Campus Life

Housing hopefuls

Long lines once the norm for dorm-seeking students

A line of Penn State students wanting to live in West Halls for the upcoming semester wait outside the MIneral Industries Building (today's Steidle Building) for their turn to sign up for housing contracts, in the early 1970s. Credit: Penn State University Archives / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Here's a sight that may bring back memories for many Penn State alumni -- students waiting in line outside the Mineral Industries Building (today's Steidle Building) for West Halls resident hall contracts, on the University Park campus in the early 1970s.

The number of applicants consistently outweighed the number of available rooms on campus, and the University struggled with devising a selection system that was both fair to students and administratively practicable. A first-come, first-served system of securing campus housing for fall term made scenes such as this one all too common during the preceding spring term. Students would line up -- often camping out for several nights in sleeping bags and tents -- at various locations across campus to score their preferred rooms and roommates.

Today, housing contracts are offered to students through an online lottery process managed by the University's Office of Housing and Food Services. More than 14,100 students are expected to set up housekeeping on campus for this fall semester.

Last Updated August 12, 2015

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