Students apply for university theme houses through the Pre-Assignment process. Some of Stanford's on-campus residences feature specialized academic, cultural, social, or leadership programs, while others operate as co-ops, where residents collectively manage cooking and cleaning responsibilities. A core tenet of the housing assignments process is supporting unique residential programs through Pre-Assignment. This allows students to join communities dedicated to exploring a shared topic, lifestyle, or culture within their residence.
2026 Application Timeline
- Monday, March 30: Pre-Assignment application opens at 1:00 p.m. PT
- Monday, March 30 - Tuesday, April 7: Theme houses may host open houses for interested students
- Wednesday, April 8: Pre-Assignment application closes at 1:00 p.m. PT
- Wednesday, May 13: Pre-Assignment placements announced
Participating Houses
Residential Education supports pre-assignment programs and themes in residence. Each house is responsible for crafting and managing an integrated residential learning experience for its residents. Theme houses generally fall into five engagement models: cooperative labor, cultural and identity engagement, arts and humanities participation, public service and academic programming, and lifestyle commitment. Activities in each house align with its focus area.
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576 Alvarado
576 Alvarado, a co-op located in the Row, is more than a place to live — it’s a student-run community where traditions, friendships, and late-night conversations come together. -
Burbank (ITALIC+Arts)
Burbank is located in the Stern Hall housing complex, close to Green Library, Stanford Bookstore, Main Quad, Wilbur Field, Meyer Green, and outdoor space (including basketball and sand volleyball courts). -
Casa Zapata
Casa Zapata, located in the Stern Hall housing complex, is a four-class house focusing on the Latine experience through educational and cultural programs. -
Columbae
Columbae, located at 549 Lasuen, is Stanford’s first co-op, founded during the anti-war movement in 1970 as a home for students committed to social and environmental justice. -
FloMo East: Alondra, Cardenal, and Faisan (SLE)
Centrally located on Mayfield Avenue, two minutes from Tresidder Memorial Union and five minutes from the Quad, East Florence Moore Hall consists of three houses—Alondra, Cardenal, and Faisan—and is part of the Florence Moore housing complex. -
Hammarskjöld
Hammarskjöld, located at 592 Alvarado, the “house with the large front porch and tall columns,” is Stanford’s international-themed co-op. Hammarskjöld is one of the smallest of the co-ops, with 33 total residents, including student leaders. -
Muwekma-Tah-Ruk
Muwekma-Tah-Ruk, located at 516 O'Connor Lane, was established in 1988 and celebrates the diversity of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and Pacific Islands. -
Ng (Humanities)
Ng House, located in the Gerhard Casper Quad housing complex, is a living-learning community dedicated to the humanities as ways of thinking, making, and connecting. -
Okada
The Asian American theme house, located in the Wilbur Hall complex, was established at Stanford in 1971 to create community and center the experiences of a very small and primarily first-generation Asian American student population. -
Otero (Public Service & Civic Engagement)
Otero, located in the Wilbur Hall housing complex, is Stanford’s Public Service and Civic Engagement (PSCE) Theme House. -
Potter (Explore Energy)
Potter, featuring the Explore Energy theme, is located on the beautiful western edge of campus within the Governor's Corner housing complex. -
Robert Moore North (The Well House)
Robert Moore North, home to The Well House and located at 562 Mayfield Avenue, is a substance-free undergraduate residential community and experience-based on the theme of wellness. -
Synergy+Terra
Synergy+Terra, located at 550 San Juan Street, is a co-op on the Stanford campus, tucked just above the Row. -
Trancos (Outdoor House)
Trancos is home to Stanford's Outdoor House and is one of the eight houses in the Wilbur Hall housing complex, located on the east side of campus. -
Ujamaa
Ujamaa House, located in the Lagunita Court housing complex, was created as a concept in 1970 with a concentration of Black first-year and upperclass students living on east campus, and moved to its current location in 1976.
