Housing for New Students

Information for New Students

This page provides new students the information they need to navigate the housing application, move-in, and move out processes.

2025-2026 Housing Selection

Housing Selection Overview

Welcome to the housing selection process overview page!  We have a housing application process that allows you to find roommates and complete the housing selection process completely online.  Please review this page carefully so you are aware of how the housing selection process works.

Application

The 2025-2026 housing application will open on January 15, 2025.  All students who have made their enrollment deposit is able to access the housing application in the Res Life Portal on that date and beyond.

Our application allows for matching of roommates based on the answers to the questions in the housing application.  Please answer each question honestly.

To get started, please complete the following in the Res Life Portal:

1.  Complete the 'Transfer Student Application' or the 'First Year Student Application'.

2.  Complete the information requested in 'My Info'

3.  Find and match yourself with your roommates.  Only students who have completed a housing application will be able to search/be found in the roommate matching process. Each student in your group will need to match themselves with all the others in your group.

4.  Select a 'Dining Plan'.

Roommate Matching

Roommate matching can occur in one of three ways:

1.  You can search for and select specific people you know and would like to live with during the application process.  All roommates will need to add each other as roommates in the roommate finder, which is part of the housing portal.

2.  You can use the search function in the roommate finder in the housing portal to find students who answered application questions similarly to you.  You have full control to focus your search on specific questions or all questions.

3.  You can let us use the new roommate matching software to find you the best match based on your application questions.  For returning students, this process will occur after the housing selection nights.   

Help Guide for Selecting a Roommate

Housing Selection Details

First year students will live in Smith Hall or Welch Hall.  Smith Hall is comprised of double rooms and Welch Hall is comprised of 4-person suites with a semi-private bathroom.  If you don't match yourself with a roommate, we will use the information you provided on your housing application to help find a roommate(s) that has similar needs and interests as you. 

If you are an upper class transfer student, we will use the information from your housing application to assist in matching you with other upper class students with similar needs and interests as you.  Upper class students live in all residential halls and houses, but not in Smith Hall.  

Housing Options

All First Year students live together because we understand first year students are going through similar issues as they relate to their transition away from home.  In their first year, OWU students will live in Smith Hall or Welch Hall.  If Smith Hall fills, first year students will also live in Welch Hall.  For more information on our housing options, please our Housing Options web page.

Transfer students will live with upperclass students in our upperclass student halls and houses.  For more information on our housing options, please our Housing Options web page.

First Year & Transfer Student Selection Timeline

Packing Guide and Questions

It is never to early to start thinking about what to bring to college! Check out the OWU packing guide for new students and visit Residential Life's Frequently Asked Questions page to get started.