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IWU Apartment Selection Information

The Gates and East Street Apartments are University-owned apartments located off-campus, but considered  “on-campus” housing for IWU Students. The per-person rates are listed on the Tuition and Fees page and are priced per semester, including utilities.

  • Gates Apartments: Fully furnished with full-sized beds, kitchen appliances, University internet, a dishwasher, and an in-unit washer/dryer.
    Items not included:
    • Pots, pans, silverware, and
    • other kitchen items not listed above
  • East Street Apartments:  Include bedroom furniture with full-sized beds, kitchen appliances, University internet, and a shared laundry room. 
    Items not included:
    • Living room and kitchen furniture, as well as
    • pots, pans, silverware, and
    • other kitchen items not listed above

University-Owned Chapter Housing:

  • Members of fraternities and sororities (with University-owned houses) must live in their chapter houses for the required four semesters before they can apply for the Gates or East Street apartments. 
  • If their chapter houses meet the occupancy requirement established by the Director of the Office of Residential Life and the Director of Student Involvement, they may be approved to apply. 
  • Members who have lived on campus for six or more semesters (and are eligible to live off campus) may apply for an apartment without needing approval from Student Involvement.
How do I sign up?
  • Applications are electronic and will be live in MyHousing.
  • Apartment selection priority is based on completed course units and the class tiers outlined below.
Once I sign up, am I locked in?
  • Signing a housing agreement creates a contractual obligation with the University for the academic year.
  • Once the agreement is signed AND an apartment/room has been selected,
    • no release from those obligations will be granted.
    • Students may change rooms within any University-owned housing facility covered by their contract, as the contract is not tied to a specific room or apartment.

Apartment Selection Timeline

10/7/2026 – Apartment Applications open
The contract is not considered signed until a student selects an apartment.

  • Complete the application and sign the contract online in MyHousing
  • Add roommates in MyHousing.  All requested roommates must mutually agree and be Fully Matched.
  • Apartments will be selected on the schedule below.
    Priority for choosing apartments is based on completed course units and the tiers below, randomized within the noted tiers. See the course unit tiers below.

10/27/2026 (at 11:59 pm) - Applications and Roommate Setup Due
By the deadline:

  • Application must be filled out online in MyHousing
  • All Roommates must be set up and 'Fully Matched' in MyHousing

10/30/2026 - Apartment Selection times sent to students
Students will receive their apartment selection time by email

11/5/2026 – Apartment/Room Selection Begins at 4:00 PM:

  • Selection times are assigned based on completed course units, with students randomized within each tier  as described below
  • To receive a selection time and select an apartment, students must be part of a group that can fill an entire apartment  
    • Gates: 4 students 
    • East Street Apartments: 2 students 

If apartments remain available after groups that can fill an entire apartment have selected, groups that were unable to fill an apartment will be contacted in order.

Apartment Selection Times and Distribution

Once students complete the appropriate application, ORL staff place students into tiers based on their completed course units. Students are then randomized within each tier and assigned a specific selection time. 

  • For example, if there are 100 seniors in Tier 1, each student has an equal chance of receiving a selection time from 1st through 100th.
  • Students' housing selection times will be available in MyHousing
  • When selection times are ready, students receive emails at their campus email addresses.  The emails are sent a few days before room selection.

The housing selection process is designed to give seniors priority. 

The chart below outlines the class tiers and their corresponding course unit-hour levels (adapted from the IWU course catalog):

  Class tier   Credit-hour range
  Senior Tier I   27.5 or more
  Senior Tier II   24.00 - 27.49
  Junior Tier I   18.5 - 23.99
  Junior Tier II   15.00 - 18.49
  Sophomore Tier I   11.00 - 14.99
  Sophomore Tier II   7.00 - 10.99
  Freshmen Tier I   3.00 - 6.99
  Freshmen Tier II    0.00 - 2.99


Filling Apartment Vacancies 

If a Student Moves to Other University Housing or Leaves IWU:

ORL will fill apartment vacancies using the waiting lists available in MyHousing (under “Room/Roommate Selection” on the menu).

  • Individual vacancies will be filled through the “IWU Apt Waiting List – INDIVIDUALS”
  • Full apartment vacancies (4 for Gates, 2 for ESA) will be filled through the “IWU Apt Waiting List – FULL APT GROUPS”.
    • Gates:  4 students
    • East Street Apartments (ESA):  2 students
Terri Knapp headshot

Terri Knapp - Assistant Director for Office of Residential Life

Department - Residence Halls-operations