Frequently Asked Questions

What is Housing Day?

Are Housing Day assignments really random?

Can I get involved with House events as a Freshman?

How is a House different from a Dorm?

Does Legacy matter?

What does it mean to float?

Is the food really better in the Dining Halls?

Can freshman go to Stein Clubs?

Q. What is Housing Day?

A. Housing Day marks the day when the freshman class gets notified of their housing assignments... traditionally, on the last day before spring break. Members of each of the 12 upper-class houses, lead by their individual House Committees (or HoCos), deliver letters from the University to one member of each blocking group. The excitement starts around 7:30 when groups from each house gather in the Yard to show their individual house spirit. Each house has its own limited-edition Housing Day t-shirt (or sometimes better… get them polos, Dunster!) designed by members of the house and given to newly inducted Freshmen. Some houses have themes & traditions that they display on Housing Day. For example, Adams residents show up in tuxedos and formalwear to demonstrate the "classiness" of their house; Currier residents have been known to don bikinis and speedos, while the number of inflatable animals grows every year. A common staple at Housing Day is the appearance of every possible mascot known to man. Leverettt House shows up with the Bunny, Mather its Gorilla, Winthrop a Lion, Eliot an Elephant and Adams an Insufferable Prick. Expect megaphones, cowbells, gongs, and team spirit - we wouldn't recommend that you try to sleep in on Housing Day.

The celebration goes on all day long as the houses take over Annenberg. When you are formally assigned to your house, definitely visit your house table - many houses give goodie bags in addition to Housing Day t-shirts to their rising sophomores. Also, be sure to block out your dinner and at least part of your evening to have dinner in your new dining hall. Housing Day is a party for everyone - it gives upperclassmen a chance to show how much they love their houses, and freshmen get the welcome of a lifetime. Many Harvard students agree that Housing Day is their best memory of Harvard (other than graduation) - do NOT miss this!

Q. Are Housing Day assignments really random?

A. Yes, but with caveats. The housing of freshmen was randomized a little more than a decade ago, coming out of a long tradition of non-random assignments that tended to create singular house cultures (i.e. the ‘jock’ house or the ‘artsy’ house). Randomization was an attempt to overturn these longstanding traditions in favor of a more egalitarian method that would enable us to use fancy words like “Microcosm” to describe houses.

Although the houses have each retained an individual character, they are all simultaneously comprised of a diverse set of students, a move that is meant to bring the houses closer together. For this reason, most blocking groups are randomly assigned to a house. There are a few exceptions however.

First, and most obviously, linking groups represent a way to limit the randomness of the process. Through linking, your blocking group and your linking group are assured to be in neighboring houses. Although this ensures a level of proximity, linking doesn’t actually make any pair of houses more likely as a destination, and so it remains pretty much random. Second, if a you or a member of your blocking group has a specific need, there are some houses that will be preferentially assigned. Mobility issues, for instance, require a house that is openly accessible; many of the older buildings in the house system are not fully handicap accessible, making assignment to those houses a slim chance. Some blocking groups present a gender-based requirement, which necessitates that a house be able to provide a level of privacy to meet that need. At present, some houses are better equipped than others to meet the gender-based needs of students. The house system is being revamped in the coming years to make each house more capable of providing gender-neutral suites to as many students as possible, making this preferential assignment to specific houses a thing of the past.

Outside of these rules, Harvard brass claims that lottery assignments are not altered for individuals. However, there are a few notable exceptions. The most famous comes from a rumor that has been collaborated by many in the class of ’07. Apparently, prior to 2006, Kevin Davis, then head of the User Assistants (modern-day Student Computer Technicians) would annually ask his freshman employees if they wanted to be placed in the Quad so that Quad houses would be covered (at the time each house had an assigned User Assistant). So it stands to reason that if you know the right person, you might be able to grab so prime real estate. And if you piss the wrong person off, you could very well end up in Mather.

In all likelihood, your housing assignment will be random. If your blocking or linking group has a specific housing requirement, it is likely that you would already know and that arrangements will already have been made well before Housing Day.

