Housing & Dining
Source: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/campus-life/housing-and-dining/ Parent: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/application/
Where A House Becomes A Home
At UChicago, your Housemates are your study partners, teammates, and most importantly, friends. Whether you’re sharing a quick bite in a dining hall or exploring downtown Chicago, these moments of community are critical to the UChicago experience.
UChicago’s Residential Campus
When you become a student at the University of Chicago, you join a campus community alive with friendship and intellectual energy. UChicago's seven residence halls host 48 distinct Houses, each with their own traditions, House Council, dedicated table in one of four dining halls, and residential staff. The Houses have 80 students on average—though they can range from 60 to 100 students—from all four years in the College, all around the world, and all areas of study. Each House has its own Weekly House meetings, study breaks, and intramural sports teams, while trips bring students together for cultural and recreational activities downtown or through Chicago's distinct neighborhoods.
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Housing Selection and Requirements
The University of Chicago is a residential campus for college students, and all entering first-year students are required to live in on-campus housing during their first two academic years. Transfer students are required to live in housing for their first academic year at UChicago. Room assignments in the Houses are intentionally made so that each House includes a cross section of the University population, with students from various states and countries who have diverse academic and extracurricular interests.
Before the Autumn Quarter, admitted students have the opportunity to share preferences on their housing application that are considered during the housing assignment process. Students will answer questions about their sleeping and study habits, their vision for the space, how they engage with others, and preferences about room types.
All residence halls are mixed gender with the exception of designated same gender floors/sections. Same gender and gender inclusive housing options are available in each residence hall. Gender inclusive housing assignments can be made within any multi-occupancy room, such as a double, suite or apartment, that is not part of a same gender floor/section. Same gender and gender inclusive housing preferences may be indicated within the housing application process.
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House Traditions and Events
Housing & Residence Life gives students both the structure and the freedom to build a comfortable and exciting life as part of a community. Houses are the setting of both informal community time such as impromptu study sessions, video game tournaments, or board game nights, and planned activities. Students decide together what activities the House will do, so you are certain to have new experiences you'd never have discovered on your own! Throughout the year, students can participate in events centered around community service and sustainability, around competition for the House Olympics and the House Cup, and around a college student's favorite activity, free food!
Learn more about housing through Residence Life.
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Support
Each House serves as an additional support system for students through their Resident Staff.
#### Resident Heads
Resident Heads are advanced graduate students, faculty, or University staff who reside in each of the Houses. They and their families open their homes to House meetings, cheer on the House's teams, host study breaks (with free food!), and are there to support and provide resources to all students.
#### Resident Assistants
Resident Assistants (RAs), who are usually third- or fourth-year students, also live in the House. As advanced students, RAs know the ropes around campus and offer younger students the benefit of their experience.
#### Resident Deans
Resident Deans are senior faculty who strive to make the intellectual life of the University and the cultural life of Chicago part of the daily lives of their student residents. They host community-wide events like dinners, receptions, outings to the symphony or the opera, and informal discussions with luminaries from all corners of University.
Woodlawn Residential Commons
Campus North
Snell-Hitchcock
International House
Max Palevsky
Renee Granville-Grossman
Burton-Judson
Dining
UChicago students have access to a huge range of options through four dining commons, a dozen campus coffee shops, and a wide variety of other eateries within walking distance. Most students living in the Houses enjoy an unlimited and continuous dining plan, with delicious and nutritious options for any diet. Explore all our Dining Locations
Meal Plan
The UChicago Dining program provides healthy, well-prepared meals while also providing the flexibility desired by students. All first-year students have a meal plan that gives continuous and unlimited access to the dining hall.
All meal plans have two components: meals swipes and Maroon Dollars. Meal swipes include meals eaten in the campus dining commons, while Maroon Dollars may be spent either for additional meals in the dining commons or at select retail locations on campus.
After their first year, students choose the Meal Plan that best suits their individual dining needs and lifestyle.
Flexibility
The dining hall menus change on a daily basis, and all dining commons offer a variety of options including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, Zabiha Halal, and Glatt-certified Kosher stations. UChicago Dining publishes Daily Menus so that students know exactly what's on the menu and can check for specific allergens.
Student who want a coffee, pastries, or grab-n-go items can stop by one of our five student run cafes or one of three specialty coffee shops.
Want to break up your daily routine? Stop by the food trucks on South Ellis Avenue! If you're looking for a boxed mac and cheese, stop by either the Maroon or Midway Market!
Students enjoy "continuous dining" seven days a week. You may come and go at any point, thanks to all-day at the dining commons from open until close.
Saturday dinner is not offered in the dining commons; many Houses use this opportunity to plan House dinners and off-campus cultural events. If you want to explore with your family, or a group of friends, check out some of our favorite restaurants.
UChicago Virtual Tour
Learn about UChicago Housing and more on our virtual tour!