51°µÍø

51°µÍø has a long established two-year live-on requirement which is grounded in research that shows students who live on campus their first two years are more likely to graduate than students who only live on-campus for one year. Students who live on-campus build life-long friendships and have access to campus resources that help them succeed. Students are uniquely engaged by also having Faculty-in-Residence living in their community. Together with the Residential Community Director and the Resident Assistant, we work to create a thriving community where activities are attended, and ideas are shared.

While living on-campus is a strong part of student success at 51°µÍø, we know that there are additional avenues at 51°µÍø by which students build partnerships that can support them while living off-campus in their sophomore year. 51°µÍø RLSH closely tracks occupancy data, and this data allows for some returning required students to be exempted from the second year of their housing requirement. The percentage and number of students who can be exempted varies from year to year, depending on the size of the first-year class.

Starting with the 2025-2026 year, RLSH will implement a new process for rising sophomores to request exemption using a drawing for requests to live off-campus. This process will be based on students meeting certain eligibility criteria.

Students who request exemption by March 1st will be included in the exemption pool if they meet the eligibility criteria. After eligibility is confirmed, students will be randomly selected from the pool of those who are eligible. RLSH will determine the number of students who can be released based on occupancy needs and the size of the incoming first year class. Students will receive notice of the status of their request on March 4. Students who are not randomly selected for exemption may join a “waitlist” for continued interest in exemption. This list is maintained in application date order, and may be used if RLSH determines that additional exemptions are available by May 1. (The exemption interest list will expire on May 1.) No exemptions will be given beyond May 1.

Students may request exemption for one of the following reasons: Live at home, Live with a sibling, Live in a Greek House, Live Off-campus due to Academic Success. All exemption requests are submitted on the 51°µÍø Housing portal after the student completes their 2025-26 housing application.

Other Information

Students who wish to live off-campus due to a medical or disability-related issue will be referred to DASS. If there are compelling disability issues for a student, DASS may provide feedback to RLSH to consider the request. DASS’s primary role regarding housing needs is to determine an on-campus configuration to provide equal access for students with disabilities. When working with DASS, students are encouraged to consider the best on-campus configuration for their situation first, and if it is due to a disability, students can submit that to DASS using the accommodations request process (smu.edu/DASS)

Rising sophomores who wish to live at home with a parent/guardian must first apply for housing, then request an exemption.

• Student must provide a copy of their parent/guardian's Texas Driver's License that is local to the DFW area, and the address must match where the student is requesting to live at time of the application/exemption request.

Rising sophomores wish to live with their older sibling must first apply for housing, then request an exemption.

• Student must provide name and 51°µÍø ID number of sibling who is a current junior, senior or 51°µÍø Grad student in good standing. RLSH will contact the sibling to verify the arrangement.

Rising sophomores who are invited to live in a fraternity or sorority and want an exemption must first apply for housing, then request an exemption.

• Greek exemption should be requested by March 1.
• Students who request an exemption to live in a 51°µÍø-owned fraternity house must later register as a fraternity resident. Deadline is May 1. 
• Students requesting exemption to live in a sorority or Sigma Chi must upload a copy of their lease on the 51°µÍø Housing portal. Deadline is May 1.
• Exemptions will only be approved to move into the chapter house where the student is a member of the chapter. Membership will be verified with 51°µÍø Fraternity & Sorority Life before exemption is granted. No exemptions are granted for Panhellenic or other houses.
• No Greek exemptions will be granted after May 1.

Rising sophomores wanting to live off-campus who meet the eligibility criteria below must first apply for housing, then request to be included in the "draw" for exemption to live off-campus.

Criteria must be met to be eligible in the pool for the draw

• No student conduct documentation
• Completed 12 hours in the Fall 2024 semester
• Enrolled in 12 hours for the Spring 2025 semester

AND be member of Rotunda Scholars OR Hilltop Scholars OR University Honors Program OR Mustang Student-Athlete Success Award OR achieved a 3.5 GPA at 51°µÍø.

After eligibility is confirmed, students will be randomly selected from the pool of those who are eligible. RLSH will determine the number of students who can be released based on occupancy needs and the size of the incoming first year class. Students will receive notice of the status of their request on March 4th. Students who are not randomly selected for exemption may join a “waitlist” for continued interest in exemption. No exemptions will be given beyond May 1.

Rising sophomores are guaranteed housing and must reapply by 5 PM on March 1 in order to participate in room selection. If you apply after the priority deadline, we will assign you where space is available.

Juniors & seniors living on campus this Spring who apply by March 1 will have housing for 2024-25, and will receive a time for room selection. Those who apply after March 1 will be placed on Stand-by for assignment in late May and over the summer as space permits.

• If you are a sophomore living in a residential commons, you’ll be able to select from all available rooms in your same commons and in Upper Division Housing (Moore, Smith-Perkins, 3050 51°µÍø Blvd).
• If you are a junior or senior living in a residential commons, you’ll be able to select from all available rooms in your same Residential Commons and in Upper Division Housing (Martin, Moore, Smith-Perkins, Thomas, 3050 51°µÍø Blvd).
• If you are a junior or senior living in upper division housing, you’ll be able to select from all available rooms in Upper Division Housing (Martin, Moore, Smith-Perkins, Thomas, 3050 51°µÍø Blvd).

When you log in for General Room selection, you will see everything that is still available for which you are eligible. If you don't see a specific building or specific room at your selection time, it is not available.

