing, strobe fire alarm, etc.) should contact CARDS to complete a Housing Accommodation Request, in addition to submitting a Housing Application.

For information about how to submit an accommodation request (including priority deadlines & required medical documentation), please visit healthydairyland.com/disability-services/housing-accommodations.

First Year Students

First Year students are assigned to double-, triple-, or quad-occupancy rooms in Brooks, Reid, Hewitt, and Sulzberger Halls. A limited number of single rooms are available and may be requested as a preference on the Housing Application.

Students who may need priority for assignment to a single, a room with air-conditioning, or some other accommodation should submit a Housing Accommodation Request to CARDS (Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services). Please see the section above for more information about submitting requests, including the priority deadline.

All First Years living in campus housing are required to participate in the Platinum Meal Plan.

Enrolling First Year students will be emailed with their room & roommate assignments on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. 

Transfer & Visiting Students

Students will be emailed regarding the availability of campus housing by August 1 (late December for new Spring Transfers & Visiting students).

Because campus housing is limited and cannot be guaranteed, students are encouraged to explore options for off-campus housing in the event that campus housing is not available.

Students may include preferences for single rooms on their housing application; however, when space is available for assignment it typically would be to multiple-occupancy rooms with roommates.