Greek Houses
Stanford's fraternity and sorority communities provide a lively and diverse experience that dates back to the university's founding. Greek houses do not have a pre-assignment application and instead assign their residents through a separate process managed by Fraternity and Sorority Life
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alpha Kappa Delta Phi
alpha Kappa Delta Phi is Stanford's first and the nation's largest and most established Asian American interest sorority and is located on the Row at 1018 Campus Drive. -
Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi upholds the values of sisterhood, generosity, innovation, and character most highly, and in 2026-27 will be located at 702 Bowdoin on the Row in the Cowell Cluster. -
Kappa Alpha
Kappa Alpha, located within the Row at 664 Lomita, has six values outlined in our Stanford KA constitution: leadership, community, service, diversity, knowledge, and growth. -
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ) is a University-owned sorority house, located at 585 Cowell in the back of the Cowell Cluster, and its relaxed atmosphere makes it an amazing place to call home. -
Kappa Kappa Gamma
The Beta Eta Deuteron chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was established at Stanford on June 10, 1892, as the second female fraternity at the school, and in 2026-27, it will be at 710 Bowdoin in the Cowell Cluster. -
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma, located at 1035 Campus on The Row, is focused on the four pillars of fellowship, leadership, scholarship, and service. -
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi, located at 592 Mayfield Avenue on The Row, is a diverse community that celebrates its uniqueness and is just the right amount of weird. -
Pi Beta Phi
Pi Beta Phi, located at 517 Cowell Lane within the Cowell Cluster, and for our members, “the 517” is more than a house. -
Sigma Chi
Chartered at Stanford University in 1891, Sigma Chi has been on campus for over 126 years as one of Stanford University’s oldest fraternities, and in 2026-27, Sigma Chi will be located at 550 Lasuen, near Tresidder Memorial Union. -
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu (ΣN) at 557 Mayfield Avenue on The Row offers a social space for campus through major events like Moonsplash and Sunsplash, an arts and poetry slam called S.N.A.P.S., and community service activities. -
Sigma Phi Epsilon
SigEp, located at 1047 Campus Drive on The Row, strives to challenge the traditional fraternity stereotype, and through our Balanced Man Program, we provide our members with an unparalleled experience of personal development.
Pre-Assignment Open House Information
| Theme House | Open House Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbae | April 3, 2026 | 10:00 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | Co-Op Crawl Order: Hammarskjöld > 576 Alvarado > Columbae > Synergy+Terra |
| Explore Energy (Potter): Session 1 | March 31, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | Potter |
| Explore Energy (Potter): Session 2 | April 7, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | Potter |
| Hammarskjöld | April 3, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | Co-Op Crawl Order: Hammarskjöld > 576 Alvarado > Columbae > Synergy+Terra |
| Humanities (Ng) | April 2, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. | 8:15 p.m. | Ng House Lounge |
| Okada | April 1, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
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| Public Service & Civic Engagement (Otero) | April 4, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. | Otero Lounge & Courtyard |
| Outdoor House: Session 1 | April 3, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. | 12:00 a.m. | Outdoor House (Trancos) outside dining area |
| Outdoor House: Session 2 | April 6, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | Outdoor House (Trancos) outside dining area |
| Synergy+Terra | April 3, 2026 | 10:30 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | Co-Op Crawl Order: Hammarskjöld > 576 Alvarado > Columbae > Synergy+Terra |
| Ujamaa | March 31, 2026 | 6:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | Drake Lounge in Ujamaa House |
| Well House (Robert Moore North) | April 1, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Well House (Robert Moore North) |
| 576 Alvarado | April 3, 2026 | 9:30 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. | Co-Op Crawl Order: Hammarskjöld > 576 Alvarado > Columbae > Synergy+Terra |
Pre-Assignment FAQ
Here you will find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the pre-assignment process. If you have a question about an application or the residential requirements of a specific house, we recommend contacting the house leadership or Resident Fellow(s) directly through our house pages. If you do not see an answer to your question, please feel free to contact us directly.
