Revamping the WashU Housing Assignment Process
Problem Statement
Although the latest changes within the housing process have corrected many of the problems from two years ago, such as administrative work, human error, and student moved off campus, there are still improvements to be made. The first problem with the current system is students being penalized for not forming a student group. If a student doesn’t have a group they are deferred to the Administrative round for housing after most of the on and off campus housing has been selected, which effectively disregards the housing desires of said students. Another problem is that it gives preference to having students in certain areas instead of maximizing the number of students who receive their top preferences. This includes giving preference to seniors for apartments, sophomores for suites, and students with Res College interest instead of evaluating preferences equally. These stipulations places students at an advantage or disadvantage based on their classification and preference, which forces many students into choosing preferences just to avoid being placed in the administrative assignment round. This paired with the numerous deadlines for each round cause stress, confusion, and misguided preferences fir the students.