<p>Hey guys!</p>
<p>I'm finishing my undergrad in Montreal at McGill university and am contemplating graduate studies at University of Auckland in statistics (specifically applied stats to commerce, think Operations Research type applications). I'm a dual citizen with the United States and New Zealand, so I guess I'm not techincally "international", however I have never really lived in NZ, so I'm as unfamiliar with Auckland as most internationals. </p>
<p>I've been researching like mad but I was wondering if anyone had experience with the University of Auckland. I haven't been to Auckland for a long time and don't remember much about the downtown. </p>
<p>I know Auckland has a good reputation within the statistical community (Thanks to their invention of R, the software that a lot of stats people use. I know it's my fav.) and that they have one of the few stand-alone statistics departments (as opposed to it just being a section of the math department) in the South Pacific, but the numbers is one thing, actually being happy living at a school is a whole different ballgame.</p>
<p>I also am wondering about cost of living in Auckland and New Zealand in general. Just trying to evaluate the positives and negatives of all my options, you know?</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!
Take care,
Noelle</p>