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Room Selection for First-Year Students

Living on campus is an important component of your UT experience, and we are happy you are joining the Volunteer community!

Room Selection allows incoming students to select their own room, providing an opportunity to choose their campus experience.

To ensure the quality of the first-year experience, UT requires all first-year students to live on campus. Housing for transfer and continuing students is optional, and availability is dependent on vacant space.

Please review our step-by-step instructions below to participate in Room Selection for incoming students.

Step 1: Sign Up For Housing

Shortly after confirming your enrollment, University Housing will send an email notification indicating that your housing application is available. *Note: Enrollment confirmation processing typically takes 2-3 days. Please follow the instructions below to complete your housing application:

  1. Log in to your University Housing Portal using your NetID and password.
  2. If you have forgotten your password, click here and follow the instructions provided. Once you reset your password, return to step one.
  3. Select 25-26 Newly Admitted Student Housing Application from the top navigation.
  4. Select the Fall 2025-Spring 2026 option from the available terms and click CONTINUE.
  5. Once you submit the housing application, you may complete a Roommate Matching Profile and browse for a potential roommate. This step is optional, and you can proceed without completing it.
  6. You may return to the application any time to update your Roommate Matching Profile or modify your application.
    In June you will return to the application in your University Housing Portal to participate in the Room Selection process. Your date and time to select your room will be determined at random, and you will receive additional information about this process in May.     University Housing will contact you in May with instructions on how to participate in Room Selection.

Step 2: Roommate Matching

Roommate Matching will start in late January and end May 15 in preparation for Room Selection.

Are you excited about living on campus, and looking for a roommate who shares that same excitement? Finding a roommate with similar interests, study habits, or hobbies can be a key component to a successful first year on campus.

We recognize that not everyone comes to college with a specific roommate in mind, so we offer the roommate matching tool in the University Housing Portal to help students find a roommate match!

    • Under “Fall 2025 Spring 2026 Application” in your Portal login, select “Roommate Matching Profile.”
    • Your Roommate Matching Code is how your potential roommate will find you. You can also find your potential roommate if you know their Matching Code.
    • Make sure that “Display in Roommate Search results” is selected in your Roommate Matching Profile if you want others to be able to find you in the matching system.
    • Under “Roommate Matching,” select “Search for a Roommate by Details” to search for a specific roommate by their Matching Code.
    • Make sure and confirm any matching requests with roommates you wish to link with.
    • In order to pair up with your preferred roommate, one roommate must send a request to the other roommate in the University Housing Portal. The other roommate must accept the request. The request and acceptance process must occur in the portal before the Roommate Matching deadline. 
    • Exchanging codes or simply knowing your preferred roommate’s Matching Code does not allow you to be paired up for Room Selection.

Suitemates

Since the majority of our rooms are configured for only two students, you can only match with one roommate. Students wanting to share a suite of more than two people should form separate roommate groups, and try to select the same suite if possible.

Step 3: Select Your Room

Once you have completed your housing application, you will be eligible to select your room after your Room Selection time slot begins.
Room Selection is a chance to choose your own campus experience at UT. There are many housing options available and we encourage you to learn more about available room styles.

In May, you will receive a room selection time slot in your UTK email prior to room selection beginning in June.

Room Selection Time Slots

Time slots determine when you can access the Room Selection system in the University Housing Portal.

Time slots for Room Selection are determined at random prior to the beginning of room selection.

Once open, your Room Selection time slot remains open until the end of the Room Selection process. After you have made your initial room selection, you can return to the portal at any time to review room availability and modify your choice.

Room Selection Process

After the start of your time slot, the “Application” tab in the University Housing Portal will present you with rooms in residence halls where space is available and for which you are eligible. You will select a room and assign your matched roommate, if applicable.

After you confirm your room selection, you will still be able to change your assignment in the application as space becomes available throughout the summer.

Important Information

  • A mutual roommate group give either roommate authorization to select a room for their roommate. Once one roommate in a mutual roommate group selects a room and assigns another member of the roommate group, both students are bound by the terms of the University Housing agreement.
  • “Group Leader” status does not impact the ability to select a room.
  • Due to high demand in some halls, students are encouraged to have a backup plan. After you have made your initial selection, you can monitor new availability and change your selection in real time in the University Housing Portal.