So I’m a student from New Zealand intending on applying to US universities. In the case that I didn’t get in I’d be staying in NZ, so I am applying to university in NZ as a precaution. The problem is that here our universities start at the beginning of March, which is before US decisions are posted. Unfortunately for various reasons I couldn’t apply for early decision, so I’m a little lost on what to do. In the event that I did get accepted into one of the US universities I’m applying to, I’d have to abandon my studies in NZ partway through the semester. I was wondering if there were any other internationals who are or had been in a similar position?
If you do get an offer from an American university that you would like to attend, you can ask them if they would mind if you finish up the semester at home. They probably won’t.
Most American universities would expect you to report to campus sometime between mid-August and mid-September, which should give you enough time to finish the term in New Zealand?
Same position here in Australia. Semester ends in November so I will have to abandon my studies before American semester starts and will have to pay for my Australian semester even if it is not complete. You have no option but to just leave your studies in New Zealand. It’s what most internationals do. I am also continuing my studies while still in Australia just because 10 months without any schooling would feel odd and I don’t want to go to a US uni after such a long hiatus because I would not be in-the-zone anymore.
I’m from NZ too! If accepted anywhere in NZ I’ll be leaving uni some time around July because its not like I would have completed my degree in NZ anyway so I don’t see any point to staying until the end of the semester. Be careful with scholarships in NZ too because a lot of them make you pay them back if you don’t complete at least 2 semesters of uni. however, it is a small price to pay if you’re getting a free 4 years of tuition in US, or if you’re a full-pay international a semester in NZ is a drop in the bucket compared to the 60k you’ll pay in the US. It won’t be held against you if you drop out of the NZ uni. its what most people in NZ do.
Yeah, that’s the general idea I had in mind. If I stayed for a semester in NZ before moving to the US I guess it’d just be somewhat anti-climactic, haha. Ah well, that’s a decision I’ll have to make if I do in fact get accepted. Was just good to hear some one else’s perspective on the matter. Also NZ2020, do you happen to know if that’s the case for NCEA scholarships?
