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McGill University - Campus Housing - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Campus Housing

B-
Where does this grade come from?View all Campus Housing rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

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Quick Stats

Freshmen Required to Live on Campus? No
Undergrads Living On Campus 8%
Number of Dormitories 9
Number of Campus-Owned Apartments 2
Best Dorms
  • Douglas Hall
  • The Greenbriar
  • MORE Shared Facility Houses
  • New Residence
Worst Dorms
  • Gardner
  • McConnell
  • Molson
  • RVC

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

No one lives on campus after first year. Many students at McGill are actually from the Montréal area, and they use McGill as a commuter school. For the seven percent of students who do live on campus, there are many, many housing options to choose from. Upper Rez is the most popular, and it consists of Molson, Gardner, and McConnell halls. These are your typical dorms, with small cinder-blocked rooms, although most of them are singles. It’s called Upper Rez because it’s on the top of a massive hill, a source of neverending complaint from those who live there. Slightly down the hill is Douglas Hall, a beautiful old building reminiscent of Harry Potter. Douglas has a rep for being the hippy dorm, and they have their own cafeteria. All the dorms on the hill are pretty big party dorms and probably the best bet for anyone looking for the “college experience.” Way down the hill past the campus is Royal Victoria College. This is the antithesis of the party dorm and is all girls. It has pretty tight security, but a very nice building with its own cafeteria and no hills to climb, so living there is a bit of a tradeoff.

New Residence, or New Rez, is a converted hotel, and it still looks, well, hotel-like. It has its own cafeteria, and most of the rooms are doubles. The rooms are huge with a private bathroom. New Rez has probably the biggest party rep on campus, and most people who live there absolutely love it. However, if you ask students who don’t live there their opinion, you get a different story. New Rez has a reputation for being snobby and filled with rich kids. It definitely seems to house the majority of the overworn and overpriced trends that are en vogue. New Rez is the Rez people either love or hate, so it would be wise to check it out before listing it as a first choice.  Dio and Prez Rez are newer additions to McGill’s residence network. They are comparable to Upper Rez, but located just across from the Milton Gates and are significantly smaller. Most recently, McGill took over 475 Sherbrooke, formerly the Four Points Hotel, and is converting it into another student residence.

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McGill Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Campus Housing at McGill University

prowler74

'14

Anthropology and Archaeology

3.8
B+

Everything Depends on Your Rez!

The dorms (or "residences", in Canadian-speak) at McGill are amazingly different from one another. Only first-years (AKA "freshmen") live on-campus; afterwards students move off for the freedom and cheaper rents so plentiful in Montreal at large. Living in rez is a great place to meet people, especially at a big school like this.

Upper Rez (Gardner, McConnell, and Molson Halls): the oldest dorms on campus, traditional tiny room/bed, almost exclusively singles. these share a dining hall (Bishop Mountain Hall) and have nice common areas on the lower floors. people love the sense of community enforced by (co-ed) communal bathrooms and the open doors that line dingy old-school hallways, but complain about the hike up the hill.

Douglas Hall: the favorite hall, though these kids also have to walk up the hill. looks like something out of Harry Potter. very tight community. small, mostly single rooms.

Royal Victoria College: not up the hill, nice and convenient to the buildings lining Rue de l'University. has the best caf on campus. formerly an all-girls dorm. apparently a big discrepancy in quality between the tower and wing rooms, though i've not seen them myself.

Prez Rez & University Hall: tiny. i've never met anyone from these buildings, but apparently they have a great sense of close community since there're only about 30 kids in each.

the MORE houses: for more independent-minded

New Residence: somewhat of a misnomer, as it isn't actually the newest dorm. it is however the largest, which has led to the reputation of both a party dorm, and a place full of clicks where it's impossible to meet people. a converted hotel, the rooms here are much larger w/ queen-sized beds. usually double rooms. a good caf w/ great grill section, though the lines are long and one can't eat the grilled stuff every night without rapidly running out of money.

Carrefour Sherbrooke: the newest rez (for now, there will be another soon) so doesn't yet have a reputation, also a converted hotel. really close to campus, but also the downtown area. huge rooms and queen-sized beds. the only rez with its own (small) gym. the highest rent, especially if you get one of the 'suite' rooms, in which one roommate gets a closed door (so you both kind of get the best of both worlds: a roommate, and privacy). the worst caf.

Solin Hall: 3 metro stops away from campus, in the St.-Henri area. many students get really attached to this neighborhood/community feel and end up getting apartments in St-Henri when they move out of rez. no caf, you have to cook for yourself.

Jan 24, 2011

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Campus Housing at McGill University

Nolan5689

'11

Wildlife and Fisheries Management

3.8
B+

Laird Hall

Not glamorous but great way to make friends and learn how to cook. I liked not having to rely on a meal plan for my food. The rooms have plenty of storage space too.

Nov 07, 2010

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Campus Housing at McGill University

jbd73

'13

Biological Sciences

4.2
A-

Off-Campus Housing Is Great

While first year students at McGill tend to stay in dorms, most move out to surrounding off campus housing after the first year. I got my first hint of it recently and I am very excited. The cost is fantastic, much less than the already average McGill housing cost and there are many very close to campus, closer than McGill residences. The freedom and quality of what is around makes off-campus housing at McGill a great option.

