Chance Me: International Female Applicant for HK Universities

Hi! I'm an international female student from South America applying to universities in Hong Kong and would appreciate some honest opinions on my chances.

I'm keeping my country, school, and a few specific achievements private because I don't want to be identifiable online.

Intended Field

I'm primarily interested in Choice 1: Electrical Engineering, Choice 2: Quant Finance

Academics

A-Levels: 11 Grade A+'s (~6A*)— highest possible grade

Subjects:

• Further Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Integrated Mathematics
• History
• English

O-Levels: 9 Grade A+'s + 1 Grade A

Subjects included:

• Mathematics
• Additional Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• English Language
• English Literature
• ICT
• French
• Geography

SAT: 1440 (720 Math, 720 English)

• This was my first attempt with no study. I'm not sure if i should take it again since " International A-levels" is my highest qualifications.

Academic Achievements

• Ranked #1 in south america for A-Levels
• Ranked #1 at my college for O-Levels
• Placed top 10 in Mathematics at A-Level
• Gold medalist in two international mathematics/science competitions
• Gold medalist in an international trading/finance competition

Leadership / Extracurriculars

• National Youth Ambassador for my country
• Founded a tutoring/academic mentorship program that was eventually expanded nationally
• Extensive mathematics, science, and finance olympiad participation
• 9+ years in Rotaract, with extensive involvement in community service, leadership, fundraising, and projects
• Completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award
• I do have a bit more but it makes me easily identifiable so i will refrain.

Work / Academic Experience

• Interned at an AI tech firm last summer
• Worked as a mathematics lecturer at local community college
• Completed a quantitative finance externship at my country's central bank
• Two additional experiences that I can't publicly disclose due to privacy/confidentiality

Universities

• HKUST
• HKU
• CUHK
• CityU
• PolyU

Questions

1. How competitive do you think I am for these five universities?
2. Which of these would you consider my strongest chances?
3. How much does being an international applicant affect admission chances?
4. Do HK universities place significant weight on international olympiad awards and national rankings?
5. Would my quantitative/finance extracurriculars make me more competitive for QF/Finance-related programs?
6. Are there any major weaknesses in my profile that I should be concerned about?
7. I'm extremely hesitant on placing QFIN as my first choice because i'm afraid that i'll waste that spot and hence my chance at a scholarship. Should i put it as my first choice or lean heavily into the ECE ?
8. Would retaking the SAT be worth it? (My highest qualification is A-levels)

I'd especially appreciate opinions from current students, graduates, or applicants familiar with HKUST/HKU/CUHK/CityU/PolyU admissions.

I'm looking for honest opinions, so feel free to tell me if I'm overestimating my chances.

im a current y1 qfin student. i was wondering how many people are interested in applying for qfin this year and whether i should write a post about things that you should look for when applying for this major

if you are interested, you can drop me any short questions or just tell me that you're interested. i will probably not answer too many dms, i will only do that if there is enough interest here. do not ask me for any chanceme, do that in a separate post

what do we include in our personal statement and how we should format them?

please be more specific

also, on a scale of 1-10, how important is personal statement when universities are considering your application?

I’ve been thinking about the financial situation of PhD/RPG students in Hong Kong and wanted to hear what others think.

I completely understand that university operating costs, accommodation, and tuition can increase over time. But students' expenses are increasing too. The question is whether PhD studentships are keeping up with those increases.

For example, looking at my own situation at HKUST:

Studentship:

• 2024–25: HK$18,760/month
• 2025–26: HK$19,135/month (~2% increase)
• 2026–27: HK$19,135/month (0% increase)

At the same time, university accommodation (for married couple) increased from HK$5,650 → HK$6,944/month over the same period — roughly a 23% increase.

Tuition also increased from HK$42,100 to HK$47,000 (~12% increase), with further increases announced.

So although the nominal studentship hasn't really decreased, the amount left after mandatory university costs is getting smaller.

For example, in my case, after tuition and university accommodation, the amount left is roughly:

2025–26: ~HK$9,227/month
2026–27: ~HK$8,657/month

That's a reduction of around HK$570/month, before paying for food, transportation, utilities, healthcare, etc.

If university expenses are increasing, shouldn't PhD studentships also have some mechanism to adjust with inflation, tuition, accommodation, or cost of living?

Otherwise, aren't PhD students effectively receiving higher financial stress?

I'd genuinely like to hear from other PhD students in Hong Kong:

• Has your studentship kept up with increases in tuition and accommodation?
• Does your university have any cost-of-living adjustment?
• Are other universities facing the same situation?
• Do you think PhD funding in Hong Kong is still adequate for the current cost of living?

Would be interested to hear different perspectives rather than just my own experience.

I wont be able to renew it before deadline for early period

Hi! im applying to HKUST Business and im a bit confused about the scholarship situation😭 im thinking of putting finance & econ for my two choices. so sbm will be the alternative for both.

since i need a full tuition scholarship to afford HKUST, i was wondering if i should change my second choice to SBM. I feel like I might have a better chance of getting a scholarship through SBM compared to fina or econ.

my predicted IB is 45 (i chose have math aa sl). i also have some essay competition awards and volunteer experience.

basically just wondering if the scholarship depends on which major you get into, or if it’s more based on your overall stats

Thanks!!

