With most HK universities, including HKUST and CUHK, relaxing minimum requirements here what the director of the Student Guidance Centre at Hok Yau Club advises
Ng Po-shing says that while students should consider their interests when choosing a course, their HKDSE results will be the real deal-breaker.With applications for the 2019 Joint University Programmes Admissions System (Jupas) closing on December 5, Young Post wanted to find out more about the recent changes some Hong Kong universities have made, and how this may affect students’ choices. We spoke to Ng Po-shing, the director of the Student Guidance Centre at Hok Yau Club.
In recent months, a number of universities, such as Polytechnic University, have relaxed their admission requirements. They no longer require students to attain the minimum HKDSE score of “3322+33” to be accepted.
But Ng said that earning a place still isn’t easy. For example, City University will consider students who fail to meet the requirement by one level in one subject, but only if they score an average of level 5* across their other five subjects.
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“It’s better for students to treat the new scoring system as if it did not exist,” Ng said. “It’s too much of a risk to give up in one subject and excel in the other five.” Ng encouraged students to consider their interests and future career options when making their course choices – but added that they also need to play to their strengths, because ultimately, their HKDSE scores are still what count most.
Universities are also rolling out many new programmes this year, which Ng said is likely to affect students’ Jupas choices. “Since they cannot refer to records from previous years, students need to know the programmes well. It’s a good idea to read the course outlines on university websites.” He advised students to attend seminars which universities are holding to explain their new programmes. Ng also suggested students avoid applying to too many new courses, as this could reduce their chances of being accepted.
According to a report published by the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters earlier this month, Hong Kong’s eight government-funded universities offered a total of 15,000 places this year. Of those, 14, 060 went to students who achieved a total score of 19 in their best five subjects.
Edited by M. J. Premaratne