Columbia says it is on track to clear its general housing waitlist by the middle of this week, days before students are scheduled to move into campus housing for the Fall 2026 semester.
Emmanuel Lalande, senior vice president of enrollment strategy and student success, told the Chronicle that the waitlist for students will be cleared by this week.
A “handful” of students with requests for specific accommodations like general inclusive housing may remain on a waitlist, he said.
Students also have housing options at 30 E. Balbo Drive and the University Center at 525 S. State St., which Columbia shares with DePaul University and Roosevelt University.
Students start moving into the dorms on Monday, Aug. 31. The fall semester starts on Sept. 8 after Labor Day.
The waitlist formed after Columbia decided not to renew its agreements with Dwight Lofts and The Arc at the Old Colony after the Spring 2026 semester. Within two days of general room selection opening in April, all 550 beds reserved for continuing students in the remaining housing options had been taken, the Chronicle previously reported.
Columbia announced a one-year agreement with Dwight Lofts in May that added six floors of the 16-story building for the Fall 2026 semester. At the time, the college said the agreement would accommodate the 220 to 240 returning students who had been placed on the housing waitlist.
Junior creative writing major Krislyn Hughes, who received gender-inclusive housing,, said the room-selection system was stressful even though she ultimately secured a room.
“The process was smooth sailing for me because of the familiarity I have towards it, but the priority list was stressful,” Hughes said. “I got lucky with it fortunately, but I know few people didn’t get lucky with their priority standpoint.”
Hughes said the timing of the changes made the housing process stressful, particularly as students waited for information about available buildings and room assignments.
“Overall, I think it could be better as far as timing wise, because everything felt rushed and last minute with the applications, the removal of buildings, the room selection. Everything felt like it was the end of the world or a last-minute decision,” Hughes said.
Junior computer animation major Jade Fang said they felt lucky to get gender-inclusive housing in Columbia’s 30 East building.
“The waitlist was one of the biggest scares this college could’ve thrown at me,” Fang said. “I am lucky enough to grab a spot nearly as soon as they became available, only because I was watching the site like a hawk. It was confusing all around, especially since in previous years there was nowhere near as many complications.”
The college is expecting more than 1,000 new students in the fall and projects to reach an enrollment of 4,500 by Fall 2027.
Lalande said the college is already planning to accommodate the increase in enrollment.
“Our planning is designed to ensure that all students who need college housing can be accommodated, including as enrollment grows,” Lalande said.
Were you on Columbia’s housing waitlist for the fall semester? The Chronicle wants to hear about your experience. Contact us at tips@columbiachronicle.com.
Copy edited by Antonio Chaves