Eligibility
No, only students who will be on campus in Autumn Quarter can be pre-assigned.
Theme houses generally prefer that applicants commit to living on-campus and in the house for the entire academic year. This ensures they benefit from the year-long programs organized by house leadership. The application includes a question regarding applicants' intent to stay for the full year, which assists in decision-making.
However, students may choose to take a leave or study abroad in Winter or Spring after living in a theme house in previous quarters. Those returning from Winter study abroad are not guaranteed re-placement in their previous house, as it depends on availability. Theme houses will not reserve spaces for students who are abroad.
Yes, you are more than welcome to apply for Pre-Assignment and go through fraternity/sorority recruitment. However, submitting your Pre-Assignment application is a binding commitment to live in that theme house for the following year if you are selected. So, if you wish to retain your eligibility to live in a fraternity/sorority house for the following year instead, you must withdraw your Pre-Assignment application by the submission deadline.
Students who are selected for pre-assignment to a theme house are not eligible to live in a fraternity/sorority house for the following year, but they may join a fraternity/sorority if that fraternity/sorority allows newly recruited members to live outside their Greek house.
You will need to confirm with R&DE Housing Assignments that you are eligible to live in undergraduate housing and have at least 3 quarters of guaranteed undergraduate housing remaining.
No, all Pre-Assignment applications are individual with no group applications or assignments as a group.
No, you must be eligible to live in undergraduate housing and have at least 3 quarters of guaranteed undergraduate housing remaining.
The residential student leader selection process occurs before pre-assignment. If you are selected as a student leader, you cannot pre-assign. If you are not selected as a student leader then you are welcome to apply to pre-assign.
Students who have special housing needs due to a disability or documented medical condition can apply for a housing accommodation through the Office of Accessible Education (OAE). Any student needing an accommodation who has not registered with the OAE previously should do so immediately. Registration and submission of the Housing Accommodation Request Form will be online through OAE Connect. If your pre-assignment application is accepted and your medical needs can be accommodated in your chosen residence, OAE will facilitate a medical accommodation for that residence. If you cannot be accommodated in that particular residence, OAE will contact you about obtaining an assignment through the OAE assignment process. Please make sure you are aware of all OAE deadlines and processes; you can find those here.
Yes, you need to submit both a Housing Application and a Pre-Assignment application if applying for Pre-Assignment.
All pre-assignment placements are binding, and once a student has applied and been accepted to a pre-assignment placement, they become ineligible to participate in the regular housing assignments process. If you would like to withdraw from the Pre-Assignment process, you must do so before the application deadline by visiting the Submit Application page and clicking “Withdraw Application.”
Application Process
Please review the Confirm Your Eligibility section of the Pre-Assignment website.
Yes, you may rank multiple theme houses and submit resonses for each of the houses you wish to be considered for. We will run a centralized match process, attempting to place students in their highest-ranked house where space is available. If students’ first choice is unavailable, we will match students to alternate ranked houses with availability. This process aims to balance student preference with house recommendation and available capacity.
No - the pre-assignment process requires each person to submit an application separately, and applicants are considered as individuals. Group applications are not supported and will not be considered.
Unfortunately, applications cannot be edited after submission. If you've already submitted the application, you'll have to withdraw the application, make your edits, and submit again. As long as you do this by the deadline, your application will be counted.
If you would like to withdraw from the Pre-Assignment process, you must do so before the application deadline by visiting the Submit Application page and clicking “Withdraw Application.” Applications cannot be withdrawn after the application deadline. All pre-assignment placements are binding, and once a student has applied and been accepted to a pre-assignment placement, they become ineligible to participate in the regular housing assignments process.
To preserve equity among all applicants and in fairness to those who submitted by the published deadline, we cannot accept late applications.