FAQs

If you are an enrolled or applying student in an undergraduate or postgraduate course, or a staff member (visiting or permanent) at the University of New South Wales, you are eligible to apply for accomodation at the New College Communities. If you are interested in applying, please complete our online application form.

Apply using the online application portal. Please complete all the required steps within the application questionnaire, including submitting a digital photo of yourself. Download the two referee forms (academic and personal). Your referees will need to email these forms to admissions@newcollege.unsw.edu.au before an interview will be arranged. You will need to pay a non-refundable application fee of $50. Once this has been paid, you will be invited to have an interview with the Dean of Residents. In general, this should be done in-person. A phone interview may be arranged if the applicant is unable to travel to Sydney from overseas, interstate or rural parts of NSW.

We require two references:

• Academic reference - from a senior person in your school, course or university
• Personal reference - from a person who has known you for some time e.g. family friend, doctor, sports coach, club official, church minister etc. (The personal referee should not be a family member.)

References should be returned separately to the College, but it is your responsibility to ensure that the references have been sent. We are not able to pursue referees.

Please contact our Admissions Officer for more information about what to do in this case. You may contact them via email (admissions@newcollege.unsw.edu.au) or by calling +61 2 9381 1999.

Once we receive your application, personal reference, academic reference and application fee, you should be contacted within 2 days to arrange an interview with the Dean. The timing of the interview with the Dean will depend on their availability, which is affected by the volume of applicants at any given point.

Admissions occur throughout the year, reflecting the intakes prior to each UNSW term, but principally conducted in the period August-December preceding the new academic year. A late round of interviews in January are also conducted, recognising that many applicants do not receive their offers from UNSW until this time. However, places are more limited and competitive at this time. There are more applicants than available places each year, so we recommend applying as soon as you can.

We attempt to interview all applicants in-person. However, some applicants who live inter-state or overseas are able to have a phone interview. The interview can be an important opportunity not only to meet the Dean, but also to see the facilities in the College.

You do not need to bring anything with you, unless there is something in particular you would like us to note or see. Please dress as you would for any other interview.

The Dean of Residents conducts most interviews. The interview normally takes around 30 minutes, and there is opportunity to see the College if you have not already done so. Tours can always be conducted either before or after the interview.

In general, we endeavour to respond within 10 working days. Please contact the admissions officer at admissions@newcollege.unsw.edu.au if you have any concerns.

We consider a number of factors, including academic performance, school/community service, leadership positions, awards, activities in sport/music/art, and special needs of various kinds. Overall, we try to assess how an applicant will contribute to the College community. We also like to have a mix of faculties and courses represented, as well as a mix of places of origin. In addition, the College seeks to serve particular UNSW programs, such as Scientia Scholarships, the Co-op Program, Rural Entry programs, and the Nura Gili Programs. At New College Postgraduate Village, priority is given to postgraduate students.

While you will be able to express a preference for which community you desire to live in, and this preference will be taken into consideration, the Admissions Office in consultation with the Deans will ultimately determine which College you are more suited to, and offers of membership will be made accordingly. For more guidance on which community will be most suitable for you, please review our Accommodations Options.

There is not a strict order of priority for the waiting list. Different people have different needs and circumstances, which we always consider when offering interviews or places from the waiting list. There is always the possibility of being offered a place in College right up until the commencement of the given term. However, you should pursue other options if you are on the waiting list, in case you are not able to get a place at New College. The Dean will always try to give you an honest understanding of your chances of being made an offer at any given point.

If you receive an offer, you will be emailed the necessary documentation for accepting your offer, and you will be asked to make an initial payment, which will cover your bond and a deposit towards your accommodation fees.There may also be additional charges, such as an O'Week fee, and a Students' Association fee to be covered before arrival at College.

Yes, scholarships are available and they differ between the two Colleges. Unfortunately, our resources do not permit us to offer international scholarships.

In most cases, yes. The initial bond and deposit payment will need to be paid in order to hold your place. Deferral is not guaranteed, however, and does not usually apply for late offers or offers made in the middle of the year.

It depends on the reason. If you are not successful in being offered a place at UNSW then, generally, we will provide a refund of the bond and the deposit, less a $250 administrative fee. If you simply decide to take some other accommodation after signing the contract, we are not obligated to provide a refund or release you from your contractual obligations. If you are offered membership of New College, you will receive a contract which outlines a number of scenarios and how a request to withdraw are processed.