A Quick Look Into the PARC

Although every residential college can offer you an environment that facilitates learning and a strong sense of community, PARC is a unique combination of everything a Res College should be. 

Building Features:

• It was renovated recently, meaning it has some of the nicest common area, kitchen, rooms, and bathrooms on campus
• From the south-facing windows, we get a nice view of the Mid Quads Courtyard, a colorful garden flanked by white stone sorority houses and the Mid Quad buildings (North and South)
• From the north-facing windows, we get a view right down Orrington Ave, where you can watch the seasons change in the trees that line the sidewalk.

NMQ is also great in terms of location for many reasons:

• We are just a few hundred feet away from two different dining halls: Allison and Foster Walker. There is also a meal exchange option for late night eats at Fran’s Cafe, which is located in Willard.
• The package center is conveniently located in Foster Walker.
• There are 2 gyms nearby: Blomquist Recreation Center, which is just like your traditional gym, and Willard gym, which is a smaller gym with dumbbells and treadmills. 
• Downtown Evanston is in residents’ backyard; PARC is just a five minute walk away from businesses like Kung Fu Tea, Starbucks, Guzman Y Gomez, Taco Bell, Insomnia Cookies, and more. 
• If you are worried about being late to your classes up north, don’t worry, it’s only a 10 minute walk to North Campus.

At PARC, almost everything you need is right next door, if not in PARC itself. But for a Res College to be truly great, it has to be more than a pretty building in a convenient part of Campus; it has to be a community. What really sets PARC apart is the people. Even though our name says “Public Affairs,” the students who live here are diverse in their areas of study. While we have our fair share of SESP and Medill students, each of Northwestern’s six schools is generously represented in PARC’s student population, even McCormick (the walk to Tech from NMQ is really not that bad). Your fellow PARCers will help you grow both academically and personally. Not only will you learn from PARC’s college staff and guest speakers; you will also learn from your fellow PARCers themselves. Students in PARC hold leadership positions in countless organizations on campus, whether for student-run publications, engineering societies, student government, and more. PARC fosters dialogue between students so that ideas can flow freely between us. At PARC you won’t just find a dorm; you’ll find a home.

Welcome to PARC, we can’t wait to meet you!

Last updated 6/21/25. Site managed by Sungmin You. Contact at sungminyou2028@u.northwestern.edu