Rising sophomores may select a room in their Residential Commons or in Upper Division Housing, pending space available. Communities include Moore (shared efficiency apartment), Smith-Perkins (doubles, some singles, community bath), 3050 51°µÍø Blvd (doubles, community bath), or the 51°µÍø Service House (interview required).

Changes between Residential Commons are not permitted, but you have the ability to select from available space in Upper Division Housing. If no space is available in upper division when you log in, you will be able to select in your same Residential Commons and ask to be on the Upper Division Housing waiting list. 

If your assigned room was built and furnished for one person, the answer is likely yes but it is not guaranteed. Single rooms are available during General Room Selection on a space available basis.

Each student has one opportunity to pick a room during Reapplication Room Selection and there are not any do-overs after a student completes room selection.

It is possible to join a Waiting list for change to upper division housing or to request a single. More information about the Wait List process is available on our website. Wait lists are open March 28, close July 22 and expire August 1. (All names removed on August 1.)

There is a limit of ONE mutual roommate request. Roommate requests must be made in the 51°µÍø Housing portal (request/accept) in order for it to be recorded by the system. Requests that aren’t completed in the 51°µÍø Housing portal by March 1 are not guaranteed.

Suitemates cannot be requested. Residents in suite buildings who are returning to their commons may coordinate with each other during selection time to try to pick rooms within a suite, but this is not guaranteed and cannot be requested

If you want to drop a roommate request that was completed in the 51°µÍø Housing portal during Reapplication, you should first email your roommate and copy us (housing@smu.edu) to let them know you won’t be roommates any longer. RLSH will then “break” the roommate request.

To add a roommate request after March 1, both roommates must join the Roommate Request Wait List, and include the roommate’s name and 51°µÍø ID in the comments. Note:  reassignment is dependent on available space and could mean being reassigned to another building. Each roommate must join the Wait List or else the request is not mutual, and therefore not considered for reassignment.

Yes, if 1) your sorority or fraternity chapter has invited you to live in the house, and 2) you request exemption by March 1. You must still reapply for housing on the 51°µÍø Housing portal, then complete the exemption request. You will also need to complete any paperwork your chapter requires such as a sublease or other housing agreement and upload a copy of that document on the 51°µÍø Housing portal by May 1. Greek exemptions will not be granted after May 1. Cancellation penalties will apply after April 1.

Please note that exemptions to live in a house other than the chapter to which you belong will not be approved. Membership is verified with 51°µÍø Fraternity & Sorority Life. No exemptions are granted for Panhellenic or other houses.

If you lived on-campus your first year, you are required to live on-campus again. You may request an Exemption to Live at Home, Live with a Sibling, Live in a Greek House or you may request Off-campus exemption if you meet eligibility criteria. . However, the first step is to reapply for housing, and then request an exemption by March 1. See Exemption Policy for more information.

Yes, you should select a room if you meet the criteria for off-campus exemption but are waiting to hear about a decision.  If an exemption is granted, your application and room assignment will both be cancelled.

For Greek House exemptions, you may reserve a room if you are not sure that you have a space in the house for Fall. Any assignment would be cancelled after submitting a copy of your Greek contract on the portal (by May 1.)

All double occupancy rooms will have two residents next year, and if you select a room without having a roommate, the other space will be available during room selection for other students. If you are interested in a single, you should look for a single when you select a room during General Room Selection.

You should select from the double rooms available to you and then join the waiting list for a single (starting March 28).

Reassignment to a single from the waiting list is dependent on cancellations, and therefore is NOT guaranteed. If you are reassigned to a single, you’ll be notified by email. Otherwise, you’ll remain assigned to a double and a roommate will be assigned.

Generally speaking, if you are required to live on-campus, you must have a "The Works" plan during those two years. For dining purposes, "sophomore" is determined by the number of years a student has lived on-campus, not by credit hours.

• Residents living in a Residential Commons, Smith-Perkins and 3050 51°µÍø Blvd. must have a dining plan. Second year (sophomore) residents must have "The Works" dining plan. Junior and senior students may select from additional dining plans.
• Residents in Moore, Martin, Thomas, and Service Houses may sign up for a dining plan, but it is not required. (There is no restriction on which plan.)

Due to high demand expected for the 2025-26 academic year, we are not accepting applications from students living off-campus or in Greek houses until after April 1. Off-campus applicants do not participate in room selection and assignment is not guaranteed.

RLSH works with the Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) office regarding disability accommodation in housing. To establish eligibility for accommodation, students must contact DASS and submit required documentation. DASS works with students with learning disabilities, physical disability, psychiatric disorders and others. To request accommodation related to a housing assignment, students must indicate the request when applying for housing in addition to establishing eligibility with DASS.

Students with a current accommodation will receive information regarding how this affects their reapplication and room selection.

Requests for a new disability accommodation must be completed by February 15, 2025 in order to be considered during the reapplication period. DASS will review and make recommendations according to the standard process. Requests received after February 15, 2025 are processed and considered as available during the summer.

Thomas House is reserved for on-campus residents who are rising juniors and seniors as determined by years at 51°µÍø, not by credit hours. Juniors and seniors will be able to choose from available spaces in Thomas House at their selection time.  If no space is available, you are will need to reserve in a different building and join the Waiting List for Thomas starting March 28.

Thomas House is not available for off-campus students due to high demand from on-campus students.