We believe that the college experience is more than just excelling academically. It’s also about creating friendships and experiences that will shape your future beyond your college years.
We have something for everyone from intercollege sports, theatre, music and a constantly evolving social calendar.
We are a welcoming community of diverse individuals with unique interests, which means there is something for everyone here.
3 home-cooked meals, 7 days a week (We are known for our food!)
Free onsite gym & laundry, plus a full unimelb gym membership
Fast and reliable wireless internet
Provisional offers, for peace of mind
39 weeks of accommodation, there's no need to move out mid-year
Modern rooms - clean, fresh and comfortable
Student kitchen - bond over a warm cup of milo or bake something that tastes like home.
Thrive here
Our tutors are committed to supporting you with your academic goals with 80 tailored tutorials every week, across most subjects.
Plus, educational programs to prepare you for an employable future.
Belong here
With just over 230 residents that call Hilda’s home, you are guaranteed to find your tribe!
We have a bustling community with a full-year social calendar; there's always something happening!
Find your way to get involved with options across music, sports, arts and theatre.
Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which our college is situated We pay our respect to all the Elders of Indigenous students and staff who call St Hilda's home
We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community, the University of Melbourne, and the wider world
Hello & welcome to
St Hilda's
St Hilda’s College is a community of passionate students from around the country and the world who are dedicated to making a positive impact on those around them. Whether you’re a passionate musician, mathematician, athlete, thespian, activist or poet, you will find a home at St Hilda’s.
Our college is not one where we have a prescribed archetype of a student. What makes us special is the diversity of student interests and backgrounds that all come together to create a truly life-changing experience. We celebrate you as an individual and allow your own personal interests and motivations to come to the surface and influence the way we collectively shape our community, events and culture.
I am always inspired by the individual contributions of our students each year and I can’t wait to see the impact you might have.
James "Jimmy" Hardiman Principal
What is a college?
Unless you know someone who has lived at a residential college, chances are you may not understand what it's all about and how it's different to other types of student accommodation.
At the University of Melbourne there are 10 residential colleges and each one has its own history, sense of identity and style.
We believe that a College experience is not only great for the opportunities it provides, but also for all of the support that you receive while you are studying and transitioning into adulthood.
A college experience isn't just about having somewhere to sleep and eat while you are at uni. Yes, you'll have a room and we'll make sure you're fed, but college life is so much more than that!
At College, you will become part of a community that is full of young people who, like you, are embarking on their post-secondary studies. Living together, you will gain lifelong friends and learn from one another. You will celebrate one another's successes and support each other through the inevitable challenges that come with leaving home, studying your chosen degree and finding yourself.
Not only will you have a community of peers behind you, you'll also have a dedicated team of college staff whose job it is to make sure that you are set up for success. Not only will they provide 24/7 wellbeing support but you will also be supported through extensive academic programs designed to give you an edge at university and beyond. Plus, you'll become part of an amazing alumni community!
College opportunities at a glance
No matter which college you attend, the range of opportunities and services available to you is comprehensive. They include:
Sports Competitions
Arts and Cultural activities, events and competitions
Volunteering programs and events
Social events
Special-interest groups and clubs
Leadership opportunities and programs
Proximity to the university campus
Fully-catered meals
Academic tutorial programs designed to supplement your university subjects
Wellbeing support from dedicated college staff
Entry into the alumni network
Access to communal social spaces, study spaces and music spaces
Security systems
24/7 onsite staff for peace of mind
A college experience means that your university educational journey becomes truly well-rounded.
Our Principal, Jimmy likes to use an ice-cream analogy when talking about choosing a college. Most people like ice-cream, but not everyone has the same preference of flavour and it's by testing different ones that we decide on our favourite.
We think you should adopt a similar approach to choosing the best college for you. Look at all the websites, visit the ones that stand out to you and chances are you'll get a feel for which one you think will be your best fit! Whichever one you choose, we know you will be well-supported.
What makes St Hilda's special?
Now we are obviously biased and think that St Hilda's is THE place to be, but what makes us so proud of what we have to offer?
Our age & informality
The first thing to know about us is our age. Compared to our neighbours along the crescent, we're pretty young. In fact, we are only celebrating our 60th Anniversary in 2024!
Having been established in the 1960s, our age sets the tone for a lot of things about St Hilda's. For example, you'll notice that while we are very proud of our history and the people who started our community, we don't have too many formalities. While we do all come together for a meal at least once a week in our Dining Hall, this is a fairly informal occasion and is more about our community coming together rather than standing on ceremony.
Because our buildings are relatively young, this also means that we can make changes to accommodate our students. For us, this includes upgrading rooms every five to seven years. Plus, all of our third-year students get their own ensuite and most of our second-year students enjoy a 2-1 ratio of bathrooms as well. This is one of the best of all the colleges!
