Lots of students end up confused by the different systems, and all the information is overwhelming. Let’s summarise the basics!
The US System
How Do I Apply?
The US uses a centralised application system. Through the Common Application (Common App for short), which has most universities on there. Some schools, like all UC schools or University of Washington. The US has ‘unconditional offers’ where they accept you outright. However, if you get in trouble (serious disciplinary issues) or your grades suffer significantly, your acceptance may be rescinded.
Advice: when making your uni lists, check whether or not the schools you plan on applying to are on the Common App or not. Often, universities require you to fill out personal details like your nationality, parents’ education level etc, which takes time.
What Are The Requirements?
If you’re applying through the Common App, there is something called ‘a Common App essay’, which is essentially a personal statement. However, the style of writing is more personal, and there are a set of prompts that release in February preceding that year’s application cycle. Some schools require or have optional supplemental essays, where the prompts will depend on the school. Two teacher letter of recommendation letters are required, usually from different disciplines (i.e. one from a science teacher and one from a humanities teacher). A SAT or ACT score is always beneficial; but more on that below.
Advice: The Common App has a lot of data entry required. It’s best to create an account and start filling in details right when it opens on August 1st, and not before, since your details get deleted once the new application cycle starts. Add all schools you’re considering and check the school-specific questions, as you may need to enter some additional information and or write some supplemental essays.
Are There Entrance Exams?
No, there are no subject-specific entrance exams for the US. However, the SAT and ACT could be considered a general admission requirement. Schools went ‘test-optional’ during the Covid pandemic, since students couldn’t get to testing centres. However, now that the SAT and ACT are becoming more accessible and considered good metrics for comparing students across curriculums, many of the most selective institutions, like the Ivy Leagues, are requiring them again as of this year. In Hong Kong, it is generally the SAT that students sit, and information on testing centres can be found on the CollegeBoard website.
Advice: Start studying early, check where you can test near you ASAP, and check which schools you apply to require scores.
What Does The Timeline Look Like?
In the US, there are five types of applications. Early Decision, Early Action, Restricted Early Action, Regular Decision, and Rolling Applications. Early decision, early action, and restricted early action (ED, EA, and REA) deadlines are usually around the start of November, but keep in mind some schools have earlier deadlines, so again, check. Early decision is a binding agreement between you and the school you apply to; you can only apply to one school ED (and you cannot apply EA or REA to any other schools), and you agree to go if you are accepted. Some schools do a second ED round after the first ED results are released (around mid-end December) and it is the same thing. Restricted early action is similar, where you can only apply to one school REA (and you cannot apply ED or EA to any other schools), but you are not obligated to attend if accepted. Schools like Princeton and Harvard do REA but not ED, so check. In early action you are allowed to apply to multiple schools, and are not obligated to attend if accepted. All these earlier applications favor students with polished profiles and essays, who know exactly where they want to go, since applying early is generally accepted to indicate great interest.
In regular decision, which most students do, you can apply to a maximum of 20 schools through the Common App system, and more depending on whether the school you’re applying to has an external system. You may choose from any school you are accepted to, unlike ED. Deadlines usually fall around early January, but some schools have deadlines as late as the start of February. Rolling applications means schools are still accepting applications past these deadlines, but generally schools stop accepting around March to early summer.
Advice: do extensive research on which one of these application types are right for you.
How Long Will My Program Last?
US Bachelors programs last a standard of four years. Dual degree or joint masters programs may take around five.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
You may be admitted, rejected, or waitlisted/deferred from a university. Deferrals are unique to the early round applications, and this just means they’re going to consider you for admission under the regular round. If you applied ED and were deferred, you are released from your obligation to attend. Regular decision admissions can end with waitlists, where the school will admit you if another student declines their spot. The US also has a unique financial aid application system, which includes the FAFSA (which are for citizens only) and the CSS profile (which international students can also fill out). However, if applying for aid as an international, it may reduce your chances of admission (when schools are ‘need aware’, they take into account whether you can pay).
Advice: Both these forms (FAFSA and CSS) require detailed tax and financial information, so if you plan on applying, start early.
Where Can I Learn More?
Useful and reliable sources include The College Essay Guy, for help on essays, and your school websites for better information on schools. The Common Data Set, which you can find by googling ‘my school + common data set + last year/this year’ you can find detailed data on the acceptance rate, median SAT and ACT scores, etc. This is useful to gauge the competitiveness of your application, and is extremely useful to read.
The UK System
How Do I Apply?
The UK also has a centralised application system, UCAS. You can only apply to a maximum of five universities on UCAS, and there aren’t individual application systems. UK universities only really issue conditional offers, where they offer you acceptance, but only IF you fulfil the conditions they issue. After you have been accepted to schools and conditions have been issued (which you must fulfil in order to be officially accepted) you must choose a Firm and Insurance offer. A firm offer is your first choice school which you will attend if you fulfil the offer conditions, and the insurance offer is the school you will attend if you do not fulfil the conditions of the first offer.
