有冇家長后侮選了國際學校，而非傳統小學？

HKTHK

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

Not sure when you went to college but I don't think that is the case nowadays.  From what recent graduates told me and also looking at admission results for different Ivies, most admissions are from the good IS.  It was the case that it was mostly kids from boarding schools or those who went to LS and then transferred to a US or Canadian high school.  But I don't think the Ivies have taken a large number of direct admissions from LS.

Shootastar

回復 HKTHK 的帖子

It is also my understanding in case of the recent 10 years.
It might be the case some 30 years ago when the number of IS in Hong Kong were not too many and the IS had not built up their reputations.

honeybunny7

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

I am not sure how come our intelligence differ. My experience is for the recent 8 years, undergrad and masters. I also know that's true for some other non-Ivy top schools such as Chicago. Haven't checked with my cousin who's currently an undergrad at Stanford.

HKTHK

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

Only referring to undergrad since students apply directly.  Grad is different and much less dependent on high school.

honeybunny7

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

Also, as I mentioned, I hung out with Canto-speaking HK students, and many IS students are children of expats so I wouldn't be surprised that they didn't hang out with us. Yet may actually be Americans so would you expect them to join the HKSA?
Secondly, alumni gets points at Ivies. When you apply, they ask you on the form whether anyone in your family attended their school. Expats in HK are senior staffs who attended Ivies themselves so it'd be much easier for their kids to go back. In particular, we used to joke that Penn's a Jewish school, and there are many Jewish Americans doing business in HK and their kids can get into Penn with connections, whether they attended HKIS or not. That's reality.

Thirdly, do Ivies care about "reputation" of your high school? I doubt there is such thing as reputation. If yes, why there's only one DGS girl in my year while I came from a poor no-name local school? My seat should have gone to another DGS or HKIS girl, right? I think it's more a myth than a truth.  

However, I do have a theory on why LS students are finding it harder and harder to get into top US colleges.

honeybunny7

回復 HKTHK 的帖子

I was talking about my undergrad experience at Penn, but also stayed in the States for grad school, another top school, don't want to disclose too much.

Shootastar

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

Thank you for your sharing.
Penn used to admit about 20 students from Hong Kong in a typical year. If you check the matriculation list of CIS, GSIS, ESF and HKIS each year, they should have more than 10 students admitted. Assuming the rest comes from LS and none from boarding schools in UK or USA, the number of students from LS should be 10 or less.

The number of international schools in Hong Kong is about 30 and the number of LS is about 600. If you compare the figure of number of schools per each student admitted to Penn, the figure of IS is 30/10=3 while the figure of LS is 600/10 = 60. In other words, every 3 LS should have one student admitted to Penn in a typical year and every 60 LS has one student admitted to Penn.

By reason of the above, I am afraid I cannot agree with you that it is easier for LS students to be admitted to Ivies than IS students.

Shootastar

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

I would like to reply as follows:

Also, as I mentioned, I hung out with Canto-speaking HK students, and many IS students are children of expats so I wouldn't be surprised that they didn't hang out with us. Yet may actually be Americans so would you expect them to join the HKSA? [I would encourage my kid to mix with students from the other part of the world so that he could learn more about the culture of the other countries. Of course, he should mix with students from Hong Kong as well. However, if he does not stretch out to other group, it defeats one of the main purposes of studying aboard for cultural exchange].


Secondly, alumni gets points at Ivies. When you apply, they ask you on the form whether anyone in your family attended their school. Expats in HK are senior staffs who attended Ivies themselves so it'd be much easier for their kids to go back. [Unless the Ivies do not speak truth, they all said in their webpages that you have an edge being a legacy only if you are in the borderline case. The advantage is to get another look on your application. It does not guarantee that you are admitted. It is unfair to the alumni students that they are admitted simply because their parents are alumni. If you do not present a strong application (no matter where you are from LS or IS, you are still not admitted. If you are admitted, in most cases, you present a strong application and it has nothing to do with you are a child of an alumni.]



In particular, we used to joke that Penn's a Jewish school, and there are many Jewish Americans doing business in HK and their kids can get into Penn with connections, whether they attended HKIS or not. That's reality.[Ivies have different quotas for US citizens and non-US citizens. The Jews can get into Penn simply because they present strong applications PLUS they are US citizens.]

Thirdly, do Ivies care about "reputation" of your high school? I doubt there is such thing as reputation. If yes, why there's only one DGS girl in my year while I came from a poor no-name local school? My seat should have gone to another DGS or HKIS girl, right? I think it's more a myth than a truth. [Ivies do care about the reputation of your high school. Exeter, Andover or St.Paul are used known as feeder schools for Harvard, Yale and Princeton.


However, I do have a theory on why LS students are finding it harder and harder to get into top US colleges. [Would you mind sharing?]

honeybunny7

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

I think you should check your math and what I said. If the HKIS students are US citizens themselves, they don't count into the 20.  My boss just got her niece into HKIS, and they are both Americans.

honeybunny7

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

From your responses it doesn't sound like you've studied abroad.  And if you choose to not believe in my experience, why ask more questions?  I wanted to help other parents by being the "myth buster" (<-- one of my favorite shows), but it is up to others to believe me or not.  I'm probably saying too much already.

Shootastar

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

It appears that you have made the assumption that all students of HKIS are US citizens. I am worried that your assumption is not correct. About 55 to 6o percent of the student body hold US passports.

Shootastar

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

It is irrelevant whether I had studied abroad when we discuss the issue. With due respect, I am of a view contrary to yours.

honeybunny7

回復 Shootastar 的帖子

This would be my last response here because obviously it is one's choice to believe.
Given that 50- 60%, or ~100 students at HKIS are US citizens, what do u think the odds are that most if not all of the 20 something students admitted into Ivy Leagues are US citizens? I dont understand why it is so hard to face the reality.
I am not here to discourage people from picking ISs. Instead, I feel that while the ISs want you to believe they are the reasons for their students' admission into top colleges, the truth is there are other reasons. E.g., being US or other citizens, being children of alumni, having parents who are MDs at Goldman Sachs, being well-connected... etc.

HKTHK

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

Pretty sure you are wrong on the relative chances of admissions to Ivies from IS vs LS.  If you think a non-top tier band 1 LS has a decent chance, I would strongly advocate your kids to continue your legacy.  As for all the other Ivies' grad I know, safe to say that 90%+ are in an IS, DxS or St Paul Coed.

HKTHK

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

BTW, if you just graduated within the last 8 years, I would strongly suggest you look at where older alumni are sending their kids.

Shootastar

回復 honeybunny7 的帖子

Thank you for your sharing.

Littleho

Harvard admits around 5-6 students in HK every year . I know one from GSIS and one from Island School got the offers last year. Anyone have any clue, where the others come from ?

Shootastar

回復 Littleho 的帖子

I have no idea.. However it was possible that they were from US and UK boarding schools.

Littleho

原帖由 Shootastar 於 13-06-16 發表
回復 Littleho 的帖子

I have no idea.. However it was possible that they were from US and UK boardin ...

I mean students from HK schools .

4eyesDad

Like you, I graduated from a top university abroad but attended a relatively unknown local school in Hong Kong. I understand completely your points in this forum and, like you, I also have theories why local school students are finding it harder and harder to enter top premier universities abroad.

I like to hear more from you on your theories. I know you don't want to continue on the current topic. but would you like to start a new discussion topic on your theories?

It would be nice to exchange views, especially views which are not commonly find locally.