Almost all of our first-year students use shared bathrooms but enjoy the built-in friend that comes with our 'sinkie' rooms; a shared sink room between two private bedrooms.
Our size
The next thing that we think is special about us is our size. With just under 240 students each year calling St Hilda's home, we are a bit of a 'Goldilocks' college; not too big and not too small. With a number like this we are confident that you will get to know everyone who lives here, but you'll also be able to find your own group of people.
Our diversity
Our size also influences the third thing that we think is special about us; our diversity. St Hilda's is deliberate about making sure our student cohort is diverse so that you get the best possible experience. This means we aim to make sure that our students come from lots of different schools, from different regions and are studying different degrees.
Around 50% of our students come from Victoria, with most of them coming from rural and regional parts of the state.
Our students come from state schools, independent schools, Catholic schools and international schools.
Some practicalities
It's also worth pointing out a couple of other practical things that we think are pretty great about St Hilda's, especially for our students who come from somewhere outside of Melbourne (that's most of them!):
No mid-year moving out - a room at St Hilda's is for the full academic year! Early interviews & Provisional offers - we start interviewing early in the year and offer a limited number of provisional offers for students in unique circumstances. Interviewing early means one less thing to stress about in your final year of school.
Family - oriented
We know that leaving home for university is a big step, not just for you but also for your families.
At St Hilda's we recognise that the first few weeks, months and even years away from home are a big period of transition. We encourage our students to use their time at college as an opportunity to gain the confidence that they need to become independent adults. But we also want to make room for those families who want to be part of the journey.
There are two events each year that we really encourage our students' families to be a part of:
Welcome Saturday
This is our move-in day each year for new students. We make a day of it with a shared lunch and opportunities for our newest families to get to know our staff and get a sense of where their student will be living.
Family weekend
This weekend comprises one of our most-anticipated events of the year, our Paddock to Plate evening. This event includes a gala dinner to raise money for a worthy cause and is also our chance to showcase produce from within our wider community and/or our local businesses.
Current students, their family and friends are invited each year to purchase tickets to this event, share in the festivities and chance their luck with our lucky-door prizes, raffle and charity auction. The weekend culminates with a shared brunch on the Sunday.
We Hilda's
Want to hear about Hilda's from someone closer to your own age?
As we've mentioned, our students come from lots of different parts of Australia and from overseas.
No matter where they are from, they have one thing in common; they LOVE Hilda's!
But don't take our word for it, scan the QR code below to hear directly from our students. Who knows, maybe they hail from somewhere near your little part of the world!
Who are our students?
Hilda's is made up of a diverse group of students. Here's a quick snapshot of who you might meet when you join our community.
We come from
Every state and territory in Australia and our international students come from 10 different countries.
And our domestic students are a mix of 60% from rural/regional areas and 40% from metropolitan cities.
We are
68% female-identifying I 31% male-identifying I 1% non-binary
We 're studying
20 different courses including:
Agriculture
Arts
Arts/Law
Arts/Teaching
Arts/Urban Planning
Biomedicine
Biomedicine/Law
Commerce Design
Fine Arts
Music
Oral Health
Science
Science/Data Science
Science/Engineering
Science/Law
Science/Veterinary Medicine
Most of us study at The University of Melbourne but a small number of us at RMIT and Monash Pharmacy.
We are an Undergraduate only College and we are spread across the three year levels.
In 2023, our first year cohort made up around 57% of our total student body, followed by around 35% in their second year and around 8% of our students in their third and final year.
Overall, the diversity of our student body means that you will get to know lots of different people while you are here at St Hilda's!
Supporting student wellbeing
Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at St Hilda's.
We believe that if students are happy, healthy, connected, supported, empowered and having fun, they are set up for success at university.
Our student wellbeing program encompasses everything that we do to meet the personal, academic and social needs of our students. The program empowers students to develop their 'whole' person, not just one (academic) part. We recognise, value, celebrate and mentor each student as a total and unique person.
St Hilda's Wellbeing Program
This program is designed to support the holistic development of all students. It gives students an opportunity to connect and make new friends, to be challenged and try new things and to become resilient, empowered, helpseeking adults.
We encourage our students to get involved in college life, challenge themselves, broaden their world views and learn new skills.
We have a multitude of ways that students can look after their physical, social and emotional health, as you will see from our Wheel of Wellbeing approach.
Support structures
We know that moving to Melbourne and starting university is super exciting but it can also be challenging. This is why our students have multiple people they can connect with who will proactively support and mentor them during their time in College. Our Student Wellbeing team includes Resident Advisors (RAs), Senior Resident Advisors (SRAs), the Associate Dean, the Dean of Students and the Principal. This team is trained in mental health and physical first aid and the College encourages students to seek them out if they need support.
