Ask HKUST Admissions

Thanks for the prompt response Towni. I was able to work my way around the formatting bit on the application. Have submitted my app, fingers crossed!

Question : under document upload, for proof of employment there is a particular sample format given. Is it necessary to obtain such a letter from your previous employer or will a copy of the offer and relieving letter suffice? Also for current employment, will salary slip and offer letter be enough?

Thanks in advance.

Dear admissions team,

I have a few specific questions:

1. I don't think that I will be able to apply by the R1 deadline, however I will be able to do so by Nov end. My questions is that assuming I do submit by Nov end, by when should I expect a decison from the admissions team?
2. Can you throw some more light on the scholarships that are offered by HKUST?
3. What percentage of the class went in the M&A domain - do you have that levelof detail? If not, can you specify what percentage went to IB?
4. What percentage of the class last year go to US for internship? How many went to US schools for exchange?
5. Can you please let me know about my chances of getting through? Below is my brief profile:

Nationality: Indian
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Undergrad: Indian Institute of Technology (I am sure that you are aware that IITs are considered the best engineering colleges in India and have a tough entrance exam with an acceptance rate of less than 1%)
GPA: 6.5 / 10 (relative grading) - not particularly good, though I believe considering that it was relative grading, the pedigree of the peer group should be taken into account. I am not sure if actually it is taken into account or not?
GMAT: 710 (Q50,V35)
Current job (Since June 2010): Consulting (Big 4)
Total work ex: More than 4 years (as of Nov 2012)
Additional qualifications: Passed CFA Level 2 exam and FRM Full (both levels)
Post MBA goal: M&A domain in Asia Pacific region

Many thanks!

Happy to help. For the employment proof, the format needn't be exactly the same but the documents you provided need to at least fulfill the following requirements:

1. Show your name, job position and employment period
2. On a company letterhead
3. With signature and company chop

For your current employment, yes, the salary slip and offer letter are enough as employment proof.

Good luck in your application!

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Hi Indian Express,

Here is our reply.

1. If you submit your application after the 1st deadline, you will be considered as a Round 2 candidate. And the deadline of admissions results for Round 2 is March 28, 2013.
2. You can take a look at our list of scholarships here: https://mba.ust.hk/ftmba/admissions/financialaid.htm
3. We do not have the percentage of graduates who went into M&A. For IB, we have 6% of our 2011 graduates working in this field.
4. Only very few of our students did an internship in US as most of them want to get work exposure in Asia, which is why they joined our program. Around 45% of our students went to exchange in US last year.
5. It is difficult for us to tell how much chances you have just based on these facts since the admissions decision is more complicated and we take into consideration a range of factors from your academic performance and work experience to your soft skills, self awareness and career readiness. That said, you have a decent GMAT score which can help with your GPA. And a CFA level 2 is also helpful if you are interested in the M&A field, which is good since it shows that you are prepared and determined to make the switch

Any questions, just let me know.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Thanks Towni for the responses.


Just want to understand if the undergrad institution is taken into account while evaluating the academic performance in general, specifically GPA.

Apart from that, just a couple more questions:

1. How important would it be for somebody like me (with an interest in the M&A domain) to learn Cantonese? Would it be really a hindrance in terms of getting a job? I believe it should not be a problem in HK even if I don't know Cantonese, though if there are not enough jobs in the M&A domain in HK then I would have to focus on mainland China (Shanghai etc.). Let me know your thoughts.

2. How important is foreign work-ex in the admission criteria? I don't have any foreign work-ex, however I have been regularly working with European and American clients /colleagues and in multi-cultural environments during the past 4 years. Is it really a negative? If yes, how can I mitigate it?

Thanks a ton!

Cantonese is not really relevant as it is only a Chinese dialect mainly spoken by people in Hong Kong and Guangdong province. However, Mandarin, the national language, is important if you need to focus on Mainland China, in which case recruiters will prefer people with Mandarin proficiency.

Foreign work experience is not a must. But having some can distinguish you from other candidates who don't. Experience working with overseas clients and teams can help a bit. Good work exposure (leadership/teamwork/big responsibilities/caliber of people you are working/dealing with) and career progression are also advantages other than global experience.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

I thought you are coming for MBA tour in Bangkok

Hi waris1987,

Earlier this year we indeed planned to join the Bangkok MBA fair but later had to cancel it because of schedule conflicts. Sorry for not being able to meet you there in person.

