The iHousing lottery system received about 300 more applications than last year, with Ivory Tower and The Dakota as students’ most popular choices, a GW Housing Programs official said this week.

Director of GW Housing Programs Seth Weinshel said the application numbers – particularly the popularity of The Dakota – were expected.

“The number of applications was not surprising; The Dakota became a second-year building, becoming the most popular one for second-year students,” he said.

More than 1,000 students listed the building as their first preference, compared to only 200 who requested it last year. More than 5,500 housing applications were submitted in total.

Though rising seniors also have the choice of South Hall, a new total of 1,200 students requested Ivory Tower as their first choice, compared to only 900 who applied for it last year.

“This is the second year that third and fourth-year students preference from the same buildings, and I think that is why Ivory is more popular,” Weinshel said.

Weinshel said GW has experienced an increase in class size, and housing applications have risen in turn. These increased numbers demonstrate how “class size is a factor,” he said.

Rising sophomore Maria Cimporescu said she requested The Dakota as her first choice because of the larger rooms.

“The Dakota offers really spacious and modern rooms, and since I lived in Somers this year, I wanted a bigger room this time,” she said.

The West End and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall, while previously very popular, received fewer applications than last year – most likely due to the opening of The Dakota to rising sophomores.

Around 600 students listed The West End as their first choice – 100 less from last year. JBKO Hall received a noticeable decrease in applications from last year as well, with only about 300 students requesting it as their first preference, compared to more than 600 listing it as their first choice last year.

Freshman Alexandra Cerquone requested The West End as her first choice and listed JBKO Hall as her second option mainly because of their ideal campus locations.

“Even though these dorms are not as upscale, new and clean as the more popular dorms, their location makes up for it. They are close to the Marvin Center, Gelman and even the gym, so I’m not concerned if either is not that nice a dorm,” she said.

Off-campus housing is also an option for many students. Rising junior Michelle Vilas said she was displeased with her experience in JBKO this year, and therefore opted to live off campus next semester.

“While JBKO was amongst the more popular dorms this year, there were a number of issues, from malfunctioning heaters in the rooms to other maintenance problems that I need to get away from,” she said.

Pelham Hall increased the popularity for housing on the Mount Vernon campus. Last year, only about 20 students listed a Mount Vernon residence in their top two choices, compared to more than 100 this year. Pelham Hall will likely become more popular in the coming semesters given the hall’s amenities, which include a fitness center, meeting rooms and a dining facility.