Housing Application

Admitted and registered students must apply by the priority deadline to be included in the first lottery round for housing.

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    All students must apply via the Residential Portal, and the application cannot be accessed without using a HarvardKey and PIN. To be included in the first lottery round for housing, completed applications must be received by the priority deadline (May 1). A nonrefundable application fee of $75 is charged to all applicants regardless of whether they are offered a room or not. Applicants are given the opportunity to select their top four preferences for building and room size, as well as preferences for a room on a single-gender floor or close to an all-gender bathroom.

    If you have accepted your offer of admission and will be joining the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) in the fall, you will need to set up your HarvardKey before applying. In early April, you will receive an email that provides a Harvard University ID number, which you will use to set up HarvardKey. Please note there may be a delay between when you claim your HarvardKey and when you are able to access the application.

    All correspondence regarding the application, assignment, and waiting list processes will be sent via the preferred email address listed on your application. Our office is not responsible for missed deadlines caused by inattention to email.

    Please note: Any student who knowingly falsifies an application will automatically lose a room assignment and may not be considered for an assignment in the future.

    Eligibility

    All full-time registered Harvard graduate students and incoming Harvard Griffin GSAS students in degree-granting programs are eligible to apply. Students enrolled in Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education (Extension School) are not eligible to apply.

    Visiting Students

    Harvard Griffin GSAS visiting students are eligible to apply for housing in the residence halls. Housing applications can be submitted only after academic admission and receiving your Harvard University ID number, which may be after the May 1 priority deadline. No visiting student is guaranteed housing in the Harvard Griffin GSAS residence halls for the 2024–2025 year. Visiting students are responsible for finding their own housing, and we encourage them to explore all possible housing options including the private market and apartments available through Harvard University Housing.

    Please note that visiting students (including fellows) outside of Harvard Griffin GSAS are not eligible to apply for the residence halls.

    Students in Other Harvard Graduate Schools

    Students from other Schools—including HKS, GSD, and HGSE—are welcome to submit an application for 2024–2025 housing in the Harvard Griffin GSAS residence halls. Our office prioritizes Harvard Griffin GSAS students in the first round of the housing lottery (the GSAS Housing Lottery). Room allocations to students in other Schools will be determined after the GSAS Housing Lottery round, which will be released in early June. Room offers to students in other Schools will not be communicated until the second round of the housing lottery (Non-GSAS Housing Lottery), which will be released in mid- to late-June. No student in another Harvard graduate School outside of Harvard Griffin GSAS is guaranteed a room in our residence halls.

    The Office of Residential Life advises students in other Harvard graduate schools to submit their application by the May 1 deadline in order to be included in the Non-GSAS Housing Lottery. Applications received after May 1 will be added to the bottom of the waiting list.

    Students with Disabilities

    All students, regardless of disability-related accessibility needs, are invited to apply for the Harvard Griffin GSAS housing lottery. If a student is accepted into Harvard Griffin GSAS housing through the lottery, housing other than Harvard Griffin GSAS housing may be assigned, depending on the nature of any Disability Access Office-approved accommodations.