About Us

ACG (Academic Colleges Group) is a leading independent provider of educational services. ACG consists of 7 schools in New Zealand as well as 3 international schools in Vietnam and Indonesia.

In New Zealand, ACG Schools include:

ACG Strathallan (Pre-School, Primary, Middle & Senior School),
ACG Parnell College (Primary, Middle & Senior School),
ACG Senior College (a Senior High School, offering Years 11 to 13),
ACG Sunderland (Primary, Middle & Senior School)
ACG New Zealand International College (The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies)
ACG Norton College (AUT International Foundation Certificate)
ACG English School (Intensive Academic English and IELTS Preparation).

ACG is authorized to deliver The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies and the AUT International Foundation Certificate on behalf of the Universities.

2. Where are the ACG Schools located?

The ACG Schools are situated in five different locations in Auckland.

ACG Parnell College and Primary School is located in Titoki Street and George Street, Parnell.
ACG Strathallan is situated 30 minutes south of Auckland city, in a peaceful rural setting ideal for studying.
ACG Sunderland is located in West Auckland 15 minutes from the city centre.
ACG Senior College is located in downtown Auckland in Lorne Street, close to both AUT University and The University of Auckland.
ACG English School, ACG New Zealand International College and ACG Norton College are located in at the ACG City Campus at 345 Queen Street, downtown Auckland.

3. Where are the University Foundation programmes delivered?

The AUT International Foundation Certificate is delivered by ACG Norton College at the ACG City Campus.
The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies is taught by ACG New Zealand Int. College at the City Campus

4. How many students study at ACG?

Across the whole ACG Group, there are approximately 5000 students from more than 40 different countries. In New Zealand, there are over 800 students who are studying towards their University Foundation Certificate at any given time.

5. What courses does ACG offer?

University Foundation programmes for The University of Auckland and AUT University. The Foundation programmes are recognized for admissions to all New Zealand and some Australian universities.
New Zealand preschool, primary, middle and senior school programmes. All ACG colleges offer internationally recognized qualifications accepted throughout the world: The University of Cambridge International Examinations: IGCSE, AS/A Levels and AICE.
English language courses: Intensive Academic English and IELTS Preparation.

6. Why would I take a University Foundation course?

A University Foundation Course provides students with solid preparation and a focus on study skills which are required for success at a New Zealand University.

Foundation is equivalent to New Zealand Year 13 and necessary for all international students for admission to University if they haven’t completed high school in NZ; or if they have not completed one year of tertiary study in their home country; or if they have not met the academic entry requirements for undergraduate studies in NZ.

Students who have completed less than 12 years of schooling may be considered for entry to a Foundation programme if they have a good academic record. Qualifying students could be offered a place in an Extended Pathway.

7. How many starting dates are there each year?

The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies Standard Entry (12 months) and Extended Entry (18 months) start in late January and mid-July, while Fast Track Entry (8/9 months) is available in April and October.

The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies starting dates:

Fast track April and October.
Standard and Extended January and July.

The AUT International Foundation Certificate has 3 starting dates per year:

Late January.
April/May.
August/September.

8. What is the difference between The University of Auckland Certificate of Foundation Studies and the AUT International Foundation Certificate?

Students looking to obtain a degree from a more traditional-style, research-based university would choose the University of Auckland, and students wanting to get a degree from a more progressive style university with strong industry links would select AUT University. To recommend the right University Foundation programme, it is important that students have a clear idea of the type of degree they are interested in.

The main differences between the two University Foundation programmes are highlighted below:

	The University of Auckland Certificate in Foundation Studies	AUT University International Foundation Certificate
Focus of University	Academic excellence and preparing students for theoretical and research-based undergraduate studies. Well-known for its professional degrees, such as engineering, law, architecture and medicine.The Business School offers a numbers of majors.	Combines academic excellence with a focus on preparing students for working in industry. Applied degrees which often include practical work experience. Popular degrees include international hospitality management & tourism, communication studies, art & design, education and health science. AUT offers a total of 12 majors in business.
Pathways	Successful completion of the university foundation course guarantees students entrance to an appropriate University of Auckland undergraduate degree	Successful completion of the university foundation course guarantees students entrance to an appropriate AUT University undergraduate degree
English Requirement	Standard Entry: IELTS 5.0 or equivalent Fast Track Entry: IELTS 5.5 or equivalent Extended Entry: IELTS 4.5 or equivalent	Standard Entry: IELTS 5.5 or equivalent Extended Entry 12 months: IELTS 5.0 or equivalent Extended Entry 16 months: IELTS 4.5 or equivalent
Academic Requirement	Academic transcripts from senior high school 2nd or 3rd year showing pass grades or higher, or equivalent. Applications may be considered from Year 11 students with excellent grades. Grades may vary between countries	Academic transcripts from senior high school 2nd or 3rd year showing pass grades or higher, or equivalent. Applications may be considered from Year 11 students with excellent grades. Grades may vary between countries
Length of Time	The University of Auckland Foundation course takes 8-12 months to complete: Standard Entry – 12 months Fast Track – 8/9 months Extended Entry – 18 months	The AUT University Foundation course takes 8, 12 or 16 months to complete, over 2, 3 or 4 trimesters: Standard Entry – 8 months Extended Entry – 12 months Extended Entry – 16 months
Course Content	Students will all study: English for Academic Purposes 4/5 subjects IELTS preparation Study & Information Skills Subjects include: Accounting, Economics, Calculus, Statistics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Design, Photography, Painting, Music* and Geography (subject to sufficient enrolments)*	Students must select a Focus for their foundation course. AUT offers 3 Foundation Foci for students to choose from: Business & Mathematics; Science; Electronics and Engineering. In each of these Foci, students may choose from a range of subjects. Examples of subjects available: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Design, Drawing, Economics, Electro-mechanics, Mathematics, Statistics and History. Please note that all subjects may not be available. Regardless of which Focus students choose, they will also have 2 English courses, plus Tertiary Preparation Studies and Introduction to Culture & Society. In each of these Foci, students may choose from a range of subjects. Examples of subjects available: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Design, Drawing, Economics, Electro-mechanics, Mathematics, Statistics and History. Please note that all subjects may not be available. Regardless of which Focus students choose, they will also have 2 English courses, plus Tertiary Preparation Studies and Introduction to Culture & Society.
Requirements to earn a certificate	Students must achieve: a pass of B in English for Academic Purposes or provide an IELTS 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 to gain the certificate and pass 4 subjects (NB: Only students entering University of Auckland degrees which require an English level of IELTS 6.5 or higher that must provide a qualifiying IELTS). The final result is based on the graduation examination at the end of the course and an EAP result of B or a qualifying IELTS. Students may repeat the course with the permission of the Academic Registrar.	Students must score: 65% in English studies and a minimum of 65% (C pass or higher) in each academic subject to gain entry into AUT. Assessment is ongoing during the course with a final test at the end of each trimester with 70% weighting on the exam and 30% on internal assessments. IELTS is required for Health Sciences and Education. Students may only repeat a failed trimester once.
Hours in class	20-25 contact teaching hours per week + 20 hours per week of self-study recommended; 70 to 85 minute lessons.	20-25 contact teaching hours per week + 20 hours per week of self-study recommended; 85 minute lessons.
Start Dates	Standard and Extended Entries: late January or mid-July Fast Track Entry: April and October	Late January, April/May, August/September
Fees (2012)	Standard Entry IELTS 5.0: NZ$20,500 Fast Track Entry IELTS 5.5: NZ$20,500 Extended Entry IELTS 4.5: NZ$30,750	Standard Entry IELTS 5.5: NZ$15,700 Extended Entry IELTS 5.0: NZ$22,950 Extended Entry IELTS 4.5: NZ$29,800
Minimum Age	Recommended minimum age is 17 years old	Recommended minimum age is 17 years old

9. When do I choose which University Foundation Course I'd like to take?

First students need to have an idea of what degree they would like to study.
After deciding this, we can recommend the Foundation Certificate programme best suited to their needs.
Students must choose a specific University Foundation Course upon making their application to ACG, as the programmes are taught separately. It is important to note that the AUT Foundation Course has 3 areas of focus. At Orientation students must select which area they would like to focus on. The focus areas are Business & Mathematics, Electronics & Engineering, and Science. Each of these focus areas prepare students for particular undergraduate degrees at AUT University.