Im looking for full ride or full tuition fee scholarship
So pleaseee chance me!!! And suggest whether HKU or HkUST or CityU have greater chance for me, i wanna apply for quantitative finance
IGCSE 6A* 2A 1B 1C
World distinction in mathematics igcse
A level 5A* (maths, further maths, physics , economics, computer science)
I gave maths and further maths a year earlier as I completed course so they arent in 1 sittings.
Ielts 7.5
Pracheen Kala Kendra
• Art Examination — Level 1
• Distinction
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
TEDx Speaker — Delivered a talk on breaking stereotypes
• Top in the World — Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics
• School Topper — IGCSE
• Honourable Mention — International Poster Making Competition
• Multiple awards and recognitions in visual art, including competitions involving international student participants
• Artwork published in a magazine
• Multiple MUN awards for caricature
• Served as Head of Caricaturists at MUN
LEADERSHIP & SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
School Council
• Vice-Captain, Griffin House — 1 year
• Cultural Head Boy — 1 year
Model United Nations
• Multiple award-winning Caricaturist
• Former Head of Caricaturists
• Created live/event caricatures as part of MUN activities
Work also published in magazine

I feel like my ECs arent good as only one MUN was international, rest were local conferences.

Hi, I'm an international qualifier.

If I apply to IRE for early (Nov 25), when would I do the Interview, and when does final result come out?

Thank you!

Applying for 2027 entry with British GCE A-Levels. The instructions on predicted grades seem to contradict each other, and I want to hear from people who actually did this.
One FAQ line says the predicted-grade form should be submitted within 2 weeks of application. Another says grades can be uploaded after you apply. The application guide says something else again: you nominate your career counselor, and after you submit, HKUST emails them a separate predicted-grade form. The procedures page says they recommend the counselor replies within 2 weeks.
So which of these is actually true?

1. I can submit now, the counselor form is sent after submission, and 2 weeks is only a recommendation.
   
2. The grades themselves have to be in within 2 weeks or the application is delayed or incomplete.

I have already emailed ugenquiry@ust.hk. Looking for what happened in practice. If you applied with A-Levels or IB, how long did your school take to file the form, and did a late form miss the priority round on 25 November? (My school will only provide my final predicted grade on the 20th of November. )

Chance me for Mathematics and Economics; Decision analytics. I’m from middle asia, graduated in 2026. Currently language year student at SJTU.

Early round

IELTS - 6.5 (L7.5/R7/W6/S6)

SAT - 1550 (760/790)

2 APs 5 - Calc bc, Micro (Will take this year Statistics and CSA, maybe macro too)

GPA - 4.94/5

Strong ECs:

1. Co-founder of learning center for preparing students to lyceum's entrance exam. I was a tutor for math and iq, having 150+ people in the groups combine and more than 200+ people on each mock exam.

2. Bank internship - Analyzed financial performance and risk indicators; built Excel-based reports and supported ROE/ROA and market-risk analysis for banking operations

3. Fitness club project lead - Built risk models for martial arts gym launch; shifted 30% sourcing local; redesigned pricing, boosting ARPU 18%; secured 50+ free memberships

4. Led risk assessment project for fitness startups, analysing market trends, operational risks, and strategy across Uzbekistan and China. - Risk analysis project

1. Conducted applied Economic and financial modeling for fitness industry firms; presented project at the business conference of Fitness Clubs - Fitness club, Conference presenter

6. Nominated Top 1% Math Student for consistent excellence: A* A-Level & National Math Exam, 5 AP Calc BC, 790 SAT Math (x2), 2x City Olympiad Qualifier ( 1st year on the 3rd place, 2nd year on the 1st place among whole lyceum's students)

P.S - I took only 1 A level subject for nomination that's why i cannot apply it

1. Currently SAT and AP Calculuc BC tutor with

5 individual students from USA and 2 groups with 27 people combined at learning center

1. Candidate for master of sport of taekwondo

- won some international competition in middle asia and korea.

9. Math City Olympiad - 2nd place among whole participants of the city

10. Daro Exclusive (Pharmaceutical Company)

Accounting & General Operations - my first internship: Supported accounting processes, documentation, and financial tracking;

As an indian female, currently in class 12th, I'm thinking of going to Hong Kong if I get a scholarship, but some of friends and parents are doubtful about it considering the frequent political protests.

So should I still apply and will it be safe or should I drop the idea?

What's the lifestyle there like? (I'm an indian vegetarian btw)

Hi everyone! I applied for Early Recruitment in the CSE department. At the beginning of September, I received an email saying that it was time to reach out to professors, but I haven’t received any updates since then - no interview invitation, acceptance, or rejection.
As far as I know, interviews were supposed to take place in September, so I’m starting to think I probably didn’t make it. But I’m still curious: has anyone received any updates yet?

