Ask HKUST Admissions

Hello,

I have read on other forums that R1 application results were communicated very soon, some received an interview call within a week of R1 deadline.

I don't see/hear/read the same for the R2 applications. Is it because of the holiday season around the R2 deadline or is it because R2 is a more vigorous process of of evaluation ?

Thanks!

I think they are still in process of reviewing R1 applications. R1 last communication deadline is 15th JAN.

So R 2 should happen post that.

Also from 24th to 27th the admission office is closed for Christmas.

Hi pchak,

While some candidates in R1 received the interview invitation around 1 week after the deadline, some are still under reviewed.

Please expect R2 results to take a little longer because the adcom need to review both R1 & R2 applications together and the time clashes with the holidays.


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

Hi

I applied in R1 - 2nd last day of deadline

I haven't received any correspondence from HKUST till date. (except that my application is complete and all supporting documents are successfully submitted)

On HKUST's website, 13 Jan is written as the last interview calling date. Does this mean, if I don't get an interview call by 13 Jan, I am rejected?

Also I know of students who applied in R1 last year and got an interview call in R3 and were accepted. Was the procedure different then? or this time also we can expect the same?

Why is there so much delay in interview calls?

Thanks a lot

Hi coreaspirant,

By Jan 13, we will notify you whether you are shortlisted, rejected or put on the waiting list. Please understand that there is no delay in the interview notifications. Last year, R1 applicants were accepted in R3 because they were put in the waiting list. And they were informed of this status by the R1 interview notification deadline.


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

OK

Thanks a lot.

Hello hkustmba,

I just read that some of the R2 applicants have already gone through a round of interview.
Is there a criterion for the interview calls? From your previous posts I understood that the calls will be sent out in chronological order (R1 first and then R2).
Thanks !

Hi pchak,

While the applications are reviewed in a chronological order, it doesn't mean that the interview calls or interviews are handled in the same order. Here is a recap of our previous post on this matter.



All the interview notifications for round one will be sent out by Jan 13, when candidates will know their final shortlisting status.

If there is any question, please let us know.


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

hkustmba,
Thanks for the info again.

Hi all,

For R2 applicants (unless you haven't submitted all the required info in time before which may result in a delay), we will send you emails on your shortlisting results (whether you are invited for interview or not) by next Friday, Feb 10. So remember to keep an eye on your mailbox these two weeks.

And HKUST MBA is ranked within the world's top 10 again for the third year in a row by Financial Times!

Here is a piece of related news by NASDAQ: [Asia] Come for the tropical climate, stay for your MBA

Read more: https://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-01/come-for-the-tropical-climate-stay-for-your-mba.aspx?storyid=117629#ixzz1lBXi1iMW

HKUST MBA Admissions Team

I would like to pose these questions to HKUST tea:

1. How deep is HKUST into energy sector in terms of curriculum, post-mba careers, and batch students. Since most of the students are from finance background in HKUST.

2. In what ways does HKUST help students in entrepreneurship and start-ups.

Hi OptimusPrimea1,

First of all, we'd like to clarify that only 18% of our incoming students come from accounting/finance backgrounds and around 30% of graduates work in the finance industry. Most of our students are from different fields rather than just finance background.

<Energy sector>

Our curriculum focuses more on helping students develop the knowledge and skills they require for a particular job function rather than for a particular industry. So we have career tracks in marketing, consulting, general management etc. instead of in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare or energy.

That said, in recent years we have seen more students coming from/hoping to work in the energy sector especially in China where there are great demands in energy: https://thecitizen.co.tz/business/14-international-business/19577-china-spends-50-billion-a-year-on-renewable-energy.html

Students can get more exposure and connection in this industry through the Energy Alliance, a student club which organizes regular networking and enrichment activities, and share latest industry news in the region with the class. We will also help students to connect with people in this industry through executive meetings (e.g. with Shell), and company events (e.g. with Exxon Mobil).

