Overview
In this module, you'll configure how students find and form roommate groups within your cycle. You'll connect the bio form you built in PLS-5 and create roommate phases that define activity windows when different student populations can access the roommate finder.
What you'll learn:
How to assign your bio/questionnaire form to organize roommate matching
How to set minimum, maximum, and default roommate group sizes
How to create roommate phases with dates and applicability tags
How roommate phases integrate with your cycle timeline
Time: 8 minutes
Resident Cycles Only: This tab only appears for resident cycles. Non-resident cycles don't include room assignment or roommate matching, so this configuration isn't needed.
The Roommate Settings Tab
The Roommate Settings tab connects the bio form you built in PLS-5 to organize how students complete their roommate profile, browse other students' profiles, and form roommate groups within your cycle.
Navigation: In the cycle editor, click the Roommate Settings tab.
Building on Previous Work: This tab connects the bio/questionnaire form you created in PLS-5. The ruleset you assigned in PLS-6B powers the compatibility matching between students based on their bio responses.
Assigning Your Public Bio Template
Field: Public Bio Template
This is where you assign the bio form you built in PLS-5. This form creates the public profile students see when browsing the roommate finder, powered by the matching logic in your ruleset.
Selecting Your Bio Form
Click the Public Bio Template dropdown
Select the bio form you created in PLS-5
Example: "Fall 2025 Roommate Questionnaire"
What this form does:
Students complete this form after submitting their housing application
Answers create their public roommate profile visible in the roommate finder
Other students browse these profiles to find compatible matches
The ruleset you assigned in PLS-6B uses these answers to calculate compatibility scores
Tags from form answers apply to their application and may affect room visibility
Form Must Be Published: Only published bio forms appear in the dropdown. If you don't see your form, navigate to Admin › Setup › Forms and verify it's published, not in draft status.
What Students See
When students complete the bio form you assigned:
Questions appear in the order you configured in the form builder (PLS-5)
Only questions marked "Public" in the form builder appear in their roommate finder profile
Private questions (if any) don't show to other students but are used for matching logic
Tags from form answers automatically apply to their application
Cannot Edit Once Active: The bio template locks when the cycle becomes active. Students who have already completed the form would have different questions than new students if you changed forms mid-cycle. Finalize your bio form in PLS-5 before assigning it here.
Roommate Group Size Limits
These settings control how large or small roommate groups can be within your cycle. They should align with your actual room inventory to ensure students can find rooms that accommodate their groups.
Minimum Roommates Allowed
Field: Min Roommates Allowed
The minimum number of roommates required in a group (excludes the primary student).
Common values:
0: Students can live alone (no roommate required)
1: Students must have at least one roommate (groups of 2+)
2: Minimum group size is 3 (for triple/quad rooms)
Most common setting: 0 - Students can choose to live alone or with roommates based on preference and availability.
Use minimum > 0 when:
All available rooms are doubles/triples (no singles in inventory)
Institutional policy requires roommates for specific populations (e.g., first-years)
You want to encourage community building through shared rooms
Maximum Roommates Allowed
Field: Max Roommates Allowed
The maximum number of roommates allowed in a single group (excludes the primary student).
Common values:
1: Students can only form pairs for doubles (1 roommate)
3: Students can form groups up to quads (3 roommates = 4 total)
5+: Allows suite-style or large apartment groups
Critical: Align with Inventory: Your max roommate setting MUST match your actual room inventory. Set max roommates = largest room size minus 1. Examples: • Largest rooms are quads (4 beds) → Max roommates = 3 • Largest rooms are 6-person suites → Max roommates = 5 If you set max to 3 but only have doubles available, students will form groups that can't be accommodated in any room.
Default Roommate Count
Field: Default Roommate Count (appears in roommate phase configuration)
This is the pre-selected roommate count when students begin browsing the roommate finder.
Example:
Default: 1 roommate (for institutions where doubles are most common)
Students see this pre-selected when they open the roommate finder
Students can adjust up or down within the min/max limits you set
Set to your most common room type:
If most rooms are doubles, set to
1If most rooms are triples, set to
2This creates a better default experience for most students
Creating Roommate Phases
Roommate phases define the activity windows when different student populations can access the roommate finder and form roommate groups. These are phase dates (when students can take action), not residence dates (when they live in housing).
Phase Dates vs. Residence Dates: Roommate phase dates define when students can find and form roommate groups (typically April-May). The residence period you configured in PLS-6A defines when students actually live in housing (typically August-May). Students form roommate groups months before move-in.
Why Multiple Roommate Phases?
You might create multiple roommate phases to organize access for different populations:
Give priority populations early access to roommate matching
Stagger roommate selection for different class years or programs
Allow returning students to match before new students
Coordinate with application approval workflows and timelines
Creating Your First Roommate Phase
In the Roommate Settings tab, find the Roommate Phases section
Click "Add Phase" or "Create Roommate Phase"
Configure the phase:
Phase Name: Clear, descriptive name (Example: "First-Year Roommate Selection")
Start Date: When this activity window opens (e.g., April 1, 2025)
End Date: When this activity window closes (e.g., April 30, 2025)
Applicability Tags: Which students can access this phase (e.g., "First-Year")
Default Roommate Count: Pre-selected roommate count for this phase (e.g., 1)
Phase Timing Best Practices
Start roommate phases AFTER application approval:
Application phase closes: April 15
Admin review period: April 15-20 (5 days for approval)
Roommate phase opens: April 21
This ensures only approved students can form roommate groups
Allow sufficient time for roommate matching:
2-4 weeks is typical for the roommate phase
Students need time to browse profiles, message potential roommates, and finalize groups
Shorter windows create urgency; longer windows reduce decision pressure
End roommate phases BEFORE room selection starts:
Roommate phase closes: April 30
Buffer period: May 1-4 (allows groups to stabilize)
Room selection phase opens: May 5
This ensures roommate groups are finalized before room selection begins
Timeline Example: For a cycle with an August 15, 2025 residence start: • Application phase: March 1 - April 15, 2025 • Roommate phase: April 21 - April 30, 2025 • Room selection: May 5 - May 15, 2025 • Move-in: August 15, 2025 Students complete the entire housing process months before the residence period begins.
