<p>@Saule: CONGRATS! I also applied to BBA and I have my interview next thursday =) Hopefully we'll be future classmates!</p>
<p>oh man ... HKUST's global business has just rejected me... I still have received an offer for BBA, but I'm a little upset. I hope I could go to HKU instead, it's only that they are being completely oblivious about my application right now...... still no interviews for HKU... :(</p>
<p>@ 2mm, you had more than one application in at HKUST? Like rejected by the global business yet accepted for BBA. Or is it like your first choice was the global business thing and BBA was second choice?</p>
<p>global business was my 1st choice.</p>
<p>@Saule- yup, HKU offered me a spot and the admissions packet should arrive soon, ive been waiting for it but im worried b/c i have to return it by the 31st of this month! then i realized i should just print it out from my email and fill it out now to send in...plus i have to send in a deposit of 10,000 HK $, so im getting on that right away =) basically, since ust is not getting back to me, ill def accept my HKU offer, but i was leaning towards HKU anyway =P</p>
<p>Hey, how did you guys get notified of your offer from HKUST?</p>
<p>Through e-mail.</p>
<p>hey just thought id say, i think HKU raised entry req's, my conditional offer, when i reread it, said i must have either 3 AP exams at score 4 or above or combined SAT of 1850, with an essay subscore of 8. and grade averages must be 85% or better where as before it was passing. but that could just be my particular offer, not entry reqs...but im assuming they raised them to that.</p>
<p>hey it's nice to see the enthusiasm in this post.
By the way I'm a local Hongkonger who is currently studying in international school, so I don't quite know the university systems in Hong Kong in detail as a local student may know, but still, I know some information because I have alot of local friends who are studying in the HK universities. International students and non-Jupas students have the advantage in applying to local(HK) universities in many majors as I have heard from my friends. The local admission scheme(JUPAS) is quite difficult, as there are too many locals competing for the seats in the universities, particularly those ones in HKU/CUHK/HKUST, and even alot harder for majors which have limited supply of seats, e.g. medicine and IGBM. The difficulty to get into these universities is also hardened by the fact that the Hong Kong high school curriculum HKCEE(cert. level) and HKALE (A-level) exams are extremely difficult, especially for the science subjects, UK GCE A-levels are nothing compared to the HKALE A-level. Also the scaled score makes it even more competitive - only top 5th percentile gets an A, 10% gets a B and 15% gets a C, in cumulative terms. However, if you're a person who gets good grades, then you're in because HK universities do not get harsh with your CVs, whereas in the US many top universities not only get harsh at your academic results but also get harsh at your CVs, seeing if you're a "all-rounded" student, who actually engages with the society alot.
So if youre applying to universities in HK then you just need high-achieved academic results, and this is quite good for diligent, yet quiet students who have potential.
Also, bear in mind that the minimum requirements listed in the local universities arent realistic, they just want make you feel comfortable so dont fall into their trap. Most of the accepted international applicants who are studying IB got at least 36 marks in applying to mainstream majors in the top local universities (HKU/CUHK/UST). I would say that these 3 universities are equivalent in terms of overall ranking, as perceived by Hongkongers, but as you can see in topuniversities.com, HKU is slightly first, CUHK gets the second and UST gets the third, and they are equivalent to good universities like NYU, Boston University. The other universities in Hong Kong, as perceived by local Hongkongers, sucked. I would say that HKBU is a little better, but in most cases, the graduates from 6 other universities did not receive good job prospects. Without graduating from good universities in Hong Kong, you wont get a nice job (in Hong Kong), HK employers from TNCs such as Citibank and HSBC simply deleted most resumes submitted from the graduates in other 6 universities, as they highly prefer the top 3 universities or some good universities from the UK or US. I think this is strongly related to the business and work culture in Hong Kong, as it is a highly pragmatic and highly materialistic society. So I definitely not recommend you, as international students, to waste your time to apply to the other 6 universities.
Right so back in admission requirements, medicine is by far the most difficult major to get into, though it only says a score of 36 minimum in the website, every IB applicant who got the chance of interview only, got at least 40. I think it is mainly because there is limited space in the medical faculty in HKU and CUHK combined - only 290 seats available for the whole city each year.
