Discretionary Entrance

This type of admission is for domestic secondary school students who wish to apply to university prior to gaining a university entrance qualification.

Eligibility

To be considered for Discretionary Entrance to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, you must:

  • be at least 16 years of age and under 20 years of age by the time you start your study at university
  • have achieved the NCEA University Entrance literacy and numeracy standards or the equivalent from Cambridge International Examinations or International Baccalaureate
  • typically must have an NCEA Level 2 certificate endorsed with Merit or better
  • provide a confidential recommendation from a school adviser to support your maturity, motivation, capability, and readiness to undertake degree-level study.

If you are 20 years of age or older, you can apply under Special Admission.

Application process

Apply online by the deadline with the following documents:

  • A completed Discretionary Entrance application form (PDF) with an adviser's confidential written comments. If you are unable to reach a secondary school adviser, please reach out to info@vuw.ac.nz for additional options.
  • A personal statement to the University (addressed to ‘To Whom It May Concern’ is fine) outlining the reasons why you wish to undertake university study. This statement should be approximately one page long and preferably typed.
  • The required documentation to support your application (for example, certified copies of your birth certificate or passport and any references).

Important information

  • A student who has undertaken Year 13 at a New Zealand secondary school beyond 1 June will not normally be considered for Discretionary Entrance for Trimester 1 of the following year.
  • If you are applying after an overseas exchange during Year 13, you will need to provide written evidence of your study overseas and an adviser's confidential recommendation as above. You will need to have completed Year 12/NCEA Level 2 before you go overseas.
  • Discretionary Entrance is not available to international students.
  • Each Discretionary Entrance application is considered on its own merits.

Course planning advice

If you need help deciding what degree might be right for you or what courses to take, talk with a future student adviser or book a course planning session with us. Call 0800 04 04 04 or email info@vuw.ac.nz.