Loyola changes room selection process, requires sophomores to live on campus

Rose Wagner

Loyola has announced big changes to the dorm selection process, doing away with the old quality points system and requiring incoming sophomores to live on campus for the fall 2021 semester.

The quality points system, which used to decide when a student got to sign up for on-campus housing, was based on a student’s GPA and cumulative credit hours. A universitywide email said that research by the Office of Residential Life found that under this system, students of color were more likely to have a later date for room choice than white students, so Loyola is doing away with that system.

Students will choose their residence hall rooms for fall 2021 later this month and priority in room selection will now be based off of class year. Seniors will choose first, then juniors and so on. The order of room selection within each year will be randomized in a move the university said aims to make the process more equitable.

Loyola will also be requiring all incoming sophomores to live on campus next year unless they qualify for a housing waiver. For the fall 2020 semester, the university had allowed freshmen and sophomores to live off campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be requiring all underclassmen to live in residence halls for the fall 2021 semester.

Students can find more details about the room selection process here.