First-Year Students

Welcome and congratulations on your decision to join the Johns Hopkins University community! The next few months will be exciting for you as you begin your preparations for college life. This section contains information which will:

• Explain our policies and procedures
• Explain the assignment process for incoming first-year students
• Provide you with information about our housing facilities and meal plan options
• Assist with completing the Roommate Compatibility form
• Provide helpful housing-related resources

The On-Campus Living staff looks forward to welcoming you in the fall!

Getting Started

All incoming, full-time Arts and Sciences and Engineering first-year students are required to live in university housing. First-year students are placed in one of our designated residence halls or areas, typically with 1-2 roommates. Our Housing Portal pairs students together based on their responses to the lifestyle questionnaire, however, we cannot guarantee a perfect match. Most first-year students will reside in double occupancy rooms; please note that there are a limited number of single- and triple-occupancy rooms available.

Applying for Housing

Before applying for housing, all students should first review the policies and procedures below and explore our residence halls and meal plan options. In May, all students who have confirmed they will be attending JHU in the fall will receive communication with instructions on accessing and completing their housing application online via the Housing Portal. The housing application for incoming students will open mid-May 2025.

The housing application for Fall 2025 is due by 12:00PM (EST) on Friday, June 13, 2025

Commuter Exemption

The only exception to the on-campus residency requirement for first-year students is for those students who live with their parent(s) or legal guardian within commuting distance from campus. If this is your situation and you are planning to commute from home, there is a separate application process on the portal.

Questions regarding eligibility or to request access to the application should be directed to Housing Operations at [email protected] or 410-516-7960.

Requests for Housing Accommodations

Applying for Disability Related Housing Accommodations

Eligible students must meet the posted deadlines and follow all policies related to the housing selection process. SDS shares disability accommodation approvals with On Campus Living for appropriate student placement. SDS articulates conditions necessary for a student’s access and does not dictate specific placement (e.g., a preferred building/room).

1. To request disability related accommodations or services, all students must follow the University wide SDS procedure for Getting Started.

1. Apply for housing through the Birdhouse (Housing Portal) by submitting your completed housing application. On the Birdhouse, make sure to select “yes” when answering “Are you requesting additional accommodations?” on the step labeled “My Additional Housing Needs.”
2. After submitting your application for SDS housing accommodations and requesting housing through the Birdhouse, SDS and On Campus Living will review the request for approval. Any housing accommodation found to be reasonable will be implemented based on the availability of housing that aligns with the approved accommodation. There may be instances in which students are assigned housing that meets their disability needs and may not be their building or room preference. We will do our best to meet your needs.

All requests for accommodated housing and supplemental documentation must be received by the Student Disability Services Office no later than 5:00PM EST on June 13, 2025. Please note you must still submit your Housing Contract online through the Housing Portal by 5:00PM EST on June 13, 2025.

Religion Based Housing Accommodations

The university recognizes that student observance of their faith may require special consideration for housing assignments. In an effort to meet individual students’ needs, On-Campus Living will work directly with the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life for assigning students who are approved for religion-based housing accommodations.

To request an accommodation, students should submit the Homewood Campus: University Housing Religious Accommodation Request. to the Office of Institutional Equity by Friday, June 13, 2025.

In addition to medical and religion-based housing accommodations, there are certain personal circumstances (e.g. bereavement, transitioning, etc.) which require additional support for our students. In those instances, On-Campus Living will work with students individually to accommodate reasonable requests as best as possible.

Please note that accommodation requests received past the deadline cannot be considered prior to the auto-allocation process and will be reviewed following the release of housing assignments.

Students who apply for accommodations AFTER the housing assignments have been released, will be added a waitlist if their housing accommodation is approved.

Single Room Accommodations

Requests for a single room as an accommodation based solely on a desire to have a “quiet, undisturbed place to study” will not be granted. Requests for a single room as an accommodation require documentation from a qualified medical professional that demonstrates a link between the request and disability.

Peabody Dual Degree Students

Peabody dual degree students are required to reside on the Peabody campus for their first year. For more information, please visit the Peabody’s Housing Operations website.

Assignment Process

Housing assignments are made using the Housing Portal’s auto-allocation function: an automated room assigning system that takes student’s preferences into account. This allows all students who submit their housing contract by the deadline an equal opportunity to be assigned to one of their top preferences. All students whose applications are submitted by the deadline will be included in the first-year auto-allocation process.

If any student misses the application deadline, they will be placed in any remaining available space after all other students have been assigned.

Lifestyle Questionnaire & Building Preferences

A large part of the assignment process is the lifestyle questionnaire and the building preferences. The lifestyle questionnaire asks you to list your preferences as pertains to your daily life (e.g. what time you wake up/go to bed, study habits, etc.) while on the building preference page, you are asked for your preferences in building options and room occupancy size.

During the assignment process, our system will refer to your questionnaire and preferences to assign you to an available space, matched with a roommate (if applicable). Please note that while we do our best to accommodate students’ top building and room preferences, we cannot guarantee placement in your top choices.

Gender Neutral Housing

Traditionally, housing assignments are made with students of the same sex, and in general, that will continue. However, we acknowledge that this does not work for everyone. To meet the needs of all students, by nurturing an atmosphere where students can be the most comfortable with whom they live, it is important that the residential community has an atmosphere that values diversity, social justice, and promotes the dignity of all people.

Therefore, all residential students may choose to opt into a gender neutral unit. It is important that the JHU housing community is a comfortable, safe place for students to live. Not all students are comfortable living in units with other students that are assigned or chosen based solely on sex. The goal is for students to feel empowered and supported by the housing system. This option was developed by On-Campus Living and campus partners to be offered in the same manner as our room selection processes, with nothing different required, thus it will not call attention to the living environment that students choose and will provide an inclusive climate.

Meal Plans

First-year Blue Jays have the choice of a few meal plans based on their housing accommodations. Visit the Meal Plans page to learn more.