10. What is the difference between the University of Auckland Standard and Fast-track entry requirements and course?

The differences are:

Students applying for the Fast-track entry must obtain a minimum of IELTS 5.5 or equivalent.
Fast-track entry students (October 2010) who have obtained IELTS 6.0 (future intakes from 2011 will require IELTS 7.0) early, (as a requirement for all students to pass the Foundation Certificate), are exempt from the study of English for Academic Purposes in the programme allowing them to focus on the academic modules.
The pace of the course is faster in Fast-track. Students study a similar number of hours per subject in Fast-track but in only three quarters of the time. This means students with just average academic grades would be recommended to apply for the Standard Entry. The Fast Track option covers the same one year of academic content of the Standard Entry in only three quarters of the time.
Year 11 applicants will not be accepted to Fast-track.

11. What is the difference between the AUT University Standard Entry and Extended Entry?

Students will study each academic subject for a longer period of time in the extended entry Foundation programme; the course content is the same but the duration is longer to assist students with either slightly lower English ability and/or lower academic grades to cope with the course.

12. What qualification will I graduate with?

The course studied is the University’s own qualification, delivered by ACG, so students will graduate with the University’s Foundation certificate.

13. May I work while I study Foundation?

Students on a student visa are able to work for 20 hours per week during their study terms and fulltime during holidays, with parental permission. The course is equivalent to New Zealand Year 13.

14. What are the unique features of The University of Auckland?

The University of Auckland was established in 1883 – one of the oldest in New Zealand. It is the 82^nd top university in the world in 2011/2012 ranked by QS World University Rankings and is the only NZ University to be a member of the prestigious Universitas 21 group of top Universities. It is a traditional research University, so ideal for students motivated to study in a rigorous academic environment. Around 40,000 students study here annually making it the largest university in NZ.

15. What are the unique features of AUT University?

AUT University is a cutting-edge University offering a wide range of both modern and traditional study options. It is ideal for students who are focusing on work opportunities and practical work experience. With very small classes – average 20-25 per class compared to a traditional lecture theatre of 300 – students receive a lot of personalized attention. With close links to industry most degrees include either a period of practical work experience or a project based in industry. Most of these placements are unpaid. Around 60% of students get offered work opportunities on graduation, as a result of this work experience during their studies.

16. What is the application process?

Students need to supply the following:

A completed and signed ACG Application Form.
A copy of your most recent school reports (If you have studied national examinations please include a copy of these results if available).
A copy of your passport and if you have been to NZ a copy of your most recent student visa label.
Any documentation confirming that you have met the stated English language requirements.

Students need to select between The University of Auckland and AUT University University Foundation programme at this time. If the student provides all the necessary documents and meets the academic requirements, the student will receive an offer of acceptance into the Foundation programme as well as a conditional offer of acceptance from the University of the student’s choice.

17. How long does it take to receive an offer letter?

Within 24 hours when ACG has received a complete application.

18. I do not have an IELTS result, can I still apply?

Yes and we accept other international test results, such as TOEFL, TOEIC, Cambridge and the evidence of some national examinations. If you are already in New Zealand, you can sit the ACG English Language Test (ACGELT) and use this result instead of IELTS. Otherwise you can enroll in an English course at ACG English School or one of ACG partner schools* and use the English result achieved there instead of sitting IELTS.

19. Which are ACG’s partner schools?

AGI - Auckland Goldstar Institute,
Auckland English Academy (part of ICL Business School),
AUT International House,
Dominion English Schools,
Dynaspeak English,
EF English First,
English Language Academy - The University of Auckland,
Eurocentres Auckland,
Federal Institute of Studies,
Fern English Auckland,
Kaplan Aspect,
Languages International,
Queens Academy,
Foundation English and
Worldwide School of English.

20. How and when do I get my visa?

When you receive a letter or offer, you will also receive a schedule of fees. After payment has been made, ACG will issue a receipt, a confirmation letter and an accommodation guarantee for the visa application. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is responsible for issuing permits and visas to enter New Zealand. Students should contact the nearest New Zealand Embassy or High Commission to obtain information on visa regulations and an application form. Please note that New Zealand has agreements with a number of countries which means that a student visa is not normally required for one single course of study or training of not more than three (3) calendar months duration. Students from certain countries, such as India, China, Vietnam, CIS Countries and Turkey, should not send fees until a Visa Approval in Principal has been obtained from Immigration New Zealand

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