The 2020-2021 student housing reassignment process is now closed. Please stay tuned for details about the 2021-2022 process in the coming months.
The student housing reassignment application will be open from from April 20, 2020 - May 4, 2020. If you would like to request a new assignment for the 2020-2021 academic year, please complete an online application by May 4, 2020. You can list your housing preferences, as well as your preferred roommates (if applicable).
Please note that the reassignment process is only for single students. If you are interested in family housing, learn more about the family housing application process.
We strive to meet as many students’ preferences as possible, but due to our housing inventory, the popularity of certain unit types/buildings, and potential challenges related to the COVID-19 response, we may be unable to accommodate all requests.
Watch a video overview of the process:
Housing Reassignment Eligibility
All MD, PhD, and MD/PhD students can participate in the housing reassignment process. If you don’t want to move, you don’t need to submit an application or take any action. Please note:
- If you are a 1st-year student in Olin Hall, we strongly encourage you to submit an application. We need to move all 1st-year students in Olin to new buildings to make way for summer programs and the incoming class, and if you do not list specific preferences, we will place you based on availability.
- If you are a 2nd-year student or above in another WCM or MSK building, please only submit an application if you would like to move.
- If you live off-campus and would like to move into WCM housing, you are welcome to submit an application as part of the reassignment process. Note that if you submitted a housing application earlier in the year, you do not need to resubmit as part of the reassignment process.
2020-2021 Student Housing Options
- All MD students and year 1-4 MD-PhD students: Olin Hall, Lasdon House, Stahl, and The House at Cornell Tech
- All PhD students and year 5+ MD-PhD students: Olin Hall, Lasdon House, Stahl, The House at Cornell Tech, and Memorial Sloan Kettering residences
You can view details about these buildings and new rates for the 2020-2021 academic year on our Student Housing Options page.
Reassignment Points & Lottery System
In order to conduct assignments for specific buildings and unit types, each student will be assigned points based on their resident status and current year in their program. (Watch a video overview of this process.) To ensure we can vacate all 1st-year students from Olin Hall, and because of the popularity of MSK residences among PhD students, WCM building residents receive higher point values than MSK building residents and off-campus students.
Point structure:
- All off-campus students | MSK residents, 1st year: 1 point
- WCM residents, 1st year | MSK residents 2nd year: 2 points
- WCM residents, 2nd year | MSK residents 3rd year+: 3 points
- WCM residents, 3rd year+: 4 points
If you want to move into a shared apartment with a roommate group, your group’s point value will be the average of the group members’ points. For example, a group that consists of two students with four points and one student with one point will have a roommate group point value of three points.
Once all students/roommate groups are assigned point values, Housing orders applicants/roommate groups accordingly. Assignments will be made to those with the highest points first. If demand exceeds inventory for certain buildings or unit types, we will hold lotteries for those assignments in the order listed below. The order is based on historical popularity and to plan which units will be vacant in Lasdon:
- Stahl
- MSK (PhD students only)
- The House at Cornell Tech
- Lasdon
Reassignment Process Timeline
- Submit an application. Students who wish to request new accommodations submit a reassignment application online.
- Housing reviews housing preferences. Housing assigns points to applicants and conducts lotteries as needed.
- Receive your assignment. If we’re able to place you in a new assignment, we will notify you of your new building and unit number. (Note: All 1st-year students in Olin will receive new assignments.)
- Move to your new assignment. As rooms are vacated by graduating or moving students, you’ll be notified when your new assignment is ready for you to move in.
To ensure we can move students to their new assignments over the summer, we cannot accommodate room change or new roommate requests until the reassignment process concludes .
2020-2021 Housing Rate Changes: July 1, 2020
- Building Rates: Our annual housing rate change will take effect on July 1, 2020. Rates will change for all unit types in all buildings. View rates >
- Lasdon House Large Bedroom Rates: In 2019, we began differentiating the rates for large and small bedrooms in Lasdon. The previous rate inequity created a variety of issues, including housing assignment and reassignment challenges, as well as students brokering their own arrangements to gain access to the larger room.
As announced last year, we are implementing the rate premium for the large bedroom in $25 increments over four years, reaching a final rate difference of $100/month between the large and small bedrooms on July 1, 2022. The second increment will go into effect on July 1, 2020, bringing the total large bedroom premium to $50/month. (Note that this rate premium change will be separate from the annual housing rate change, also scheduled for July.)
Questions?
Please contact us at housing@med.cornell.edu.