Frequently Asked Questions
- When do I pick my room? Is it during the housing application?
- The first step to pick your room is to complete a housing application. A housing application is to collect information on the number of students who are looking to live on campus for the next year, what room types they would like, what our gender breakdown will be, etc. The housing application is also where students find other roommates/suitemates to live with, form roommate groups, etc. Campus Housing will be using roommate group sizes from submitting housing applications to assign room selection appointments to students. These appointment dates/times will be emailed to returning students on March 28th, 48 hours after the returning housing application closes (March 26th). Essentially, the housing application is just an intent to live on campus form.
- Returning students will pick their room during the housing room selection period, which for the 2024-2025 academic year cycle, will be in-person April 8th, 9th, and 10th.
- For returning students, from the time the application opens on March 5th to when it closes March 28th, students can log back into their housing application and utilize the roommate selection page to confirm who they'd like to live with. Then, during the room selection period in April, returning students will go in person to Madigan gym to pick their room assignments.
- How are Room Selection appointments assigned?
- Based on feedback from students from last year's Room Selection Process, Campus Housing will be prioritizing earlier room selection appointments primarily based on roommate group sizes. Previously appointments were soley based on how early a student submitted the housing application, but this shift to group size will ensure as many students as possible are able to live with who they want, where they want. Groups of 6 will go first, then groups of 5, etc. The order of all the group 6s will be randomly assigned appointment times within that time period, the same for all the groups of 5, and so on.
- New first year student room selection will continue to be an online selection process, with appointment times primarily being based on housing application submission date.
- What if I don't have anyone I want to live with identified before Room Selection?
- You can find someone to live in your room/suite using the roommate selection page in the housing application, where you'll be able to search by class for example and see if other students are already in roommate groups, how large their group is, and you can reach out to students who also are looking to a roommate/suitemate after reading their "about me" profile blurb. Even if you plan to live in a suite single, you can still form a roommate group to help figure out who will be in your suite or townhouse. Campus Housing & RHA typically host roommate/suitemate mixers before Room Selection, as well as post Room Selection meet n' greet programs for students to get to know each other
- Why is room selection in person this year?
- Students shared in their feedback from last year's room selection process that they would be interested in an in person room selection where they can more easily visualize floor plans and more easily ask Campus Housing staff questions. Additionally, students shared that the room selection page in the housing application was not very easy to navigate, that the time crunch of adding rooms to their cart and assigning their group members caused some anxiety, and students with large roommate groups had difficulty identifying spaces together.
- What do I do if I have class during my appointment time or will not be on campus (eg. Study Abroad, not local, etc.)?
- If you are not able to attend the in person room selection during your appointment day/time, you can have a "proxy" identified who will pick your room on your behalf.
- If you are in a roommate group, your group leader will be the one to assign you and the rest of the group members, and in that scenario you wouldn't need to be present for your exact room selection appointment. If you're a group leader who isn't able to participate during their day/time, you can transfer group leader status to another member in your group.
- If you are not in a roommate group and/or not physically able to attend room selection, you can identify someone as your proxy who you give permission to participate in room selection for you and pick a space on your behalf based on your preferences. Campus Housing will be sending out a link to the process for identifying a proxy when room selection appointments are emailed out to students.
- What are my chances of getting a single for next year? What if I have a single housing accommodation?
- While Campus Housing is assigning room selection appointments primarily based on roommate group sizes (ie. 6 person groups to select first, 5 person groups to select second, etc.), throughout the 3 day room selection process we will be holding 1 and 2 person spaces strategically across buildings and room types. Additionally, Campus Housing will be directing students in certain group sizes to select pre set aside suites/townhouses to allow us to ensure students without roommate groups to select their preferred building/room types as much as possible. While we are not able to continue the deluxe suite singles in Claeys South for the upcoming year due to our anticipated sophomore/junior retention on campus in suite style halls, Campus Housing is adding limited deluxe dorm singles in Justin Hall for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- If you are a student who has an approved single room housing accommodation through student disability services, you will be receiving additional correspondence from Campus Housing about your room selection logistics to ensure we're able to meet your single room accommodations, most likely with an earlier time.
- What if I'm planning to study abroad next year?
- If you're planning to study abroad for Spring, you'll want to apply for housing and participate in room selection as normal. Then, during the fall semester prior to November 15th you'll want to complete our housing withdrawal form where you'll submit it for the spring term and indicate study abroad as your reason for cancelling housing.
- If you're planning to study abroad for Fall, and you're sure you will not be here on campus for Fall, we recommend you wait to apply for housing until mid-Fall (end of October/early November) where we will have both a spring term only housing application and a jan/spring housing application. We are not able to hold a space for you fall if you are not here, but we can make sure you'll have a space on campus somewhere for your return in the spring. Please note that if you come back for Spring from study abroad prior to the start of the Spring housing semester, there may be additional housing costs in addition to the Spring semester room/board costs (pro-rated semester rate of housing for up to 2 weeks depending on move-in date). Housing assignments for Jan/Spring will be assigned in December/January depending on which term students have applied for and our occupancy at the time.
