Residential Education strives to facilitate a student leader selection process that balances consistent standards and expectations with the distinctive needs and cultures of the individual houses. Our goal is to implement a process that is fair and considerate of the experience of all participants, and provides equitable access to all participants. Undergraduate residential student leaders play a critical role in the creation of safe, inclusive residential communities that support student health and well-being.
Phases of the Student Leader Selection Process
All prospective applicants must participate in a 60-minute, in-person session that provides an overview of the role, responsibilities, and expectations. Students studying abroad may attend a virtual session. Attendance is required to move forward in the selection process.
Location managers are the individuals (Resident Fellows, current student leaders, or Residential Education professional staff) who review applications, conduct interviews, and submit lists that will inform appointment decisions. Location managers are encouraged to provide information to applicants about the values that inform the house community, what qualities are desired in student leaders, and what is distinctive or cherished about the culture in the house. Some houses signal these values through the use of supplemental application questions. Thoughtful answers to these questions allow applicants to demonstrate interest and compatibility with that house.
Applicants are encouraged to learn about houses before they apply and to rank only those houses in which they want to lead. It’s equally important for applicants to decide what they do not want in a house or role. Though it may be tempting to assume that houses with similar populations or geography are very similar (such as the all-frosh houses), it’s important to explore what differentiates houses and make thoughtful decisions about which houses will offer the best fit.
Applicants can apply to a maximum of 10 positions. (The term “position” refers to the combination of both a specific house AND role associated within it.) Of those 10 positions, only 8 can be in all-frosh houses.
Applicants will meet one-on-one with a ResEd professional staff member or campus partner with whom they would work as a residential student leader. During the interview, applicants will reflect on what was learned in the Position Overview & Expectations Session, discuss potential challenges, and ask any questions about the role. Completion of this 20-minute interview is required to advance in the selection process.
Interviews provide an opportunity for applicants to learn about houses and for location managers to learn about applicants. Each applicant should have no more than two interviews per position in each house; this cap is to help limit the amount of time applicants spend in interviews. Some houses offer a combination of group and individual interviews; houses determine the format, sequence, and contents of these interviews. Houses also determine whether, when, and how applicants are invited to interviews. Interviews may be virtual or in person depending on the preference of the house.
Interviews take place during the entire month of February. We suggest that candidates carefully choose which houses they apply to and be mindful of the time commitment it takes to interview during the Winter Quarter. For instance, some interviews may take place during the same week as midterm projects and exams.
ResEd uses the Gale-Shapley algorithm to produce optimal matches between applicants’ and houses’ preferences. Neither location managers nor applicants should attempt to circumvent or control “The Match” by communicating their intentions about their ranked lists. Applicants and location managers should compose their lists free from pressure or influence.
The Post-Match process is the process whereby houses will fill any vacancies after The Match. All houses with vacancies will be able to review applications of any unmatched applicant (including those who applied by the deadline, regardless of whether they applied to the role or house originally). When houses have decided they would like to extend an offer, they will notify selection@stanford.edu. You will access this process via the Post-Match portal in selection.stanford.edu. All offers must be given by ResEd and accepted by applicants via selection.stanford.edu to ensure that future student leaders are able to agree to/sign their student leader agreements and to avoid any undue pressure on applicants to accept an offer without considering it fully.
- A Few Things to Note for Applicants
- Your application will be provided to all houses with student leader vacancies and some may contact you and invite you to interview with them for an open position on their team.
- You may check the clock icon next to “Post Match” to display the start and end time of each step.
- If you receive a placement you must confirm or decline this placement within 48 hours or your placement will be withdrawn. Go to Appointment Status in Post Match to confirm your placement.
Residential Student Leader Selection Timeline
Review important dates for the Residential Student Leader selection process for the 2026–27 academic year.
December
Application Period Begins
- Monday, December 15: Application opens at 1:00 p.m.
January–February
Recruitment
- Thursday, January 8: Residential Student Leader Recruitment Fair
Required Position Overview & Expectations Sessions
- Friday, January 9: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 10: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 15: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, January 16: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 17: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 21: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. & 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Note: Prospective applicants are required to attend one session. Please register in advance.
