After WTF week is over and spring break is in sight, the talk on Bryn Mawr’s campus starts to center on Room Draw. Room Draw is the process by which BMC students select their housing for the next semester. Here are some quick facts that will help acclimate you to the process (or give you a refresher on what goes down).
At the end of March, students must fill out an online form sent via email from Director of Residential Life, Angie Sheets, detailing whether they will need on-campus housing for the next semester. In this form, you’ll also have to designate whether you intend to live in a single, double/triple, or are applying for a hall group (a group of singles located next to each other that are selected by a group of people).
Soon after, the priority number list is posted on Res Life’s website. Students in each class are randomly assigned a number that decides the order in which they’ll pick their dorm.
In April, the excitement really begins. Towards the beginning of the month, every class year gathers in the Great Hall to select their dorm. On one night, multiple occupancy and hall group draws are held. Following that is the singles draw. At both draws, there is a whiteboard at the front with every dorm listed on it and the number of spots available for your class year. Student coordinators go down the priority number list (which will often shift a bit after the multiple occupancy and hall group draws) and call out names. When your name is called, you shout out the name of the dorm you want to live in.
The following week, everyone reports to their future dorms to choose their actual room and to vote on some dorm leadership positions. And that’s it for Room Draw!
Let’s end by debunking a few rumors that spread around campus every year, and by giving you some helpful tips.
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Having a good room draw number one year does not mean you’ll have a bad one next year and vice versa.
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While Room Draw is called Room Draw, the majority of the process revolves around selecting your dorm. However, your lottery number does impact the order that you choose your room, since the order in which you drew into the dorm determines the order in which you pick your room.
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After dorm draw, students will go room hunting. Every dorm resident is given a form detailing conditions of their room (type of flooring, whether or not there’s a window seat, temperature conditions); there’s also a spot to draw the layout of your room. Some students fill it out and post on their doors, while others leave it blank. If, after seeing this form, you’d still like to see the room, you are welcome to knock on the resident’s door or leave a note; however, please be respectful of quiet hours and the resident’s time and privacy. NEVER go into a dorm room without the resident’s permission.
While Room Draw is a process with many steps, it’s relatively straightforward. Just remember to check your email for updates from Angie Sheets. You should also check out the Room Draw page on Res Life’s website for more information. Happy Room Draw!