Applying to a university in Hong Kong is not as complicated as you may think. Through this article, I will be taking you through the academic components you need to keep in mind while applying.

The universities require a couple of important documents which will help in securing your admission. They give more than 80% weightage to academics on your application. These include:

1. Your Predicted grades for class 12
2. Class 10th and 11th Final Grades
3. IELTS or TOEFL scores
4. SAT or ACT scores (Optional)
5. Advanced Placement Exams (Optional)

Now, let us go through some important points to keep in mind. First, let’s talk about your grades:

Grades in High School

Universities in Hong Kong look at your overall performance in 10th and 11th grade, so maintaining a good academic record is important. In some cases, they might ask you for class 9th grade as well. However, the most important document is your predicted grades for class 12. Predicted grades need to fall in the range of 85-95% in order to build a strong college application. After submitting all the documents, you will receive a conditional offer from the university. This means that the offer holds good only if you achieve the condition they have given you in your acceptance letter.

You can apply with various boards such as IB, CBSE, ISC and other state boards, so make sure you maintain a good academic record throughout your high school.

Now, I’ll talk about English Proficiency Tests – IELTS and TOEFL.

IELTS

IELTS, which stands for the International English Language Testing System is a recognized test which helps you to show your proficiency in the English Language. It has 4 components that are:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

Each section is out of 9 and the final score is the average of all 4 sections. For a strong application, we recommend a score of at least 7.5/9

TOEFL

TOEFL – iBT is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. This also has 4 sections:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

Each section is out of 30 and the final score is the average of all 4 sections. Here, we recommend a minimum score of 100/120.

Next, I’ll talk about the standardized test like the SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement Exams.

ACT and SAT

ACT and SAT scores are not a direct requirement but they do enhance or strengthen your application.

The SAT has three sections: 

1. Reading and Writing (800 points) 
2. Mathematics (800 points) and 
3. an optional essay.

The first 2 sections are scored out of 800 each and the essay is scored out of 12.

 A score of 1400/1600 in the SAT puts you at a great advantage.

The ACT has 5 sections, these are:

• English
• Mathematics
• Reading
• Science
• Writing

Each section is out of 36 and the total score is calculated using the average of each section. A score of 30 and above would be a good score to enhance your application.

Advanced Placement Exams

The Advanced Placement Exams are carried out by the College Board once a year in various subjects. These exams help in gaining credit in college and are advantageous for your application. However, while gaining credit you have to refer to the university site as the policies vary from university to university.

At UniRely, we have a team of professional counselors who will assist you, every step of the way. For more information, please visit our website unirely.com to learn more about the process of applying to universities in HK for an undergraduate degree.