| How
do I start |
Application
can be downloaded from respective school web-site, or you can
request a hardcopy to be mailed to you if there is no convenient
access for computers.
l Alternatively, electronic application is also common, which
could allow you to make changes easier and saves you time and
money on mailing. |
| Requirements
are largely divided into academic and non-academic |
Academic
selection criteria includes:
- High school grades
- Standardized tests
- SAT I or ACT (www.collegeboard.com)
- SAT II (subject test) (www.collegeboard.com)
- TOEFL (www.toefl.org)
Non-academic selection criteria includes:
- Personal essay
- Teachers recommendation
- Alumni interview (usually is optional)
- Extra-curricular activities
- Volunteer work
- Special ability/talent bring to university (e.g. sports)
|
|
|
| Prerequisites |
| Prerequisites
varied from universities to universities, and within a university,
depending on major applying. But, in general, the courses offered
at your high schools are sufficient to meet the general prerequisite
requirement, except for some specific majors. For example, portfolio
submission is common for architecture/fine arts majors, and
performance recorded on tape for music major. Hence, we advise
students to check their respective university for your specific
requirements. |
| What
scores do I need to apply for top universities: |
There
is usually no absolute cutoff on high school grades or standardized
test scores for the admission, as the whole process is subjective
and will look at the applicant in overall, NOT only grades!
A rough benchmark for standardized test score (www.petersons.com)
:
- SAT I (>1,200)
- TOEFL (>550) |
| What
are the major qualities that top US universities look for: |
-
Talents
- Leadership
- Diversity |
| Where
can I get more resources on standardized tests: |
-
Princeton Review Hong Kong (www.princetonreviewhk.com)
- Kaplan Hong Kong (www.kaplan.com.hk) |
| How
many times can I take the standardized tests: |
| There
is no limit for the number of tests taken. It is common for
students to take more than once to try to obtain a higher score.
However, all the scores (with the exception for TOEFL in which
the highest scores will be reported) will be reported to your
selected applying universities. Hence, we suggest taking the
standardized for no more than twice. |
| Teachers
recommendation: |
Objective:
demonstrate you will be a positive addition to the university
and a contributor to the community. Simply, you would make your
university look good in future.
Who should write the recommendation: teachers who know you very
well and who could write a persuasive and enthusiastic endorsement
in good English manner.
Ask the appropriate teacher: for example, if you are applying
for engineering major, it is advised to have one of your science
teachers to write one of the recommendation letters for you,
instead of having all the recommendations from your liberal
arts teachers. |
|
Need more help: |
|
Institute of International Education (www.iiehongkong.org),
an overseas advising center supported by Department of State
US, provides other information to assist you in studying in
the US in general. |
