Building Switch Lotteries

Interested in changing buildings?


What is the Building Switch Lottery?

Two switch lotteries are offered for current on-campus undergraduate residents who are fully registered to take courses and who are interested in moving to another building for the next term.

  • Students who wish to move to another building for the spring semester should enter the Spring Building Switch Lottery. The application is typically available in October.
  • Students who wish to move for the following Fall semester should enter the Fall Building Switch Lottery. The application is typically available in March.

How does the lottery work?

Students should fill out a Building Switch Lottery application within their Housing Portal to share their building preferences, as well as to acknowledge that the lottery process is binding. While we make every effort to assign students to their first preference, there is a possibility that a student may get switched into any one of the residence halls they list on their lottery form. NOTE: The switch lottery is only open to registered MIT undergraduate students living in one of the on-campus residence halls.

If you receive a new housing reassignment through the switch lottery, you must accept that assignment and move. It is not possible to decline the assignment you receive. Before you apply, please be absolutely certain that you will be willing to accept the results.

*If you will not be here during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), please do not enter the switch lottery.

How do room assignments work?

Room assignments are done internally within each residence hall after the lottery results are released. Due to the processes in each house, the lottery does not take into account special requests for room type or location (unless there is a previously approved Supplemental Housing Request). The lottery functions solely as a way to switch buildings.

Moves granted during the spring housing switch lottery have a move-in date during the Independent Activities Period (IAP) in January. Students granted changes through the Fall Housing Switch Lottery would simply move-in to their new assignment on their move-in date. Students granted a move in either switch lottery will receive an email with their exact move date. No moves are permitted before these dates.