▁Manh attan . ▁Until ▁the ▁Spring ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁sem ester , ▁NY U ▁used ▁a ▁lot tery ▁system ▁to ▁determine ▁el ig ibility ▁for ▁residence ▁hall ▁preference . ▁Under ▁this ▁system , ▁a ▁student ▁received ▁one ▁point ▁for ▁every ▁sem ester ▁they ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁campus ▁housing . ▁F resh men ▁are ▁fre ed ▁from ▁the ▁lot tery ▁system ▁and ▁are ▁by ▁tradition ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁h alls ▁closest ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁campus ▁area . ▁Therefore , ▁histor ically , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁d orm s ▁found ▁off - camp us ▁were ▁s oph om ores . ▁However , ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁sem ester , ▁s oph om ores ▁received ▁priority ▁housing , ▁giving ▁them ▁first ▁choice ▁of ▁residence ▁h alls . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁this ▁initi ative ▁was ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁s oph om ore ▁class ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁Union ▁Square ▁area . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁junior ▁class ▁( class ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 ) ▁and ▁the ▁senior ▁class ▁( class ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 7 ) ▁never ▁benef ited ▁from ▁first ▁choice ▁as ▁s oph om ores ▁or ▁sen iors . ▁The ▁university ▁oper ates ▁its ▁own ▁trans it ▁system ▁to ▁transport ▁its ▁students , ▁by ▁bus ▁or ▁t rol ley , ▁to ▁campus . ▁Under grad uate ▁students ▁are ▁guaranteed ▁housing ▁during ▁their ▁en roll ment ▁at ▁NY U . ▁ ▁Tw enty - two ▁buildings ▁are ▁in ▁NY U ' s