The Women’s College within the University of Sydney

A: The Women’s College within The University of Sydney is a secular residential community of female scholars – the first in Australia. It offers unrivalled opportunities for enhanced academic, cultural, sporting and professional development.

• Our students refer to Women’s as: “beautiful, supportive, inclusive community” and one that “empowers women and allows students to get involved in university life and extra-curricular programs”

A: Get personal, discuss your own favourite part of the college. We asked our students and their top reasons are: 

Women’s students don’t compete with each other. We support each other!

• We are the ONLY all Women’s college on the USYD campus – so everything we do is for and about Women. Secular, progressive, inclusive.
• Secure environment on the University of Sydney campus – close to everything
• The food! Three meals a day seven days a week – Women’s has the best food on campus
• Tutorial Program led by Academic Teaching Fellows
• Academic Assistants providing guidance and leadership
• Resident Assistants providing pastoral care and support 
• Professional Development and Leadership Programs
• Professional mentoring program.
  • Women’s is the only USYD College to offer mentioning for 3rd year and above students
  • Make connections with women in your own field
  • Massive alumnae network for women for 130 years (other colleges’ alumnae network for women is smaller as women were only introduced into colleges more recently) 
• Leadership opportunities: Women’s students do not need to compete with men who sometimes are allocated more leadership positions than women in colleges

• Lots of leadership training at Women
• Chance to run your own events & programs (staff are just here to support/facilitate

• Very diverse – students come from all different high schools – no big groups of new students coming from any one school
• Bespoke internship program
• Women’s scholarships are means-tested so we support the in most need. Other colleges offer scholarships purely based on merit (eg sporting).
• Resource Centre including library, reference works and study spaces
• Senior Common Room led by a Rhodes Scholar 
• Large alumnae community with professional contacts and global networks
• Extensive social, community service, sport and cultural programs
• Senior staff living on site
• Peer support
• Tutorial rooms
• Common Room facilities
• Clean comfortable rooms
• Clean, women-only bathrooms 
• Music practice rooms
• Post graduate rooms with shared ensuite bathrooms
• Wireless and internet connection

Wellbeing is the responsibility of all the staff of Women’s. A large number of students in third year or above who are elected to House Committee, or appointed to the role of Resident Assistant (RA) or Academic Assistant (AA). Combined, we call this the Senior Leadership Group. The members of the group have different responsibilities, but it works out as about a 1:10 ratio of SLG to students. It’s a very hands-on, wrap-around approach to pastoral care, which has been honed over many years to learn what works best. 

House Committee, the RAs and the AAs work together to make sure that every student is settling in, coping academically and having a good time. To this end we organise a lot of events (big, shiny ones like the formal, but also a lot of smaller low-key events like paint & sips, pizza nights, Sippers, etc.). Every event has members of all groups attending – and bigger ones have staff too – to make sure that everyone is having fun.

The whole Senior Leadership Group has training in RSA and First Aid, fire safety, active listening, responding with compassion etc. All of that is tailored to the particular needs of our community. They have, for instance, a lot of training on helping (and often personal experience) with homesickness, mental health first aid, and the kinds of problems that students face. New students also undertake some training to help them be safer at university, such as the Alcocups program and Consent Matters talks. This year all students will have cultural competence training provided by the Gadigal centre at USyd.

Our main concern at Women’s is that no one ‘slips through the net’. We don’t want our students to just survive university, we want them to really thrive here. RAs live amongst their students and see them every day. If they think a student is having any kind of problem, from a bad break-up to a broken arm, they let the Dean of Students know and she follows up and makes sure the student is getting all the support they need. AAs check in with their students throughout each semester to make sure that they’re coping with their studies, and let the Vice Principal know if the student wants to talk about changing degrees, or just needs more support than they are getting through the College tutorial program. House Committee is elected by the students, and they lead the College. They spearhead College culture, organise all the sporting, cultural and most of the bigger social events. They also run all the student-led committees and interest groups, from the Global Committee, LGBTIQ+ and Allies, Country Committee, Reconciliation Committee, FemCo, Finance Club and the book club Little Women’s. 

