<p>So after looking into the different options for housing at McGill I've pretty much fallen in love with two specific places. Is there a high chance I will get my first choice? If not, is there a way to be listed for a spot in case someone leaves? Thanks</p>
<p>You are guaranteed to get SOME residence if you are a freshman. However it is unlikely that you will get your first choice of residence (unless you’ve won an entrance scholarship). McGill follows a lottery based system to assign residences to non-scholarship students. The way it works is, each student is assigned a random rank number. Students are then considered for their preferred residences in order of their rank (lowest to highest). </p>
<p>For example if you have rank 500, then McGill will first consider the preferences of the 499 students before you, and then consider yours.</p>
<p>As you can see, the process is somewhat random and luck-based so it is unlikely you will get your first choice especially if you apply to the more popular residences.</p>