Interview tips for getting into New Zealand colleges
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Cracking a college admission interview is neither rocket science nor a walk in the park. It is an opportunity for students to know the college and for college to know the student better. Individuals applying to graduate schools in New Zealand can expect an interview in certain cases as it is not compulsary.
Tips to Prepare for College Interview
Here are few handy tips before appearing for an interview.
- Prepare Yourself: Students should prepare themselves for what to say and how to present themselves. They should gather all the information about the college they are applying to, the course they have applied for and the faculty that would teach them at the institute. Most importantly, students must not fumble during the interview.
- Do not panic: Once you have prepared yourself well, you need not worry at all. The admission committee of the college would want to meet the students to know them better, in person. So, if you are getting jitters, calm down.
- Ask questions: It's good to ask questions to your interviewers. It in fact it shows that you possess a keen interest in the college you are applying for. Many times, the interviewer is an alumni of the college, so you can ask them why they chose the college over other colleges and what factor sets the college apart from other colleges.
- Dress suitably: If you are appearing for a face-to-face interview, then you should stay away from jeans and t-shirt. You should never dress casually while going for an interview. You should stick to formals as they are the safest bet. Remember that the interview is your only hope to promote yourself as the best prospective student for a particular course. So you need to project yourself as a sincere candidate who is serious about his/her education.
- Do not give mediocre answers: Students get to choose if the interview is going to be interesting or boring. Make sue yuor answers illicit an interest from the interviewer and you don't give one word answers.
- Get in touch with current students: Students are great help as they have already gone through the same procedure in the college. They will be able to give you practical tips to crack interviews. Beside this, they will also be able to give insights about the college activities and culture.
- Remember to be courteous: Remember to say thank you and sorry. You should switch off your cell phone or put it on silent mode. Do not attend calls during interview. Never lie or make excuses, sound superior or aggressive during the interview.
- Active listening: Pay attention to the interviewer before reaching to a conclusion and answering. Sometimes, due to nervousness or stress aspirants start answering the questions even before listening to the complete question. It is extremely important that you maintain a calm tone. So don't sound defensive or raise your tone.
- Be simple and stick to the point: You must not beat around the bush and should stick to the point. They should maintain a polite tone while answering the questions and emphasize on fostering a friendly conversation with the interviewer. During the conversation, it is better not to bring up irrelevant topics unless one has thorough knowledge on the subject and can strike a relevant conversation on the same.
Basic interview questions asked:
- Why do want to study at this college?
- Why this particular course?
- Tell us something about yourself
- What other colleges have you applied to?
- How can you add value to this course and class?
- Your strengths/weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself 5/10/15 years from now?
- Your interests/hobbies/ achievements?
- Do you have any questions for us?
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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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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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