Application Period Ends
- Monday, January 19: Application closes at 1:00 p.m.
Required Interviews
- Monday, January 26 – Thursday, January 29: Interviews with ResEd professional staff and campus partners
Note: Applicants are required to participate in one interview with a ResEd professional staff member or campus partner. Sign up for an interview here.
House-Level Application Review & Interviews
- Friday, January 30 - Saturday, February 28: House-level application review and interviews
March
Ranked List Submission & Match
- Sunday, March 1: House-level application review and interviews period ends
- Tuesday, March 3: Deadline for applicants to submit ranked lists
- Thursday, March 5: Deadline for location managers to submit ranked lists
- Thursday, March 12: Match placements communicated
- Friday, March 13: Post-Match process begins
Application Essay Questions
The application asks for short essay responses allowing students to share their interest in being a residential student leader. We strongly encourage applicants to type their responses in a word document, save their content, and then spell-check their content before submitting the application.
Note: Some houses may ask supplemental questions or require a letter of recommendation. We encourage candidates to collect recommendation letters in advance of the application deadline and be ready to submit them when prompted.
Which specific responsibilities listed in the terms and obligations of appointment excite you most about serving in a residential student leadership role and why? Which responsibilities detailed in the agreement make you more apprehensive, and how do you typically ask for help? (up to 250 words)
Please describe your expected co-curricular commitments for the upcoming academic year, including interests or opportunities you may explore. Given these priorities, explain how you would manage your time and adjust your commitments to serve effectively in a residential Student Leader role, including weekly meetings, building relationships with residents, planning programs, and meeting on-call and community responsibilities. (up to 250 words)
Describe a time when you engaged with someone whose viewpoints, experiences, or beliefs differed from your own. How did you approach understanding their perspective, and what did you learn through this dialogue? How would you apply these lessons to foster thoughtful, pluralistic, and constructive engagement within a community setting? (up to 250 words)
What experience do you have creating activities or programs on campus and what did you learn that can help you in this role? What ideas do you have to create programs that honor traditions and also reflect the interests of current residents? How will you get buy-in from residents for these programs? (*Current RAs and ETAs reapplying for a role should provide program examples from their current body of work as residential student leaders.) (up to 250 words)
Serving in a residential student leadership role means being a member of a team. What experience do you have on a team or group project setting that you believe will be helpful in this role? Please describe an experience where you used your communication style to help solve a problem or assist a group with coming to a consensus. (up to 250 words)
Expectations for Participants
To ensure applicants and location managers are operating from a similar set of principles in the selection process, we set forth the following expectations:
Location managers should not ask questions about or make ranking decisions with reference to protected classes: race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), disability (physical or mental), genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, political activities or affiliations, military or veteran status, and status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking.
The one exception in this context is that gender can be taken into account as a condition on a house's ranked list since some housing assignments are made on the basis of gender.
Location managers should treat applicants professionally, fairly, and consistently (e.g., they should focus on relevant issues, ask similar questions, interact with applicants under similar circumstances/conditions, and communicate with applicants in similar/consistent ways).
- Location managers should be mindful that subtle differences in interactions or communications can signal unintended messages to applicants.
Whenever possible and practicable, we encourage location managers to share information about the timing of the process for their house. Knowing roughly when first or second round interviews are being held, or when invitations to interviews will be communicated, can reduce stress and uncertainty for applicants.
Applicants must complete all components of the Residential Student Leader selection process to receive full consideration. Jump to review the phases of the student leader selection process.
Applicants should only apply to houses they are genuinely interested in serving or learning more about. If an applicant needs to cancel or reschedule an interview, they should communicate with the location manager at least 24 hours in advance. Location managers and applicants should arrive for and begin interviews on time.
Applicants should not know whether/how hiring managers intend to rank them on their preference lists. Resident Fellows should not share this information with applicants or current student leaders either explicitly or implicitly. Location managers should not extend or communicate informal offers for any position. Location managers should not attempt to influence how an applicant composes their ranked list and should neither disclose their intentions or ask an applicant to disclose their intentions. Applicants should not disclose their intentions to location managers.