Advice: create an account early and fill in your details when UCAS opens around mid-May.
What Are The Requirements?
You need to submit a personal statement, your grades (past and present), and a reference (letter of recommendation). The personal statement is similar to the Common App essay, but it tends to be more focused on your interest in the specific subject you are applying to. UCAS only requires one reference, but some universities may request or require another one, so check and submit accordingly. Many programs in STEM have subject specific requirements (like engineering, etc), so you need to check when choosing your subjects. Some programmes require entrance exam scores; more on that below.
Advice: the personal statement gets sent to all universities you apply to. Make sure that either your programme choices makes sense with your personal statement, if you’re applying to different ones, or make sure you apply to the same programme across the board. It won’t do to have your Psychology programme read a personal statement on your interest in Maths.
Are There Entrance Exams?
YES, there are! There are many different entrance exams, each for different programmes, and they have bearing on your application. Most entrance exams happen from August-November the year before you apply. For programmes that require scores, if you miss the entrance exam registration, you may not be able to apply.
Advice: think of which programmes you want to apply to early. For programmes like Law, Medicine, etc, these tend to have entrance exams that require studying in advance. Check if your program requires an entrance exam, and register ASAP.
What Does The Timeline Look Like?
UCAS opens early September (3/9, for the 2025 application cycle). However, you can make an account and start filling out your information in May. Oxbridge and Med, Dentistry, Vet deadlines are usually mid October (15/11 for the 2025 cycle). The UCAS main round deadline is usually the end of January (29/1 for 2025 round). If you applied to five schools and none accepted you, extra (where may add extra choices) opens end February (26/2 for 2025), and the deadline to add schools are usually at the beginning of July (4/7 for 2025). If you do not get into any universities, or have missed your offer conditions, Clearing opens after early July (5/7 for 2025), where you apply to Universities with open seats. However, clearing depends on which programmes and schools still have seats for students. The last day for clearing is around end October (20/11 for 2025).
Advice: applying as soon as your application is done and UCAS opens is the best way to guarantee less competition. As time goes on, seats will fill up, and it will become more difficult to be accepted.
How Long Will My Program Last?
In the UK, programmes last three years. However, programmes such as Medicine and Dentistry or dual degree programmes could go to 4-5 years.
What Else Do I Need To Know?
You can only apply to either Oxford or Cambridge, and not both.
Where Can I Learn More?
Check the UCAS website for more detailed information, as well as specific university websites.
The HK System
How Do I Apply?
HK universities do not have a central application system, so you’ll have to make a separate account for each university you want to apply to. There are different admissions categories you may come across (JUPAS and Non-JUPAS). JUPAS just means students taking the HKDSE, and non-JUPAS simply means students taking international curricula like the IB, A-Level, or AP. Hong Kong universities issue offers, similar to UK universities, with conditions you must meet in order to be officially admitted.
Advice: get in early and make accounts as soon as they open. You can check when the different systems open on the individual university websites.
What Are The Requirements?
HK universities require a personal statement, two teacher letter of recommendations, and your current and past grades.You can submit extra supporting documents such as a resume/CV, as well as relevant certificates. Many programs in STEM have subject specific requirements (like engineering, etc), so you need to check when choosing your subjects.
Are There Entrance Exams?
No, there are none for HK universities.
What Does The Timeline Look Like?
Advanced or early application deadlines are around November. These are advantageous, since this means there are more open seats, and thus you have a higher chance of being admitted. Competitive program deadlines like Dentistry, Vet, Medicine, dual degree programs and Law, will mostly have deadlines for the early round. Regular round deadlines fall around January, and late applications end around May.
Advice: apply earlier if possible, since more seats means less competition.
How Long Will My Program Last?
In Hong Kong, they usually last four years. However, Dentistry, Vet, and Medicine, can run up to 7 years in total. Dual degree programmes and Law programmes can last 5+ years (since law students in particular need to complete the PCLL course after graduation in order to practice in HK).
What Else Do I Need To Know?
You can be waitlisted from a programme in HK. If you miss your offer conditions, some universities offer an appeal option.
Where Can I Learn More?
The best resources are the individual university websites, as they all vary slightly in their admissions approach. You can see programme subject requirements, as well as scores they consider to be the minimum.
Advice: research programmes and schools early, and make accounts as soon as the portal opens.
What Now?
Don’t worry! With a focused approach and preparation, you too can be successful in your applications. The key to a successful application is intention, preparation, and research.
If you find yourself confused and wanting guidance, our top-university educated Consultants at Studia Consulting can help you reach your University goals, whatever they may be.
