The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a public research university in Hong Kong. HKUST is commonly regarded as one of the fastest-growing universities in the world. As of 2019, the university was ranked seventh in Asia by QS and third by Times, and around top 40 internationally. It also ranked first in Times Higher Education Young University Rankings in 2019 and second by QS world’s under-50 universities in 2020. 

HKUST is a popular choice amongst students for its diversity and its international reputation across the world. First, let’s talk about its deadlines.

Deadlines

The application for HKUST opens in mid-September. Applicants can submit their applications either in the early round deadline which is on 15th November or in the main round deadline which is on 6th January of the following year. Next, let us go through the application process of HKUST.

Application Portal for HKUST

To submit your application to HKUST, you will need to create an account on HKUST ‘s admissions website. To have a complete application, you will be required to fill in all the sections, which are: 

First is the Personal Particulars Section, where an applicant is required to fill in basic details such as their name, age, gender, email id, phone number, date of birth, identification document number, information about visa and other such details.

Next, is the Program Choice section, which requires the applicant to submit their program choice. Note that you can select up to two choices and the first choice will be considered as your first priority. If the first choice is unsuccessful you will be automatically considered for the second choice

Next, is the Secondary Education Section, where the applicant needs to add details such as school name, expected date of graduation and final results of your 9th,10th and 11th final examinations

Next, are the sections with the Examinations Results and English Language Proficiency Test, which requires you to upload results of your high school and English proficiency exams you will take or have taken. For IB Diploma and Indian applicants, include your predicted grades for each subject. In the English Language Proficiency section, submit your IELTS or TOEFL scores in the spaces provided.

The sixth section is Prizes and Awards, which requires applicants to write any prizes, awards or accolades they have received. Make sure you have the certificates handy in case the universities ask for them.

The seventh section is Activities, which requires applicants to write extra-curricular activities they have been part of. These can be fests, activities and hobbies you are involved in during the last few years.

The eighth section is the Work Experience Section, which asks the applicant to submit information about all their previous jobs and internships if any.

The next section is the Personal Statement Section which requires the applicant to write a personal statement with a maximum of 4,000 characters. The applicant should clearly explain the reasons behind their application.

And, in the final section, known as the Academic Reference section, applicants need to provide the details of an academic referee who will upload your predicted grades and the letter of recommendation. This can be your IB Coordinator, Career Counselor or High School Teacher. A separate email will be sent out to them regarding the predicted grades and Letter of Recommendation.

Make sure that you upload the final copies of each of the documents required. For transcripts you have not received, you may enter the expected date you will receive them and upload it to your application later.

Each file should be within 2mb and before uploading, make sure the filename describes the content of your file.

After you are done with uploading the documents, make sure to review the entire application before you go ahead with the payment process. Once you review the application and submit it, the page will prompt you to the payment option. The application fee of HK$ 450 ~ USD 60 has to be paid either by a Visa or Mastercard to successfully submit your application.

Interviews

Within a month of submitting the application, shortlisted applicants will receive interview requests via email. HKUST uses The Kira Interview Platform to interview their candidates. In this method, there is no human interaction. This platform prompts the candidate to answer questions given out by the system. There will be 5 questions and a minute to prepare between each of the questions. For example, in the interview round, the first few questions are about yourself, then you would be asked questions on current affairs or initiatives you can take around your community.

Announcement of Offers

Offers for the Early Round applicants will be announced in late December. Applicants who do not receive offers during the early round will be considered once again with the main round applicants. Offers for the Main Round applicants will be announced on a rolling basis from February.

Scholarships

Once you have successfully submitted an application for admission, you will automatically be considered for an entrance scholarship. The result of both admission and entrance scholarship will be announced at the same time. No separate application for entrance scholarship is required. Selection is based on academic merits with consideration of non-academic achievements.

In case you do not receive an offer from HKUST, you may apply separately to various other scholarships supported by organizations, companies and business leaders. For example, local and international students can apply separately to the HKUST Diversity Scholarship Programme or The Sports Scholarship programme upon admission.

Tuition and Other Fees

The cost of studying at HKUST includes: 

1: The Tuition Fees for International undergraduate students, which is HKD 140,000 which is around Rupees 13 lakh per year.

2: Accommodation or Hall Fees varies between HKD 15,000 – HKD 30,000 which is around rupees 1.5 to 3 lakhs per year which may vary depending on the hall, and whether you have a single, double or triple room.

3: Food in the university and travel within Hong Kong is subsidized. An average of HKD 3000 – HKD 4000 which is 27000-35000 rupees will be required per month.

4: If you decide to join clubs and societies, there may be a subscription cost which is anywhere between HKD 300 – HKD 400 which is equivalent to 2800 to 3500 rupees per year.

Therefore, the total cost of pursuing a four-year undergraduate degree in HKUST would come up to around 75 to 80 lakhs. 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.