@flprepaidmom You can apply for housing prior to committing. The housing application opens in late October and requires a $250 deposit, with $150 refundable if you back out by May 1. No need to have committed to UCF to apply for housing. However, I believe that Top 10 Knights are offered guaranteed housing if they apply for it prior to May 1.
My son submitted his app via the common app in late September, had acceptance within a week. The common app is open now so I’m sure you can submit it now but I don’t think they start reading apps until early September. He applied for housing when that app opened. He had a housing confirm date of Oct 23 so got a selection appointment on the first day possible. He did not officially commit to UCF, paying the $200 enrollment deposit, until Christmastime. We figured a possible loss of $100 for housing if he went elsewhere was worth it given how quickly housing can fill up.