To : Students invited to attend the interview for The Hongkong Bank Foundation Overseas Scholarship Scheme 2002-03:

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the interview:

Format of the Interview

• A panel of 4 interviewers to 2-5 interviewees in a group (interviewers will be academic professors)
• Duration: 15 mins to 35 mins
• English will be used in the interview

What are the interviewers looking for?

The scholarship announcement has given you a good idea of what the interviewers are looking for. Some of the items are listed below with tips on how you might address the issues.

No sample answers are suggested because there are no model replies.

Moreover, you do not need them. You only need to communicate your own personal philosophy. Just remember to back them up with evidence from past performance.

Firstly, the scholarship announcement indicated that the sponsor is looking for people who:

• are Hong Kong permanent residents with right of abode in Hong Kong;
  
  
• have maintained consistently good academic performance (a minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent in the first semester of the 2002-03 academic year, evidence of which must be provided as soon as results are available). Second year undergraduate students should also have in addition, at least an average GPA score of 3.0 in their first year of undergraduate studies;
  
  
• are all round achievers, participating in extra-curricular activities and / or community service activities;
  
  
• have no extensive experience of living or studying overseas;
  
  
• are in financial situation which does not permit overseas study or extensive travel overseas;
  
  
• are committed to Hong Kong;
  
  
• are accepted for admission by the relevant overseas university;
  
  
• are proficient in the English language by obtaining the minimum TOEFL and TWE, or IELTS results required by the Hongkong Bank Foundation:
  
  

  	Minimum requirement
  TOEFL	233 with no components below 22
  AND
  TWE (the essay component of TOEFL)	4.5
  OR
  IELTS	6.5 with no components below 6.0

  
  Students must check the minimum requirements of the overseas university (which may be higher than that set by the Bank) to ensure that they meet all requirements and students must ensure that their test date is on March 8, 2002 or later.
  
  
• have satisfied other admission requirements of the university to which the applicant intends to apply for entrance. Applicants are required to check carefully the admission criteria of individual universities.

Tips

When you are preparing for the interview, think about these questions on:

• Achievements
  
  
  • What are your academic and non-academic achievements?
  • How did you attain such achievements?
    
    
• Extra-curricular activities and community service
  
  
  • How can you demonstrate yourself as an active, enthusiastic and devoted participant in extra-curricular activities and community services? Think along this structure: What? How? Why? Result? So what?
  • What did you do / have you been doing in relation to them?
  • What are your major achievements? Why?
  • What are your philosophy and belief in doing all these things?
  • How did you help, for example, in the Oxfam Bread Selling Campaign?
  • What is the fundamental purpose of the Bread Selling Campaign? Is it poverty? Or is it fair trade? If so, what is Oxfam's position on the issue? What is the position of the opposite party? What are your own views? What impact does your knowledge of the subject have on your life
    
    
• Financial needs
  
  
  • Do you have any financial needs? Why?
  • In what way would you use the scholarship if it were granted to you? Give a concrete plan.
  • What would you do in order to achieve the sponsor's aims for providing the scholarship?
  • Why do you think you deserve to be a recipient of this scholarship?
    
    
• Choice of study, university and country
  
  
  • How much do you know about xxx University?
  • How much do you know about xxx subjects? Give specific examples.
  • Why do you think that you have a high chance to be accepted by xxx university?
  • What would you do if you were not accepted by xxx university?

    Tips:

    • Do a thorough research on your choice of study, university and country.
    • Visit all the relevant web sites of your choices.
    • Have a thorough understanding and knowledge on them. For example: their reputation, ranking, history, current news, etc.
    • Visit <http://www.hku.hk/cepc/NEW/forstudent/further.html> for reference.
    • Be prepared to answer any other questions related to them.
      
      
• Commitment to Hong Kong
  
  
  • How would you demonstrate that you are committed to Hong Kong? Why? Give specific evidences.
    
    
• Others
  
  The interviewer is also likely to be interested in you as a person and would therefore wish to know:
  • What kind of current affairs and social issues are you interested in? e.g. Policy Address, Budget Deficit?
  • What hobbies and interests do you have? How informed are you about them?
  • Why do you choose xxx subjects as your major study?
  • What are your career goals?
  • What are your plans after graduation?
  • What are you skillful at? What are the evidences?
  • What are your strengths? How do you exercise these strengths?
  • What would your classmates and professors say about you?

These are a few examples only. Think of other questions that may be commonly asked at interviews.

Overall, the interviewer will be forming an opinion about how mature you are as a person.

General advice

Visit <http://www.hku.hk/cepc/NEW/forstudent/interview_advice.html> for general advice.

After the Interview

Please give us feedback about your experience to help us prepare next year's candidates.

Enquiries

Feel free to ask questions and send them to Emily Wong <emily.wong@cepc.hku.hk>.

Careers and Placement, Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS)