Frequently asked questions

In the Young Scholars Programme, each course is different. All lectures are recorded, with some course components, like tutorials, being designed to allow in-person attendance.

For example, some courses are run in the evening, so they don’t clash with your schoolwork.

For more information about days and times, please see Young Scholars courses and contacts.

Completing courses online depends on the course you’re interested in studying. Some courses can be completed entirely online.

Other courses are designed for in-person attendance for lectures and tutorials.

All lectures are recorded. However, for in-person courses, we recommend attending your lectures.

For more information about courses, please see Young Scholars Programme.

If you have questions about the entry requirements for IB or Cambridge International, you can email admission@auckland.ac.nz.

You will still need to apply online for the Young Scholars Programme.

You’re recommended to apply for the Young Scholars Programme by the end of 8 December. Late applications may be assessed if spaces are available.

You can provide supporting information after the 8 December for the assessment of your application.

Yes, you can still be accepted into the Young Scholars Programme.

You must submit your application for the Young Scholars Programme by 8 December.

Your application documents, including your principal’s recommendation letter and your Discretionary Entrance form, can be submitted after 8 December.

We do recommend submitting these as soon as possible. This is to prevent delay in the assessment of your application.

You can select ‘complete’ if you have completed your internal and external achievement standards for Level 2.

If you’re still needing to complete internal or external achievement standards when you’re applying, please select ‘in progress.’

When your final results are released, we will access them from NZQA to assess.

Don’t forget to include your National Student Number (NSN) in your application.

When assessing your application for the Young Scholars Programme, the University looks at your highest level of achievement.

It is important that in your application that you include all completed and in-progress qualifications, e.g., Level 2 NCEA, Level 3 NCEA.

Please make sure to include your National Student Number (NSN). The University will be able to directly access your results with NCEA when they’re released.

You will usually receive an outcome on your application for the Young Scholars Programme when your final results are released in mid-January.

Please note that assessment of applications can take some time.

To submit supporting documents for your application, you can log back into your application portal.

Continue your application

You will see a ‘To do list’ which will allow you to upload your:

• Principal’s recommendation letter
• Discretionary Entrance form*

*If you do not already have the Discretionary Entrance form, you can download it by clicking the ‘Add document’ button.

Yes, if you take a course as a part of the Young Scholars Programme, you can still use your Fees Free entitlement for the first year of your bachelors programme.

Your Young Scholars course will count towards your Fees Free entitlement.

It’s important to note that there is a limit on what Fees Free covers. Fees Free covers, whichever comes first, either:

• 120 points of your studies, equivalent to one year of full-time study
• Up to $12,000 of tuition fees

For more information, please see Fees Free at the University.

At the University of Auckland, Stage I means that you’re completing first year courses. These are usually identified by the 100-level course code, like in ARTSGEN 104.

Most first year students will complete Stage I courses.

As a Young Scholar, you can enrol in one course per semester.

You can do up to two semesters during Year 13. This means you can do up to two courses or 30 points during the Young Scholars Programme.

We recommend, though, that you consider studying in Semester One so that your Year 13 preparation and studies for your final exams/assessments are not impacted.

• Lectures are where you learn the core information and material for a course. These are usually 50-minutes, where the lecturer presents course content, and you can take notes
• Tutorials are smaller working groups where you can discuss the course information you learnt in your lectures. It is an opportunity to also work on problems and/or questions that will help you to learn more about your course content. These sessions are supported by a tutor, who you can ask questions or seek help in an informal setting

You should go to your lectures and tutorials. This is so you can make the most of your experience as a Young Scholar and succeed at university.

Assessment will be a combination of coursework and a final exam. We try to provide additional mentoring and support for school students in the programme.

At university, you will find that assessments are usually a combination of coursework and a final exam.

• Coursework is the written or practical work you do during your course, like essays or tests, and count toward your final grade. These are not done under strict exam conditions
• Exams are usually the final assessment of the semester. They are often supervised assessments of the information you have learnt during your semester. Exam layout can vary depending on course

It is important to know that your final grade is added up based on the results you get for your coursework and your final exam.

Throughout your studies, we also try to provide you with additional mentoring and support as a high school student doing the Young Scholars Programme.