New Undergraduates - First Year and Transfer

Congratulations on your choice to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst!  We are sure that you are excited about coming to campus and joining the UMass Amherst community. 

First-Year Students 

pdfParent/Guardian Consent Form
Applying for a Housing Exemption

How to Submit A Preference Application

  1. Sign the Occupancy License in SPIRE under Housing > Room Selection > Occupancy License
    • Before you can sign the occupancy license, you must first submit a UCard photo on the UCard website and update your Emergency Contact information in SPIRE.
    • Please note it can up to one business day from when you receive your UCard approval to be able to sign your Occupancy License.
  2. Submit the Housing Profile in SPIRE under Housing > Room Selection > Housing Profile
  3. Submit your Preference Application in SPIRE under Housing > New Students > Preference Application

First-Year Student Application Dates

The Housing Preference Application will be available on SPIRE Monday, June 3, 2024 through 11:59pm on Monday, July 1, 2024. All applicants will receive an Assignment Notification with their On-Campus assignment and roommate information on SPIRE on Monday, August 5, 2024. First year students will be assigned to spaces within the Residential First-Year Experience; more information about this program can be found here

Submitting a First-Year Student Preference Application 
New undergraduate students will request on-campus housing using the Housing Preference Application on SPIRE. Students will receive their NetID and password for SPIRE after their admissions deposit is processed. For step-by-step instructions on how to submit the Housing Preference application, please watch the Online Video Tutorials.

Joining a Residential Academic Program (RAP)

First-Year students also have the opportunity to join a Residential Academic Program, or RAP.  A RAP is a community of students who enroll in a specific course and live together in a designated residence hall.  Students may choose a RAP based on their major or an interest in the course subject.  There are many RAP options to choose from.  The application process for joining a RAP varies based on the program you are interested in.  Students who would like more information can find a list of available programs and courses, the process for applying and Frequently Asked Questions on the RAP website.

Gender Inclusive Housing
Trans, nonbinary students, and their allies may request gender inclusive housing. Gender Inclusive housing allows students to live any other new student regardless of their gender.  New students can list gender inclusive housing on their preference application. First Year Gender Inclusive Housing will be located in Webster in Orchard Hill.

Transfer Students

Transfer Student Application Dates
The Housing Preference Application will be available on SPIRE Monday, June 3, 2024 through 11:59pm on Monday, July 1, 2024. All on time applicants will receive an Assignment Notification with their On-Campus assignment and roommate information on SPIRE on Monday, August 5, 2024. Transfer students can expect to be assigned to one of our transfer communities in McNamara (Sylvan) and John Adams (Southwest), or in a multi-year residence hall.

Submitting a Transfer Preference Application 
New undergraduate transfer students will request on-campus housing using the Housing Preference Application on SPIRE. Students will receive their NetID and password for SPIRE after their admissions deposit is processed. For step-by-step instructions on how to submit the Housing Preference application, please watch the Online Video Tutorials.

Joining a Residential Academic Program (RAP)

Transfer students also have the opportunity to join a Residential Academic Program, or RAP.  A RAP is a community of students who enroll in a specific course and live together in a designated residence hall.  Students may choose a RAP based on their major or an interest in the course subject.  There are many RAP options to choose from.  The application process for joining a RAP varies based on the program you are interested in.  Students who would like more information can find a list of available programs and courses, the process for applying and Frequently Asked Questions on the RAP website.

Gender Inclusive Housing
Trans and nonbinary students, and their allies may request gender inclusive housing. Gender Inclusive housing allows students to live any other new student regardless of their gender.  New students can list gender inclusive housing on their preference application. Multi Year Gender Inclusive Housing is located in Baker in Central and Cashin and McNamara in Sylvan.

Preference Application Resources

Video Tutorials
Walkthrough every step of submitting you Preference Application, from signing your residence hall occupancy license and submitting your profile to rank-ordering different areas of campus! 

Please note: Due to a recent layout change in SPIRE, updated Video Tutorials are still being developed.  Once finalized, this page will be updated.

Residence Halls
View the floor plans and find out more informaiton about all of our Residential Communities and halls.

Late Applicants 

All Late Applicants seeking on-campus housing will need to log on to SPIRE under Housing>Room Assignments to sign the Residence Hall Occupancy License and submit the Housing Profile before proceeding with the following steps. Students will also be expected to request an appointment for the Late Unassigned Process.  Specific dates for this process will be available soon.  Please note all incoming freshmen are guaranteed on campus housing.  For step-by-step instructions on how to use Online Room Selection please watch the Online Room Selection Video Tutorials.

Cancelling Your Housing Contract

Please remember that all students with fewer than 27 credits are required to live on campus.  Required students who cancel their housing assignment will still see a base room fee on their fall bill until they complete a Housing Exemption or become withdrawn from the University.

New students can cancel their preference application without charge in SPIRE by returning to the preference application and choosing the 'cancel' option before the preference application deadline of July 14th.  Students who need to cancel after the preference application deadline can email living@umass.edu to cancel for free until Friday, August 4th, 2023. Students who cancel their assignment after August 5th will be subject to the cancellation fee schedule below.

Fall 2024 Cancellation Fee

$200 Cancellation Fee Period
        Begins 5:00pm August 2, 2024
        Ends Upon Check-In

$500 Cancellation Fee Period
        Begins Upon Check-In
        Ends September 7, 2024 (Students who cancel after this date will be subject to the Housing Fee Refund Schedule)

Please note: Contacting another department on campus including the Admissions Office and the Registrar's Office does not constitute a cancellation request. As stated in the Occupancy License, the student must contact Residential Life Assignments directly by calling 413-545-2100 or emailing living@umass.edu to request a cancellation.

 Question? Contact us.