Welcome and congratulations on your decision to join the Peabody community! The next few months will be exciting for you as you begin your preparations for college life. This section contains information which will:
The Community Living staff looks forward to having you live with us!
All incoming, full-time first-year undergraduate students are required to live in on-campus housing for the first 4 semesters that they attend Peabody. Incoming students are placed in the Peabody Residence Hall, in either a double or triple-occupancy room. Roommate groupings are carefully determined based on the responses provided on the Roommate Questionnaire, and every effort is made to provide roommate assignments that offer the students the best opportunity to establish a positive relationship. All relationships require open and honest communication though, and for this reason you will be provided with the JHU email address of your assigned roommate(s) prior to your arrival so that you can begin to establish your new relationship.
Details regarding the housing selection process will be sent to your university e-mail account.
Students who live with their parent(s) or legal guardian, and whose permanent address is within commuting distance from campus may apply for a Commuter Exception to be exempted from the on-campus housing requirement. If this is your situation and you wish to opt for a commuter exemption, you must complete the commuter exemption request form . This form is due no later than June 15. Please note that this request is not automatically approved. Requests will be reviewed on an individual basis.
Medical documentation is required to request special housing placement for any reason. Special housing placements are granted based only on medically-documented need. No request can be considered for any circumstances beyond documented medical needs. All documents should be submitted to the office of Disability Resources. The request will be evaluated and approval or denial will be communicated directly to the student. The types of accommodations provided are dependent on the impact of the student’s disability.
First-year students should expect to be assigned to a double or triple-occupancy room. Requests for private rooms during the first year will require formal accommodations be arranged through the Office of Disability Resources. Requests for a single room as an accommodation based solely on a desire to have a “quiet, undisturbed place to study” will not be granted by the Office of Disability Resources. By virtue of the shared facilities, resources, and number of people living under one roof, it is not logical to assume that having a private room would provide for such quiet, distraction-free space to any appreciable degree beyond living in a standard double room. Requests for a single room as an accommodation requires documentation from a qualified medical professional that demonstrates a link between the request and disability.
All requests for special housing accommodations and supplemental medical documentation must be received by the Office of Disability Resources no later than June 1. Please note you must still submit your Housing Application by June 15.
As stated in your housing contract, Johns Hopkins University is not responsible for damage to or disappearance of a student’s or their guest’s personal possessions unless such damage or disappearance is proven to be the result of the sole negligence of the university. This policy includes, but is not limited to, items in student rooms, bike rooms, trunk rooms, and music rooms. Just as in a private home, sometimes things happen that cannot be foreseen, and items are damaged. The university will do everything possible to expedite cleanup of the facility.
Because of the possibility of damage or theft, it is a good idea for students to insure their possessions. In some cases this can be done through the parent’s homeowners policy. If this is not possible, we strongly urge you to consider a renter’s policy. The University has found a company that specializes in serving the collegiate environment: National Student Services, Inc. Information is available through both housing offices. For more information, please visit the National Student Services, Inc. website.
Before making travel plans (and booking airline/train/bus tickets) for move-in and/or breaks, students should be sure to refer to the Academic calendar for that year. Please look out for an updated calendar for the upcoming year to be published in mid to late Spring.
Residence hall closing and opening dates and times are firm. For Winter Break, all students must vacate the Residence Hall.
Peabody dual degree students are required to reside on the Peabody campus for their first year.
Check out our Room Essentials Checklist and our list of Non-Approved items in order to be prepared for your move to Baltimore.
All students who submit a Housing Application by the posted deadline of June 15 should expect to receive a message in their JHU email by mid-July which will contain their roommate assignment, as well as contact information for their roommates.
If a student does not submit a Housing Application by the June 15 deadline, then they will be assigned to any remaining available space on campus. In order to ensure the best possible roommate match, all students are strongly encouraged to submit their Housing Application prior to June 15.
Part of the assignment process is evaluating your selections on the lifestyle questionnaire. If you have someone you would like to room with, you are able to request a roommate on your housing application. Each person will need to request the other to be paired together.
If you do not request a roommate we will refer to your questionnaire and match you with a roommate (if applicable) into available spaces. While we do our best to accommodate students’ top preferences, we cannot guarantee placement in your top choices.
Housing assignments at Peabody are processed based on a student’s gender identity. Our standard process is to divide students by gender identity, and make roommate assignments only between students of matching gender identities.
We realize that this is an imperfect system, and that there are a number of students who may or may not identify as a man or woman. In an effort to create a welcoming environment to all of our students, we allow for any student to opt in to a gender-inclusive roommate assignment process. If you choose to opt in to this process, then your roommate assignment will be processed based solely on the responses you provide to the roommate matching survey, and will not factor in your gender identity or the gender identity of your roommate. If you do not opt in to this process, then we will only consider a roommate whose gender identity matches your own.
Please note that while we can accommodate gender fluidity in the room assignment process, the physical structure of our halls only allows for two restroom options – Men’s and Women’s. Students are welcome to use the restroom that most closely matches their gender identity, however we do not have a true gender neutral restroom available in the residence halls.
If you feel that our processes do not adequately account for your own gender identity, and you would like to discuss your room/roommate assignment further, then please reach out to our office at [email protected].
Dining Programs offers the Anytime meal plan choice for first-year students. Visit the Meal Plans page to learn more.