Some graduates are working in companies e.g. Hillgrove Resources, RWE Effizenz GmbH, Schlumberger, Symbior Energy etc.


<Entrepreneurship>

On the university level, we have the entrepreneurship center, which offers regular seminars, networking events, trainings on the subject. It also organizes the 1-million-dollar entrepreneurship competition which offers funds, office space and legal/accounting services to winners.

Entrepreneurship Center: https://www.ec.ust.hk/index.html

On the program level, the MBA students have formed the Entrepreneurship Club. It also works in similar ways as the entrepreneurship center but focuses more on the needs of our MBA students.

In our curriculum, we have a career track in entrepreneurship offering courses such as Challenges, Opportunities and Options of Starting Up, Venture Capital and Private Equity, etc.

Our students also join business plan competitions to practice pitching their business ideas in front of investors, and to get professional feedback on their business ideas.

Some of our alumni have also become entrepreneurs after their MBA. Here is a feature e-news on this subject including a story on how our MBA has helped an alumnus started her business, and some useful tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.

How an MBA can help you start your own business: https://mba.ust.hk/enews/intake12/wangpu.html

8 tips for aspiring entrepreneurs: https://mba.ust.hk/enews/intake12/Tips.html


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

Thank you for the detailed reply. Very informative.

With regards to admissions:

1. What is the minimum criteria for applying to HKUST?

2. Should I as an applicant expect to wait for the interview invite till the last day of interview decision deadline? For example, if interview decision deadline is say 20th February. Will anyone receive interview invites on 20th february as well or the interview shelling out process stops a few days prior to the deadline itself?

3. When will I come to know about scholarships?Some other univ. give out scholarship details only when the first installment is paid up? Can you elaborate on the scholarships?

Hi OptimusPrimea1,

1. Minimum requirements for admissions to HKUST full-time MBA are:
- a strong bachelor degree;
- a satisfactory GMAT score;
- a minimum two years’ of full-time work experience after the first degree; and
- a good TOEFL/IELTS result if English was not your language of instruction at the undergraduate or postgraduate level

2. Yes, we may still send out some interview invites on Feb 20. But under normal circumstances, majority of the applicants will know whether they are shortlisted for interview before that day.

3. If you are talking about the scholarship details, all those available for our admitted candidates are listed in our website here: https://mba.ust.hk/ftmba/admissions/financialaid.htm

For the merit scholarship and need-based grant, admitted candidates will know whether they get them before they are required to confirm their offer and pay the deposit. For other scholarships like the Outstanding Leadership Award, Scholarship for Non-Asian with Asia exposure, etc., since we need to review all the scholarship applications in that round before deciding who will get them, you will only learn the result by the deadline of our admissions results, i.e. Feb 10 and Mar 9 depending on which round you apply to.


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

Hi everyone,

Our Head of Admissions and a current year-two student will join an online chat session next Thu. If you have any questions about our program, admissions or student life, it is a good opportunity to get them answered. This will also be our final online event for intake 2012.

Absolutely Asia: HKUST MBA Admissions Online Q&A (Mar 1, Thu)
Hong Kong time: Mar 1, 2012 (Thu) 10:00am – 11:00am
Eastern time: Feb 29, 2012 (Wed) 9:00pm – 10:00pm
Pacific time: Feb 29, 2012 (Wed) 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Reserve your seat here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/207239130


HKUST MBA Admissions Team

Hi HKUST,

I have been waitlisted at HKUST and have been told to wait till May 15th. I have a few offers from other schools who obviously want me to pay the deposit (but I LOVE HKUST and it is my first choice).

Just want to know from you if HKUST has rolled out an offer to students like me after they have been wait-listed in previous years?
(spoke to a couple of students from last year and it seems that I have absolultely no chance for this year from here!)

Hi karansingh22,

Thank you for your interest in our school! In the past we did accept students from the waiting list. But the chances depend on that year's situation and are really case by case.


HKUST MBA Admissions Team