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Hong Kong Universities and International Students

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  1. #1

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    Hong Kong Universities and International Students

    Hi,

    Sorry if this has been asked or is a dumb question...

    My 2 kids are going to an international primary school in Hong Kong now. The plan is for them to go to university in the States later on, but if for whatever reason (eg. don't want to pay outrageous US university tuition or mom misses the kids too much), is it an option for them to apply to local universities like HKU, etc.

    I understand the medium of instruction is english, at least for HKU, so should not be a problem, right? But will they be at a disadvantage vs local applicants for acceptance?

    Just want to know what our options are later. Thanks in advance.


  2. #2

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    Most universities in HK has English as the teaching language (except for Chinese University), unless you are studying Chinese literature or history, then it probably will be in Cantonese or Mandarin. But, yes, they will accept international school graduates provided they fulfill the entry requirement of the respective faculties they are applying to. Most likely they will apply under the non-JUPAS stream (those applying without sitting for the HKDSE). Requirements will vary somewhat for Non-JUPAS students depending on the particular university, so you should refer to the individual university's website for detail.

    In any case, HKU is not the only university in Hong Kong. So why limit it to only HKU? Sure, HKU is the oldest and most well-established university in town, but that does not mean it is always the best. That depend on the particular degree program your kids intend to study for. Anyway, since your kids are still in primary school, they should still be quite a number of years away from high school graduation, so no rush.

    As for American colleges, why restrict yourself only to the US as the foreign option? How about Canada? Australia? UK? All those countries have pretty good tertiary educational institutions you know.

    Last edited by Watercooler; 30-07-2013 at 11:13 PM.
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  3. #3

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    Hi,

    Thanks for that. I was wondering about the examination part, but the non-JUPAS stream, which I was not familiar with, answers that. Maybe on this or a separate thread (unless there is already one), we can compare the costs and benefits of having overseas vs local education/degree (for someone in my position as oppose to locally educated kids). But, yeah, no rush, only been thinking about it since they were in their cribs. :-)

    We plan on US studies because I went to school there and have citizenship (so will the kids), so we at least won't have to pay Int'l student prices. And if I'm really lucky, they won't get into any elite/private uni's, and I can get away with State school tuition only... :-)

    Again, that was very helpful. Thanks again.


  4. #4

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    Local fees at HKU are HK$42,100 p.a. (those students that do not require a visa to study in Hong Kong).

    http://www.als.hku.hk/admission/intl...n/admissionHK4


  5. #5

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    Thanks. That's about the figure in US$ p.a. for a good private US university these days(?) or close to it. Who knows what it's gonna look like 10+ years from now?

    But undoubtedly the cost gap will still be huge, so for someone's kid like mine who already has an "international" upbringing, and considering the few top universities in HK are globally recognized, China taking over the galaxy, probably easier for my kids to land a job here afterwards, peace of mind of having them near home,... ok, I'll stop here. Don't get me wrong, I still have favorable feelings about the States, but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense. What are the arguments for overseas again?

    Thanks if anyone wants to toss this around with me...


  6. #6

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    It's not easy to compare unless I got a degree abroad and a degree here.

    It's even more difficult to assess if the bottom line is to get a job.

    I'd argue it's easier to just go to a tech school if getting a job is ultimately what you want. My friend eventually landed into Electronic Arts by going to a tech school.

    University is more open ended. Some people just won't take as good of an advantage as others, so I can't say your kids will gain this and that skills by going to a University abroad. Many factors affects a student indirectly. Difficult to pinpoint from where the learning will smudge onto your kids.


    I visited HKU campus and I must say it really sucked. The whole environment felt crammed. There were how many, like 1 main library, 1 education library and several extremely narrow subject libraries. I don't see how they can call themselves a research University if they lack books! Don't get me started on the bookstore and how small it is. They have books for the courses - that's it!


    My campus abroad has around 18 libraries & a large bookstore. I recall there are at least 3 libraries that are larger than the central library here in Hong Kong. I wasn't able to get into the HKU library to assess its size cause they need a student card, but I'm sure it's underwhelming at best.

    That's the other thing too. This whole idea that it's not opened to the public inadvertently affects the attitude of the students.

    And how bout sports? We have ginormous courts breeding real Olympians. World class coaches who are more than just competition. They have a real reason to be there which inadvertently affects the members.

