Most Houses try to balance their space, class, and sex ratio, Cavalier says. Houses also have a minimum occupancy rate, and this year one student accepted by a River House could not leave her Quad House because its population would have fallen too low. "It has happened in the past," Cavalier notes.

But while transfering Houses might dominate the January and May seasons, any rooms vacated at different times of the year come free for off-campus students.

The Housing Office keeps a list of these nomadic students who want to be integrated into the House system. The list includes transfer students from other colleges, students who missed housing deadlines or took off extended periods of time, and off-campus students who want to move back.

Each of those people is placed on the list according to priority guidelines, which can become sources of conflict. Last year, transfer students negotiated to have their priority pushed forward.

"All year long we've been dealing with trying to house those people," Cavalier says. "There are checks and balances, and everyone finds out if there is an empty room," she explain. "It's very difficult for the House to say we're going to leave this suite uncrowded, but they have that right."

Almost 110 people are on the additional housing list, and this year 32 have been housed and seven more placed in the Jordan Co-ops.