New Student Housing Information and Frequently Asked Questions
As a residential campus, our mission in the Residence Life Office is to build community and provide learning outside of the classroom. We are very intentional when placing students and building communities in our first year centers. As a new student, you will be asked to complete the new student housing application. This application will collect information about how you like to keep your living space, when you like to go to bed/wake up, how you want the room to be used, expectations for visitors in the room, as well as music interests and how you like to spend your time outside of the classroom. We will use this information to pair students with a roommate who has similar living preferences and interests as themselves.
We will also take this information to build communities in our first year centers. We will try our best to put other students on the hall who have similar interests. Additionally, there will be students in the same community that have different passions for you to learn about. There will also be one or more Resident Assistants (RAs) living in the community to provide programming, community building, and help in the transition to Wooster.
Can I request a roommate, building, or type of room?
Since our priority is to build communities, we do not accept roommate or building requests as a first year student. If students have a friend that they would like to live near, they can put that information in their housing application, and we will try to place them on the same hall or in the same building with that student.
Timeline for new student housing fall semester
Once students turn in their enrollment deposit, they will receive information from the College about a checklist of items to complete and their Wooster login in information. Here is a simple breakdown of what is needed by June 1st for housing :
- Students will login to Housing Self-Service using the Wooster login that was sent to them. Housing Self Service is a portal that students will use to select housing, coordinate break housing, fill out Room Condition Reports, and find roommates during their time at Wooster.
- Head towards the Applications tab at the top of the screen and click on Vaccination Waiver. The vaccination waiver is a requirement by the State of Ohio for students living in campus housing. Students do not need to be vaccinated, we just need them to report if they have had them or intend to receive them in the future.
- Once the waiver is completed, you will be able refresh the screen and go back to Applications at the top. Then you can click on New Student Housing Application. This will be the application that you complete to let us know about your living preferences and interests.
- Housing placement and roommate information will be sent out to all students via their College of Wooster email address in early July.
Single Rooms
There are single rooms in First Year housing, however we do not accept requests for single rooms. Students who have a medical need for a single room can apply for a Housing Accommodation through the Academic Resource Center website.
Can I see my room before I move in?
Our Residence Halls are very busy over the summer with camps and conferences. Therefore, we are unable to show students their rooms before they move in. There are videos for a couple of the halls on our website. These will give you a good idea of what the rooms, as well as the building, look like. We are working to have more of these videos developed. There are links to building floor plans also available on the website.
In general, students can expect to have a bed with XL twin mattress, desk, desk chair, dresser, bookshelf, closet or wardrobe, and the ability to loft or bunk their bed. Windows will have blinds or shades. Posters and pictures can be hung with 3M strips or painters’ tape. Feel free to call the Residence Life Office if you have questions about specifics.
Air Conditioners
We are working to provide central air to our Residence Halls as we renovate spaces. As of the 20-21 academic year, 9 of 15 Residence Halls will have central air. Students are not able to bring air conditioning units to campus. If there is a medical need for air conditioning, students can seek a Housing Accommodation through the Academic Resource Center. If approved, an air conditioning unit will be provided and installed by the College.
Emotional Support Animals
The only pet that students are able to bring to campus are small fish. Students can apply for Emotional Support Animals through the Housing Accommodation process. Students are not able to bring animals, other than small fish, to campus unless they are approved first through the Housing Accommodations process.
What should I bring to campus?
While every student is different, here are some suggestions of items that you may want to bring with you to Wooster.
Storage
The College works with an offsite company to provide discounted student storage over the summer. The company will bring a truck to campus during scheduled times to provide boxes, register the student’s belongings, and allow for drop off. Then the truck will return to campus in the fall for student pick up. The student’s belongings are stored in a safe, climate-controlled environment during the summer months. More information about storage will be sent to students’ College of Wooster email address during spring semester.
Sending Items to Campus
Students are able to ship belongings to campus in the summer to prepare for their arrival. They should address them as follows:
Student Name
[C-Box Number]
716 Beall Ave.
Wooster, OH 44691
Their packages will be inventoried and stored by our Campus Mail room before their arrival to campus. Students will provide information on how to access their packages before they arrive.
What is a RA? When will I meet them?
RA stands for Resident Assistant. A RA is a College of Wooster student who is working for the Office of Residence Life. RAs will be holding programs or events to connect you to other students and resources on campus. RAs will also hold weekly office hours to offer support and someone to talk with should you need it.
Your RA will hold a floor meeting when you arrive to campus. In this meeting you’ll learn more information about what it means to live on campus, meet your floor-mates, and start talking about what it means to live as a community.
What if I am arriving early for Band, ARCH, or an Athletic Team?
The leader of the College activity will be able to provide you specifics about your approved date of arrival. Under most circumstances, you will be able to move into your Fall Semester housing assignment when you arrive to campus. If this is not the case, we will reach out to you to communicate a temporary assignment until your space is ready.
When you arrive to campus, you will go directly to the Campus Access office located in the Security building on Wayne Ave. The Campus Access office will issue you either your student ID or a temporary ID until your permanent ID is ready. This ID will allow you to access the exterior doors and your room.
Resident Assistants are available during this time and information about how to contact them will be posted in your hall.