Returning Residents Share Their Insider Tips on Housing Selection

Housing Selection for 2025-2026 is here. Your Home at the Hall is waiting for you—just follow these key steps to secure your space on campus. Follow along as current residents Elliot and Edward share their helpful tips for navigating the returner housing selection process.

The housing selection process starts before you even log into MCR—it starts with a little home-work! Make sure you complete the following steps to enter the returner selection lottery:

Submit your $325 deposit through the Seton Hall Marketplace.

Register for classes – you must be registered full-time for Fall 2025 in order to access your housing application.

Complete the Fall 2025 Returning Student Housing Application in MCR Housing through Pirate Net – this will open within four hours of completing your course registration

All students who complete those three steps by the April 22nd deadline will receive a Housing Lottery timeslot, so start thinking about who you would like to live with and where.

Looking for a roommate can be difficult if you don’t know who or what you are looking for, but current resident, Edward, found these were incredibly helpful questions to consider before starting the process.

Questions you may consider as you think about rooming with someone:

• Approximately what temperature do you want to keep the room?
• Do you like to study in the room and how do you study?
• How do you see the dorm space? (Is it just a place where you sleep, study spot, social hangout spot, a getaway spot, etc.)
• Do you have a significant other and do you expect to have them over a lot?
• Do you wake up early or later—and how many alarms do you require to wake up?

Thinking about these questions can narrow down your search for your ideal roommate. Additionally, if you add these answers to your profile in MCR, the system will generate more roommate profiles that are like your own so you can reach out to people who may be a great fit to live with.

During the Housing Lottery Selection Period, if you are a part of a roommate group, you must make a group of no more than 7 people. Utilize MCR to its full potential when selecting roommates to build your ideal suite.

Returning resident Elliot recommends these tips when using MCR:

• Make a full roommate group.
• During the Housing Lottery, you will only be able to view and select suites that your group can fill. For example, groups of 4 will only see 4-person suites.
• Remember your lottery time.
•  The lottery number is used to determine your order in the housing selection process, therefore copy it down somewhere handy.
• Time-sensitivity is key.
• When it comes to selecting a space, make sure to do it immediately for a higher probability that you will get your desired room and hall. 
• Ask Questions.

If you are confused about a piece of the process or don’t understand a certain email you received, reach out to [email protected] as soon as possible. We are here to help.

If you do not select during the Lottery Period, and you still have completed all required steps, you can select during the Post-Lottery period. During the Post Lottery Housing Selection period, you are not required to fill-a-suite. At this time you/your group can fill the remaining vacancies without needing to fill the suite.

Selection Quick Facts:

• There is a difference between liking someone as a friend and a roommate—and that is okay!
• Selecting a residence hall room for next year can feel intimidating, so it is worth spending a good amount of time figuring out what your options are and familiarizing yourself with the process before it begins.
• Double check the dates of when the deposit and application need to be turned in.
• Just like signing up for classes, rooms can fill up very quickly and you may not get the exact room you want. Fortunately, all residence halls offer similar amenities, such as shared bathrooms with suitemates, community lounges, free laundry, furniture provided, all utilities included and 24/7 support from staff.

If you have questions, please ask the Residence Life staff. They want to help you and can only do that if you tell them what is going on.

Common Questions:

How do I make a roommate group?

A roommate group can be created in the MCR Housing app through Pirate Net AFTER submission of your housing application. 

What building should I choose? 

Elliott recommends a good way to pick is based on the number of people in your roommate group. For example, if you have four people, a suite in Xavier would be a good choice, but if you have more, the Complex could be a better option.

Edward also offers more advice on selecting a space. Consider amenities you may prefer, such as distance to the laundry room or if there is an elevator in the building or not. Additionally, find out where your friends are hoping to live.

If you’re interested in seeing buildings you’ve never lived in before, check out our virtual tours and/or look out for more information regarding UCA building tours coming soon.

What are the due dates for Returner Selection?

• Submit a housing deposit ($325.00) through Seton Hall Marketplace by April 22nd, 2025.
• Register for Classes for Fall 2025.
• Complete a Housing Application on MCR Housing Portal in PirateNet by April 22nd, 2025.
• Will there be sessions for the general student body on how to use the new system, not just explained by RA's but general info sessions that students can attend?
• Residence Life will be hosting multiple info sessions throughout the semester. Lookout for dates coming soon. 

Categories: Campus Life