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Some Hong Kong universities have seen more applicants from mainland China in the past year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, admissions officials said at a press conference in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Danni Shen, a student recruitment advisor at the University of Hong Kong, said it had admitted more students than last year through its continental admissions plan due to an increase in outstanding applicants.
Two freshmen had top marks on gaokao, the national college entrance exam, and about half had won prizes in national competitions.
“Many mainland students seeking education abroad turned their eyes to Hong Kong as the pandemic prevails in foreign countries while Hong Kong is restoring its social order,” he said. “We also see that more students from the continent are applying through the international admission plan.”
Shen said that admissions channels for the 2020-21 academic year have been opened and the university has seen “joyous progress” in inquiries and applications.
“In addition to the influence of the pandemic, the increase in the continental program was also attributed to our special admission procedure,” he said. “Mainland Chinese applicants can apply for the Multifaceted Excellence Admissions Program, in which they can participate in interviews before gaokaoand outstanding applicants can earn bonus points on admission or get conditional offers. Some of this year’s first-year students secured their enrollment through this scheme, although they accidentally got dissatisfied gaokao scores. “
The City University of Hong Kong admitted 259 college students from the mainland this year, 29 more than its plan. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology had a plan of 190 but admitted more than 200.
Admissions officials said their colleges are running classes both online and offline to meet different student demands, based on developments in the pandemic.
Universities said their admission plans for mainland students remain the same for the new academic year.
