Olivia Merseburg has wanted to be a resident assistant (RA) since she was in high school. But for Merseburg, a sophomore majoring in political science, and the hundreds of other students at Binghamton University currently applying for positions for the 2018-19 school year, a spot is far from guaranteed.
Last year, just over 20 percent of students who applied to be RAs were hired, down from about 24 percent of applicants got spots in 2016-17 and 27 percent were hired in 2015-16. For students looking to hold an RA position, getting hired is becoming more and more challenging.
Inarra Sorathiya, a sophomore double-majoring in political science and sociology, said she was aware of the difficulty of getting a position when she applied, but still wanted to do so because RAs can be role models to fellow students.
“I’ve had friends who are RAs who have told me that being an RA is the best thing, but it is really competitive,” Sorathiya said. “Everyone knows you, people connect with you and want to talk to you, and it’s just one of those special spots on campus.”
The primary factor driving the growing competition is an increase in applicants. The number of applications submitted to Residential Life for RA selection jumped by roughly 27 percent between 2015-16 and 2017-18. At the same time, the number of applicants hired dropped slightly, from 94 to 88.
Part of the rise in applications can be attributed to rising costs of room and board. For the 2017-18 academic year, annual housing rates run from $9,068 for a double in College-in-the-Woods or Hinman College to $14,242 for a family apartment in Susquehanna Community. Next year, housing rates will increase by a range of $300 to $470.
“I definitely think that the rise in room and board and tuition overall has become a big worry for a lot of students,” said Emily Pocreva, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering. “I am doing it because I really want it, and the more you think about it, the more you realize that it is very important that you are dedicated to the thing.”
With the jump in applications has come a decrease in the percentage of qualified applicants, according to ResLife’s standards. About 83 percent of applicants were deemed hirable in 2015-2016, but only 71 percent met the GPA and Student Conduct requirements to be deemed hirable in last year’s hiring process.
But despite the statistics, Merseburg said she was still excited to apply and remains hopeful that she’ll be chosen.
“I’ve always been interested in leadership positions, and it even more solidified my wish to be an RA when I came to college because I had a tough time adjusting to living on my own and I know others have that issue,” Merseburg said. “I wouldn’t say that the competition isn’t intimidating, but I didn’t let it discourage me at all from applying.”
ResLife wasn’t immediately available to comment on the rise in applications.