Apply for Residence - Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains questions that students frequently have about applying for residence. Please check this page to see if your question is answered here before contacting our office. Another way to get quick answers to your question is to visit the forum for admitted students (opening in late-February or early March).

About the Residences

What's the difference between the UW Residences and the University College Residences?
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Can I come and visit the residences?
Sure! Residence tours are offered regularly - find out more about residence tours. If you can, it is best to visit the residences when there are students living in them. It is hard to get a good impression of what a residence is really like when the students are not there.
Which residence is closest to my faculty?
Map of campus with residences and faculty buildings highlighted.

Application Process and Room Allocation

What is the residence guarantee and how do I know if I qualify?

The University of Waterloo residence guarantee for first-year students is a collaborative effort between UW Residences and the 4 University College residences (Renison, St. Paul's, St. Jerome's and Conrad Grebel).

You're guaranteed a space in any one of these 5 communities, if you're admitted to one of our first-year undergraduate programs and you receive an Offer of Admission dated no later than June 2, 2006. A place in residence is reserved for you if you accept your offer of admission, and return the Rank your preference of residence community form with a $500 non-refundable deposit by June 12, 2006.

Am I also guaranteed to get my first choice of residence or room type?
The housing guarantee only guarantees you a room in residence. Many students select the same room type (i.e. single) and/or residence community (i.e. Ron Eydt Village) however, there are only so many single rooms and only so many spaces in each residence. Therefore it is impossible to guarantee every student their first choice. All of our residence facilities offer a great residence life program and every year we hear from students about how they love their residence community because of the people they meet and the friends they make, not the type of room they have.
If I submit my ranking form and my preferences right away, will I have a better chance of getting my first choices?
No. This is not a first-come, first-served process. As long as you submit your ranking form and your online preferences by the dates specified, you will have the same chance as anyone else to get your first choices.

Streaming

What is streaming and how does it affect my residence preferences?
For the purposes of residence allocation, every first-year student is either a stream 4 or a stream 8 student.

You are a stream 4 student if you are in a co-op program and your first work term is in January 2007.

You are a stream 8 student if you are in a regular program or a co-op program and your first work term is in May 2007 or later. Only students in some Math and Engineering programs are stream 4. All other faculties are stream 8.

Streaming is an important part of the residence allocation process as it allows us to place students together in communities that will remain together for both terms of first year - whether it's fall and winter (stream 8) or fall and spring (stream 4).

Roommates

I really don't want to have a roommate. What if it turns out to be a complete disaster?
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I have some friends from high school that I want to live with. Can I do that?
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If I'm a stream 4 student, can I ask for a roommate who's stream 8?
You can only request a roommate who is of the same gender and academic stream as you. For example, a stream 4 student can request to be roommates with another stream 4 student, but not a regular or stream 8 student. A regular or stream 8 student can request to be roommates with another regular or stream 8 student, but not a stream 4 student.
How does the allocation process work with roommates? Do we all have to be accepted to the same residence first?
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Food and Meal Plans

What if I have special dietary needs? (due to allergies or religious restrictions)
This is the answer
Where can I spend my meal plan allowance?
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What happens if I have money left over at the end of the term?
This is the answer.