Do you think only those who have connection can enter famous Int'l school?

yuenszewing

Many of my friends' children failed to get in reputatable International schools including my daughter, but I can see a lot of artists and the few riches' children can go to GSIS, CIS, HKIS. Does that mean a normal middle class family without any connection or networks, the chance of getting into good Int'l school is almost impossible. Can anyone share your view?

foolish.mom

We are only a middle class family without any connections but my kid was admitted to year 7 of CIS.

Yes, a lot of famous and rich people are there.  

原帖由 yuenszewing 於 10-1-23 13:37 發表
Many of my friends' children failed to get in reputatable International schools including my daughter, but I can see a lot of artists and the few riches' children can go to GSIS, CIS, HKIS. Does that  ...

Ruby1219

My son is now in GSIS, he joined in Year 3. We are neither rich, nor having any connection with the school.

Yes, a lot of celebrities' kids studying in GSIS, including Canning Fok, Cheng Dan Sui, Jacky Cheung, Tung Oi Ling, and lately Cheung Ka Fai. But in fact I don't think the school knows these local celebrities at all.

Did your daughter and your friends' kids pass the assessments of these schools ? What's the reason of not getting in ?

yuenszewing

None of my friends get in any famous Int'l school. One of my friend's daughter finally went to ESF, while some friend's kids actually are native English speaker and they failed in Cndis & CIS.
My daughter failed in GSIS and passed the assessment in Cndis but only on waiting list. Did your kids attend some specific trainings for the interview? I know those artists have native English tutor. My boss is real rich and has some connections, his daughter went to CIS after several attempts, after that his 2 other kids can easily get into CIS reception class.

I can see a lot of my friend's kids are very smart but they still failed, just wondering? but as you said, may be they have some selection criteria I overlooked.

原帖由 Ruby1219 於 10-1-23 21:19 發表
My son is now in GSIS, he joined in Year 3. We are neither rich, nor having any connection with the school.

Yes, a lot of celebrities' kids studying in GSIS, including Canning Fok, Cheng Dan Sui, Ja ...

daisy17772

foolish.mom and Ruby1219:

Would you mind to share with us some tips about getting admitted into these top int'l school, particularly your kids enter these schools in primary years.  As I understood from most int'l school, their Principal told me that it will be really difficult for a kid to get admitted as most seats have already been occupied by their own reception/pre-primary class.  Furthermore, if kids are come from local school stream, their English proficiency has to be very high so as to 1) pass their entrance test 2) catch up with their students of the same grade.

Were your kids previously from local school before entering?  If so, how do you keep up their English proficiency?  Were the entrance test/ assessment difficult?

thanks
daisy17772

eaymom

No.

原帖由 yuenszewing 於 10-1-23 13:37 發表
Many of my friends' children failed to get in reputatable International schools including my daughter, but I can see a lot of artists and the few riches' children can go to GSIS, CIS, HKIS. Does that  ...

nintendo

I am not accusing anyone here.
But it is very common for people to think or presume that there are "other reasons" why their kids cannot get into a particular school, but some other kids can.
People refuse to believe that their kids cannot meet their requirements.
I am sure many very smart kids can also fail the admission procedures.
Things like that always happen.

foolish.mom

daisy17772,

My kid was in Yew Chung primary.  The admission test of Year 7 is really tough, particular those papers for English.

原帖由 daisy17772 於 10-1-23 23:47 發表
foolish.mom and Ruby1219:

Would you mind to share with us some tips about getting admitted into these top int'l school, particularly your kids enter these schools in primary years.  As I understood f ...

lottieclee

If you look at famous boarding school in England, like Eaton, CLC and Harrods, it is equally tough to get into the school.  Their Common Entrance Exam is really really tough.  I remember... back many years ago... I had to take 5-6 papers covering English and many other subjects.

At the time, I came from a really "famous" local girls school.. and found it extremely tough.  I guess "famous" international school in HK is looking for elite students like any other academicly strong schools around the world.  

But one thing is very true.... the sooner you get the child into the school the better, for many reasons.

I want my son to go to GSIS too... but decided to defer entry till Year 1 because it is just too far for us to travel to school everyday.

Ramama

Agree. Somehow the performance of the kid must be seen from an objective point of view and think from the position of the school, rather than how parents perceive their own child. It is reasonable to assume that the school would welcome someone who is smart and friendly, rather than just smart?

The competition is very keen for IS nowadays and what parents can hope is 天時地利人和, all happen at the right place and at the right time.

原帖由 nintendo 於 10-1-24 14:08 發表
I am not accusing anyone here.
But it is very common for people to think or presume that there are "other reasons" why their kids cannot get into a particular school, but some other kids can.
People r ...

InitialD

There are always some kids can get to the school by connection but this is always the minority. If you kid is smart and outstanding, you kid still stand at a good chance. eg. Li Ka Shing grand daughter can get to CIS without any problem.
Uncle 4 has donate a colleg in Cambridge Univerity. If you got his recommendation, you are sure WIN.