Q. Can I get involved with House events as a Freshman?

A. Definitely! As soon as you are lotteried into a House, you're a member of that community and are encouraged to participate in as many House events as possible. Open Houses at the Masters' Residence, Special Dinners, Spring Formal, even Stein Clubs (apart from the great atmosphere there’s plenty of goodies for the under-21 crowd), are all at your disposal and are a great way to meet upperclassmen and other freshmen in your House. Prior to 2007, freshman could also participarte in IMs with their new house by playing softball. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case, but you're always welcome to come and cheer your Housemates on!

Q. How is a House different from a Dorm?

A. Houses, like dorms, are the places where you live and associate with your neighbors-- and yet they are so much more than that. Houses contain all the conveniences of the yard in a single building. Every House is a community of its own—each has its own dining hall, gym, housemasters, and even tutors and advisors. In fact, if you play your cards right, you may find yourself eating, sleeping, playing, and going to class in your House. That's when you know you love where you live. Typically, you'll stay in the same House for the rest of your time at college (unless you transfer -- check out the FAQ on that as well), most students find that they develop strong House spirit over those three years. Each house holds its own events, such as formals, Stein Clubs, and signature events (field days, games of Assassins and Coffeehouses, for example). House events are usually organized by House Committees, which can be seen as the upperclassman counterparts to the FYSC.

Q. Does Legacy matter?

"It has been said that if the person entering information for your blocking group has a parent or parent(s) who were in a certain house, it is likely that the blocking group will end up in said house. Although this seems silly, I personally know at least a few examples of this. Assuming the people in these blocking groups had no other needs, can you say for sure that this was completely random? Thanks!"

Response:

Legacy does not affect housing assignments. Sorting is done by a computer program which only deals with numbers of people in the blocking group, and space available in the house. There are definitely instances where people end up in the same houses as their parents did, but it's completely random when it does!

Q. What does it mean to float?

"Floating" is a sort of silly term that simply means you are entering the Housing Lottery as a single. Because the blocking process is only associated with house assignment and not rooming assignment, the chances of getting into a specific house are equal, whether you're with seven other people or by yourself. Freshmen entering the Housing Lottery by themselves may not Link with another blocking group (i.e. you can't "float" to solve a 9-person blocking conundrum). Individual rooming situations will not occur until after the Housing Lottery, and vary by house, year, and rooming configurations available within a given house. For example, in Leverett House a group could enter the sophomore lottery with a group of five, but not six or seven...but seniors can have groups of up to seven. Freshmen will hear from their individual house administrators after Housing Day as to how rooming works.

If you are part of a blocking group with one male and the rest female, or vice versa, it is very possible that you may have to room with someone not part of your blocking group. This means several things: a) you make new friends b) you can most likely still manage to live next door, or at least in the same entryway, as the rest of your blocking group c) you can room with other people you know in the house that may not be in your blocking group d) your house may have provisions for mixed gender housing, space permitting.

Main point: "floating" is simply taking your statistic chances of winning the Housing Lottery into your own hands. As for rooming groups...that varies by house. So for the time being, don't worry! And well...since all the houses are awesome...what's to worry about anyway?

Q. Is the dining hall food really better in the Houses?

A: YES.

At least, that’s our humble opinion here at HarvardHousingDay.com. The fact is that all dining halls operate on the same system, more or less—you’ll find the same menu items, with only slight variations, in the House dining halls and in Annenberg. However, because Annenberg serves about 4,000 meals a day (according to the HUDS website), and the House dining halls many many fewer, the dining experience is generally less frenzied and ready-made-feeling than in the ‘Berg. Plus, you get to know your wonderful dining hall staff much better in the House environment-- and they are totally awesome. And the freedom gleaned from not mass-producing thousands of meals a day, makes the dining halls a much more pleasant option for most upperclassmen. As for the food itself being better, it really depends (on the dining hall, on the menu item, on the day)... you’ll just have to come try it for yourself!

Q. Can freshman go to Stein Clubs?

Answer:
Definitely! All stein clubs (called happy hours in some houses) have non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of free food! Most are on a bi-weekly basis, but check your house open list. Often HoCos have special themes for holidays or random costume parties!

Q. What's a Resident Dean??

Answer:
Resident Deans are special tutors in each house that act as the students' source of information on all academic related queries. They also act as academic advisers and sign off on party forms, add/drop forms, cross registration forms, and represent your case in the event that you are called before the Ad-board. they are a part of the administration of each house that includes the House Master(s), House Administrator, House Superintendent, and Dining Hall Manager.

Hope this helps! --HarvardHousingDay.com