Every year students show off their creative and unique room designs in the Best Nest Contest. You can view past winners on this page, get ideas for your room, and plan for the next contest!

• Submission - Tuesday, 10/2 - Thursday, 10/5
• Voting - Tuesday, 10/2 - Friday, 10/13 (spooky!)
• Winners announced - Tuesday, 10/17
• Prize Claim - Week of Tuesday 10/17

How To Enter

1. First, have fun decorating your room! This contest is all about creativity - not how much you own!
2. Submit your three (3) best bedroom photos max, the required Google form and the photo release form to complete submission. Make sure no people are in your photos - let your space shine! 
   1. This contest will only judge residential rooms. For example, if you live in Nebraksa Hall, you can only submit your actual room to the contest - not the communal spaces.
   2. When submitting pictures, please be sure your room adheres to all Houisng and Residence Life residence hall student code of conduct.
3. Make sure to LIKE/FOLLOW Housing & Residence Life @HomeAtAU on Facebook and Instagram so you can participate.
4. Watch for your room to be posted on Instagram and Facebook and share it with all of your AU friends and family. Encourage them to follow us and like your album to help you in pursuit of the ultimate grand prize. 

5. All categories except for THE Best Nest are judged based on the number of likes on social media. THE Best Nest is judged based on the HRL pro staff internal vote. 

   1. The Housing and Residence Life Marketing and Communications Coordinator holds the right to have final say on all winners selected.

6. Finalists will be contacted by Housing & Residence Life to schedule a photo and video shoot of their room for announcement and publication. 

Categories

• THE Best Nest - For those who have the best room in all the land (or campus)!
• Fan Fave - A room for the people and by the people!
• AU Pride - You got pride, yeah we know it, you got pride, let's see you show it!
• Most Organized - You create order out of chaos and we SEE you!
• The Spooky Space -  How could we have the contest at this time of year and NOT have this as a category? Exactly!

Prizes

Winners will receive a Best Nest Winner certificate AND one (per winner of the category) of the following:

• JBL Speaker 
• Polaroid Camera w/ film
• Shopping spree at the AU Campus Store
• Projector
• Visa Giftcards

Rules & Eligibility

• All entries must be submitted by the deadline.
• Entrants must "like" or follow Housing & Residence Life's Facebook page before their entries will be posted.
• Only one entry per room (roommates who share a room cannot separately apply). All roommates must agree to enter the contest.
• Only bedroom photos are eligible for submission. Students in Cassell, Nebraska, and the Frequency Apartments should not submit photos capturing their living room and/or kitchen spaces. 
• Rooms must comply with health and safety expectations as written in the Student Conduct Code and Housing License Agreement, including having no prohibited items.
• By entering the contest, participants agree to the use of their photographs and names by American University in electronic and print publications, social media, promotional videos, and other multimedia.
• Finalists will be contacted by Housing & Residence Life regarding a brief photoshoot of their room and the occupants for announcement and publication.
• Photographs and entries must be 100% original content. Photographs that are stolen or copied material will be disqualified.
• Entries can be deleted without question at the discretion of Housing & Residence Life staff, even if the content isn't in direct violation of AU policy. We reserve the right to disqualify any person tampering with the operation of the promotion or otherwise violating these rules.

Spring 2023 Entries 

• Emma Southern in Nebraska Hall
• Isabelle Ritz in Hughes Hall
• Callan Smith in Federal Hall
• Vanessa Levins lives in Anderson Hall
• Kaitlyn Rice and Zahra Ahmed in Hughes Hall
• Ava Falkenrath in Anderson Hall