<p>Hi, i would like to know if it's possible to transfer to ivy leagues from HKU (hong kong) and what are the possibilities of gettng financial aid/loans for international students? I know it'll be tough but i'm willing to work my butt off. I have turned down several top unis (uk, australia) due to financial constraints, which is why i would like to try the US. (i did not apply to the us as i did not take SATs)</p>
<p>I got into Penn and would like to go to HKU instead</p>
<p>Hahah. Why? lets switch places. Are you international?</p>
<p>No. I just love Hong kong</p>
<p>Freshman admissions at HYPS have an overall admit rate of less than 10%; transfer admissions at all of those schools have an admit rate of about 1-2%. See: [Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Transfer Program](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/transfer/evaluation.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/transfer/evaluation.html)</p>
<p>“In each of the past two years, Harvard has been able to enroll twelve transfer students from applicant pools of over six hundred and nearly fifteen hundred. The number of well-qualified candidates far exceeds the number of students admitted.”</p>
<p>And this from Yale: <a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/transfer[/url]”>Transfer Application Process | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions;
<p>“As competitive as the admissions process is for freshmen, the transfer process is even more so. Yale receives more than 1,000 transfer applications each year, and we have spaces for only 20 to 30 students.”</p>
<p>Thanks Gibby for the info. I would just like to try my luck because i had to turn UCL (uk) down.</p>
<p>what about ucla, ucsd, uchicago etc? Of course, and the financial aid (grant or loan, i dont mind)</p>
<p>You will have better luck if you go down to a less selective school . BTW ,my son spent a semester at HKU and I visited him there . I think he was in the STARR dorm across the street . He really liked it there .</p>
<p>Really? I have not been there so I can;t tell. I’m just researching to open up possibilities. Which uni did your son go to?
I’m just apply for the sake of applying, but I would definitely stay if I do not get them. 
I would also be applying for a semester abroad (if i dont transfer, which is MOST LIKELY), how would it benefit? (besides, the experience)</p>
<p>I agree that you should try for less selective schools or liberal arts schools that would be willing to give you merit aid</p>
<p>yeah. I know but that would be redundant to give up a more prestigious uni for a lesser one.</p>
<p>HKU is a pretty big time university already, so they will probably ask for a reason for transferring above all your probably outstanding specs. I’m pretty sure “i wanna experience new culture”-ish answer won’t be bought that easily, since pretty much every international applicants will be saying the same thing anyway.</p>
<p>By the way, are you trying for soph or junior transfer?</p>
<p>I’m trying for soph since I did not take SATs. I know the essay part is tricky but I’m just gonna try anyway.</p>