We often hear the following response, “I applied for the lottery on the first day it opened, but I was waitlisted. My friend applied on the last day, and they were confirmed! How is that fair?” To ensure fairness through our process, we use a lottery system. Just like a lottery involving money, it does not matter WHEN someone submits their application for the housing lottery – as long as it was during the allotted window. This provides an equal opportunity for all returning residents who submit their application through the lottery, the same probability to get confirmed for a space as anyone else.