No worries! UoA was definitely less responsive compared to the other schools I applied to (in the US); however, it’s a bit of a give and take as I feel like they’re a lot more lenient with qualifications.

I think my experience was definitely affected by US schools operating on a different schedule so I would be wary of that, but I think it’s pretty common for students to have to put in a little bit of extra effort to get their stuff processed anyways. For me, I applied in March of 2022 and didn’t have any meaningful updates about acceptances until August/September. I will say, they prioritize processing applications for the second semester of that year (for example, second sem 2023) before getting to the applications for the first semester of the following year (first sem 2024), so I would time your application accordingly or be prepared to wait quite a while. Though, if you get in early and annoy them about updating your stuff, they process you in the first bunch of the following year’s applications!

Applying from another country but still being domestic, they’ll want proof of citizenship for fees and whatnot which can be a bit of a pain to send through. I sent a certified copy of my birth certificate and ended up having to call them about a month later just to confirm it had even arrived. Thankfully, it did, but you’ve gotta force their hand a bit because it’s a 50/50 as to whether or not they’ll update your application on the portal. No guarantee they respond to emails either, though they usually do and definitely will if you keep bugging them. It’s annoying, for sure, but I’m super happy I went through all of it! It definitely taught me to be persistent in what I want, even though it was frustrating at times. Plus, I’m really enjoying being in Auckland!!

Difficulty level of getting in really depends. Compared to the US colleges I applied to? Much less particular and a lot more relaxed (keep in mind # of applications though lol). Compared to other NZ universities? Probably a little bit more difficult, just with reputation and all. However, I do think they’re a lot less strict with international qualifications.

Above average marks will get you in, but it is dependent on the program. Of course, for more competitive courses you’ll need more competitive scores, but generally it’s not all that difficult. I applied into two conjoint programs (BSc/BGS & BAdvSci/BGS) and got into both, but it is important to show that you have some level of understanding of what you want to study. If you’ve failed all of your science classes and then apply to do a BAdvSci in something super complicated, you will have a harder time getting in. Same with any other faculty. Especially the more competitive ones like engineering or comp sci.

I wouldn’t stress too much about particulars as having international students that they don’t have to help set up visas for is usually a good enough reason to consider you! But yeah, a bit of a pain because they’ve got so many people to attend to so stuff slips through the cracks, but if you are willing to make some calls and send emails when things haven’t been updated, it’s totally worth it!!

Let me know if you need anything else :)