New Zealand College Admissions: the Process is Surprising

The email was clear and straightforward. But it seemed to be missing a critical detail. Scholarship applications for university* were due on this date. Resident hall applications were due on that date. But what about the applications to university itself? Did we miss an email? An important deadline? Did we completely screw this up with our American bias?!? (Insert mini freak-out here) The answer, thankfully, is no. The road to uni is different here and we had a lot to learn. New Zealand College Admissions: the Process is Surprising.

University for all: all who make the cut, that is.

Students have to qualify for university enrolment (one “l,” not two, which still drives me crazy…) by completing high school. This makes sense, of course, but that was the end of our understanding. Fortunately, the boys’ dean came to our rescue and filled us in on critical admission details:

1. SAT’s and ACT’s are not a thing in New Zealand.
2. Students must take at least three courses designated as “University Enrolment” (again, one “l”…), or “UE” for short, and then earn 14 credits in each of at least three of those classes. Students who achieve this status are then eligible for university. Credits are earned along the way through various assessments and projects, so earning full credits is not dependent on passing or failing a class at the end of term. In fact, if a student gets all 14 credits before the final “external” exam, they can opt out of that exam entirely.
3. Students who achieve “UE” can enrol (grrrr!) in any university. That’s right. The university has to take you. No pressure or anxiety surrounds getting accepted into your first choice. There are exceptions, but this is true for the major universities.

The real pressure, however, comes when applying for residence halls.

It’s a bit like going Greek, without the recruitment parties.

If you went through Rush, or Greek Recruitment, as a budding coed, you remember the spectacle. The lavish decorations. The well-choreographed songs and skits. The unnerving poise of members as they performed the “rush sit.” Yes, performed. Perfecting the dreaded “rush sit” had its own slot on the recruitment prep timetable.

So think of Recruitment, only toned-back. By, well, a lot.

As part of uni visits, we were able to visit residence halls. Some put their best foot forward, handing out treats and glossy brochures, and others…didn’t. But while the former didn’t involve stage-worthy performances or uncomfortable sitting positions, we did learn a lot about what made each hall unique. And unique they were.

One looked like Hogwarts with a towering library.

Another had sweeping views of the city.

And a third transformed its previous life as a maternity hospital into a tight-knit home.

One even had a resident Labrador Retriever named Ace.

All have good food (and a toast station!), in- and inter-house activities, tutors, and wardens (yup, that’s what they’re called) who look out for their residents.

What makes this “rush”-like is how each hall has its own unique vibe. Incoming students rank their top 2 or 3 on a formal application that is submitted to these halls for review. While university enrolment doesn’t require them (remember, if you get the credits, you’re in), hall applications do require a recommendation from the high school dean, as well as a brief personal statement from each applicant. From there, the halls select the kids they feel would fit well into their mix.

It’s a selection process more rigorous than getting into university in the first place.

What’s more, the halls are almost exclusively for first-year students. Upper-level students generally find a flat to share with friends.

Commit, and get your first year free.

Americans, if only.

In New Zealand, the cost of attending the first year of university is free to residents and citizens.

Really.

That said, only the fees are freebies, not room and board (which can cost upwards of $18,000 NZ, or about $10,800 U.S. for the year), or supplies. Still, that’s a damn good deal considering that many single degrees only take three years total. However, these are not liberal arts degrees. Once you decide your degree path, you take only the courses that relate to that. There are no required electives to round out your education.

However, if the wallpapered wall in the student union is to be believed, Uni offers heaps of experiences outside the classroom. Archery, martial arts, vegan club, you name it. While you won’t take English Lit as a science major, the options to broaden your horizons abound at New Zealand universities.

On the opposite side of the world, even going to uni is different.

It’s not just driving on the left as opposed to the right, or national healthcare as opposed to pricey healthcare plans, getting into college is also, in many ways, very different from what we Americans are accustomed to.

Even the wording gives it away: Students enrol in university, they don’t apply for admission. Students select their school, not the other way around (as long as they meet the nationally-established entrance requirements).

To our immense relief, we learned we hadn’t missed a critical deadline. Students do apply for their residence hall before they complete formal university enrolment. And they receive their residence hall placement before enrolment forms are due. Why?

I’ve no idea. This seems counterintuitive…especially when some students may not even get all the credits they need to go to university in the first place.

But the system works. And we’re grateful to a patient and understanding dean who meets with our kids to make sure they understand the process and are on track to achieve “UE” and “enrol” in “Uni.” Because, as we learned, New Zealand College Admissions: the Process is Surprising.

*Kids in New Zealand don’t go to college after high school, they go to university. “College” is a term used much in the way it is in the UK: “college” can mean either “high school” or, in the case of one university my son toured, “residence hall.”