College Selection Process for New Zealand
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Planning to head to New Zealand to pursue higher studies, but haven’t selected a potential college yet? Here is an article to help you out.
It is always wise to weigh your options well before zeroing upon a college, especially when you’re heading to a new country all together. We give you the most important factors to consider while choosing a college on the Island country.
6 Steps to choosing a college in New Zealand
College Rankings
Research well about potential colleges before reaching a decision. Factors like college’s highest (and lowest) acceptance rate, best programs, most international students, value for money should be taken into account. Ratings like QS World University ratings can be considered to evaluate the colleges, as these international ratings give students a clear picture about the colleges.
Here are a few top New Zealand colleges based on popular courses (source: QS World Rankings)
| Top Law colleges in New Zealand |
|||
| University of Auckland University of Canterbury |
Victoria University of Wellington The University of Auckland University of Otago University of Canterbury University of Waikato |
The University of Auckland University of Otago |
The University of Auckland University of Canterbury University of Waikato Victoria University of Wellington University of Otago |
Size of a college
It is important to inquire about the strength of the colleges, the number of faculty members, students etc. to know more about the environment of the college and analyse the pros and cons of the institute.
Financial Factors
This is the factor, which more or less determines a student’s choice of college – the finances required to study in a college. One must consider the finances required for tuition fee, the boarding, and study material, before applying for education loans.
Facilities available
While a good college would offer an idyllic academic environment, social environment, athletic and other extracurricular opportunities, location, placements and a good faculty to contribute to a student’s personal growth, a poor college would fail to do so. Hence when choosing a college it is wise to scrutinize the facilities it offers beforehand.
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Campus activities
It would not be wrong to say that a college stays in limelight for its academic achievements, its placements, its accomplished alumni, fraternity and of course its campus activities. Thus, when researching about a college it is beneficial to keep a tab about its campus activities too.
Academic requirement
Last but not the least. All the research would go in vain if your college does not offer recognised and the best education in your chosen field. Hence, a good college must offer an apt study environment and expertise in your chosen field.
Commonly asked questions
With a good educational system, excellent quality of life, and a number of research opportunities, New Zealand offers a lot to international students. Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand has a 39 percent population of overseas citizens, making it a culturally diverse city. Moreover, the post-study work visa in New Zealand can offer up to three years of stay back. As per Stats New Zealand, its unemployment rate is 3.4 percent. Students enrolled in a course of 12 months or more can also work part-time in New Zealand for up to 20 hours a week during the semester and holidays.
The tuition fees that a student would need to pay will depend on the type of qualification and the university they are looking at to pursue their education. While courses such as humanities, education, and arts are likely to cost less pursuing subjects such as medicine and engineering costs on the higher side.
The below table sheds light on the tuition fee charged level-wise in New Zealand from international students applying to their universities:
Study Program Level | Annual Costs in NZD |
|---|---|
Diploma or Certificate courses | NZD 23,000 - NZD 47,000 |
English Language courses | NZD 350 (per week) |
Undergraduate degree | NZD 22,000 - NZD 32,000 |
Master's degree | NZD 26,000 - NZD 37,000 |
Doctoral degree | NZD 6,500 - NZD 9,000 |
The cost of living does not includes only the tuition fee but also other expenses like textbooks, NON-tuition fee, accommodation cost and other personal expenses. The moment a student lands in New Zealand, they need to pay $35 international visitor and tourism conservation levy. The living cost can vary as per the accommodation option, location and personal spending habits.
In addition to your tuition and insurance fees, you will need between $20,000 and $25,000 per year ($380–480 per week) for accommodation/rent, food expenses, transportation costs, phone bills, internet usage and entertainment.
New Zealand is one of the top destinations for international students going abroad for higher education. All of eight universities in New Zealand are ranked among the top 3% universities in the world. New Zealand education sets up students with a globally recognised qualification and real-world skills. Each year thousands of students from India apply for various universities in the New Zealand. As per Govt. of India, there are more than 2,500 Indian students that went to study in 2022 in various universities in New Zealand.
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Starting research
Shortlisting colleges
Exam preparation
SOP/LOR writing
Scholarship & finance
Visa application
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae
Aishwarya Bhatnagar is a specialised content curator with 8+ years of experience in EdTech content, particularly in studying abroad. She is a Study Abroad Expert at Shiksha.com (InfoEdge India Ltd) si
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