2018 Dunster Lottery Handbook - Dunster House
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2018 Dunster Lottery Handbook
I. Eligibility
If you are a Rising Junior (current sophomore) or Rising Senior (current junior) in residence now, and you have not
cancelled your housing for fall 2018 by submitting a cancellation form, you automatically have a housing reservation
for next year at this time. However, students who will be returning from a leave of absence, study abroad, or
off-campus housing in fall 2018 are not be eligible for housing unless they have filed a Returning Student
Application (RSA) with the Office of Student Life by the February 5th deadline. These students received a
confirmation email from my office on February 8th if they completed the form by this date. If they missed the OSL
deadline, they can fill out the RSA form now in order to be added to the space available waitlist, but they are not
guaranteed on-campus housing by the College and therefore are not eligible to participate in the lottery.
Off-Cycle Students: If you have a housing reservation for fall 2018 but took time off from the College at some
point, you may choose to be housed as if you were a member of your original class. For example, if you took a leave
of absence for one or two semesters and your original classmates are now Rising Seniors, you can enter the lottery as
a Rising Senior this year. However, you can only enter the lottery as a Rising Senior once. In future lotteries you will
enter as a Rising Junior. This option is only available to off-cycle students. Studying abroad does not qualify as taking
a leave from the College as you are not off-cycle.
If you lotteried as a senior in a previous year but then took a leave of absence prior to the start of the term, you may
enter again as a Rising Senior.
Students with Advanced Standing: If you have advanced standing and will be in your third and final year of
College starting in fall 2018 you may enter the lottery as a Rising Senior. You can only exercise this option if you are
on the official list of students with advanced standing (please check with Diana Hovsepian at
hovsep@fas.harvard.edu). If you do so, you may only enter the lottery as a Rising Senior once. If you choose to stay
an additional year, you will enter the next lottery as a Rising Junior.
If you are an off-cycle student or have advanced standing and would like to enter either of the senior lotteries,
you must email Rachel to confirm eligibility by noon on Friday, March 30th.
If you have neither taken time off from the College nor have advanced standing, your class year determines
whether you are defined as a Rising Senior or Rising Junior in the lottery.
Inter-House Transfers: If you were successful in transferring to Dunster in the first IHT round for fall 2018, you
are eligible to participate in the housing lottery.
II. Lottery Types
There are two types of lotteries in Dunster: The Specialized Housing Lottery and the General Housing Lottery.
The Specialized Housing lottery is for suites comprised of 5, 6, 7, or 8 students. You can think of this as the “really
large suites lottery.” The General Housing Lottery is for singles, doubles, triples, and quads. There is a Specialized
Housing Lottery for Rising Seniors, and a Specialized Housing Lottery for Rising Juniors (if there are any remaining
5, 6, 7, or 8-person suites available after the Senior Specialized Lottery). There are two General Housing Lotteries,
one for Rising Seniors and one for Rising Juniors. Mixed Rising Senior-junior groups will select their housing
immediately following the senior-only groups in both the Specialized and General Lotteries.
1The Specialized Housing Lottery takes place before the General Housing Lottery for each class, and therefore has
an earlier registration deadline. To participate in this lottery, your group size must match the type of suite for which
you’re registering. For example, if you have 6 people in your rooming group, you are eligible to register for 6-person
suites lottery. If you’re unable to select a 6-person suite in the lottery because there are more groups than there are
available suites, there is an option to “drop-down” to a smaller suite size, in this case a 5-person suite, on the spot. In
this scenario, only 5 or your original 6 members would participate. Because of this drop-down option, students choose
their lottery numbers at the time of Specialized Lottery due to the changing number of participating groups. If you
are unable to select housing during the Specialized Lottery, you will have the chance to form a separate rooming
group and register for the General Lottery. More detailed information on how Specialized Lottery works, including
rules and registration information, can be found on pages 5-7 for Rising Seniors, and page 8 for Rising Juniors.
