New Zealand: Your Destination of Choice for an

overseas Education
New Zealand is fast emerging as one of the destinations of choice for Indian
students seeking to study abroad. The New Zealand school system is modeled after
the British education system, which is very similar to ours. As a result students from
India find it easier to transition to the New Zealand education system from the
Indian education system. New Zealand is also home to many world class universities
like the University of Otago, ranked 169 th in the world, the University of Canterbury,
ranked 228th and the University of Auckland, currently ranked 81 st I in the world.
Auckland has also made it to the top 50 student cities in the world, ranking at 28.

New Zealand follows a follows a four level education system as opposed to the three
level system followed by Ireland and other countries, which were a part of the
erstwhile United Kingdom. The education system is divided into primary,
intermediate, secondary and tertiary levels. Schooling typically begins around the
age of five, when a child is enrolled in kindergarten. Many parents however, opt to
sign up their children for early education classes, which accept students from birth
up to the age of five. The students typically stay on in primary school until till the
age of 10. They then move on to intermediate school where they study between the
ages of eleven and twelve. The intermediate years are similar to the middle school
years in USA. Intermediate school is seen as a bridge between the primary years
and the secondary years. The secondary school years start immediately after
completion of the intermediate year and typically culminates in the National
Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) which is the main qualification
nationally for students in New Zealand, similar to our CBSE and ICSE certificates.
Some schools however also provide Cambridge and International Baccalaureate
Programs for its students. Students generally complete their secondary education
by the age of seventeen. After successfully completing secondary education,
students move on to Tertiary level.

At the Tertiary level students in New Zealand generally opt for courses in any of the
numerous universities around the country. New Zealand is home to eight state
funded universities, all of which were ranked in the top 100 in at least one subject in
the QS world university rankings for 2016-2017. Apart from state funded
universities. New Zealand also has 550 private training establishments and 16
institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP). Students from India, wishing to
pursue higher studies in New Zealand have to first gain admission into a college or
university of their choice. Academic year in New Zealand starts in February, and
most colleges recommend applying a minimum of four months before start of the
academic year. Colleges start accepting applications from August of the preceding
year. Many universities accept online applications. However the student still has to
produce the necessary paperwork for his application to be completed. The paper
work required for an international student is

1. Transcripts of previous school attended

2. An essay or statement of intent stating why the student wishes to study at
the particular university. Requirement for this varies from university to
university
3. Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and other expenses
 4. Payment of application fees
5. Proof of application for financial aid if applicable

After obtaining admission, the student needs to apply for a visa. There are various
types of visa available to students, based on intended duration of stay and other
factors. The visa typically applied for by students entering a university is the Fee
paying student visa. The student visa allows the student to study in New Zealand in
a full time course for a period of 4 years. The visa also entitles the student to work
part time up to 20 hours a week while studying and full time during vacation. After
completing the course, the student can apply for a work visa without having to
leave the country. The myriad study and work options available, along with the open
outdoors life, adventure sports facilities and the multiracial and multicultural
environment make New Zealand the ideal choice for students exploring the option
of an overseas education. For more information on how you can fulfill your dream of
an overseas education in New Zealand you can contact Global Tree one of the top
overseas education consultancies in India