    I mean I know many who doesn't take advantage of resources and they get through their years, but in Hong Kong, you're not given that choice. You start out with limited libraries and books.

    My school's teaching is average at best. There's enough Indian and Chinese accented, as well as monotonous profs they really mess up the quality of the teaching. It was also a research University, so we have profs who never cared about how contents are being presented and they simply 'lecture' info to you. For 1st, 2nd year, there no difference between having 300-500 students in a room and 200,000 students. They might as well just put it on the web and fire all the profs as they are just going through the motions.

    It's a weird thing to say, but I didn't gain substantial values from the course contents. But more so just knowing what University is all about.

    It's really hard to assess the 4 years based solely on job prospects. Again, if you want to think like that, then just go to a tech school.

    Last edited by Creative83; 31-07-2013 at 04:57 AM.
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  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Creative83:
    It's not easy to compare unless I got a degree abroad and a degree here.

    It's even more difficult to assess if the bottom line is to get a job.

    I'd argue it's easier to just go to a tech school if getting a job is ultimately what you want. My friend eventually landed into Electronic Arts by going to a tech school.

    University is more open ended. Some people just won't take as good of an advantage as others, so I can't say your kids will gain this and that skills by going to a University abroad. Many factors affects a student indirectly. Difficult to pinpoint from where the learning will smudge onto your kids.


    I visited HKU campus and I must say it really sucked. The whole environment felt crammed. There were how many, like 1 main library, 1 education library and several extremely narrow subject libraries. I don't see how they can call themselves a research University if they lack books! Don't get me started on the bookstore and how small it is. They have books for the courses - that's it!


    My campus abroad has around 18 libraries & a large bookstore. I recall there are at least 3 libraries that are larger than the central library here in Hong Kong. I wasn't able to get into the HKU library to assess its size cause they need a student card, but I'm sure it's underwhelming at best.

    That's the other thing too. This whole idea that it's not opened to the public inadvertently affects the attitude of the students.

    And how bout sports? We have ginormous courts breeding real Olympians. World class coaches who are more than just competition. They have a real reason to be there which inadvertently affects the members.

    I mean I know many who doesn't take advantage of resources and they get through their years, but in Hong Kong, you're not given that choice. You start out with limited libraries and books.

    My school's teaching is average at best. There's enough Indian and Chinese accented, as well as monotonous profs they really mess up the quality of the teaching. It was also a research University, so we have profs who never cared about how contents are being presented and they simply 'lecture' info to you. For 1st, 2nd year, there no difference between having 300-500 students in a room and 200,000 students. They might as well just put it on the web and fire all the profs as they are just going through the motions.

    It's a weird thing to say, but I didn't gain substantial values from the course contents. But more so just knowing what University is all about.

    It's really hard to assess the 4 years based solely on job prospects. Again, if you want to think like that, then just go to a tech school.
    There is also the cultural component as well, something the OP has missed. It's not always strictly about $$$ or just the technical knowledge you are taught in college. It's also about what values you take away from your university years. Oversea universities (at least the reasonably good ones) will equipped you with the ability to think and analyze issues critically, and not simply to accept whatever people say because they happen to be in a position of authority. They encourage people to speak up and exchange ideas.

    However from my experience, local universities, while the best ones will give you a quite a good education in your respective chosen field of study, don't really give you the value and culture a university life should. They don't encourage students to speak up. It's like they are simply in a advanced version of secondary/high school.
    Last edited by Watercooler; 31-07-2013 at 09:03 AM.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Watercooler:
    Oversea universities (at least the reasonably good ones) will equipped you with the ability to think and analyze issues critically...
    How do they do with teaching English and proper spelling&grammar? I know Hong Kong schools are pretty strict on that stuff....
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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:
    How do they do with teaching English and proper spelling&grammar? I know Hong Kong schools are pretty strict on that stuff....

    From my personal observation, the top students from the best local schools have a fairly good grasp of English. But if we are talking about your average local secondary school student it is pretty dreadful.

    That's the thing, I've talked to several local teachers and they say students have many years of English classes, yet so many of them are quite poor at it. When I asked the teachers why, they say the lack of opportunity to speak English outside the classroom. Fair enough I thought, to truly master a language you have to speak it often and not only recite in the classroom.

  10. #10

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    I suspect that you've ignored the US$ - HK$ converstion.

    HK$ 40K = US$ 5K.

    You're not going to find any private institutions offering that value on a full tuition basis.

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