To receive a housing assignment at Stanford University, graduate students and upper-class undergraduate students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) should submit an application by the appropriate deadline online through Axess each year. Everything you need to know about this process is available in Assignments and Contracts.

Incoming freshmen and transfer students follow a different assignment process and should visit the Freshmen and Transfer webpage for more information. 

The assignments process for graduate and upper-class undergraduate students is broken up into various rounds. Because students leave and enter housing throughout the year, there are multiple assignment rounds for each quarter.

For students who need housing beginning Autumn Quarter

The Draw/ Lottery: The first round of assignments, called The Draw (for undergraduate housing) and Lottery (for graduate housing), takes place in the spring preceding Autumn Quarter. In this round, students are randomly assigned application numbers and assigned spaces in housing based on these application numbers and the choices they list on their applications. Students who apply by the Draw/ Lottery deadline receive the best possible application numbers.

The Waiting List: The Waiting List round begins immediately after the Draw/ Lottery and results are announced in mid-Summer. Students who are not assigned during the Draw/ Lottery because there were not enough spaces available in housing or because they missed the application deadline should apply for the Waiting List round.

Continuous Assignments: Students unassigned during the Draw/ Lottery and Waiting List rounds should apply for the Continuous Assignments round. These assignments are made beginning late summer and continue through the fifth week of the Autumn Quarter.

For students who need housing beginning Winter or Spring Quarter

The Draw/ Lottery: Whenever possible, students who need housing beginning Winter or Spring Quarter should apply by the Draw/ Lottery deadline in early May in order to receive the best possible application number.

The Waiting List: Applications for the Winter Waiting List round are due by the end of the fifth week of each quarter and results are announced a few weeks later.

Continuous Assignments: Students unassigned during the Waiting List round should apply for the Continuous Assignments round. These assignments are first made late into the prior quarter and continue through the fifth week of the next quarter.

For more information about how to submit an application, visit the appropriate applying page at rde.stanford.edu/studenthousing/assignments-contracts.

For students who need housing beginning Summer Quarter

The Summer Lottery: The Summer Lottery takes place in the spring preceding Summer Quarter and results are announced in late May. In this round, students are randomly assigned application numbers and assigned spaces in housing based on these application numbers and the choices they list on their applications. Students who apply by the Summer Lottery deadline receive the best possible application numbers.

The Summer Waiting List: The Waiting List round begins immediately after the Summer Lottery and results are announced in late May or early June. Students who are not assigned during the Summer Lottery because there were not enough spaces available in housing or because they missed the application deadline should apply for the Waiting List round.

Continuous Assignments: Students unassigned during the Summer Lottery and Waiting List rounds should apply for the Continuous Assignments round. These assignments are made beginning in early June and continue through the fourth week of the Summer Quarter.