The General Housing Lottery takes place after the Specialized Housing Lottery and is for singles, doubles, triples,
and quads. Unlike in the Specialized Lottery, in the General Lottery you can enter as either an individual or as part of
a rooming group of up to 8 people and choose any combination of suites where the total bed count matches your
group size. For example, a 6-person rooming group might choose six singles, or two triples, or a quad and a double,
etc. As your ability to choose your housing depends on space availability, it can be beneficial to enter as a group as
opposed to an individual. Even if you desire a single, this gives you the flexibility to choose a suite of your choice,
with another student of your choice, if there are no singles available by the time your number is called. For the General
Lottery, students choose their lottery numbers at the time of registration. More detailed information on how the
general lottery works, including rules and registration information can be found on pages 7-8 for Rising Seniors and
pages 8-9 for Rising Juniors.
III. Rooming Groups and Co-Ed Housing
Rooming groups consist of two or more students who would like to choose their housing at the same time in the
lottery. In the Specialized Lottery, your rooming group members are those you will be living with in your chosen
suite. In the General Lottery, your rooming group members are those you either want to live with in the same suite,
or live near in a different suite. In the General Lottery, forming a rooming group enables you to select rooms at the
same time, but it does not guarantee that the rooms chosen will be near one another. There are no blocking groups
in the lottery.
In the Specialized Lottery, rooming groups are limited to between 5 and 8 students. In the General Lottery, rooming
groups are limited to between 2 and 8 students. Students can choose to be part of a rooming group, or they may
participate in the General Housing Lottery as an individual. In either case, all students must sign and submit their
registration forms by the appropriate lottery deadline.
Rooming With Students Returning from Leave, Study Abroad, or Off-Campus Housing
A rooming group may include students who are on a leave of absence or studying abroad only if they have filled
out the Returning Student Application by the OSL deadline, guaranteeing them housing in the fall (see page 1).
These students must register for the lottery either as an individual or as part of a rooming group, by emailing
Rachel by the appropriate lottery registration deadline (please see the lottery calendar). Rooming groups that
include students not currently in residence should list their names on the registration form with a note that they will
be registering via email.
Groups of students studying abroad or on a leave of absence may form their own rooming groups and enter the
lottery by proxy under these same rules.
2Co-ed Rooming Groups:
Students of different genders may join the same rooming group as long as they separate into same-gender suites
during the lottery. If you plan to separate into same-gender suites, you do not need to register for co-ed housing.
Keep in mind that if you are in a mixed-gender rooming group that has not registered for co-ed housing ahead of
time, and a combination that allows you to separate into same-gender suites is not available during your lottery pick,
you will be unable to make a selection in the lottery. We would hate for you and your group to become floaters
because you did not prepare for this scenario!
To prepare, co-ed rooming groups should either plan single-gender suite configurations or register for co-ed housing.
Mixed-gender groups receive no special status in the lottery.
Co-ed Housing Registration:
If members of different genders would like to live in the same suite(s) they may do so as long as they have
met the following two Harvard College requirements:
1. At least 1 representative member of the rooming group must attend the Co-ed Housing Orientation
Session on either Thursday, March 29th, at 5:00 pm for Rising Seniors or Thursday, April 5th, at 5:00 pm for
Rising Juniors. This student is responsible for accurately conveying all information from the meeting to their
respective group members.
2. All members of the rooming group must sign and submit the Harvard College Co-ed Housing
Agreement along with their lottery registration form.
Compatibility:
The Harvard Houses are typically filled to capacity. Please think carefully about which students you want to live
with before forming a rooming group. Make sure you are fully committed to living in a variety of rooming
arrangements with the students in your group in case your preferred housing choices are not available.
IV. Floaters
As mentioned above, students are welcome to participate in the General Housing Lottery as individuals. Please keep
in mind, however, that there are a limited number of stand-alone singles, and housing selections are dependent on
space availability. If you are a floater who is hoping to find a compatible roommate in the case that there are no
singles by the time you select your housing, please visit this google sheet where you can share information with other
students to see if you can form a good roommate match.
V. Dunster Proper and 10 DeWolfe St: Important Facts
Room Type:
Dunster student housing is available in Dunster Proper and at 10 DeWolfe Street. The floor plans and a list of
available rooms for next year are posted on the lottery page of the Dunster website. You can click the header of
each column to sort the information according to according to room type, the number of in-suite bathrooms, the
number of in-suite common rooms, whether there are dormers, or even whether there is some adapted furniture.
Suites, which are color-coded on the floor plans according to room type, are defined as rooms that are arranged
together behind a locked door.
