Hi, so i don't go to McMaster yet, I go to University of Toronto but I've been wanting to transfer. Anyways I was trying to find out where 2nd year students live. So, if I transfer there's a lottery right..? But what if I don't make it into the lottery.. do I have to find my own place to live? Are there apartments off campus specifically for upper classes? And do you get to choose your roommate for that? And is anyone a transfer student that knows... how easy it'd be to make friends since everyone already has friends? Well sorry for the huge load of questions. Thanks! : )

the friend question: depends on how social you are, everyone is welcoming and its easy to start a conversation

I'd say I am friendly.. but you know how when people already have friends.. they don't really feel like making more?? I'm scared that's what it'd be like!

Yes, if you want to live in residence you have to apply and there is a lottery for spots. If you get a spot you can live in residence. I lived in residence second year. I don't know how competitive it is for spots in upper years though. Most upper years live off campus and as far as I know 20% of spots are reserved for upper years who wish to continue to live on campus.

If you don't get a spot you can wait on the waiting list for a bit but you should look for off-campus housing. With off campus housing there isn't really a set way of doing things like with residence. You just have to use the resources available and look for a spot in a house. You have to talk to landlords and look at leases and find a place that is right for you. You can choose to move in with friends or you can look for a vacant spot in a house that other students live in or look for a room in a house that someone may be leasing. There area variety of options for living off campus. There is lots of student housing available around the University. If you're a full time student at Mac you get a free, unlimited bus pass for Hamilton transit so you can take the bus to school or walk depending on how close or far you live from the school. I've never actually lived off-campus so I can't give many more details but really this is more free choice, not as structured as getting into residence would be. Also obviously there is no meal plan like there is with the University residence system so you'd have to buy groceries and cook yourself or get food yourself.

the chances of getting residence as an upper year is pretty high since most choose to find a place off campus. Just a note though, for upper years the lottery is actually based on marks, so students with a higher mark will get allotted a room before
a student with a lower mark.

good luck with your transfer!

<3 <3 <3

Originally Posted by x_hikari

the chances of getting residence as an upper year is pretty high since most choose to find a place off campus. Just a note though, for upper years the lottery is actually based on marks, so students with a higher mark will get allotted a room before
a student with a lower mark.

good luck with your transfer!

<3 <3 <3

I didn't know this, I thought it was just lottery based in the same way as first year. Interesting. Makes some sense though.

I've had a friend live in a double as an upper year in a traditional style residence...I don't think she enjoyed it that much since it was her second year. Most upper years who do live in residence opt for single rooms...but I know some upper years who chose to room with someone.

I don't know about the lottery based on marks....I'm pretty sure room assignments are though.

Originally Posted by canyoufindme

Are there apartments off campus specifically for upper classes? And do you get to choose your roommate for that?

I'm pretty sure that anyone can find an apartment off campus with no problem and most upper years do choose to go off campus since it's much cheaper. As for the roommate question, it depends on the house you find off campus. Sometimes people have single rooms for rent in a multiple bedroom house where those rooms are already rented out.

Originally Posted by u.yousaf

I'm pretty sure that anyone can find an apartment off campus with no problem and most upper years do choose to go off campus since it's much cheaper. As for the roommate question, it depends on the house you find off campus. Sometimes people have single rooms for rent in a multiple bedroom house where those rooms are already rented out.

Err almost all of the student housing off campus is single rooms! It essentially is a house out of which 5-9 Rooms have been created for people to live separately. If you google Map McMaster a good percentages of houses east of campus(Westdale) and South are student houses.

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Err almost all of the student housing off campus is single rooms! It essentially is a house out of which 5-9 Rooms have been created for people to live separately. If you google Map McMaster a good percentages of houses east of campus(Westdale) and South are student houses.

That's exactly what I just said.....

Originally Posted by u.yousaf

That's exactly what I just said.....

oh okay; I for some reason thought you "meant" by the word sometimes that only a small percentages of student houses have single rooms. It is like 99% probably that have single rooms.

First, it's a lottery. You'd either get on the guaranteed list or the waiting list. If you're on the guaranteed list, you'll have to maintain a sessional average of at least 5.0 in order to remain on that list. If you're on the waiting list...you'll just have to cross your fingers! (but all my friends who were on the waiting list last year and the year before got a spot on res in the end.)

Upper years who have a sessional average of 9.5+ will be automatically guaranteed a spot on res, and I'm pretty sure that the rest of the upper years are NOT ranked by marks. It's just...as long as you have at least a 5.0. Your place on the guaranteed list may be higher or lower than others...but it's all random. The ordering is not based on marks.

Unless things have changed for next year...but I double checked the Res Admissions website and the process remains the same.

Hope that helps!

UofT doesn't use the 12 point scale...so you'd need to convert your average to Mac's average FYI

It's a lottery for 10 places for transfer students, so it's tough. I didn't get residence, so be prepared to commute or rent a place close to campus.