Hundreds of students were taken off the housing waitlist and granted eligibility after an unusually high number of students who were granted eligibility in the lottery declined to participate in the housing selection process, administrators said.

Karen Frank, vice president of facilities and student housing, said that 666 students who were eligible for housing did not choose a residence during last Saturday’s selection, and added that over 500 students on the waiting list have already been contacted by the Office of Housing Services and offered eligibility.

Frank said that the reason that so many students did not choose housing was because they could not enter with their friends or because they were using eligibility as a back-up while they sought off-campus housing.

Of the 2,078 students who applied for housing eligibility, 1,178 were approved, while over 900 were waitlisted, Frank said.

“The number who signed up is pretty significant,” Frank said.

Other waitlisted students are now being offered eligibility because some students who had eligibility and did pick a residence did not sign a housing contract.

“There are about 200 students who selected housing, didn’t sign their contracts and were dropped,” Frank said.

Liz Rapp’s (COL ’08) housing selection was initially revoked by housing after officials said that she did not sign her housing contract. Rapp, who said she did sign the contract before the deadline, successfully appealed the decision.

“It was just kind of surprising because we specifically made sure we signed the agreement,” Rapp said. “Thank goodness they were willing to fix it. Otherwise, I would have been kind of disgusted.”

Other students did not have the same difficulties as Rapp.

“I actually thought housing went pretty smoothly this year,” Jess Rodek (MSB ’08) said. “We ended up getting basically what we wanted.”

Frank stressed that the problems experienced this year have not been as significant in the past.

“We always have a percentage of students who change their minds or decide they want to do something else, but never this many,” Frank said.

Margie Bryant, associate vice president of auxiliary services, cautioned students in their search for off-campus housing. She emphasized the need for students to “go in armed with information” about their prospective landlords and residences.

“You don’t want to buy a used car and not be able to drive it,” Bryant said. “You don’t know what the condition of the property will be when you take possession of it.”

Bryant advised students to check the Office of Off-Campus Housing for resources and tips about selecting off-campus housing.