Incoming First Year Students

Students may complete a housing agreement to participate in the housing selection process. Agreements should be completed online by logging into the New Hawks Portal or The Nest (nest.sju.edu). Follow the steps below:

1. Log into The Nest (nest.sju.edu) and go to the "Student Services & Resources" section.
2. Click on "Housing Application" to access the Housing Portal.
3. Once within the Housing Portal, select the appropriate academic year.
4. Items that are available to view and complete will have red text. If you find that you are not able to advance through the menu, look at the items that are available and be sure to click "Save & Continue" at the bottom of the page to verify that you have seen the information.*Please note that the housing agreement is a binding agreement for the entire academic year and students will not be released except for extraordinary circumstances.

If you are an incoming first-year student, you can complete the housing agreement on the New Hawks Portal by following the steps below:

1. Enter your username and password in the Secured Access Login box on The Nest home page.
2. Within the “New Hawks Portal," select “Complete Housing Agreement” located in the "To Do” List. Please note that the housing agreement is a binding agreement for the entire academic year and students will not be released except for extraordinary circumstances.

• On the designated date, students who have completed the housing agreement will be able to log in to the Nest to view their randomly assigned housing selection date and time.
• On this date, students can also begin to use the room search feature in the housing selection module in the Nest. This feature offers students an opportunity to view all available bed spaces. Once students begin making housing selections, fewer spaces will appear as available.

• Housing selection will occur for students by their class year. Selection typically occurs over the course of several dates.
• On their designated selection date and time, students will be able to log in and select a housing assignment through our online system.
• Please be aware, the Office of Residence Life cannot predict or control information shared through Facebook and other social media. All information regarding housing agreements, roommate profiles and housing selection can be accessed through the Nest. Outside organizations that are not accessible through this channel are not sponsored by or affiliated with Saint Joseph's University or the Office of Residence Life.

• Students who note a specific accommodation need within their housing agreement will receive an email with information about an administrative placement option for their specific need. You can learn more about the specific accommodation placement process below.
• Students who do not make a selection through the housing selection process will be administratively placed after the selection process is complete. This applies to any first- or second-year student and to any student with a completed housing agreement on file.

Hawk Hill

• May 14:  2025-2026 Housing Agreements become available in the Housing Portal for First Year Students
• June 16:  Housing Agreements Due to receive a Selection Date & Time
• June 18: Housing Selection Dates & Times and "Browse Rooms" feature available in the Housing Portal
• June 18: Honors Housing information emailed to students in the Honors program
• June 21-29:  Orientation
• July 7-10: First Year Student Housing Selection Process
• July 14-18: Administrative Placements completed for students who did not complete a selection

• Housing Selection Portal Tutorial: Take a walk-through the entire selection process from start to finish through this tutorial.
   
• Finding your Selection Date & Time in the Housing Portal
   
• Housing Options: View all housing options for First Year students.
   
• Selection based on Roommate Group:
  • Selecting as an Individual
  • Selecting with a Roommate Group of 2 people
  • Selecting with a Roommate Group larger than 2 people (Suite-Style & McShain 3-person rooms only)

Residence Life offer a virtual walk-through of the Housing Selection Process in the Housing Portal at the following date/time. A recording of this session will be posted after it's complete:

• Housing Selection & Early Arrival Programs Webinar - June 18th, 5-6pm - Join us to review the updated Selection Date & Time and "Browse Rooms" feature within the Housing Portal. 

   

• Housing Selection Process - Full Portal Walk-through - July 2, 5-6pm - Residence Life Staff will be doing a walk-through of all steps in the Housing Portal, including the specific steps to select your room.

Visit us in Zoom during the following times to ask any questions you might have about the Housing Selection Process.

First Year Housing Selection Zoom Q&A Link (password: Hawks)

• Dates/times TBD

If your selection time is TODAY:

• Connect with a Residence Life Staff member during active selection times over Zoom.
  • First Year Housing Selection Zoom Link (Password: Hawks)
• Call our office at (610)660-1060.

If your selection time is later this week

• Email us at reslife@sju.edu.

The following email was sent to all deposited residential students as of 5/12/25.

Hello, 

Welcome to SJU and to Residence Life! We are excited that you will be joining us on-campus for the upcoming year! Below you will find some additional information about the Housing Selection Process, including important dates and helpful links. 

Housing Agreements for the 2025-2026 Academic Year will become available on Wednesday, May 14th in the Housing Portal within the Nest. This Housing Portal is where you will select your housing assignment and where you will be able to view your room, roommate, and dining plan information throughout the academic year. 

Housing Agreements are due on June 16 to receive a Housing Selection Date/Time, however, we will continue to accept Housing Agreements after this date. Students who submit a Housing Agreement after this date will still receive a selection date/time but it may be at the end of the selection week.

Housing Selection will occur on July 7-10. You will be assigned a specific time on this date when you will be able to select a space - these selection times are randomly assigned to students who have submitted their agreements by the June 16th deadline. Selection times will be available to view on June 18.

The completion of the agreement should be done online through the Housing Application Portal on The Nest. You can access this through your To-Do list or by following the instructions below:

1. Log in to The Nest (nest.sju.edu) and select the "Student" tab at the top-right of the page.
2. Within the "Student Services & Resources" section at the bottom of the page, click on "Housing Application" under "Housing & Dining Services"
3. Once within the Housing Portal, select the “Housing & Dining Application” and the 2025-2026 Academic Year.

As a reminder, SJU has a 2-year Residency Requirement, requiring all first year and second year students to live in campus housing.  

To help you with this first step of the Housing process, we will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, May 14th, from 5-6pm - Join us for an overview of the Housing Portal, including information about completing the Housing Agreement, searching for roommates, and our Residential Learning Communities (RLCs). 

Housing Information Webinar - May 14th, 5-6pm 

If you are unable to join, we will post a recording of this webinar on our website, along with additional Housing Selection Information and Tips and information about our Residential Learning Communities.

This email is being sent to your SJU email address as well as your personal email address. The Office of Residence Life communicates updates and important information via SJU email. Please be sure to continue to check your SJU email for updates and information from all SJU offices through the summer. Future correspondence will be sent only to your SJU email address.

 If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our office!