Grinnell College is a residential college. Students are required to live in college housing all four years unless they fall below full time status or are granted permission to move off-campus during their junior or senior years. While living in college housing, students learn to live within the philosophy of self-governance through a variety of living experiences and interactions with other students.
Student housing at Grinnell College is distinctive from that of other residential colleges by our room draw philosophy and practice. Upper-class students choose their rooms for the following year through Room Draw. Students' "place in line" for Room Draw is determined by their class status, as determined by the Registrar, and random number assignment. Through the Room Draw process, second, third, and fourth-year students distribute themselves throughout the residence halls. Incoming first-year students are assigned roommates and housing based on the information they provide on their on-line housing form. Rooms are reserved on nearly every floor in the residence halls for the incoming first-year class.
All incoming first-year students will have (at least) one roommate. We encourage prospective (incoming first-year) students to answer ALL questions on their on-line housing form and answer them honestly. Students are matched with their future roommate according to the information provided.
All returning second year students must also plan to have (at least) one roommate. The choice regarding roommate(s) is a very important decision. As students think about their rooming arrangements for the upcoming year, keep in mind that this decision will last for the entire year.
In the event a vacancy occurs within a room, the Residence Life and Orientation Office will work with students to find a new roommate. Roommate consolidation typcially begins in the fall, approximately two weeks after classes begin, and continues througout the remainder of the fall term, until it is determined enough vacant rooms are available. Vacant rooms are needed for various reasons, such as emergency and medical housing needs, providing room assignments for students returning from a fall term study abroad programs, and to house incoming spring transfer students.