原帖由 Ramama 於 10-1-25 18:32 發表
Agree. Somehow the performance of the kid must be seen from an objective point of view and think from the position of the school, rather than how parents perceive their own child. It is reasonable to  ...

Pianokc

I agree this is true for some families.... rich, and famous, and get kid into famous school. But there are those families that have NO connections, not rich, simply the child is well rounded and smart and performed well during assessment, hence accepted.

Statistics wise, maybe it seems that way because.... it could be an effect rather than a cause. Rich families tend to... be able to afford to provide the better teachers, better lessons, more activities, better quality of life, and clothes, and food, more preparation in materials, courses, and mother might not have to work, have more time to prepare kids...etc... I am not saying this is THE cause, but it's possibly a reason.

Then again, I have seen MANY families, not rich, mother and father both working parents, kid is independent, no luxuries, and hence the child wants to really really do well, works very hard, and becomes a successful person because he wants the best, and he know working hard is the only way.

Rich parents and well connected families might have advantage in buying debentures easier than others too.....

I think this is NOT a specific scenario at all.

Rich people get into famous good school. Not Rich people also get into famous and good school.

Rich people FAIL to get into famous good school. Not Rich people also fail to get into famous and good school.

lottieclee

Somehow, from a financial point of view, I don't blame the school for allowing donors to send their families to the school.  Otherwise, where does the resource and nice buildings come from? And I agree that this is only a minority.

InitialD

Agreed. They are only monority.

原帖由 lottieclee 於 10-1-25 22:34 發表
Somehow, from a financial point of view, I don't blame the school for allowing donors to send their families to the school.  Otherwise, where does the resource and nice buildings come from? And I agre ...

[ 本帖最後由 InitialD 於 10-1-26 14:31 編輯 ]

nintendo

原帖由 InitialD 於 10-1-25 20:59 發表
There are always some kids can get to the school by connection but this is always the minority.

Exactly what I wanted to say.
How many students are there in a school?
How many do you think get in by connections, donations, etc? 10%? 20%? 30%?
Even if the proportion is as huge as 50%. Now what about THE REST?
What aren't YOUR child one of the rest of those that NEVER donated a single cent?
If you child did not get an offer, may be he really did not meet the requirements or standard. Or, if it makes you feel better, may be he was just unlucky.

daisy17772

If children are unlucky and hence have not been admitted, on the same token, those who admitted may simply have better luck.  So don't put this on your mind, some ppl had won at the beginning but failed to have the persistence to sustain, some ppl hadn't have a better chance or performed well at the beginning, but they worked hard later on, they have equally good life and education thereafter.

Those children got admitted to the very famous and top int'l or local schools, no doubt that most of them would be labeled "smart" and "well rounded".  But I knew in fact yes some are admitted by connections.  And I know a few who got admitted in fact had connections but they didn't tell others (it's absolutely normal that they don't want others to know about this).  

Don't you see ppl around us who had not have entered into the top schools, but then they worked and had the opportunities to develop their potential at a later age, they successfully switched to a very good high school, and entered into a top uni.   Then they further succeed in their career.  

Have you heard of statistics about genius.  Average students who continue to work hard and practise, statistically speaking, most of them often performed better than genius.

Going back to the topic, only those who have connections can enter famous int'l school?  Absolutely no, because all schools want to have a well balance of bright students, and also ome students with strong background, same for int'l or local schools.  So always give yourself a chance, you will never know.

If your child got into top schools, you must have felt very good about it, those who couldn't feel not good.  But this is just a feeling.  Don't forget it's still a long way to go.  There're so many old tales telling us life is a long way to go, don't give upor over-joy in the feeling of succeeding.

[ 本帖最後由 daisy17772 於 10-1-26 17:37 編輯 ]

daisy17772

原帖由 edexp 於 10-1-26 18:13 發表
香港最好那幾間國際學校是不講關係的，不像本地名校般有一定比例學生靠關係入學。當然亦有極少數例外情況，例如給予 major donor 之子女(例子極少)、外國教職員之子女。

反而，即使是舊生子女、或有sibling就讀，也不會有優 ...

Whether ppl with strong background or connections have better chance...it's always a long debate.  

Only the Principal or may be their staff know this themselves.  But the fact is the ppl I know they do.

daisy17772

原帖由 edexp 於 10-1-26 20:36 發表
對那些top 國際學校有認識嘅人，從來沒有long debate, 因為知道不是事實, 純粹是那些入不到嘅家長一相情願，不肯面對現實，自我安慰的想法，認為自己小朋友入不到是因為沒有strong background or connections 而不是 assessm ...

Exactly what you said, 信不信由得你.   

There's always something happened in the society that one wants to believe in and something that one choose not to believe in for the sake of their interest.

[ 本帖最後由 daisy17772 於 10-1-26 21:27 編輯 ]