If you want to know more about our program, we can arrange one of our MBA advisors to talk with you over the phone. You can register for a session at https://www.mba.ust.hk/asp/intake2013events/indconsult_cv.asp?at= if you are interested.

Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Hi HKUST,

Many thanks for taking out time and helping out the applicants.

I have a query for you, which i think hasn't been asked yet in this thread. I am an engineer with a leading mining MNC. I am planning to pursue a career in management consulting in mining and metals sector post MBA.

Could you please let me know if MBA from HKUST will be able to help in achieving my career goal. Are there any particluar consulting firm whichtrecruits for this domain from HKUST?.

Regards,
Prayas.

Hi Prayas

Consulting in mining is a very niche field. Some of the bigger consulting firms our graduates join, e.g. Accenture, BCG, etc, may have a branch specialized in this field but it isn't very common in Hong Kong as mining is nonexistent here. You will have to look for opportunities in China and most likely need to speak Mandarin. Our program can help you to build up a well rounded understanding of business and the soft skills required for a consultant, as well as exposure and insights into the China market. But you will have to network a lot and always keep an eye out for opportunities in this field.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Hi Towni,

I appreciate your prompt response. To add onto my query, is it just Hong Kong and Mainland China the major consulting companies recruit for?. What about the opportunities in the rest of Asia-Pacific region.

Do the Big 3 in startegy consulting (MBB), recruit keeping in mind the specialisations the candidates are interested in, or they recruit from a common pool and then allocate specific departments after their leadership programmes?

Thanks,
Prayas

Hi Prayas,

Our full-time MBA alumni who work in consulting are mostly located in Hong Kong and China. Singapore is the third most popular location especially in recent years. Some of our graduates also got a consulting job in North America and Europe.

For your second question, our graduates usually applied to generalist positions but they specialize in a particular field/industry after joining the company. However, we do not know whether the recruiting firms already have a preferred specialization in mind during the recruitment.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

I'm from the US where I graduated with a 3.7 in accounting from a state school. I am currently studying at a top university in China for a masters in Chinese accounting, but as the only westerner (white) I'm struggling with the language gap since I only had two years of language training to prepare.

All classes, tests, and papers are in Chinese, so my gpa is at a very low 2.0. I'm the only westerner to complete this program and possibly the only one in China. Yet, I'm afraid this low gpa will hurt my chances of a top 20 MBA program. Should I forget about applying or is there any way not to mention my Chinese gpa? I don't put it on my resume. Thanks!

Hi Beijinger,

Your undergraduate performance and also GMAT score can help balance your low GPA in the master program. In our application, there is a section for you to include additional information. You can explain the relatively poor performance during your master program there.

Given our program's Asia focus and location in Hong Kong, a westerner having prior China experience is definitely an advantage. It will probably do more good than harm for you to include your master in the application.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Hi Towni,

Thanks for taking time out an helping us here on GMAT Club.

I just wanted to ask if I would need to take TOEFL or not? I am an Indian engineering graduate and my medium of communication was English. I am not sure how would I submit a proof of same. I can furnish my grade sheets (mark sheets), all of them are in English.

The application portal says that I would be required to submit an official proof and I think it would be a big hassle for me to arrange this as I would have to personally visit the university.

Would the grade sheets (mark sheets) suffice?

Also, at what stage would I be required to submit the proof, before submitting application, after interview call or after receiving admission e-mail?

Thanks,
Vineet

Hi Vineet,

I am afraid an official proof from your university showing that your degree was taught entirely in English is required to waive the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. The proof can be your transcript or the official website of your university, both of which need to contain a statement that your degree was taught entirely in English. Some of our candidates will also ask their universities to prepare an official letter which confirms the language of the degree.

You can submit the proof to us after receiving our admissions offer.

Towni
Marketing & Admissions, MBA Programs
HKUST Business School

Thaks Towni.

I will try and get these details once I get the admission offer (hoping that I do!). Anyways, the official transcripts would only be required at that stage only.