- When do I match with a roommate/make my roommate group?
- You will need to mutually connect and form a roommate group with other students in the housing application's "roommate selection" page before the application period closes. This means for returning students they will need to have a confirmed roommate group by March 25th 2024. You do not need to have your roommate group confirmed and set prior to your initial submission of the housing application, and can log back into the housing application to the roommate selection page at any time.
- What if I have a single SDS housing accommodation? Do I get an early appointment time for my entire group?
- Students with a single accommodation approved by SDS prior to room selection will be given a priority day/time for their room selection. These students are only able to "pull in" 1 other student into their room/space during this room selection appointment time. This is to ensure that early room selection appointment times are only being utilizing by students with approved accommodations, not a group of 6 people. However, SDS approved students are welcome to forgo their early appointment time to participate in general returning student room selection as a group.
- I received an email/pop-up about not have completed medical requirements...what's that? What does that mean for my housing?
- All students living on campus must complete the College's Immunization/Vaccination & TB Screening Requirements
- If you received an email or saw a pop-up in the housing application related to incomplete medical requirements, that means our records from the Health Center indicate you have not completed all necessary requirements (TB Screening and/or uploaded all Immunization/Vaccination documentation). In order to participate in Room Selection in April, you must submit all necessary forms and documentation. Campus Housing & the Health Center will be sending additional communication to these students to ensure compliance. You can still submit your housing application at this time, but will not be able to select housing for next year until these requirements are complete.
- Please make sure to complete your tuberculosis (TB) screening and upload your immunization requirements to Med+Proctor, a third party immunization verification service. Instructions can be found here.
- Feel free to contact healthcenter@stmarys-ca.edu if you have specific questions about your requirements or submissions. Immunization records and TB screening completions will need to be uploaded to medproctor.com. General health questions? Email healthcenter@stmarys-ca.edu
- How much does on-campus housing cost?
- Room & Board rates can be seen here.
- How does laundry work?
- All laundry costs are included with housing, so no coins or swipe cards are needed. Bring your own detergent (no pods, please). Some buildings share laundry facilities such as De La Salle/Augustine (located in Augustine), Justin/Mitty (located in Mitty), and Becket/More (located in More).
- Can I bring a mini fridge and microwave?
- Can first year students live in canyon area suite style residence halls?
- No. First year students are accommodated in residence halls located on central campus. To learn more about these residence halls, click here.
- What are the dimensions of a lofted or raised bed?
- There is no standard bed loft measurements because these vary from building to building. Some beds can be lofted (which could accommodate a desk underneath) and some beds can only be lifted (which will accommodate under-bed storage). You can request these changes via a Work Order after you move in. The default across campus are beds that are lifted/raised to accommodate storage underneath, which tend to be a few inches higher than your bed back home. Typically most beds are set at a height that allows for storage underneath.
- Are there communal kitchens?
- Within the first year halls, there are a limited number of communal kitchens. De La Salle has a kitchen on the first floor, and so does Assumption. Mitty, Justin, Augustine do not, and in Aquinas there is a small lounge with a kitchenette on the 2nd floor. The townhouse apartments have kitchens in the unit, and the canyon suite style buildings all have at least 1 communal kitchen.
- Do all the residence halls have air conditioning and heating?
- First year residence halls only have heating, with the exception being Mitty Hall (individual fans and AC units in each room). Townhouses have A/C and heating. The canyon area suites have heating, and some of the renovated suites such as Ageno A and Ageno C have built in fans as well.
- Do the residence halls have elevators?
- Two residence halls have elevators (Augustine and Aquinas—4 stories each). All other halls do not. All halls besides Augustine/Aquinas/De La Salle are 2 stories.
- Are single rooms available for students who want them?
- We currently have singles available for residents in the central and canyon sections of the residence halls. Please note singles are limited in the central campus area for first year students, but in the canyon suite style buildings 2/6 spaces in each suite are suite singles. Rooms are on a first come first served basis during room selection, with the exception being students with an approved housing accommodation through student disability services.
- For the 2024-2025 academic year campus housing will be adding limited deluxe dorm singles to Justin Hall for returning residents to select during room selection, similar to our deluxe suite singles we did at claeys south during the 2023-2024 academic year. However, please note Justin is communal style restroom, but you would have a dorm double room to yourself as a deluxe dorm single.
- Can I use services like DoorDash, Postmates, and Uber Eats? If so, how do I pick up my food?
- Yes, food deliveries may be made to your residence hall. You can connect your SMC ID card to grubhub and use your board points/flex dollars there (as well as free delivery when you sign up with them)! We recommend making sure you go outside and grab your order directly from the delivery driver.
- I am a new student, how do I find information regarding housing for the Fall?
- Congratulations on your acceptance to Saint Mary's! Visit this page for more information on applying for campus housing. Students interested in living on campus for the upcoming year must submit an online housing application through the StarRez housing portal that can be found on your MYSMC resources page. For further information for students new to the College, visit Your Pathway To SMC.
