How to Apply

Step One

Submit an online application form. Take some time to think about it. Or just rush through it before getting back to studying / partying / staring into the void.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

1. You must be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia. Stucco has to do this as one of the few stipulations from the NSW Department of Housing. If you think you may be an exception or are unsure, get in contact.
2. You must be a full-time student (undergraduate or postgraduate) of the University of Sydney (or affiliated campuses). Again, this is one of the few requirements of the University of Sydney. You may be part-time while you apply but must intend to be full-time should you be accepted.

Step Two

Attend THREE Stucco Meetings, at least one of these being a GM. If you are unable to attend 3 meetings for some reason, we can make other arrangements. Shoot us an email or facebook message and we’ll work something out

The idea for this is that you can get a sense of what it is like to live at Stucco; what kind of stuff we talk about when we’re managing the building and community that is our home. Often, Stucco meetings can seem a bit strange when viewed from the outside. Feel free to raise your hand and ask questions as often as you like.

For a quick primer, see our page on about us page to get a sense of how our meetings work.

Oh, and make sure that your attendance is taken down at the meeting you attend.

Step Three

Wait. We will contact you when someone moves out of Stucco. Someone will give you a ring and organise a time to do an interview. We do not keep an ordered waiting list of applicants but rather maintain a pool of applicants, each of whom are contacted when a vacancy arises.

Some applicants interview for several units of Stucco over several months before getting in. Getting into Stucco is not a guarantee and you should not rely on us as an accommodation option. (Although, if you are in an emergency housing situation, see our Temporary Accommodation service.) We always encourage people to continue applying, because we often end up having to decide between several very good applicants who all need affordable student housing.

If you end up taking a lease at another rental accommodation, feel free to stay on our applicant list. We’ll continue getting in contact with you to see whether you want to interview, but our feelings won’t be hurt if applying for Stucco isn’t the right thing for you at that moment. But, there’s a caveat: in order to stay eligible for Stucco, you must come to a meeting once every twelve months after your first three.

Interviews

The interview process is an informal, friendly chat between you and the members of the unit in which there is a vacancy, plus one or two people from the Membership Committee to help guide the interview. When you arrive at STUCCO for your interview, there will usually be a sign at the door telling you to buzz any unit to get in except the one you are interviewing for – this is so the unit interviewing and the applicant being interviewed do not get disrupted. Once you’ve been let in, wait in the hall or the courtyard for your name to be called out. We often run a bit behind and we try our best not to let that happen, but if your interview time comes around and you haven’t been called out yet – don’t worry! We’ll get to you as soon as we can. In the meantime, while you’re waiting, you’re bound to see a ‘Stuccwit’ (or two!) roaming about. Introduce yourself! STUCCO can be an intimidating place when you first arrive but rest assured we are a friendly bunch and members are sure to stop and talk with you.

What happens during the interview, you ask? As mentioned before, the interview will usually consist of the members of the unit interviewing and as well one or two members from the Membership Committee, whose job is to facilitate the interview and help the unit with choosing a new member afterwards. An interview lasts about 10 to 15 minutes and the basic purpose is for the members of the unit to learn a bit more about you and determine whether or not you are the right person for their household. Because we are a co-operative for students from low-medium socio-economic backgrounds, our aim is also to gauge a little bit more about your living and financial situation. For this reason the interview will start with some more formal questions asked by the facilitator/s, who’ll usually firstly check if you are a full-time student at Sydney University, and a permanent resident or Australian citizen, but also ask you about your current living situation and your main source of income . After this initial round of questions, it’ll then be the unit’s turn to ask you some questions to get to know you better. These tend to vary widely from unit to unit so it’s hard to say what you will be asked but they can range from how you like to spend your weekends, to the last book you read, or even the craziest costume you’ve ever worn to a party. Since we are responsible for managing and maintaining STUCCO though, you will also be asked questions relating to how you see yourself getting involved with the co-operative, if you were to get in.

Obviously, the interview process also gives you a chance to learn a little more about the people you might be living with, the way in which the unit runs and what would be expected of you. So don’t be afraid to ask unit members questions! STUCCO also highly considers need –emotional or financial, for example – when selecting applicants, so for this reason at the end of the interview we will also ask you if there is anything you would like to disclose in this regard. Once the interview is over, you will usually be contacted within a week with the outcome of the interview. If you would prefer to be contacted back by email or text, let the Membership facilitator know on the day of the interview.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that all units are different in the way they are run and the people that live there, so you may not be accepted in your first interview. The moral here is – don’t give up! Sometimes it takes people numerous interviews before they find a suitable unit, and new places come up pretty regularly. If you are unsuccessful, then Membership will retain your application indefinitely and continue to notify you when vacancies arise. Even if you have already attended enough meetings to be eligible, it is a good idea to continue to attend General Meetings (held every 15 days) so as to demonstrate your enthusiasm and keep up to date with the goings on of STUCCO.