What You Should Know Before You Apply for Residence
- The application for first-year undergraduate student residence is open.
- Residence eligibility is determined by admission average. The residence admission average for Fall 2023 is 89%.
- Students with a guaranteed residence space will receive notification via the Admission Office of their residence status.
- You are welcome to apply to residence regardless of your status (guaranteed or non-guaranteed).
- 74% of students will live in double rooms with a roommate. If you have someone you want to live with, you can request them as a roommate during the residence application process.
- All students in residence are required to purchase a meal plan.
- You may submit an accommodation request for medical, dietary, disability, or religious needs.
- Students will choose their own rooms during the self-selection process in late June. Time slots to choose your space will be emailed beginning June 13th.
Questions? Chat with our live agents or email resadmissions@mcmaster.ca using your McMaster email.
| Important Dates | Application Steps |
| March 2023 | 89% residence admission average for Fall 2023 is announced. |
| April 25, 2023 | Residence application opens. |
| June 1, 2023 at 4 p.m. EDT | Residence application and deposit deadline. |
| June 8, 2023 at 4 p.m. EDT |
Accommodation request deadline. |
| June 13, 2023 | Time slots for room self-selection announced. |
| Late June 2023 | Students will select their room based on a time slot lottery. |
| July 4, 2023 | Deadline to cancel and receive a 50% deposit refund. |
| August 26 to 27, 2023 | Move-in weekend! |
| September 13, 2023 | Last day to move in. |
Information Box Group
Who is guaranteed residence?
- The residence admission average for Fall 2023 is 89%. First-Year undergraduate students who meet the 89% admission average for Fall 2023 if they are coming directly from an Ontario high school.
- First-Year undergraduate students who are out-of-province and international based on their admission status determined by the Registrar’s Office.
- Students are notified of their residence status on their offer of admission from McMaster.
Non-guaranteed?
Non-guaranteed students who do not meet the 89% admission average can still apply to the waitlist.
Non-guaranteed students who apply by 4:00 p.m. EDT on June 1st, 2023 via the Residence Portal will be ordered by admission averages from highest to lowest.
Students will be able to check their waitlist number on the Residence Application Status Page in the Residence Portal after the deadline.
See below for more information.
How to Apply
The Fall 2023 application is now open. Guaranteed and non-guaranteed students can apply on the Residence Portal by June 1st by 4:00 p.m. EDT to show their interest.
Guaranteed Students who meet the 89% admission average receive notice of their guaranteed place in residence on their offer of admission from McMaster.
- Guaranteed students need to ensure they secure their space by the application and $600 deposit deadline of 4:00 p.m. EDT on June 1st, 2023 via the Residence Portal.
- Students who do not apply and pay by the deadline will lose their guaranteed space in residence.
Non-guaranteed students will be added to the residence waitlist.
- Non-guaranteed students who apply by 4:00 p.m. EDT on June 1st, 2023 via the Residence Portal will be ordered by admission averages from highest to lowest.
- Students will be able to check their waitlist number on the Residence Application Status Page in the Residence Portal after the deadline. Students who apply to the waitlist before the deadline will receive an email when their waitlist number is ordered.
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Students on the waitlist who are provided an offer for residence will be required to secure their residence space with a $600 deposit, which must be paid within 24-48 hours of receiving the offer.
Residence Fees
The fee for residence will be charged to your Mosaic student account, and split into Fall term and Winter term payments.
Your residence fee includes:
- Your accommodations
- Access to residence facilities, including study rooms, common area kitchens and laundry facilities (laundry is a separate cost)
- Wireless Internet in each residence building (more information)
- Room fees do not include Meal Plan fees.
Room Type
In McMaster’s residence buildings, over 74% of rooms are doubles. If you apply to residence, you should expect to have a roommate.
If you have a specific accommodation need in your application, the residence team will do their best to meet your accommodation, however no student is guaranteed a single room.
Roommate Requests
On the appropriate Roommate Request step, you can input your requested roommate’s 9-digit student number and send them a request. The other student will receive an email and it will appear in their residence application to accept the request. Please note both students must be guaranteed residence and meet the application and deposit deadline.
We guarantee a roommate request if both students:
- have guaranteed residence offers
- met the residence application and deposit deadline (dates)
- requested and accepted each other as roommates on their online application
- ranked their profile responses and room type preferences identically
If your roommate request is successful, the student with the earlier room self-selection time slot will select the room for both students.
Meal Plans
On your residence application, you will also need to select which Meal Plan you would prefer – view the different meal plan options here.
- Hospitality Services requires all residence students to purchase a Meal Plan.
- Students living in traditional residences must purchase a meal plan from the Traditional meal plans.
- Students living in Bates and Mary E. Keyes Residence may purchase a meal plan from either the Traditional or Apartment-Style meal plans since those residence spaces include in-suite kitchens.
- If you are assigned a traditional building after applying for an Apartment-Style meal plan, your plan will be changed to the corresponding traditional meal plan.
- Hospitality Services can accommodate most dietary needs. If you have special dietary needs, please ensure you indicate this information on the Residence Accommodation section of the online application. Please also contact Hospitality Services (Ext. 24422) to discuss your Special Dietary needs.
Get a personal room tour of the many different room styles offered in our residences!