May 26, 2010

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Page 1 of 5

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate campus housing on the following subjects

Facts

Room Types
  • Apartment-style
  • Doubles
  • Singles
Bed Types
  • Double extra-long
  • Standard twin
  • Twin extra-long
What You Get
  • Bed
  • Bookshelf
  • Desk
  • Dresser
  • Lamp

Cleaning Service

Yes, in common areas once a week

Did You Know?

Molson, McConnell, and Gardner halls are often referred to as the Upper Residences, or “Upper Rez,” because of their location on the northern end of campus.

Most people who attend McGill are residents of Montréal, making it more of a commuter school than a residential one. Also, only first-year students are guaranteed housing, making them the majority of residents living on campus.

McGill also has a First Peoples’ House, a residence and lounge provided specifically for aboriginal students.

MORE houses are converted brownstones that house about 20 students each. There are two on University and three on Pine. Because of their small size, each house takes on a different flavor and reputation each year. However, they generally are the houses that students looking for a more independent lifestyle seek. Your dorm fellow does not live with you, and you are basically on your own. This can be great for some people—their ideal living situation. The small size of the house usually brings everyone really close together, for better or for worse.

Also on University is the Greenbriar, which operates under the same principle, except that it is an apartment building that holds 96 students. Rooms are apartment-style with a kitchen for each unit. Three Métro stops away near the Atwater market is Solin Hall, a larger apartment-style residence far away from campus. Both apartment-style residences tend to attract the more independent students. Students are not on a meal plan and rely on a common kitchen to cook their meals. Living in one of these can be amazing for the type of student who can’t wait to move out of their parents’ house and live on their own, but it’s not for everyone.

Check everything out or call housing to get a better feel of which type of housing is right for you. Regardless of what you put as first choice, though, many students get their second, third, or even last, so where you live is really a matter of chance. If you really hate where you live, two weeks after moving in you can switch—plenty of students do, and it’s really not that hard if you make the effort to talk to the housing office.

DormitoriesWhat's This?

Diocesan College Residence
Floors: 2
Number of Occupants: 45
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Singles and doubles
Special Features: Shared kitchenette on basement floor, located directly across the street from the McGill University gates. Building recently acquired through agreement with Diocesan College.

Douglas Hall
Floors: 8 houses of 3-4 floors
Number of Occupants: 179
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Mostly singles, some doubles
Special Features: On-site maintenance staff, TV lounges, common room with grand piano, billiard room, computer lab, daytime porter, storage, permit parking available, overnight security

Gardner Hall
Floors: 7
Number of Occupants: 219
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Mostly singles
Special Features: Permit parking available, study rooms, computer lab, games room, overnight security, on-site maintenance staff, overnight security, kitchenette per wing, storage, daytime porter

McConnell Hall
Floors: 7
Number of Occupants: 224
Bathrooms: Shared by wing
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Mostly singles, some doubles
Special Features: Permit parking available, study rooms, computer lab, games room, overnight security, on-site maintenance staff, overnight security, kitchenette per wing, storage, daytime porter

Molson Hall
Floors: 7
Number of Occupants: 219
Bathrooms: Shared by wing
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Mostly singles
Special Features: Permit parking available, study rooms, computer lab, games room, overnight security, on-site maintenance staff, overnight security, kitchenette per wing, storage, daytime porter

MORE Shared Facility Houses
Floors: Each house is a 3-4 story brownstone
Number of Occupants: 15-30 per house
Bathrooms: 1-2 per floor
Coed: Yes, except for one house each year that is only girls
Room Types: Singles, doubles
Special Features: On-call maintenance person, locked entrance with intercom, full kitchen, common room, laundry room for each house

New Residence Hall (New Rez)
Floors: 12
Number of Occupants: 617
Bathrooms: Shared by room
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Mostly doubles
Special Features: 24-hour security, on-site maintenance staff, computer lab, TV lounge, study room, game room (with pool table, piano, and arcade games), vending machines, storage, tunnel to Shops du Parc

Presbyterian College Residence (Pres Res)
Floors: 2
Number of Occupants: 36
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: Yes
Room Types: Singles Only
Special Features: Building recently acquired through agreement with nearby Presbyterian College. Located directly across from McGill, facing the Milton Gates.

Royal Victoria College (RVC)
Floors: 5–12 per wing
Number of Occupants: 266
Bathrooms: Shared by floor
Coed: No, women only
Room Types: Mostly singles, some doubles
Special Features: Two pianos, study rooms, common rooms, full maintenance and security staff, sheet laundry service available, linens provided, computer lab

Campus-Owned ApartmentsWhat's This?

The Greenbriar
Floors: 6
Number of Units: 96
Bathrooms: Shared by apartment
Coed: Yes, by apartment
Room Types: Single occupancy studio, or double occupancy one-bedroom apartments
Special Features: On-site maintenance staff, locked entrance with intercom, bathroom and kitchen per apartment unit

Solin Hall
Floors: 6-Apr
Number of Units: 280
Bathrooms: Shared by apartment
Coed: Yes, by apartment
Room Types: Studio, 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom apartments
Special Features: On-site maintenance staff, computer lab, TV lounge, study room, games room (with pool table, piano, and arcade games), vending machines, storage, underground parking available, locked entrance with intercom, overnight security, bathroom and kitchen per unit

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at McGill

Name: Kelly Baker

Hometown: Weston, CT

Major: Sociology

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