The good news finally arrived today. Canterbury University has accepted my application for an MBA program. I am therefore enrolled for the semester, which starts mid-February 2026. I am already looking forward to the next 1 1/2 years at the university, many new encounters with interesting people, expanding my skill set, improving our English skills, and having great experiences in New Zealand’s magnificent nature.

The path to securing a university place was truly nerve-wracking. I thought I had submitted all the documents by mid-September. Far from it; the university still required a certified translation of the cover sheet of my diploma certificate. This was immediately handled and submitted. Then, on October 10th, it turned out that the university next wanted a 5-minute self-interview video from me. Three days later, thanks to applying the 80/20 rule, it wasn’t perfect, but it was done. On October 16th, I received the news that I had cleared the next hurdle and was invited to an online interview with Prof. Ekant Veer. The conversation on the 19th went very well, and today the long-awaited ‘offer of place’ finally arrived.

Many thanks to Charlotte Stockman from NewZealand Shores (https://www.newzealandshores.com/), who provided me with excellent support on the way to securing my university place.

There is now nothing to stop me from applying for the student visa.