- Where do we indicate our interest in a Living Learning Community?
- When you complete the housing application you will note your interest. Living Learning Communities (LLCs) available to first-year students include the STEM/Science LLC in Assumption Hall and the Honors Program LLC in Aquinas Hall.
- Can you go back into the housing portal later after submitting the app and edit your roommate request?
- Yes, you can go back into your housing application through the StarRez housing portal to edit your roommate request. Please remember that desired roommates must be mutually linked/connected via a roommate group (both roommates must accept each other) through the housing application to ensure you pick a room together during room selection week.
- How do I choose my roommate on StarRez in order for housing selection to go smoothly?
- Students are able to create their profile though the online housing application, which will be viewed by other students upon selecting a room. Remember to be honest about your living habits through the questionnaire.
- If you want to request a specific roommate, both students must use their profile names to mutually request and be connected in a roommate group, connect and accept each other through the housing application.
- Do any students get priority, such as an earlier time slot for choosing their room?
- Returning student room selection will prioritize earlier room selection appointments for students in larger roommate groups. First Year Honors Students interested in living in Aquinas Hall will be given an earlier timeslot so they have priority in choosing to live in Aquinas Hall, where the Honors Living Learning Community is housed.
- Are roommates assigned automatically?
- No. Each student chooses their own space, but it is up to students to coordinate outside of StarRez if they want to be with a specific roommate. While we don’t have a matching questionire, you’re able to write a blurb about yourself for others to get to know you on the roommate selection page in the portal, which other students can view during the housing application process.
- Does campus housing offer gender-inclusive housing?
- Can I bring my car to campus?
- Are there gender neutral/ gender inclusive restrooms on campus?
- Yes, here is a map of the current gender neutral bathrooms at SMC.
- Are meal plans required?
- All students living on campus have meal plans bundled into their housing costs. Please note this includes residents living in the Townhouses, where there will be bundled meal swipes included in their food and housing costs like students in first-year and suite-style halls. Saint Mary's Campus Housing and Dining Services through Good Eating Company are dedicated to supporting the student experience. Meal plans increase the student experience on campus, allowing students to dine in community and have access to meals when needed. The townhouse style meal plan gives students the opportunity to prepare most of their meals, while still allowing the convenience of having a quick, easy meal on campus. Townhouse rates include a small base meal plan of 75 swipes into Oliver/semester, Becket/More include a based meal plan of 175 swipes into Oliver/semester, and all other spaces include a full meal plan (5day or 7day meal plan).
- What meal plan is included if you live in the Townhouses?
- Students living in the townhouses will have a 75 block meal plan included in their room/board costs, where residents will be able to swipe into Oliver Hall 75 times per semester at no additional cost. Townhouse residents can increase their meal plan to the 175 block meal plan, the 5DAY meal plan, or the 7DAY meal plan for an additional cost.
- What is the difference between the 5 Day meal plan and the 7 Day meal plan?
- The 5day and 7day meal plans cost the same, and for most students it's already bundled into their housing costs. With a 5day meal plan, students have unlimited swipes into Oliver Hall Monday-Friday, and have $100 board points loaded to their SMC ID per semester. These board points can be used at the coffee shop, at Oliver Hall during the weekends, on GrubHub, etc.
- The 7day meal plan is the same cost as the 5day, but only has $40 board points included because it allows unlimited swipes into Oliver Hall every day of the week. Most students pick the 7day meal plan.
- What is the price different between meal plans?
- For students living in first year halls and suite style halls (except Becket/More), the cost of a 5 or 7 day meal plan is already bundled into your room/board cost. Whether you pick the 5DAY or the 7DAY meal plan, the cost will be the same. To learn the difference, check out more detailed meal plan information HERE. The townhouse room costs is inclusive of the 75 block meal plan, and the 175 block meal plan is included in the Becket/More room costs.
- What are board points/flex dollars?
- Board points are the dollars loaded on your student ID card as a part of the 5day or 7day meal plan, and can be used to purchase food on campus at the dining hall, the coffee shop, select off-campus restaurants, and even on grubhub! Flex dollars are the same thing as the meal plan board points, but are added manually by students or their parents onto ID cards via the cbord website.
- Click here to learn more about flex dollars and where to use it!
- Do I use a discount when I use board points/flex points?
- Students who use their Board Points/Flex Dollars that come with your meal plan in Oliver Hall receive a discount up to 19.5% on their meal purchase compared to using cash or credit. Students do not receive a discount at off-campus locations. More information on flex dollars and discounts can be found HERE.
- Do board points/flex dollars roll over or do they expire?
- The board points plan loaded onto your ID that come with the 5day and 7day meal plan will roll over from fall to spring semesters but not year-to-year. Board Points dollars not used by the end of spring are lost. Any additional flex dollars you add yourself during the school year do rollover year-to-year. Board points are the same as Flex dollars, but are contractual with meal plans and do not roll over.
