American universities still a rewarding option for Hong Kong students

The university application process has been frustrating and taxing on both the body and mind. As a future first year student in the United States, I’m thrilled that my endless nights of essay writing are over. Applying to the US is a popular route taken by many Hong Kong students and is significantly different from that of other countries.

Although admissions committees place great emphasis on the rigour of your high school record, standardised testing, leadership in extracurricular involvement, recommendation letters and application essays are also important elements of the equation. British, Canadian, Hong Kong and Australian applications are all difficult in their own regard, but undergoing the US application process has challenged me to be self-reflective, disciplined in pursuing my interests, and to distinguish myself from other students in telling my own story.

Self-awareness is the first and most important step towards a competitive application. Preparation for entering an American university began in grade nine - a time when my actions were primarily defined by my parents’ expectations and peer pressure - not by my own desires.

Realising that I wanted to go to the US and subsequently learning about the expectations of admissions officers was critical because it laid the foundations for my secondary school journey. Were it not for a period of reflection, I would have drifted through four years of secondary school, purposeless, doing everything at random.

Realising your identity, passions and the person you want to become in university is what the application process is all about. By reflecting and becoming aware of what is expected, desire will transform into purposeful action targeted towards certain extracurricular activities and the pursuit of knowledge.

Time is scarce and admissions officers will favour the applicant who is thoroughly dedicated and grows in the leadership activities they love. Whether you want to save the world, help a refugee, or undertake a laboratory experiment, self-awareness will never lead you astray.

Self-discipline, a rare but valuable trait, will undoubtedly strengthen your application. Needless to say, the academic element of the application requires significant self-control. However, the extracurricular aspect is equally demanding. Whether it was campaigning for #konylast year, varsity basketball, a jazz band or promoting “Save the Lemurs”, some activities felt like a waste of time, especially when your friends applying to other countries weren’t obliged to do them.