Applying from Hong Kong (Expert Oxford & Cambridge Application Advice)
Entrance requirements & international qualifications
Oxford and Cambridge both accept a wide range of the school leaving qualifications taken by students in Hong Kong – the primary three of these would be the HKDSE (Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education), the International Baccalaureate (IB), and the GCE A-levels (which remains popular amongst certain traditional and international schools in Hong Kong). In general, applicants will need at least 38 points on the IB, to be invited for an interview by Oxford, although these requirements i) vary across subjects, and ii) can be technically waived under exceptional circumstances. Science subjects tend to require higher (predicted) grades as a qualifier. There exist some greater variations amongst Cambridge colleges, but the same requirements largely hold for both Oxford and Cambridge.
For the IB, the standard offer is 776 for the HL subjects with an overall minimum of 38 – 40 depending on the course. Some courses may require the 7 grades to be from specific HL subjects, or that additional 7s must be achieved in particular subjects. It is worth noting that Cambridge tends to make offers requiring grades that are slightly (on average) above those of Oxford, but not by a significant margin. For HKDSE, candidates would need grade 5s in three elective subjects (the exception is prospective Mathematics applicants, who need 5* for the compulsory Mathematics core, and 5 in another subject alongside the Mathematics extended paper). Offers for students studying A-levels will range between A*A*A and AAA depending on the course.
Oxford and Cambridge accept a wide variety of qualifications as equivalent: Hong Kong students often succeed (and can, indeed, do so) in their applications using SAT and Advanced Placement Tests (APT). More specifically, the SAT and SAT subject tests can be taken four times a year. A minimum score of 1400 out of 1600 is required for the reasoning test, and a minimum score of 700 is required for each of the three subject tests.
Language requirements
In general, successful Hong Kong applicants who have completed their secondary education in Hong Kong will not be asked for proof of English proficiency as part of the offer conditions for admission. However, this rule is not universally adopted across colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, and some offer holders have been asked to sit for and achieve certain scores on the IELTS or the TOEFL as part of their offer conditions. A score of 7.5 on the IELTS and a score of 110 on the TOEFL are required at the higher level (though this requirement is lowered for subjects such as computer science, mathematics, and statistics).
Interview and test arrangements
If invited for an interview, applicants will have the choice of either attending the interview in person or doing a remote interview (via Skype). If one opts for Skype, one can generally conduct the interview anywhere (within reason), but usually at one’s school. Applicants who can spare the time and money are highly encouraged to attend the interview on-site at the universities; this is for three primary reasons: i) candidates tend to be less anxious and more relaxed when they can settle into the ‘pace of life’ of Oxford and Cambridge and come to experience the magic of the cities themselves; ii) candidates tend to perform better (from anecdotal, non-statistical evidence) when given the opportunity to interact with the interviewers on a more ‘human’ or face-to-face level, and finally – iii) even if the candidate subsequently fails, the experience in and of itself is mesmerisingly worth it. With all that said, candidates should consult their counsellors or teachers for more specific, context-based advice. While the mode in which the interview is conducted is (in principle) not supposed to affect the outcome, some of the nonverbal communication (e.g. general demeanour, attitudes, and extent of interest in the subject) between interviewer and interviewee may be lost in transmission through the video conference medium.
Some courses will require special tests as part of the interview process. The tests required for the subjects most popular among Hong Kongers are:
The Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) is required for law at Oxford (as well as for most popular law schools in the UK);
The Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is required for medicine at both Oxford and Cambridge;
The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) is required for Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Psychology and Linguistics, Psychology and Philosophy at Oxford;
The Economics Admissions Assessment (ECAA) for economics at Cambridge;
The Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP) for mathematics and some other maths-based subjects at Cambridge, and the Mathematics Aptitude Test (MAT) for mathematics at Oxford;
The Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA) for natural sciences at Cambridge;
The Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) for physics at Oxford;
The History Aptitude Test (HAT) for history and related courses at Oxford
The list above is not exhaustive; please refer to the individual course pages for more specific course requirements. Most of these tests will be held generally in one’s school. Note that some tests (such as the LNAT) require an examination fee.
Please register for these tests before the registration deadlines! Missing a deadline for an entrance test is a surprisingly common and costly mistake and may preclude an applicant from being considered for an interview altogether since the testing requirement is almost never waived.
Fees and funding
Hong Kong students are charged international fees at Oxbridge, which usually consists of a base tuition fee and a separate college fee. The tuition for Oxford is between £16,230 and £23,885 for most courses, with an additional £7,570 in college fees. The tuition for Cambridge is between £20,157 and £30,678 for most courses with additional college fees of between £6,850 and £12,700. Note that the tuition increases every year.
There is virtually no funding from the universities for undergraduate studies, so students will have to either pay the fees out of their own pockets or obtain an external scholarship/grant to fund their studies. Many Hong Kong students at Oxbridge fund their studies with scholarships from the government (e.g. the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence), the Jardine Foundation (for scholars in Oxford), the Prince Phillips Scholarship (for Cambridge students), the Swire Scholarship, amongst others. The Kwok Scholars Association offers full funding of two undergraduate Hong Kong students studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford each year. The Jardine Scholarship is offered by the Jardine Foundation and is offered to applicants to specific colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. Both the Jardine and Kwok scholarships cover full tuition fees and living expenses for the entire duration of the candidate’s undergraduate studies.
Visas and immigration information
Hong Kong students will be on the Tier 4 student visa for the duration of their studies in the UK. After being accepted into Oxford or Cambridge, the relevant college administrator will usually send a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) letter to the admitted student after verifying the admitted student’s educational credentials. The actual application process comprises of dropping off one’s passport at the VFS Global Centre and collecting it 2-3 weeks later with the physical visa attached. Whilst this process tends to run smoothly, there have been past incidents (e.g. in 2017) when the Centre incurred substantial delays, and students were at risk of losing their spaces due to the delayed visa process. Candidates are encouraged to apply swiftly and as soon as possible for their student visas. While the Tier 4 visa allows its holders to complete internships during university vacations, it does not allow for full-time employment in permanent positions. Students who wish to remain in the UK after graduation for permanent jobs will have to switch to a separate work visa.
Life at Oxford
Hong Kongers occupy a substantial part of the international student population in Oxbridge. The Hong Kong communities in Oxford and Cambridge are both tight-knit and supportive, and there are numerous opportunities to network and socialise with other Hong Kongers at the regular events organised by the Oxford University Hong Kong Society (OUHKS), Oxford University Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Services Society (OUHKPASS), and the Cambridge University Hong Kong Society (CUHKS), at Oxford and Cambridge respectively.
Let us know if you have any questions about this article or anything related to applying from Hong Kong.