But if youre aiming for business majors, then HKU/CUHK/HKUST are certainly your first choice universities not only because the admission requirement is laxer than the other top universities, but it is because HK has a high comparative advantage in the field of business and economics. It is a major business hub in Asia, and it still has a lot of potential to grow since it is a bridge between mainland China and the world. (Sorry for my bombastic attitude)</p>
<p>So anyway, what I suggest is that dont just look at what I write and what the university lists as their official admission requirement, but also, go into these local forums and there are a lot students there who are actually keen to help you, as most of you are international students, and normally all university students from the top 3 universities in Hong Kong know how to read and write English, as a B in English is a must for students to apply to these top universities. </p>
<p>Link: ::</a> ¤j¾Ç :: - »´ä°Q½×°Ï Uwants.com, ®Õ¶é¥Í¬¡</a> - »´ä°Q½×°Ï discuss.com.hk - ¤@Ó»´ä¥u±o¤@Ó»´ä°Q½×°Ï, (n.b. cant get the Google translator working for this site but Im sure that youll get a reply if you post something in English)</p>
<p>Capitalist, I think HKU is better than BU or NYU (maybe except for stern). They are good, but they are not that good...</p>
<p>Thanks for the lengthy post:)</p>
<p>since this is the first time I saw international students so keen and passionate to apply to HK universities as their first choice, I'm just wondering, what sort of CVs/resumes did you guys send to the HK universities?
And how did you guys write your personal statement? Is it thoughtful?</p>
<p>@capitalist- thanks for the post! haha, i think all of us just got lucky and stumbled into this thread, most were surprised to have even found the thread in the first place! =P By CV im guessing you mean EC's, extracurricular activities, am i wrong? In my app to HKU I sent in an optional one page summary of my EC's. I went crazy with it and detailed the time and commitment involved in each and what years I participated. I also listed awards and notable achievements. My personal statement, I feel was thoughtful and made it clear that HKU was my absolute top choice, and showed a keen interest in the area of study i wanted to pursue which is science. </p>
<p>would you happen to know how difficult the architecture program is to get into? my friend really wants to get in, she wont be applying for another 2 years though</p>
<p>I am currently studying in Bangkok,
Unfortunately, I do not have any outstanding academic records except for math and science...
I applied on around mid-Jan for Mech, Civil, Elec Engineering... Both HKU and HKUST..</p>
<p>HKU - About a week ago, a woman sent me an e-mail that she was selected to be responsible for my application process... And I also asked if the competition is brutal, and she replied back, "We usually accept 1 out of 10 students every year".. (OMG!!!!!)</p>
<p>HKUST - At the beginning, they sent me a notification that they hadn't received my SAT and TOEFL scores,, After that, I haven't heard anything from them... Again, I applied for engineering.. So I asked them whether i can get the decision by this month, and the only thing they wrote in the e-mail was "You are currently under consideration, Please wait"...</p>
<p>Looking over this forum, I have realized many of you guys applied for BBA, IBMG.. Does it mean I have a better chance of getting accepted just b/c I applied for engineering degree?
Can anyone tell me if the competition varies depending on a field of study?
and for engineering?</p>
<p>engineering is not quite difficult to apply as far as I know. I have got a friend and he's currently studying engineering and computer science for year 1 in CUHK, which is also a top university in HK. </p>
<p>As I know, for his HK A-level results, he got a C for physics (top 15th percentile), B for pure maths (top 10th percentile) and a C or D for chemistry (top 20th percentile). </p>
<p>Try considering to apply to CUHK as well, it's kinda equivalent to HKU/UST.</p>
<p>
[quote]
@capitalist- thanks for the post! haha, i think all of us just got lucky and stumbled into this thread, most were surprised to have even found the thread in the first place! =P By CV im guessing you mean EC's, extracurricular activities, am i wrong? In my app to HKU I sent in an optional one page summary of my EC's. I went crazy with it and detailed the time and commitment involved in each and what years I participated. I also listed awards and notable achievements. My personal statement, I feel was thoughtful and made it clear that HKU was my absolute top choice, and showed a keen interest in the area of study i wanted to pursue which is science. </p>
<p>would you happen to know how difficult the architecture program is to get into? my friend really wants to get in, she wont be applying for another 2 years though
[/quote]
haha what a coincidence!
