Residential Life

First-Year Housing Process

Your Neighborhood

Every first-year student lives in a "neighborhood," a community that includes 40 to 60 first-year students and several peer counselors called Community Coordinators (CCs) who help to create engaging and respectful residential environments that enhance the student experience.

A neighborhood may be two adjacent hallways or the whole building, depending on size. 

Area Coordinators provide direct supervision and guidance to the peer counselors of several neighborhood. Some first year areas may also include upper-division students living in singles or suites.

Your Roommates

You will be asked to complete the New Student Housing Application. You will receive an email when it goes live.

Roommate assignments are made through a computerized process based on your responses to this questionnaire (e.g., sleep and study habits). Your residence hall, room, and roommate assignments are made without regard to race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or nation origin. Rooms are assigned at random.

No room changes will be allowed from the beginning of classes for approximately two weeks. Following this housing freeze, room change requests may be made and will be vetted by your Area Coordinator. You will receive notification of your roommates and residence-hall assignment by early-to-mid August.

Housing and Roommate Concerns

Students who have concerns about their housing, roommate(s), or residential community can start by talking with their Community Coordinators.

Students are also encouraged to meet with their Area Coordinator (AC). Area Coordinators are professional staff members who live in the residence halls and have a daytime office in Residential Life (Grad Center E, 4thFloor). Students may call or stop by Residential Life (401-863-3500) to connect with the AC for their area of campus.

Transfer Students

Transfer students should complete the New Student Housing Application online following acceptance of admission. The application requests information on a student's room type size preferences. Students are also invited to express interest in substance-free, quiet, or single-gender housing.

Transfer students will be assigned to available vacant rooms through the campus during the month of July and will be notified of their assignment and room/suitemate information by August 1.

Resumed Undergraduate Students

Traditional undergraduates are required to live on-campus for a six (6) semester minimum. However, Resumed Undergraduate Education (RUE) Students are exempted from this requirement. RUE students are welcome to live in residence halls but they are eligible to live off campus beginning their 1st semester at Brown.

RUE students are required to communicate with the Office of Residential Life on an annual basis about their housing intentions. Students who will be living off campus should complete complete a Non-Resident Intent Form annually.