What is an RA and SRA?
Our RAs are a team of outstanding 3rd year students who facilitate the academic, social and cultural life of the College alongside the St Hilda's staff. They act as both a support person and role model to all students. The RA role isn't a disciplinary one, but rather a culture setter, role modelling and promoting a healthy, inclusive and safe college culture for all.
Our SRAs are post-graduate students or practising professionals living in residence. They bring a depth of experience and wisdom to the community and provide valuable support and mentoring to our students.
SRAs work closely with the Dean of Students, the Principal and the Associate Dean to ensure that all students receive appropriate wellbeing and academic support, as well as professional development.
Availability
The RAs and SRAs are allocated a residential block and have designated students they mentor and support. However, we encourage every student to seek out anyone they feel comfortable with as the student wellbeing team will provide support to anyone who needs it.
Every student at St Hilda's College is connected with their SRA and RA through weekly block suppers. These provide an informal opportunity for guidance and support. In addition, the SRAs schedule one-to-one conversations with every student at least once per semester as a check in.
An on-call RA or SRA is rostered on for emergency or wellbeing support out of business hours. The Dean and Principal are always available to speak to students.
While they are studying or working alongside their St Hilda's role, our SRAs are involved in the everyday life of the college and are committed to mentoring our students to become healthy, empowered, resilient and self-determined individuals.
Depending on their area of expertise, our SRAs are often involved in our Academic Program as subject-specialist tutors or through the facilitation of workshops. Many of our SRAs have lived in a college setting during their own undergraduate studies and are therefore uniquely placed to guide and advise our students as they transition from their high school years into their young adult years.
Wheel of Wellbeing
Our SRAs and RAs work together to provide opportunities for all students to connect with each other and develop holistic wellbeing skills through our Wheel of Wellbeing initiatives.
Academic Program
A college experience means that your academic support structures aren't just limited to what the university is offering.
Tutorials
At St Hilda's we employ over 30 tutors who conduct approximately 80 different tutorials. Our tutors are Masters students, PhD candidates or work full-time in their field of expertise.
Tutorials are capped at 12 students so that you can receive tailored support to complement your uni experience. Our tutorial program runs for 12 weeks for any subject that has 3+ people enrolled. Each tutorial runs for 1 hour per week from Week 2. If a tutorial for a particular subject is not running at St Hilda's, we will find intercollegiate support for you on request.
Additional support
Throughout the semester, you can also request 1:1 support, including dedicated support for any subject-specific requirements, that is additional to what is provided in your tutorials.
We also provide support for enrolling in appropriate subjects and ensuring correct minor/major pathways, as well as assist you with applications of special consideration, academic adjustment plans and other university-based supports.
Workshops
Throughout the semester, a number of workshops are offered by our tutors, staff, fellows group and various members of our alumni.
Recent examples of workshops have included:
Essay writing and planning
Effective study techniques
Time management
GAMSAT support
Internship applications
Medicine interviews
General interviewing skills and resume development
We also host study nights in the dining hall during SWOTVAC.
Hilda's Headstart
As someone who is about to get started on their journey post high school, you might be wondering how you can gain an edge in today's competitive job market.
Look no further than Hilda's Headstart! This is our flagship employability and leadership program designed to give you a head start in building the skills and experiences that employers seek.
What is it?
Hilda's Headstart offers a holistic development program that focuses on a range of topics, including self-understanding, justice, ethics, strategy and reasoning, building and maintaining relationships and employability-related skills. Our workshops, seminars and interactive activities are designed to equip you with the tools you need to succeed in today's workforce, no matter your field of study.
Developmental approach
We understand that our students will be at different stages of their journey as they move through their undergraduate program. That's why we tailor Hilda's Headstart in a way that best caters for each year of your undergraduate study. This means that as you move along the program, you will develop and build upon your skills along the way.
First Year
In your first year with us, you will focus on goal-setting, time management, selfawareness and personal branding - all key skills that will help you succeed both in your academic pursuits and in your future career
Our experienced facilitators will guide you through these topics with practical exercises and interactive discussions that will help you build a solid foundation for success.
Second Year
As you progress into your second year, you'll dive deeper into finding internships, design thinking, empathy, working with others, growth mindset and resilience, as well as leadership archetypes.
These skills will help you stand out in the crowd, whether you're pursuing internships, extracurricular activities or leadership positions on campus.
Third Year
In your third year, we'll focus on preparing you for life outside of College. You'll receive mock assessment center training, industry-based mentorship, and other resources to help you navigate the graduate application process and launch your career with confidence.
