Transfer students are assigned housing after returning students receive their assignments. Credit: Shelby Metzger | Social Media Editor

If you want to gamble, no need to find a casino — just try to get on-campus housing as a transfer student at Ohio State. 

When I transferred from Miami University (Ohio) in 2018 as a second-year, I had already acquired all the essential dorm room decor and chosen who would be lucky enough to be my roommate. I was practically ready to move in when summer began, but I quickly learned it wasn’t that simple. 

After applying for on-campus housing, the university reminded me that a residence hall wasn’t guaranteed. Months went by before I heard the verdict. In May, I was finally assigned to Canfield, a four-story brick building with a leaky roof and no air conditioning to ease the scorch of mid-August, but not before I was left wondering if I was going to suddenly be tasked with finding a suitable apartment a couple months before the semester started that I wouldn’t have to sell my organs to pay for. 

I thought my experience was unique, but after talking to other transfer students, I quickly learned that was not the case. 

Hannah Harmon, a fifth-year in animal science industries and agribusiness, learned during orientation that she wouldn’t be given the housing she was originally offered. 

“They had the whole, ‘This is how you’ll get to class. These are our bus systems,’ all that stuff, and they’re like, ‘Oh, and then also, we no longer have housing for transfer students at this time,’” Harmon said. 

She said a representative from off-campus housing then showed alternatives to the auditorium full of students who suddenly did not know where they would live; however, they consisted mostly of either luxury apartments or housing far from campus. 

University spokesperson Dave Isaacs said in an email that the process for housing transfers is similar to that of freshmen. 

“The first students offered housing contracts for the next year are those who are currently living in residence halls and are required to live on campus for a second year,” Issacs said. “Once those students are accommodated, first years and transfer students are offered contracts on a rolling basis based on when they pay their acceptance fee to Ohio State after being admitted.”

He added that transfer students get the same housing options and contract as any other student, meaning they’re allowed to prioritize things such as roommate preference and campus area when applying for housing. The later students submit their housing application, the later they will be assigned a residence hall, he said. 

It still seemed to me that there are flaws in the housing system that, if smoothed out, could provide transfer students a better experience at their new school. Harmon agreed. 

“I feel like transfer students should have priority over freshmen,” she said. “They honestly should have a dorm set aside for transfer students because they’re all in the same boat, and it’s complete chaos for them.”