This year close to 3,000 outstanding students gained admission to the Chinese University's various undergraduate programmes. They include 180 top students from Hong Kong admitted through the Early Admissions Scheme and some 240 non-local students. In addition, 300 exchange students from around the world will join CUHK later this month to experience life and studies in a different culture.
According to 2004 JUPAS results recently released, CUHK has admitted 2,366 band A applicants (i.e., those who have selected CUHK programmes as their first three choices) this year, representing 23 per cent, or the largest share of the 10,228 band A applicants admitted by degree programmes of all local institutions. This reflects that CUHK programmes are extremely popular among secondary school students. CUHK's top programme in this regard is Insurance, Finance and Actuarial Analysis, which has continued to attract the best students. Their average score in the HKCEE and HKALE is the highest when compared with those admitted to similar actuarial programmes in other universities.
Among other new students for 2004-5, 180 gained admission through the Early Admissions Scheme (EAS)—the largest number since the scheme's launch in 2002. They were selected from about 500 outstanding sixth formers, some with impeccable HKCEE results—three having achieved 10As, thirteen 9As, and twenty-five, 8As. Many of them have been awarded scholarships by the University.
Chan Kwok Yan, a 10A student who has chosen physics as his major, was a member of his school's debating team since Secondary 3 and was 'The Best Debater' in a joint schools Chinese debating contest.
Active extra-curricular participation is also a defining trait of two other 10A students, Ng Kwong Wing (to major in insurance, financial and actuarial analysis) and Kwong Man Kit (to major in quantitative finance). Ng was the vice-president of his school's student council. Kwong, who plays the piano, violin, guitar and erhu, was the winner of the Piano Duet (Senior) and the first runner-up in the Erhu Group (Secondary School Division) in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. Both believe that extra-curricular activities hone their social skills and introduce interesting challenges to their lives.
A total of 240 non-local students will also enter the University's gates this September—the largest ever non-local cohort among local tertiary institutions. The majority of these students are high achievers from the mainland, with the rest hailing from Southeast Asia and the US.
Lin Ge from Zhuhai outdid all candidates from Guangdong Province and scored the highest marks in the English (2) subject of the Joint Entrance Examinations. He has an offer from a key university in Guangzhou but has chosen to come to Hong Kong instead because he believes CUHK can help him excel in his studies and career. Lin was the winner of his school's English speech competition and the second runner-up of a national essay writing competition. He will join CUHK's School of Hotel and Tourism Management.
To be able to study at Peking University is the dream of many mainland students and it came true for Zhou Yu from Beijing, who gained admission with a proud score of 664 in the national Joint Entrance Examinations (491 being the prerequisite for key universities in Beijing). However he changed his mind when he knew that CUHK was admitting scholarship students through Peking University. Zhou was awarded a prize by his school for being an all-rounder, and has won prizes in the Beijing Physics Competition (High School Division) and the National Physics Competition (High School Division). He will major in insurance, finance and actuarial analysis at CUHK and looks forward to taking his pick from the colourful assortment of extra-curricular activities on its beautiful campus.
Arriving soon at CUHK will also be 300 exchange students from across the world, who will contribute to and draw from the University's multi-cultural milieu during their sojourn.
A series of orientation programmes will begin in mid-August to familiarize all new-comers with The Chinese University.