Rest assured, Hilda's Headstart is an employability and leadership program designed for you!
What is offered?
The diagram below provides an overview of the various workshops, seminars and interactive activities that are run by our staff, fellows and external training providers, to give you a headstart in your professional development!
Cost vs Benefit
Living away from home is expensive no matter where you live We've done the numbers and we think living at St Hilda's will likely cost between $5-10k more than if you lived in a share house or private unit So, what makes it worth the extra $$$?
A place at College means you have the luxury of knowing where you will be living You won't have to worry about finding a rental property in a crowded market
Cooking for yourself and doing the groceries each week takes up lots of time! At College all your meals are catered for: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks 7 days per week!
CERTAINTY
We use a fob system for access to St Hilda's and each student room has its own fob We also have a dedicated team who live on site 24/7 We'll even receive your mail & packages securely for you!
We want St Hilda's to be your home away from home This includes a dedicated team of staff who live onsite & are here to help you navigate university & the transition to adulthood
Included in your College fees is access to our extensive academic support program, including weekly tutorials for your uni subjects to give you an edge!
Gym, plenty of chill out spaces, loads of study spaces, library, music rooms, design studio, printing facilities, unlimited internet, Foxtel , pool table, BBQ area, the list goes on!
Don't like to clean? No worries! Our housekeeping & maintenance teams keep Hilda's (and your room) looking beautiful You just need to look after your own washing via our free laundries 4 FULLYSERVICED
With the university right outside our back gate you can roll out of bed and be at class in minutes! No need for a car or paying for public transport
Not only will you not have to worry about setting yourself up with furniture, appliances, kitchenware, etc living at College means your electricity and Internet is sorted too! 1 3 5 7 9 2
Living at St Hilda's means living with around 230 new friends! With this many people around and all the extra-curricular opportunities you'll have, we're pretty confident you won't get bored!
Scholarships Program
At St Hilda's we have a range of scholarships in the areas of Financial Needs-Based Access Scholarships and Academic and Leadership Scholarships.
Financial Needs-Based Access Scholarships
These scholarships are awarded on a range of criteria to students who could otherwise not afford residence at St Hilda's College. Applicants for these scholarships must complete the scholarship application form as well as the Financial Assistance Form to demonstrate their level of financial need. These forms are strictly confidential.
Academic and Leadership Scholarships
These scholarships are awarded to students following a panelbased decision-making process that considers academic results and other attributes that reflect the values of St Hilda's College.
In 2024, we provided over $700k in financial support to almost 40% of our student cohort!
While academic merit and results are a core part of our decision-making, this holistic process ensures that we can celebrate amazing academic results while also remaining committed to our founding principle of providing an educational experience for a diverse community of students, regardless of where you come to us from
The practicalities
We have a range of needs-based access scholarships which cater for both incoming (new) and current (returning) students. As many of our scholarships support students across the duration of their time at St Hilda's, some scholarships may not be open in every calendar year.
Once your intercollegiate form has been received, you will be sent an individualised link to allow you to apply for scholarships. Unless otherwise noted, written applications are required for our scholarships.
The full list of our scholarships is available on our website and includes information around the value of each scholarship and the various eligibility requirements.
If you require financial assistance to come to college but do not qualify for one of the scholarships listed on our website, you may be eligible for a bursary.
We know the application process for university and college can feel
Hilda's Live Tours
Like what you've seen so far? Keen to find out more about life at Hilda's?
Our Hilda's Live Tours are student-led and allow you to see for yourself what it's like to be part of our community.
And, if you can't make it down to Melbourne in person, our students will happily run your tour through their phones!
Just scan the QR code below to register for a tour and we will be in touch!
Like what you see and know Hilda's is the place for you?
Applications for the Colleges at the University of Melbourne is a streamlined process. Just follow the steps below:
Step 1
Complete the University of Melbourne College and Halls of Residence Application. Once you have submitted your application, listing us as your first preference, the intercollegiate office will notify us.
Intercollegiate protocol requires applicants apply through the central application portal.
Step 2
Send your supporting documents through the to Admissions team. Once you've submitted your application, you will be asked to send the following documentation to us via our Admissions Portal:
Most recent school report
Application fee of $75.00AUD
A personal and academic reference will also be required (a link will be forwarded to your nominated referees for them to complete)
ATAR or final school year results and University letter of offer (once available)
Step 3
We will contact you with further instructions once we receive your application and documents. Applicants will be sent a Prospective Student Questionnaire, requesting information about your course and career aspirations, academic interests, extracurricular activities, employment and work experience, participation in student exchange programs, leadership experiences and non-academic achievements (we don't expect you to have done all of these things!).