3Dormers:
Please keep in mind that there are dormers on sections of the third, fourth, and fifth floors of Dunster Proper. In
these spaces the ceiling slopes downward to compensate for the architecture of the building. You can sort for rooms
with dormers on the lottery page. The depth and size of the dormers vary from one room to another. To make as
informed a decision as possible in the housing lottery, we recommend visiting these spaces (with the current occupant’s
permission) to get a sense of how the dormers affect the living space.
Bathrooms:
The majority of suites in Dunster proper do not have in-suite bathrooms. (You can sort for rooms with in-suite
bathrooms on the lottery page). Single- and multi-stall hallway bathrooms are available on each floor, and are indicated
on the floorplans in blue.
The gender assignments of the Dunster Proper bathrooms will change from year-to-year based on the male
to female ratio in the surrounding area. We do the best we can to balance the needs of the students in each area based
on the accompanying gender distribution, but please do not choose your room because you note there is a “female” or
“male” assigned bathroom located nearby at this time.
Please note that W-406, W-408, W-308, and W-310 are connected to a bathroom via a back hallway on the floorplans.
These bathrooms are meant to serve all students on the floor unless otherwise noted, and therefore the back hallway
door should remain locked at all times. For academic year 2018-2019, W300BA3 will be offline, while W400BA1 will
be available to the floor, with the back hallway door locked.
Tutor Pets:
There are a select number of Tutor suites that currently house a cat. These are: 10DW-65, Dunster East 414, and
Dunster West 316. Please note the Tutor suites with cats may change from year-to-year, and we cannot guarantee
housing placement in an entryway without Tutor pets without specific written instructions from the Accessible
Education Office well in advance of the lottery. In these cases, I work with the AEO to find housing either in Dunster
or elsewhere on campus to meet this medical need, based on space availability.
Dunster Proper
Dunster Proper hosts a variety of different room types, from stand-alone singles to an 8-person suite.
The majority of suites do not have in-suite bathrooms.
Some of the suites are duplexes, meaning that the common room is on a separate floor from the bedrooms,
which are accessible via an in-suite staircase. The suite number and suite entrance align with the floor on
which the common room is located.
Dormers appear in certain third, fourth, and fifth floor rooms. See housing website for details.
There are elevators in Dunster Proper.
There are no a/c units in student rooms.
There are no kitchens or kitchenettes in student rooms.
The suites have wood flooring. The hallways and bathrooms have tile flooring.
10 DeWolfe Street
The 4-person suites available at 10 DeWolfe consist of 2, 2-person bedrooms and a common room.
There are no duplex suites.
4 There is an elevator in DeWolfe.
There is a bathroom in each suite.
There are a/c units in each suite.
There are kitchens or kitchenettes in each suite.
The suites are carpeted.
Floor Plan Changes:
Please note that space designations can change from year to year. Be sure to review the current floor plans and room
list on the lottery page, instead of relying solely on your knowledge of the House. Below are some changes we have
made that are reflected in the floorplans and will be effective fall 2018:
• W119 has been changed from a double to a single
• W109 has been changed from a double to a single
• W404 has been changed from a multipurpose room to a single
• W306 has been changed from a multipurpose room to a single
• W411, shown as part of a Tutor suite on the floorplans, is an available single
• Although W310 is colored as part of a 6-person suite along with W311 on the floorplans, it will be an offline,
stand-alone double this year. W311 will therefore be lotteried as a quad.
Adapted Furniture
Due to the space and layout of the five singles listed below, they will contain a combination of standard and
adapted furniture to provide a more comfortable living environment. The standard furniture will include a bed,
two stackable dressers, filing cabinet, and a floor lamp. The adapted furniture will include a desk, floor bookcase,
and wardrobe smaller in size in order to appropriately fit the space. If you have specific questions about the size
and type of the furniture that will be placed in these spaces, please contact the Building Manager, Lucia Baldock, at
lucia_baldock@fas.harvard.edu.
• E506, E511, W306, W404, W505
Offline Suites
There are certain rooms/suites that will not be available in the lottery. These can be offline for a number of
reasons, including because they are Tutor/Resident Dean/Resident Scholar spaces, emergency College housing, or
AEO rooms. Please see the lottery page for a list of these suites.
Study the floor plans, study the floor plans, study the floor plans!
