Calling all HKUST MBA Applicants: [2020 Intake] Class of 2022

Welcome all HKUST class of 2022 hopefuls. Let's use this platform to know each-other, exchange ideas, discuss app strategies, and some profile discussions may be? Give a shout out!

HKUST Decision Tracker & Historical Admit Data | Add HKUST to your profile

HKUST MBA Deadlines: 2020 Intake
Round	Application Due	INTERVIEW NOTIFICATION	Decisions by
R1	Nov 13, 19	Jan 10, 20	Feb 7, 20
R2	Jan 15, 20	Mar 13, 20	Apr 9, 20
R3	Mar 18, 20	May 8, 20	May 29, 20

HKUST Class Profile

• Class Size: 95
• Median GMAT: 660 (Middle 80% Range 570 - 710)
• Avg Age: 29 (Middle 80% Range 25 - 33)
• Avg WE: 6 Years (Middle 80% Range 3 - 9)
• Non-local nationality: 96%
• Female: 37%
• Most Represented Industry: Finance 30%

EMPLOYMENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Placement Rate 3-months after graduation: 89%
• Mean annual base salary: $76,310 (excluding signing bonus and other guaranteed compensation)
• Top Recruiting Industries: Finance 32%; Tech 15%; 12% Consulting and Manufacturing each
• 74% switched job functions post-MBA; 71% switched job industries post-MBA; 95% employed in Asia post-MBA
• Ranked world No.6 in Career Progress among Global Top 20 MBA Programs by Financial Times in 2019

Deadlines added in the post.. https://gmatclub.com/forum/calling-all- ... l#p2330891

Anyone knows where the essay questions are displayed on HKUST's site?
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Is HKUST a safe option for international candidates given the current political situation?

I answered a similar query here https://gmatclub.com/forum/5-b-schools- ... l#p2346401

Hope that helps!
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For Folks applying to HKUST, here are the three essays all applicants are expected to write:

1. The HKUST MBA mission is to inspire and transform individuals to be future business leaders for Asia and the world. We embrace diversity, and are looking for ambitious and open-minded candidates with a passion to contribute. It is the first day of orientation. Please introduce yourself to your classmates, highlighting what drives you in your personal and professional life. (500 words)*

2.Tell us about your post-MBA goals and based on that, why is the HKUST MBA the ideal program for you and how do you plan to engage and enrich our community? (500 words)*

3. How do you plan to finance your MBA? (500 words)*

I do have a question here, How do you write 500 words on 'How do you plan to Finance your MBA?'

I am looking to switch my job function from project management and business development in real estate to Real Estate investment domain. Is HKUST a right choice for such a switch? Is it renowned as a top Asian finance college?

If you look at the placement highlights showed here, you will notice that almost 1/3rd of the class got into the Finance sector, which basically proves your point.
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I don't think they expect us to utilize the full limit. They might have kept the limit to 500 words to allow scholarship seeking applicants to give reasons why they should be awarded a scholarship. Not sure though. It is best to ask a current student if they had similar question last year also.

Recently the protests have become violent and are now pro-democratic rather than opposing the proposed law. An article in Washington Post said, "Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam acknowledged in a news conference that Hong Kong’s economy is being battered, saying that last quarter’s economic data is likely to be 'very bad.' Goldman Sachs in a research note last week estimated that up to $4 billion in capital left Hong Kong for Singapore".

Carrie Lam even went on to add that Chinese military may get involved if situation gets worse.

Sources:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 47326.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... story.html

While the ongoing situation is certainly not good, HKUST is a reputed and well-recognized MBA brand in Southeast Asia. I was just checking the placement stats of HKUST - nearly 45% of its students got placements outside of Hongkong, which tells us that HKUST's graduates are accepted across the Southeast Asian region.


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Seems some sad news from the HKUST campus today as one of the students was hurt and subsequently passed away from their injuries: https://www.npr.org/2019/11/08/77752424 ... her-unrest


A sad day for HKUST's community
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Quite unfortunate. The socio-political situation in HK is making the choice to apply to HKUST extremely difficult. It is an amazing school, but whenever I see such articles, I begin to think whether it is safe for an international student to be in the midst of this.

I think it is still EXTREMELY safe in HK, esp compared to Chicago or another US metro area. For the number and volume of protests going on, this is extremely impressive for how few casualties there have been. Hong Kong and Singapore are very safe places to live, work, and study. You do not need to wonder

The economic situation in Hong Kong is different however. Tourism is significantly down: https://www.economist.com/gulliver/2019 ... or-numbers

And I think a lot of the local business activity/expansion and hiring are probably on hold as many small/medium and even large businesses are waiting to see how it will play out.
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Hi folks,

My name is Mridul Dewan and I am an alumni of HKUST (2016 intake, graduated in 2018). I am happy to answer some questions that you might have, but purely in my personal capacity and based on my experience during and after my MBA at UST.

Feel free to shoot questions in the forum (tag me there for me to get a notification) or PM me if it is something you are not comfortable talking about publicly. I did interview with 8 schools and got through 7 of them so I can help with a few those as well


P.S: I will stay clear of proof reading essays or telling folks what to write in them. That's your story to tell the admissions team, so will let you guys to figure out

Thanks for your post and coming back on GMAT Club mridul87!

Where did you end up settling if you don’t mind me asking? Are you in Hong Kong or China or Singapore or elsewhere?

Where should one focus their recruiting efforts? What country do most international graduates and up working?

Posted from my mobile device
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Hi there bb. I moved to Australia very recently. I was in Hong Kong prior to this and was working there full time. My move at this time is unrelated to the ongoing situation back in HK

In terms of recruitment, I would say that this depends on many factors. For example:
1. What work permits one holds.
2. Current market situation and the skills in demand in that country. For example, typically, client facing roles in several companies in Greater China region, Japan, Korea, etc require language skills.

For me, my background was quite technical prior to the MBA and I wanted to continue in tech, but in a more strategic role. So my natural options were India, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada (I have work rights in Aus and Can). If I had permit in Singapore, that would have been a great option too.

My personal advice to anyone spending top $'s for an MBA -> do research about the industries where you do your MBA. This is something I felt was lacking at times when I took candidate interviews. People tend to focus too much on rankings.

And being there first hand up till a few weeks back, I can confidently agree with bb's thoughts. HK and Singapore are as safe as it gets. Yes, there are protests going on but at no point did I feel physically threatened by the police or the protesters during my time there (and my apartment was in the middle of high protest area). There is an unsaid code and a lot of mutual respect for everyone. I have read international media reports and I have seen the protests first hand as well. IMO, media has TRP to take care of and they can get a bit reckless and opinionated with their reporting. They are not lying, but I do feel they exaggerate things at times.

I have absolutely no issues recommending UST as a program to apply. In the bigger scheme of things, HK will still remain an economically strategic powerhouse with good job prospects. Also, HK is one of the more international-friendly places you will find at a global scale with a relatively low barrier to enter/work.

p.s: And I am more than happy to invite my batch-mates who are very much calling HK their home to this forum so that they can give a more first hand account.

Hi guys.

I heard that the situation in HK has become a bit better. Praying that everything goes back to normal soon.

About myself, I got an admit from HKUST recently. Really excited to chat with other students who got an admit as well.

Here is a link to the https://gmatclub.com/chat group I made for the admitted students.
https://chat.https://gmatclub.com/chat.com/FQQTNbLwRl8BzXhmdcFGI1

Cheers!