Georgia Tech Supports the Complete Student Housing Journey with StarRez and College Pads

Meeting Housing Demand with a Unified On and Off Campus Experience

For Georgia Tech, surging enrollment numbers and increasing housing demand in the heart of Atlanta presented a clear challenge. The institute found itself unable to accommodate all students with on-campus housing due to both space constraints and rising local rental costs that made campus living a preferred option. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive strategy, Georgia Tech turned to both StarRez and College Pads to build a unified student housing journey.

"We only had certain spaces," said Marlow Taylor, Associate Director of Enterprise Services. "We had to get some sort of way for students to connect to off-campus housing, and [College Pads] was the best we could offer them."

A Thoughtful Solution for Students Transitioning to Off-Campus Living

Georgia Tech has used StarRez since 2011 to manage its on-campus housing operations. From assignments to move-in logistics, the platform has helped to streamline the experience for over 8,000 students each year.

"StarRez has been amazing," said Taylor. "The fact that we now have PortalX and can customize things without needing to go back to StarRez to build everything out is a game changer."

This flexibility has allowed the housing team to respond quickly to shifting demands, a vital capability given the institute’s first-year class has grown by 250–350 students annually over the past five years.

"We keep having to update and change our processes. StarRez allows us to easily adapt to that growth."

- Jennifer Grover, Assistant Director for Assignments at Georgia Tech

However, as enrollment grew, upper-level undergraduates increasingly found themselves without on-campus options. Kate Curnow, Associate Director for Resident Services, noted that by the time students tried to apply for housing, "we had a waitlist within 6 hours one year, and the next it was 22 milliseconds." This prompted the adoption of College Pads in 2021 as a way to support those students in finding trusted off-campus housing options.

“With College Pads + StarRez, we now go from supporting students on campus to helping them move off campus. Getting them out our door is part of the service."

- Kate Curnow, Associate Director for Resident Services at Georgia Tech

Community Support Beyond the Campus

Unlike generic housing portals, College Pads provided Georgia Tech students with more than listings, it offers community. From hosting virtual housing fairs to maintaining a repository of renter education resources, the platform helped maintain the Georgia Tech standard of student care.

"College Pads goes beyond a transactional service by creating opportunities for broader engagement and dialogue in the housing space," Curnow said. "It feels like a resource and a bit of a community as well."

This community approach has paid off. Georgia Tech's housing fairs, held in collaboration with College Pads, now attract around 25 property managers annually and between 400 to 600 students per event. The Georgia Tech College Pads platform itself sees at least 3,000 unique users per semester.

Curnow also emphasized the importance of passive resources:

"We have a robust set of knowledge articles [within the College Pads platform] based on templates from other universities, customized for Georgia Tech. It really helps when students need to take that step."

- Kate Curnow, Associate Director for Resident Services at Georgia Tech

Creating a Cohesive Journey

Though the systems aren't yet integrated, the strategic combination of StarRez + College Pads supports a unified narrative: a complete student housing journey that begins on campus and transitions smoothly off campus.

"Our housing website is built like on-campus/off-campus," said Grover. "We have to have students go off campus. It’s just nice to have those two things available."

Having College Pads serve as an endorsed yet independent platform offers peace of mind to students and their families. "Especially for out-of-state parents," said Grover. "They feel reassured that someone at Georgia Tech has spoken to these companies."

College Pads also provides Georgia Tech with the flexibility to only list verified properties and opt out of showcasing listings that don’t align with their standards. This approach reinforces peace of mind for both families and students, especially those new to the area. "There’s a reputational risk for property managers. They want to stay on our good side. That accountability helps everyone," said Curnow.

Scaling with Confidence

Beyond what is already in place, Georgia Tech continues to optimize and automate with StarRez. The team is now exploring self-check-in processes and mobile keyless move-ins, enabled by StarRez integrations and internal IT capabilities.

"Once one thing is automated, you can tie other things to it," said Curnow. "We’re [continuously] leveling up in that way."

While formal KPIs are still in development, feedback mechanisms are already in place. Georgia Tech surveys students after application processes, and the consistent use and growth of platforms like College Pads indicate ongoing success.

"Overall, StarRez is a great system for us, and College Pads helps tie into the next step of the student housing journey."

- Jennifer Grover, Assistant Director for Assignments at Georgia Tech

As Georgia Tech looks ahead to continued enrollment growth and evolving student expectations, the unified student housing platform approach ensures that no student is left without a clear, supported path, on campus or off.

Discover how StarRez and College Pads, together, are building the most comprehensive on-and-off-campus housing solution for students worldwide! Request a call about this new service that is free for higher education institutions.