Information for parents and family of new students 

Students and their families tend to view the housing assignment as a significant part of the first-year experience. We have found that students’ residential experiences depend more on the connections they make with other members in their community rather than the assigned residence hall. Students quickly discover that each hall has its own positive attributes, and all provide the ability to make plenty of friends, regardless of the location. The campus is fairly compact, with all of the residences within a five to ten minute walk to any other part of campus. Wherever first-year students are housed, at least half the residents will be from their class. 

As parents, you can support your son or daughter’s successful transition to college in a number of ways. You can help them evaluate situations from different perspectives and generate possible solutions, encourage them to address concerns as they arise rather than avoid a situation or have it escalate into a more serious problem, and help them accept responsibility for their actions and learn from the consequences. In addition, a member of the Residential Life staff is always available to assist them or at the least, point them in the right direction.

Wesleyan values the personal growth that the residential experience offers so much that students are required to live on campus throughout their undergraduate career. Residential Life supports this commitment through offering increasingly independent housing options and focusing on four learning goals, which include critical thinking, self-empowerment and life skills, effective citizenship, diversity, inclusion and social justice and effective communication.  We look forward to welcoming your students as they embark on this new, exciting experience.

Please refer to the following Frequently Asked Questions and explore our website for more information:

• Move In Process

  Please see the Move In Information Page for more details, there you will find the most up to date information!

• Roommate Agreement
  All students who have roommates are expected to complete a roommate agreement, which provides an opportunity to discuss community versus personal items, visitors, neatness expectations, hours to be able to sleep or study, etc. These forms are be distributed to students by their Resident Advisors during New Student Orientation.
• Furniture

  Wesleyan's housing stock is very diverse, with multiple room sizes within each building, so it is difficult to provide room dimensions. Every student receives a desk, chair, dresser, extra long twin bed (Twin XL), bookcase and closet or wardrobe.  The furniture is movable, with the exception of some Foss Hill (West College and Nicolson) rooms that have built-in units. Most beds are adjustable in height, so risers are not needed. At its lowest level, the mattress is 15” from the floor. There are shades or vertical blinds on the windows. Bennet, Clark, Writer's Block (156 High) and 200 Church have sheet rock walls, the others are cinder block. Almost all of the rooms have tile floors. Should students bring a rug, we find a 5x7 best fits most spaces.  Roommates should coordinate who will bring shared items, such as rugs and refrigerators, so as not to end up with duplicates. We encourage all students to limit what they pack and assess their needs upon arrival. There are a number of stores in the area, including Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Staples, and Bed, Bath and Beyond, so additional items can easily be purchased.

• Renter's Insurance
  All students whose belongings are not covered by a parent’s homeowners insurance should purchase a renter’s insurance policy, such as those offered by National Student Services Inc. or Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk.
• Housing Selection Process

  New incoming students are assigned housing.  Where possible, students are assigned to spaces that match their submitted preferences forms.  During the Spring semester, students are expected to participate in the Housing Selection Process.

  Housing Selection is made up of several parts: application-based housing and lottery-based housing.  Application-based housing included Community Based Living (CBLV's), Program Houses, and Copenhagens.  The General Room Selection, a.k.a. GRS, process is a lottery-style system based on housing selection points which are accrued based on semesters on campus.

  Many important notifications and updates are sent to students by email during the Spring semester.  It is important that students check their email as well as thoroughly explore the housing selection site for details on the process.  Please note: we can not facilitate nor make adjustments to a student's housing selection based on requests from anyone other than the student.

  For more information, please see our page on housing selection and encourage your student to explore the selection site for more details!