VI. Rising Seniors & Mixed Group Lotteries
The Specialized Housing Lottery Process
Dunster Proper has a select number of 5, 6, 7, and 8-person suites. (Please see the lottery page for the number of
suites in each category.) The Specialized Lottery is your only opportunity to select these suites as they will not be
available in the General Housing Lottery. If any of these spaces are still available after the Senior Specialized Lottery,
they will be offered in the Rising Junior Specialized Lottery.
All of the suites in the Specialized Lottery are comprised of single bedrooms, with the exception of the 6-person
5suites, some of which are comprised of single-bedrooms and some of which are comprised of double-bedrooms.
You can register for any specific suite-type as they will all be lotteried separately. The lottery order will be as follows:
8-person suite, 7-person suites, 6-person suites (singles), 6-person suites (doubles), 5-person suites.
If you are interested in living in one of these suites please note the following:
Group sizes for the Specialized Housing Lottery range only from 5 to 8 students.
You can only register for one room type. The number of students in your rooming group must match the
number of bed spaces in your desired suite type. For example, if you are a rooming group of 5 students,
you can register for the quintuple lottery only.
The Co-ed Rooming Group and Co-ed Housing Rules apply (see page 3).
As each bedroom is linked to a specific key, you must indicate who will be living in which bedroom
within the suite during the lottery, so come prepared!
Drop-Down System:
If your group is unable to select housing because there are more groups than available suites in your lottery,
you may “drop-down” to another suites lottery at that time. For example, if you register for the 8-person
suite lottery and are unsuccessful, members of your group may then participate in the 7, 6, or 5-person
lotteries. This is only an option for groups that register for the specialized lottery and are unsuccessful due
to a lack of housing stock.
If you are interested in “dropping down” please think carefully and consult with your group members
about your plans. Make sure all members are clear about how you will reorganize for the next lottery. The
specialized suites lottery happens quickly, with one suites lottery immediately following another, so you
will not have time to make these important decisions on the spot!
As there is a drop-down system, please be aware that the number of groups that register for a certain suite-
type may not match the number of total participating groups. Because of this, lottery numbers are drawn
during the event.
The Registration deadline for the Specialized Lottery is Monday, April 2, at 3:00 p.m. No
registration changes can be made after this time. To register, complete the Specialized Lottery Registration
Form, available on the lottery website (1 form per group) and submit it to E303G, prior to this date and
time.
Any misrepresentation on the registration form on the part of any member of the rooming group will
result in all group members automatically being placed last in the General Lottery.
Rachel will communicate the total number of registered groups for each suites lottery prior to the event.
(Remember this may change if groups choose to drop-down.)
Only one person from each rooming group is required to attend room selection on Tuesday, April 3, at
5:00 pm in the JCR (but all are welcome!). Students who do not attend room selection give the attending
member(s) of their rooming group the authority to pick their housing in their absence. It is the responsibility
of all members of a rooming group to jointly discuss, and to come to an agreement, regarding housing
preferences.
6 If no one in the group can attend room selection, the group must designate a proxy by emailing Rachel
by the registration deadline, Monday, April 2, at 3:00 p.m. This proxy can be a fellow student or
Rachel herself. The rooming group must provide the proxy multiple preferences to aid in room
selection.
The lottery numbers will be pulled from a hat by a member of each rooming group. If your group member
pulls #1 in the septuple lottery, for example, you choose first in that lottery!
Students cannot take longer than 3 minutes to make their selection, so you must come prepared with
multiple contingencies in the event that your first choice is not available.
These selections are required and they are binding. Decide carefully whether you wish to enter the
Specialized Housing Lottery, as you must choose a suite if your group number is called even if your
preferred suites are not available. For example, if you register for the 5-person suites lottery, you should
be comfortable living in all quintuples before deciding to enter this lottery. The only event in which you
will not choose a quintuple suite is if there are none available by the time your group number is called. If
you drop out after the Specialized Lottery has begun, you will be placed last in the General Lottery.
If you are unsuccessful in choosing a suite in the Specialized Lottery due to a lack of housing stock, you
will have a chance to form another rooming group for the General Housing Lottery.
This process will work exactly the same for Mixed Rising Senior-Junior Groups, however these groups
will select housing immediately following the Senior Groups (those comprised only of Rising Seniors),
provided housing is still available. Priority will not be given to groups with higher ratios of seniors.
The General Housing Lottery Process:
You can enter the General Lottery as an individual, or as a rooming group of between 2 and 8 students.
