Many students in Hong Kong seek to attend university abroad, quite often looking to the US. While the geopolitical situation has made this somewhat uncertain of late, a great many students are still drawn to the strong academic programs and amazing opportunities afforded by top universities in the US.Ìý That said, the application process for US universities is a convoluted process, all the more so for international students. We’ve covered how being an international students works generally before, but today we’re going to run through some of the things that students from Hong Kong specifically need to be aware of when applying to universities in the US. Let’s jump right in!
What Hong Kong Students Need to Know ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø College Applications
The primary barrier of entry is that of the college applications themselves. There are two separate issues here for many students in Hong Kong. The first is that the way college applications work for US universities is completely different to how it works in the rest of the world, and the second is that on top of this, universities have additional requirements for international students. We’ll go through the ones which most often trip up the students from Hong Kong we work with.
English Language Requirements
This is often a trip-up for students in Hong Kong because of how many students in Hong Kong are fluent in English. Indeed, many students don’t need to prove their fluency with English. The rule most colleges use is that if your high school taught in English primarily, you don’t need to prove English fluency.
Thus, students who attend a British style or American style school in Hong Kong, where the instruction is primarily in English, do not need to prove their fluency in English. If your school’s primary language of instruction isn’t English however, you will need to prove it. You may know that you can speak English perfectly well, but colleges require proof of this. TOEFL, IELTS, and DuoLingo tests are accepted by most top US universities.
Standardized Test Requirements
Many (though not all) colleges in the US require students to take either the SAT or the ACT. These tests are not at all similar to something like the Gaokao, except superficially, and this often trips up students from Hong Kong. The Gaokao is the primary metric by which college admissions in China are determined; it is this test alone, in exclusion of all other metrics, which decides whether or not you get into a top university.
By contrast, the SAT and ACT are but one metric colleges use to evaluate students. These are important for international students, but the point of them is to determine if you are academically prepared for the rigors of college work. It is entirely possible (and indeed common) to get a perfect score on one of these exams and get rejected from many top colleges in the US because other aspects of your application did not measure up.
Application Essays
One of the most important components of your application are your essays, something colleges in the US really prioritize, but most other universities globally do without. These essays fall into two distinct categories:
- The personal statement. This is a single longer essay which goes out to every college you apply to.Ìý
- Supplementals. These are shorter essays that individual colleges want you to write, which can be on any number of topics.Ìý
Essays are your chance to tell admissions officers about yourself, as a person and a scholar. When colleges in the US are evaluating applicants, they don’t make decisions based on academic achievement alone (they do want academic achievement of course, but that’s just one of the things they’re looking for). Equally important is who you are, and how you’ll fit in with the campus community. This is completely unlike what universities in Hong Kong (or indeed the rest of the world) look for, and thus often trips up students.Ìý
Cost and Financial Aid
Unlike much of the rest of the developed world, colleges in the US cost a lot of money to attend. These costs are even higher for international students, both from travel expenses, and because many schools see international students as a source of tuition income. For this reason, many colleges in the US, even ones which are quite generous with financial aid for domestic students, offer little to none to international students.
There are some schools which do, but if you have financial constraints, then the list of schools you can and should aim for in the US is limited. Even among schools with financial aid, many are need aware, and will take into account your ability to pay when making an admissions decision.
What Hong Kong Students Need to Know as International Students
Colleges themselves have extra hurdles for students outside the US, and so does the US government. These are usually not overwhelming, but it’s good to be aware of these requirements ahead of time. Government bureaucracy requires a lot of attention to detail and strict adherence to deadlines, so being aware of what’s required ahead of time is the best way to avoid your applications getting derailed by a paperwork issue.
Visa Requirements
We cover this in more detail in another article, but all international students require a visa to study in the US. This must be applied to from a US consulate, and requires proof of admission to a US university, along with a form from that university. Colleges are used to supplying these, and if you have concerns about this process, we advise reaching out to the international student office of any colleges which have admitted you; they’re there to help you out.
Note that as part of your evaluation for a visa, they do consider your financial assets. Students with fewer financial resources are more commonly rejected in their visa applications, as the US government considers them a higher risk for overstaying their visa (whether or not this is accurate).
Immunization
There are always recommended or required inoculations when traveling elsewhere in the world. These can be set by both the country you are visiting, or your own country. are the vaccinations required for entry to the US, note that these are all quite common. As travel between Hong Kong and the US is quite common, this shouldn’t present a major hurdle.
Political Concerns
There has been increasing discussion in the US about the large number of international students, particularly those from China. Now, Hong Kong and China are distinct, but also aren’t, particularly in the view of many Americans (who are known for their nuanced understanding of geography). Thus regulations or changes in requirements for Chinese students often end up making things more complicated for students from Hong Kong as well.
The US usually changes their regulations quite slowly, but this has not been the case of late, with the current administration having a major focus on both immigration policy (including student visas), and China. These relations can fluctuate wildly, and with them policies towards students from both China and Hong Kong.
It is a bit much to ask high school students to be aware of geopolitical realities when they are applying to colleges, but this is something you may want to keep in mind when applying to universities in the US. We don’t want to dissuade you from applying, and universities across the US are stepping up to welcome international students, but there may be unexpected hurdles which arise, specifically for students from Hong Kong.
Final Thoughts
There are many unique hurdles for international students interested in applying to universities in the US, but hundreds of thousands succeed in it each year. Students from Hong Kong have some unique challenges here, and some unique advantages as well, notably the strength of many of the high schools in Hong Kong, and the prevalence of English fluency.
We hope this article has helped you understand what challenges are presented by applying to a university in the US as a student in Hong Kong. If you are looking for help dealing with these, then ³Ô¹Ï¹ÙÍø can help. We aren’t immigration lawyers, but we do have a deep understanding of what US universities want to see from applicants, and how to present yourself to them in an ideal manner. If you have any concerns about your own university journey, then schedule a free consultation with us today, we’re always happy to hear from you.