Creating Multiple Roommate Phases
You can create multiple roommate phases to organize access for different student populations:
Example: Staggered Roommate Selection
Phase 1: Returning Students
Dates: March 15 - April 15
Applicability tags: "Sophomore" OR "Junior" OR "Senior"
Default roommates: 1
Phase 2: First-Years
Dates: April 1 - April 30
Applicability tags: "First-Year"
Default roommates: 1
Result: Returning students get early access starting March 15. First-years can access starting April 1. There's an overlap from April 1-15 where both populations can browse, but returning students had priority access first.
Overlapping Phases Work Well: Roommate phases can overlap intentionally. This is useful when you want to give priority populations early access while still allowing everyone to match during a common window. The overlap creates flexibility without completely separating populations.
Using Tags to Control Phase Access
Applicability tags on roommate phases work in combination with cycle-level tags:
Cycle-level tags (from PLS-6A) determine who can see the cycle at all
Phase-level tags determine who can access specific roommate phases within that cycle
Example:
Cycle applicability: "First-Year" (only first-years see this cycle)
Roommate Phase 1 tags: "Honors Program"
Roommate Phase 2 tags: No tags (all cycle applicants)
Result: Only first-year honors students can access Phase 1 (March 15-April 15). All first-years (including honors) can access Phase 2 (April 1-April 30). Honors students get priority early access, then everyone can match together.
Important: Roommate Groups Stay Within Cycles
Roommate groups can only form within a single cycle. Students in different cycles cannot be roommates, even if those cycles cover the same residence period.
Example limitation:
Student A is in "Fall 2025 - Returning Students" cycle
Student B is in "Fall 2025 - New Students" cycle
Both cycles cover the same housing period (August 2025 - May 2026)
These students CANNOT form a roommate group through the system
Cycle Structure Matters: This is one reason many institutions prefer running one comprehensive cycle per term with tag-based phase access, rather than separate cycles for each population. It keeps roommate formation flexible across all students in that housing period.
What Happens Without Roommate Phases
If you don't create any roommate phases:
Students may still be able to view the roommate finder throughout the cycle
There's no structured "roommate selection window" to organize the process
You have less control over when roommate matching happens relative to other phases
Students might form groups at unpredictable times, complicating logistics
Best Practice: Always create at least one roommate phase to organize timing and ensure students complete their bios before room selection begins. This structures the housing process and gives you predictable milestones.
Roommate Settings Checklist
Before leaving the Roommate Settings tab, verify:
✓ Bio/questionnaire form is assigned and published
✓ Min roommates matches your policy (0 if singles available, 1+ if not)
✓ Max roommates matches your largest room (3 for quads, 5 for 6-person suites, etc.)
✓ At least one roommate phase created with appropriate dates
✓ Phase applicability tags are set if targeting specific student groups
✓ Roommate phase allows sufficient time (2-4 weeks recommended)
✓ Roommate phase ends before room selection phase begins (5-7 day buffer)
✓ Phase dates are set months before residence period starts
Roommate Configuration Complete: Students can now complete their bio using the form you built in PLS-5 and find compatible roommates powered by the ruleset you assigned in PLS-6B. Next, you'll configure how students select their actual rooms.
Key Takeaways
Roommate Settings organizes how students form roommate groups within your cycle
The bio template connects the form you built in PLS-5 to create public profiles
Min/max roommates must align with your actual room inventory
Roommate phases define activity windows when students can access the roommate finder
Phase dates occur months before the residence period begins
Multiple phases organize staggered access for different student populations
Phases can overlap to give priority access while maintaining flexibility
Roommate groups can only form within a single cycle, not across cycles
Always include buffer time between roommate phase end and room selection start
Common Questions
What if students want to live alone?
Set Min Roommates Allowed to 0. Students can then opt out of roommate matching and select single rooms during room selection (if singles are available in your inventory).
Can students form roommate groups outside the roommate phase dates?
The roommate phase primarily controls when the roommate finder interface is accessible. Students can communicate outside the system and request to be grouped together manually by admins, but the formal roommate matching process respects phase dates.
What happens if a student's roommate group is larger than available rooms?
If 4 students form a group but only doubles and triples exist in inventory, they won't be able to select a room together during room selection. Set max roommates to match your actual inventory to prevent this issue.
Do I need multiple roommate phases?
No. One roommate phase covering all eligible students is sufficient for most institutions. Use multiple phases only if you need staggered access, priority timing for specific populations, or coordination with complex approval workflows.
Can I change the bio form after students have completed it?
No, once the cycle is active. Changing bio forms would create inconsistencies where some students answered different questions than others, breaking compatibility matching and making data unreliable. Finalize your bio form in PLS-5 before activating your cycle.
Can students from different cycles be roommates?
No. Roommate groups can only form within a single cycle. If you're running separate cycles for different populations (e.g., "Fall Returning" and "Fall New Students"), students in those cycles cannot form roommate groups through the system. This is one reason many institutions prefer one comprehensive cycle per term with tag-based phase access.
What's Next: PLS-6D
Now that you've configured how students find and form roommate groups, you're ready to set up how they select their actual rooms.
In PLS-6D: Room Selection & Lottery Configuration, you'll learn:
How to create room selection phases that define activity windows
How to configure room browsing and cost display
How to set up lottery systems for fair room selection timing
How to configure priority rules and selection ordering