You must select the same number of beds in a suite (or in multiple suites) as there are members
of your group. Beds, not rooms. For example, a group of 2 students cannot select a triple. Pay careful
attention to the floor plans, as some doubles may be 2 bedrooms plus a common room, while others
are one large room. Be sure to study the floor plans and prioritize your choices.
The Co-ed Rooming Group and Co-Ed Housing Rules Apply (see page 3).
The suites chosen by a rooming group do not have to be adjacent to one another.
To register, stop by the Dining Hall between 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4th to submit
a signed registration form and draw a lottery number for your group. Only 1 member of the group
needs to be present to submit the form and draw a number. We will have more lottery numbers than
needed, as we will not know ahead of time how many groups intend to register. Not all lottery numbers
may be chosen. For example, numbers 1, 3, and 4 may be drawn by different groups at random from
the hat. If number 2 is not chosen by any group during selection, it will be skipped in the lottery. The
lottery numbers will be called in ascending order (#1, #3…) for room selection.
If no one from the group is available to attend registration, they can designate another student to submit
the form and draw for them by emailing Rachel prior to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4th. In this
case they will need to copy all group members and the student proxy on the email.
Any misrepresentation on the registration form on the part of any member of the rooming group will
7result in all group members automatically being placed last in the General Lottery.
Rooming groups will draw a single lottery number. No preference is given to larger groups.
Rachel will release the number of registered groups and lottery numbers in advance of the event.
Registered Rising Senior groups should come to the JCR on April 6, at 5:00 pm for room selection.
Only one person from your group is required to attend room selection (but all are welcome!). Students who
do not attend room selection give the attending member(s) of their rooming group the authority to pick their
housing in their absence. It is the responsibility of all the members in a rooming group to jointly discuss, and
to come to an agreement, regarding housing preferences.
If no one in the group can attend room selection, the group must designate a proxy by emailing Rachel
by the registration deadline, Wednesday, April 4th at 4:30 p.m. This proxy can be a student or Rachel
herself. The student or group must agree to provide the proxy multiple, ranked preferences to aid in
room selection.
Students cannot take longer than 3 minutes to make their selection, so everyone should come prepared
with multiple contingencies in the event that their preferred choices are not available.
Because rooms are now linked to specific keys, students must indicate who will be living in each
bedroom within the suite during the lottery.
Mixed Rising Senior-Junior Groups will select housing via this same process immediately following the
Rising Senior-only groups.
VII. Rising Junior Lotteries
The Specialized Housing Lottery Process:
If any of the 5, 6, 7, or 8-person suites remain after the Rising Senior/Mixed Group Specialized Lottery, we
will hold a Specialized Lottery for Rising Junior Groups.
This will be the only opportunity for Rising Juniors to select these suites.
Registration forms for the Specialized Lottery will be due by Monday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m. in E303G.
The Specialized Housing Lottery will take place on Tuesday, April 10, at 5:00 p.m. in the JCR
The rules and processes for the Rising Junior Specialized Lottery will remain exactly the same as
the Rising Senior Specialized Lottery (see pages 5-7).
The General Housing Lottery Process:
If you were unable to select your housing in the Specialized Lottery due to a lack of housing stock, or you
did not participate in the Specialized Lottery, you can participate in the General Housing Lottery.
Carefully review the remaining housing stock on the lottery page and decide who will be in your rooming
group of between 2 and 8 students.
If there are available stand-alone singles, Rising Juniors may enter as individuals and select one of these
8spaces. Keep in mind, housing selections are dependent on space availability. If there are only a few stand-
alone singles left, it may be best to carefully consider which students you could live with and form a rooming
group. This would still enable you to select singles (if available), but would also allow you to select other
housing arrangements with fellow group members if necessary.
Otherwise, the rules and processes for the Rising Junior General Lottery remain exactly the same as
the Rising Senior General Lottery (see pages 7-8) with the updated dates and times listed below.
Rising Juniors can register and draw lottery numbers between 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday,
April 11, in the dining hall. Remember, only one member needs to attend for the group.
If no one from the group is available to attend registration, they can designate another student to submit
the form and draw for them by emailing Rachel (copying all group members and the student proxy)
prior to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11th.
Room selection will take place on Thursday, April 12th, at 7:00 p.m. in the JCR.