A: Definitely. The Women’s College participates in the intercollegiate cultural program called the Palladian Cup and the sporting competition called the Rosebowl. These events are a fun and fiercely contested part of the College calendar. There are also several social competitions, dinners and other activities.

A: Complete the online application form and have your supporting documentation ready to upload to your application.  Your application is not complete until we have received all your documents. Documents required are:

• birth certificate
• latest school report (for school leavers)/university academic transcript (if at university)
• referee form (this is online as part of the application form to be sent to your referee)
• ATAR Advice Notice or equivalent (if applicable, when available)
• University Offer from the University, not from a Tertiary Admissions Centre (when available)

A: Demand for places can be high and we recommend applying as soon as possible after applications open in May. You do not need to wait to receive an offer from University to apply to Women’s.

A: Undergraduate residency applications remain open to provide prospective students with the best opportunity to seek a place at Women’s College. However, as places are limited each year it is recommended that students submit an application as early as possible.  The College is normally fully booked by November, but then some last minute places may arise in Jan/Feb.  Waiting lists are established for late placement opportunities.

A: Yes, each year between 15% and 20% of the College’s new student cohort comprise students who come from international locations. Some are students who intend to study at university under a student study visa. Others are students of expatriate families who hold Australian passports but wish to study in Sydney and live in the College community.

A: The Principal, Vice Principal and Registrar are experienced in understanding and reviewing different national and international school results for the purposes of assessing an applicant’s academic performance. Some of these alternatives can be converted to an ATAR score as part of the final enrolment process, prior to a University offer.

A: A student is selected on the basis of various criteria, which include but are not limited to academic merit, personal and leadership qualities and the capacity to contribute positively to College life, co-curricular activities and the inter-college program. Referee reports and the interview with the Principal and Vice Principal are also contributing factors. Places are offered at The Women’s College at the discretion of the Principal.

A: A student of the Women’s College must be enrolled in full time study at university. 

A: Women’s offers an Affiliate Program for non-resident students. The application process is the same as for a resident, and many of the benefits of College life are also the same. More information is available on the website.

A: No. Only shortlisted applicants are offered an interview.

A: The interview process commences in the first week of May each year. Once the on-line application is complete and the supporting documentation is received, a completed application is assessed for potential interview shortlisting.  Successful applicants are invited to interview and offers are made until all places are filled. Waiting lists are established for late placement before the commencement of an academic year. Interviews are normally conducted in person but may be held on Skype or Zoom if a student is unable to attend (eg is interstate or overseas or during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions). 

A: An offer is made in writing from the Principal to the applicant in one of three offer rounds:

• Early Offers: September
• Main Offers: November
• Late Offers: January (if places are still available)

All offers (residency and affiliation) are conditional on the applicant receiving a full time offer in a course of study at a university within Sydney. 

If a student is not accepted into any full-time course at a university within Sydney by the second round of university offers, then the applicant is refunded their security and key deposit.

A: College fees are separate from your university course or HECS-HELP fee. The fee covers the cost of full board (accommodation and all meals) for the 40-week academic year (or 17 week semester for Affiliates), plus access to the College’s tutorial program and academic assistance, pastoral support and guidance, internet, as well as a student access card and Sydney University Sport and Fitness Membership card for student participation in the intercollegiate sporting and cultural program. The cost of weekly residency for 2023 is approx $770 

A: Yes, an applicant may defer her place for one year to take advantage of a Gap year opportunity, provided that she has been awarded a full time place at university for commencement in that same period.

To hold a place at Women’s College for one year a successful applicant first must have completed and returned a signed residency agreement and paid the current acceptance fee payment

A: Tertiary transcripts are required for previous university study along with birth certificate. Details of a referee will need to be entered into your application. 

A: Yes, scholarships are available at all levels of study for students of merit. Most scholarships also have a requirement of financial need. Specific scholarships for government school students, music performance students, USYD elite athletes, E12 students, indigenous students and affiliate students are available. Students interested in scholarships are advised to look at the College website for information, application requirements and closing dates.  

Applications for the 2023 Scholarship Program will open in May 2022 and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 4 October 2022.

A: The Registrar is responsible for student recruitment and the admissions process at Women’s. Contact details are:

• Anne-Maree McCarthy
• T: 61 2 9517 5018
• E: [email protected]