yea I mean CVs as in the list of the ECAs you've participated, I've only done like 3 ECAs from junior year(intl.: yr11) till now, and not much notable achievements since junior year, how many hv u done and how many awards hv u got?</p>
<p>I think the architectural course is medium in competitiveness as I have heard from a friend, as more students are going to business majors. </p>
<p>By the way I think that if you have done a great personal statement then you've absolutely made your application outstanding amongst many applicants. In Hong Kong, traditionally, for most local applicants, they don't write personal statements, nor do they give alot of thought to polish their personal statements. This comes down to the education system in HK. Although it is a former UK colony, however; its junior school-high school education system is somewhat different to a UK style education. People are trained to take notes during a teacher's lecture, and they learn only by memorizing a lot of stuff and master the knowledge by practicing frequently. The HK education system is kinda like most east Asian education systems, in which they are colloquially named as "Peking Duck" styled education. I think this is mainly due to the fact that parents think that their children have no future if they're studying arts and literature subjects. Thus people trained from this style of education system don't have much creativity, so generally, they don't have the skill to write essays pompously, not even to mention a personal statement. </p>
<p>But this has changed in the past two decades. As HK has swifted from a manufacturing-based economy to a financial economy, now, people who are able to communicate well are well-advantaged in terms of job prospects and are slightly advantaged in university applications.</p>
<p>I have my interview with HKUST on thursday! I am so excited to finally have an interview but at the same time really nervous =s </p>
<p>I'm full IB diploma candidate but I also sent in my SAT I and SAT II scores as well..so I dunno if they'll consider me as from an american patterned system or from IB lol I know that for IB, they give out conditional offers, but my SAT scores are way above the requirements so I'm hoping for the best! since I also have to notify the schools I already got accepted to in the US by May 1st. </p>
<p>As for my ECs, I've concentrated on few instead of participating in many and for my essay, I talked about how living in China made me develop an interest in economics and business because I lived here for about five years now, and the changes I've seen is amazing. </p>
<p>ANYWAYS, wish me luck guys for my interview! =D</p>
<p>@capitalist- haha, HK and US style educations are quite different, US is huge on creativity, like you said earlier US schools generally place much more emphasis on EC's though it is not always neccesary. And US is pretty big on personal statements as well(usually required and sometimes more than 1), teacher recc's and all the things that make someone "well-rounded". </p>
<p>one thing i worry about when i go to study in HK, that the style of learning will be too "rote" for me. but to answer your question, my freshman year of high school i did absolutely nothing. Then, my sophomore year, i got really nervous about my college prospects because i was not well rounded enough and i joined the track team and did chorus. The following year I did cross country running as well, track, and a couple clubs. I began to actually enjoy my EC's and they helped me grow a lot psychologically, i learned many life lessons of which are good material for personal essays, haha. Now my senior year I did cross country in the fall, track in the winter and spring, and also indoor colorguard this winter to spring. it was exhausting at first(i have no time for homework at home but its okay since im a senior) but i got used to it and wouldnt have it any other way because i like being very busy with many different things. my notable achievements and awards were nothing much, just sort of fluff, i made national honor society, honor student, perfect attendance a couple years, and i volunteered with a hospice(hated it). My father was more like an HK kid when he was in school, though he is white lol, he says he would often come home watch 30 min of tv and then would work on homework for 6 hours, mostly chemistry problems and math. he thinks i am a generalist because there is so much variety in what i like, which was an issue when it came to declaring a college major... tho my track coach thinks thats a bad thing, he said to those of us involved in more ECs on top of track "you will be a jack of all trades, master of nothing!" =P</p>
<p>@merrypips-Good luck on your interview!</p>
<p>capitalist,</p>
<p>Are you planning to attend universities in HK?</p>
<p>Capitalist: I don't know how to look ate the grade of HK A-level.. I know it is a hard test, but I don't have much idea about the average grade or etc... But, his percentile looks okay doesn't it? </p>
<p>I haven't got any interview requests......... ARgg these hku and hkust really drive me crazy!
So do you guys think engineering is relatively easier than BBA?</p>
<p>@2mm: Sorry for the late reply. My second choice for HKU is Medical Engineering and Dentistry for the third choice. I was invited for a telephone interview for my second choice this Wednesday.</p>