If no one in the group can attend room selection, the group must designate a proxy by emailing Rachel
no later than April 11 at 4:30 p.m. This proxy can be a fellow student or Rachel herself. The student(s)
must agree to provide the proxy multiple preferences to aid in room selection.
IMPORTANT: IN ALL LOTTERIES, YOU CANNOT CHANGE ROOMS AFTER MAKING
YOU SELECTION. LOTTERY SELECTIONS ARE FINAL
Congratulations! You now have your rooms for next year! (Keep reading though.)
VIII. After the Lottery
If you were unable to select housing in the lottery Rachel will be in touch with a Housing Questionnaire to
help place you in the best possible housing situation over the summer.
All Rising Sophomores, Second Round Inter-House Transfers, and students who did not complete the
rooming group form on time, will be assigned housing by Rachel during the summer months.
If a group selects more than its fair share of bed-space, either a floater will be assigned to the suite during the
summer months or the group will be reassigned to a different room-space. Misrepresentation on the part of any
member in a rooming group during the lottery will result in the chosen housing unit being forfeited and a new
assignment being made over summer.
If a member of your rooming group cancels his/her housing for any reason after the lottery, the House
will place a floater in the bed-space created so we can accommodate all students who need housing. The
House also reserves the right to change your room assignment in these cases, but will try to avoid this if
possible.
IX. Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR HOUSING SELECTION?
Make sure you discuss your expectations and priorities with your rooming group, and do your research! In 10
years, you probably won’t remember your suite number, but you will remember your roommates. Your
9relationship with your rooming group is more important than a few extra square feet.
Students should come to housing selection with a list (a very long list) of ranked possibilities. Being prepared
will save you a lot of stress and confusion. Having back-up plans are important—DO NOT just come with a
few suites that represent your “dream” housing. Other students will be waiting to select their housing and time
limits on selection are enforced to keep things moving. Know who is going to live in each bedroom within a
suite as you will be asked to indicate this during the lottery.
You should determine which suites you want to live in by looking at the floor plans and the sortable room list,
both of which are available on the lottery website after logging in. If you have specific Building Management-
related questions (e.g. furniture lay-outs), please email the wonderful Building Manager Lucia Baldock at
lucia_baldock@fas.harvard.edu.
Whatever your housing selection, you and your group are ultimately responsible for this decision. Your choice
is final, so make it a good one!
WHAT IS MY LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING A SINGLE?
The most frequent question I’m asked during lottery season is how likely it is that someone will be able to select
a single. I now hear this question in my dreams at night!
As much as I would love to be able to provide a specific percentage, it depends on a number of factors including
the size of the class, the number of off-cycle students participating in the senior lottery, the number of students
who choose to participate in the Specialized Lottery, the student’s specific lottery number, and how those who
have higher lottery numbers select their housing.
If you are able to select a single in the lottery, that’s great! However, as mentioned above, it’s extremely important
to have back-up plans. My recommendation would be to form a rooming group and think carefully through your
preferred housing choices with your group members if singles are not available at the time of your lottery
selection. As mentioned earlier, this gives you the flexibility to select a suite of your choice, with other students
of your choice, if there are no singles by the time your lottery number is called.
THERE ARE TWO OF US, CAN WE CHOOSE A TRIPLE AND ADD A FLOATER LATER?
No. You must choose a room, or combination of rooms, with two bed-spaces total (e.g. two singles, 1 double).
WE ARE A GROUP OF MOSTLY SENIORS, BUT ONE OF OUR ROOMMATES IS A
RISING JUNIOR. WE REALLY WANT TO LIVE TOGETHER. CAN WE ENTER THE
SENIOR LOTTERY?
You will have to enter either the Specialized Mixed Senior-Junior Lottery or the General Mixed Senior-Junior
Lottery, both of which occur immediately following the Senior-only groups in each case. (See pages 5-8.)
CAN I REGROUP AT ANY TIME?
No. You cannot make changes to your rooming group after the registration deadline.
The only students who have the ability to form a different rooming group and those who participate in the
Specialized Housing Lottery but are unable to select a suite due to a lack of housing stock. These students can
register with a new group for the General Lottery.
I’M PROBABLY TAKING A LEAVE/STUDYING ABROAD IN THE FALL BUT AM UNSURE.
10WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Communication with your rooming group is crucial. If you participate in the lottery but then cancel your
housing afterwards, there will be a space left in your suite that will be filled by a floater or, in very rare cases,
the remaining students in the suite may need to be reassigned to other suites to accommodate all students
who require same-gender housing.
You therefore have to weigh the likelihood of your departure against the risk that if you do not go abroad, you
will not have selected housing with your friends. In the latter case, Rachel does her best with the available space
to place you with a compatible roommate.
WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN OUR ROOMING GROUP WHO WILL BE STUDYING ABROAD IN
SPRING 2019. WHAT DO WE DO IF WE’RE MISSING PART OF OUR GROUP THE SECOND
HALF OF THE YEAR?
The short answer is that any student who is going to be living on-campus in the fall and wants to select his/her
housing needs to participate in the lottery.
The spaces these students leave in your suite(s) in the spring will then be filled by students who are returning
from leave/study abroad that semester.
That means that you need to decide whether you want to stay together and welcome floaters to your suite when
your group members leave, or if you want to split up so that the people studying abroad leave a completely open
suite in which returning students can be placed. Your group may also want to consider whether you know any
students who are studying abroad in fall 2018 whom you would like to live with when they return in the spring.
I place a high priority on these requests.
I AM AWAY FOR FALL 2018 BUT AM RETURNING IN SPRING 2019. HOW WILL I BE
HOUSED MID-YEAR?
Be sure to complete the RSA form by the OSL deadline for spring 2019, and I will be in touch with you in
December with additional information. Spring assignments for mid-year returning students are finalized in early
January.
IF I PARTICIPATED IN THE RISING SENIOR LOTTERY BUT THEN CANCEL MY
HOUSING AFTER, DO I ENTER FUTURE LOTTERIES AS A JUNIOR?
No. If you cancel your housing prior to the fall semester, you can lottery again as a senior the following year!
WE HAVE A FRIEND WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO DUNSTER BUT TOOK A YEAR OFF AFTER
FRESHMAN YEAR. NOW I’M A RISING JUNIOR BUT MY FRIEND IS A RISING
SOPHMORE. CAN WE STILL ENTER THE LOTTERY TOGETHER?
Yes! Since you both entered Harvard in the same class year, you can lottery together this year. Please have
your friend contact me by noon on March 30th.
WHAT ABOUT THE YEAR AFTER? CAN WE LOTTERY AS SENIORS?
Yes! Since you entered Harvard in the same class, you can lottery together the year after as well.
WHAT ABOUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHEN I’M GONE?
Your roommate can only participate as a senior once. He/she will enter as a junior when you leave.
11I’M A RISING SOPHOMORE WHO HASN’T TAKEN TIME OFF, BUT I HAVE ADVANCED
STANDING. HOW WILL I BE HOUSED?
You’ll be housed with the other Rising Sophomores during the summer months.
WHEN DOES STORAGE START AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Any questions regarding storage should be addressed to the Building Manager, Lucia Baldock at
lucia_baldock@fas.harvard.edu. Please note that Dunster does not have on-site summer storage. The Building
Manager’s Office will be emailing the House shortly with information about alternative storage options, such as
Collegeboxes.
I CAN’T LOG INTO THE DUNSTER WEBSITE TO ACCESS THE LOTTERY FLOORPLANS AND
ROOM LIST. WHAT DO I DO?
All current Dunster students are eligible to create a Dunster website account to access password protected
information. To set (or reset) your password, click the “log in” button on the bottom of the home page, followed
by the “lost your password” link. Your username is your college email address without the @college.harvard.edu
section. If you run into trouble, please reach out to our great Resident Tutor and webmaster Jon Palmer at
jpalmer@hbs.edu.
I’M A LITTLE INTIMDATED BY ALL THIS. WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY LOTTERY
EXPERIENCE LESS STRESSFUL?
Study the floor plans, have open, honest conversations with your potential roommates, and come to the lottery
with a prioritized list of the suites you’re interested in selecting. Also, carefully consider what’s important to you.
For example, is it more important to be close or far from certain people or facilities, or to have the perfect room
layout? We are all here to help as resources as you think through these options. Please reach out!
Also, our lovely House Aid Gwen Thomas has helped put together some flowcharts available on the lottery
website that may help you better understand the lottery process if you’re a particularly visual learner!
12You can also read