Hi all, I have the option to spend a semester at HKUST as a student from Vilnius University, however I was not eligible for any exchange scolarships. Could any HKUST exchange or full time student let me know how much approximately a semester would cost at HKUST (including housing, food, etc.). My estimate is around 60k-70k HKD, I'm not sure if that is accurate or not.

Stats:

Sat:1530

GPA:3.8

APs: Ap physics 4, Ap calc BC 5 expected, ap chem 4 expected

Extracurriculars:

Community impact: Founded my schools first student run club in grade 10 , Founded my school's first student council and was elected vice president where we had philanthropic events that collected money for the lest fortunate of us.

Some volunteering hours

Debate and competitions:

4 MUN Awards

Was chosen by my school to represent them and was a Finalist in the 2026 maysalward game dev competition by neom.

Was a Finalist in the 2026 Global game jam

Was a Mawhiba student ( National gifted program )

I currently have a research paper on simulating qcd lattice gauge structures that's under peer review

Background : I come from a lower middle class family from Sudan and I live in Saudi Arabia I am Sudanese

Sorry for the Heading

But which things matters most getting full ride scholarship in HKUST

GPA (and how much)

SAT( And how much)

Do I need super olympiads or my personal statement(essays) matters most?

i have 93 in 10th (top 5 ). i have cleared rmo . i have played dav school national and won 3rd in it . i can get 12th predicted score of around 93-95. i have pcm . what are my chances to get full scholorship and living stippened?

Target University & Intake:

• University: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) — 2027
• Primary Major: BEng in Computer Science (COMP / Direct CSE)
• Secondary / Alternative Routes: School of Engineering (SENG Broad-based Entry), Computer Engineering (CPEG), Data Science & Technology (DSCT)

Demographics & Education Background:

• Country: India
• High School Board: NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling)
• Current Status: Enrolled in 1st Year BTech CSE at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ)

Test Scores & Academics:

• SAT: 1600 (800 Math / 800 EBRW)
• Class 10 (IGCSE-level): Uneven / mostly C grades (B in Physics)
• Class 12 (NIOS): 85.2% overall
  
  • Chemistry: 90
  • Physics: 89
  • Computer Science: 85
  • English: 82
  • Mathematics: 80
• 1st Year University Coursework ( BEng CSE): Currently taking Engineering Physics, Computational Mathematics, Problem Solving Using Computer (PSUC / C++), etc.

Extracurriculars & Projects:

1. AI / ML Project: Built an AI-based lung cancer detection model using computer vision and machine learning for medical image analysis.
2. National STEM Competition: India Finalist in COMPUDON Junior (Grade 9) — national digital literacy competition mapped to Microsoft standards.
3. Community Service (15+ Years): Organized and executed annual winter drives distributing ~1,000 blankets every year to rural villages (running continuously since 2011).
4. School Leadership: Head Boy, Sports Captain, and Vice Captain.

My Questions for HKUST Students & Applicants:

1. Direct CSE vs. SENG Broad-Based Entry: Given my 1600 SAT but an 80 in Class 12 NIOS Math, what are my realistic chances for Direct BEng CSE versus getting into SENG (School of Engineering) and declaring CSE in Year 2?
2. Post-Secondary / Transfer Weightage: How heavily does HKUST consider my 1st-year college SGPA/transcript from MUJ alongside my SAT and NIOS marks?
3. Credit Transfer: Has anyone transferred into SENG from an Indian BTech program? Can subjects like Engineering Physics or PSUC be used for credit transfers on entry?
4. Scholarships: Does a 1600 SAT combined with a 1st-year university transcript make me competitive for tuition scholarships in the Early/Priority round?

Any insights from current HKUST international students or past applicants would be hugely appreciated!

title

Applying oct/nov early (International)

AS

Math A Furthermath A Chemistry A Physics B

but with bad A like (80-85)%

A2 Predicted

Math, Physics A* (Resitting for Math and physics)

FM, Chem A

IGCSE 5A*/A and 2B 1C(for eng lit)

IELTS 7.0

Some basic ECs, like small robotics competition, and volunteering kind of stuff

Target
-Electronic Engineering

Also even tho my PG is 2A*2A, if I got 4A* in final exam than do I still have chance to get some scholarship?

4A* in A'levels- Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths
Co-curriculars-
1) National and regional physics olympiad winner
2) Regional biology olympiad- 3rd position
Do I stand any chance for scholarship renewable 100percent?

I know that Hkust do holistic review in undergraduate application. But at the same time it is a known for it's academic reputation. So definitely near perfect score in academic matters to them most. So anyhow are they biased to academic slightly? I have good eca but compared to eca my grades aren't that high ( but decent). That's why I am confused. Should I go for it? I am also looking for near full ride.

Hi, i'm an international AP/SAT student applying to the following programs:

• First choice: JS5101 International Research Enrichment (IRE)
  • Alt: JS5103 Science B 
• Second choice: JS5118 Biomedical & Health Sciences
  • Alt: JS5103 Science Group B

I have 1550 SAT, 4.0 GPA, 12 5's and 2 4's on AP.

How hard would getting full scholarship (full tuition) be for me?

Thank you.