Change in application policy for ESF

Chase922

Effective from August 2017, Year 1 and Year 7 Central Admissions process for August 2018 entry will be a ‘one form’ application system for ESF primary and secondary schools including Discovery College and Renaissance College. Parents may only submit one online application per child with their selected preference of schools. Subject to final approval by the Education Bureau, the application fee will be HK$2,000. School zoning (http://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-zones/) applies for ESF primary and secondary schools based on residential address at the time of application. Discovery College and Renaissance College remains zone free. Details of the 2017-18 admissions process will be available from the ESF website in late June 2017.

964000

即只可apply一間？

Chase922

964000 發表於 17-4-5 08:20
即只可apply一間？

It seems that u need to state your priority and only if the first choice does not offer an interview, u will hv a chance for having an interview with your second priority. In short there wouldn't be candidates receiving offers from both foundation schools and RC/DC.

little-pig-pig

Chase922 發表於 17-4-5 09:01
It seems that u need to state your priority and only if the first choice does not offer an intervie ...

Similar to NR?

VVhuilee

Chase922 發表於 17-4-5 09:01
It seems that u need to state your priority and only if the first choice does not offer an intervie ...

one interview only:

Important announcement!! Especially if you have a 2013 born and plan to apply for ESF/ESFPIS this September for Y1 (18-19). You must know.

ONE application (one fee) and ONE interview only.

Effective from August 2017, Year 1 and Year 7 Central Admissions process for August 2018 entry will be a ‘one form’ application system for ESF primary and secondary schools including Discovery College and Renaissance College. Parents may only submit one online application per child with their selected preference of schools. Subject to final approval by the Education Bureau, the application fee will be HK$2,000. School zoning (http://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-zones/) applies for ESF primary and secondary schools based on residential address at the time of application. Discovery College and Renaissance College remains zone free. Details of the 2017-18 admissions process will be available from the ESF website in late June 2017.

Please visit   https://www.facebook.com/RCHK-Admissions-Q-A-153181278477183/    for Q & A related to RCHK.

FattyDaddy

This is bad news. Previously applicants could have 3 chances (Foundation school + RC + DC) assessed separately, now there is only 1.

mandy_ng207

回覆 VVhuilee 的帖子

Really thanks for sharing the link :)

nintendo

FattyDaddy 發表於 17-4-5 11:47
This is bad news. Previously applicants could have 3 chances (Foundation school + RC + DC) assessed  ...

I think this is a good arrangement. At the moment, there are people that get 2 or 3 offers and yet a lot of other people are on the waiting list (those that passed interview). The new arrangement will prevent parents from holding onto more than one offer for extended period of time.

964000

nintendo 發表於 17-4-5 12:24
I think this is a good arrangement. At the moment, there are people that get 2 or 3 offers and yet  ...

I think so too, it's better for those on wait list but I wonder if those got reject, will they get a second interview by another school?

FattyDaddy

nintendo 發表於 17-4-5 12:24
I think this is a good arrangement. At the moment, there are people that get 2 or 3 offers and yet  ...

The current arrangement does allow people to hold onto multiple places while waiting for other potential offers, but it costs a lot of money to do so. I believe RC alone is asking for something close to $90k to confirm and hold a place.

May be a better arrangement is to allow applicants to make 3 separate applications as before, but they can only accept and confirm 1 place from any school under the ESF umbrella.

FattyDaddy

964000 發表於 17-4-5 12:57
if those got reject, will they get  a second interview by another school? ...

They won't. If they're only allowed to apply to one school, then if they fail that one interview it will be game over.

nintendo

964000 發表於 17-4-5 12:57
I think so too, it's better for those on wait list but I wonder if those got reject, will they get  ...

hong0706

No details yet, so just a guess. They use the word "one form", not one school or one choice. Also they say "preference", not selected school. So I imagine they will still allow you to apply all 3 (foundation, RC and DC) but you need to state your preference when you apply. This is to deal with the large no of ESF kinder kids who decline RC and DC offers.

nintendo

FattyDaddy 發表於 17-4-5 13:20
The current arrangement does allow people to hold onto multiple places while waiting for other poten ...

I do think that they are also trying to reduce the work load of different schools too.
Note that RC and DC have no catchment area limitation. So basically everyone can apply.
But in the end, how many people living on the island would choose RC because of the location?
Getting 3 offers might make some parents "feel so good", yet it is also a huge work load for the schools, and a huge issue for the people on "waitlist".
There have been a lot of hateful topics and messages regarding ESF applications this year, just in EK.
This move hopefully would make things better next year.

nintendo

There are 3 ESF schools parents can apply now, one foundation + RC and DC.
In the end, you can attend only one.
This new arrangement is only making parents make a clear choice a few months earlier.
Consider the situation when you were accepted by all 3. You have to make a choice anyway.

mandy_ng207

回覆 nintendo 的帖子

Can't agree with you more.
Combining the applications also avoids unnecessary stress on the child, who has to attend 3 interviews in a short time. It is a good move.
If my mathematics is correct, there should be more interview chances for non-ESF kindie students under the new arrangement. Then the school can have more students to choose from and pick the best ones. I think it is a win-win situation.
I am really annoyed with some parents' idea of applying multiple schools. This is more common among local schools' parents indeed. Like what the ESF admin said, why waste time interviewing a school that you don't like, and then giving up everything when your ideal school called for admission?  

chumiguan

I do think it is good arrangement. I called ESF this morning. The lady said parents can still apply to both Foundation Schools and PIS in the 1 centralized form, just putting the schools as preference. The only thing is that the application fee she did not confirm me, saying they are waiting for EBD approval. She asked me to wait for further details which will be announced in June. So, the new arrangement may save application fee and interview process.

Chase922

Extracted from RCHK Fb page:

The new system is on the ONE application (one fee only), ONE interview basis. Hence, please only choose the one you will accept the offer. if you ONLY want an ESF school then do not choose PIS. In that case, you will only be interviewed (and be considered) by an ESF school- but there is NO guarantee you will be interviewed.  Failed an interview is the end of the application, the child will not be interviewed by the other choices of school. Same principal, if the child is successful in the interview, he/she can ONLY go to that school.  i.e. one can not use the ESF's success result to attend PIS school, vice verse.

FattyDaddy

While the new scheme will probably mean less work overall for admissions staff, the schools will get less money in application fees, so it is a give and take for the schools.

From the point of view of the applicant however, it is definitely bad news in that they previously could have 3 chances but now there is only 1. It would be like JUPAS allowing applicants to apply to only 1 university in HK.

nintendo

FattyDaddy 發表於 17-4-5 14:43
While the new scheme will probably mean less work overall for admissions staff, the schools will get ...

The new arrangement definitely would make things move on faster.
Consider the fact that one can hold on to only one school in the beginning.
I think I read it here in EK that many parents thought the previous arrangement was not fair, allowing parents to hold multiple offers.
There were so many hateful and insulting massages here on EK.