ESF year 1 interview notification

FattyDaddy

There are 3 types of notices:-

(1) Invited to interview for a guaranteed place - If the child passes the interview then he/she is offered a place in the coming Y1.

(2) Invited to interview for a place on the reserved list - If the child passes the interview then he/she will be put on the reserved list, and according to ESF's experience over the years, those who are on the reserved list would most probably get a place later in the year when other applicants might decline their offer.

(3) Not invited to interview but placed on the waiting list for an interview - After the first round of interviews are completed in January, the schools may hold additional rounds and the candidate may get invited to one of these later rounds.

At this stage I don't think there is a "reject" letter as such, but obviously being in situation (3) is the least desirable. With Y1 places being in high demand, even some children with ESF kindergarten priority may find themselves in situation (3).

FattyDaddy

Saboc 發表於 16-11-18 16:03
ESF schools (e.g. SJS/BHS) disclosed which category your kid is in but the email from the Independent Schools (RC,DC) does not? ...

I believe so. ESF foundation schools will tell you before the interview whether your child is interviewing for a guaranteed place (i.e. firm offer) or a reserved place, while RC and DC will interview your child first and then decide whether to give him/her a firm offer or a place on the reserved list.

FattyDaddy

BostonRedSox 發表於 16-11-18 16:13
My son got case 3 today... the school strongly advise us to seek for alternative school... (emoji)
...

Bad luck, and it really is down to luck rather than ability. Each applicant is assigned a random number and if your son's classmates got invited it simply means they got assigned a better number or have a higher priority (e.g. being a sibling), it doesn't mean they're "better".

FattyDaddy

Popobobo 發表於 16-11-23 00:07
We applied to RC and got the email last Friday saying that our son will have an interview with them  ...

RC do things differently from the other ESF schools.
RC will interview most of the applicants, typically inviting 600 out of around 800 who applied, but they're also more selective in making offers. After all, the number of Y1 places is fixed at around 160, so if they interview more, it follows that they have to be more choosy when deciding who to offer a place to.

The other ESF schools will interview fewer applicants but are more liberal in making offers, the difficult part is getting an interview and that is largely determined by a random number assigned to each applicant.

FattyDaddy

AIW 發表於 16-11-23 09:59
That means RC is much harder to get in than other ESF...

Put it this way, it is easier to get an interview from RC but harder to get an offer after the interview.
For other ESF schools, it is harder to get an interview but easier to get an offer afterwards.

I wouldn't say one is much harder than the other.