Next year I'll be going into my second year, and my best friend from high school is planning on coming to Mac for his first year. He wants to live in residence, and I'd want to room with him there.

Is it a guarantee for a second year to get into res if they request a roommate? I know there is the lottery system and everything, but I wondered if it was auto if you request a roommate.

Hmmm.

I actually don't know how it would work for your situation.

All rooms for upper-year students are singles; they assume (and rightly) that an upper year student wouldn't want to have to share a room with someone, especially a first year student. In addition, I have a sort of sneaking suspicion that first years are put in shared rooms in order to facilitiate the getting to know people process.

For upper year students, they have a much more limited number of spots (aside from RLS staff, who are obviously guaranteed a spot), so the competition is very high to get a room. And since the requirements are marks-based, it can be hard to get a spot. I have heard that the only way you are guaranteed a spot is if your average is at the very least a 10 (A-).

As I mentioned, all rooms for upper-year students are singles. The majority of rooms for first year students are at least a double. I have only heard of upper years and first years sharing a room only one other time, and that was for a suite-style res, so it's sort of a different circumstance.

Also, upper year students who are guaranteed a placement in res know before the end of term 2. Incoming highschool students won't know if they are accepted into residence until sometime after they have finished highschool, if my memory does not mistake me. The two applications occur at completely different times, and consider different things.


Obviously, this is the limit to my knowlege (and I'm sure everyone elses), and I think the matter is something you should actually discuss with someone from Housing and Conference services.

here are some of the contact info for residence and H&CS

I'm currently in second year in rez and am not a CA.

I have a first year roommate (by chance) even though I didn't request her. I was told by housing that it can sometimes happen with first years and upper years being put in the same room.
Also, my marks weren't at a 10 and I was guaranteed a room.

Thanks for your input, JBeans. Your information is certainly much more current than my own -- I know when I was considering my options for places to live for my second year, we were told it was really hard to get into res. This was especially true becuase of the stupid double cohort year.

I would like to say that a lot of the information I had about admissions is unfortunately hearsay. But, I think a lot of it has to do with the numbers of upper year students who apply each year.

ie -- let's say they only have 100 spots for upper year students. but they have 1000 apply. if being guaranteed a room has a lot to do with marks, they will take their highest and work there way down. but if only 150 people apply for those same 100 spots, you will have a greater probability of getting a room even if your marks aren't high.

Residence accomidations can also change during the summer -- this is what happened this past year. Hedden went back to triples having only spent a year as doubles.