Q: What is Access Abroad Hong Kong and what is the mentorship program for?
A: Access Abroad Hong Kong (AAHK) is a non-profit organization operated by Oxford and Cambridge students, aiming to battle inequality in higher education, especially in Oxford and Cambridge (‘Oxbridge’) admissions. Our team strives to break down the cultural, informational, and financial barriers that prevent deserving talented Hong Kong students from gaining a world-class education, namely by providing a subject and scholarship mentorship scheme for less-privileged local students pursuing higher education in Oxbridge and the UK.
Q: What universities does AAHK provide mentorship for?
A: AAHK provides mentorship for application to the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and University of Edinburgh.
Q: Who will be my mentor?
A: All AAHK mentees are paired with a subject mentor studying the target subject or a similar subject. AAHK has over 80 student mentors studying at the 5 universities mentioned above, so we will try to assign you with the mentor who can help you the most. The subject mentor assigned will be a student studying at the target university, and will provide 1 to 1 support for the university applications, from subject choices to giving advice on personal statements, interview preparation, aptitude tests and more. All AAHK mentees will also be allowed to participate in small classes with scholarship mentors who will guide you through the scholarship application process. Our scholarship mentors are all students holding a scholarship that you wish to apply to, and so will have experience with the application process. They will assist you with scholarship personal statement writing and interview preparation. If you apply early, you will be given priority to be assigned a 1 to 1 scholarship mentor, who will be able to offer guidance on a more personal level.
Q: Am I eligible to apply?
A: AAHK aims to identify underprivileged and under-resourced students who have the academic potential to succeed at universities like Oxbridge. If you are a form 5 student interested in pursuing further education at Oxbridge, Edinburgh, Imperial or LSE and you believe you fit this criteria, then we strongly encourage you to apply.
Q: I study at an international school. Am I still eligible to apply?
A: Admission into our mentorship program is quite competitive and so we always give priority to underprivileged students studying at schools that provide little resources for UK university applications. If you feel that you are experiencing financial difficulties that will prevent you from studying abroad, we encourage you to apply as we may still be able to offer you a place as our mentee, but this will depend on your financial circumstance, academic ability and mentor availability.
Q: I am underprivileged and would love to study my favourite subject at Oxbridge. I perform relatively well at school, but I am not sure if I have the academic capability to succeed at Oxbridge. Should I apply for this program?
A: Yes! Passion is one of the most important factors for success in applying to Oxbridge. We will assess this from your personal statement, as well as your academic potential through the aptitude test and interview. Many students in Hong Kong are perfectly capable of getting an offer from Oxbridge and succeeding there, but do not apply because they underestimate their abilities and potential. AAHK wishes to minimize this happening and help you reach your dream university, so we would strongly encourage you to apply for our program.
Q: I am passionate about a particular subject but I don’t know which university is best for me. What should I put as my first choice option on the application form?
A: Yes, it’s hard to know exactly which course at which university is best for you. Read about each of the courses online and put down your favourite course as your first choice option. If you are accepted into the program and get assigned to an AAHK mentor, you may discuss this further with your mentor. If you change your mind after this discussion and decide to apply to another university/course, we will try to re-assign a more appropriate mentor if possible, but this will depend on mentor availability.
Q: Due to my financial circumstances, I am afraid that even if I receive an offer to study abroad, I will not be able to afford the school fees and living costs. Should I still bother applying?
A: This is exactly the mindset we fear! Please do not worry about the financial costs of studying abroad – our scholarship mentors will try their best to alleviate your financial burden by helping you receive the scholarship that you deserve. More than half of our successful mentees have been awarded with prestigious “full ride” scholarships that guarantee funding for both tuition and air-fares, with a living stipend.
Q: Is it really free???
A: Yes – completely free with no hidden costs!
Q: When should I apply?
A: As soon as possible! Due to limited scholarship mentor availability, earlier applications will have a higher priority of getting a scholarship mentor. The deadline for round 1 application is 20th June 2021. If you have missed this, do not fear as our round 2 applications will begin soon.
Q: If I am applying for entry in 2023, can I still apply?
A: Our program is only for 2022 entry – you must be going into form 6 now to be eligible. If you are taking a gap year, please apply for our program next year.
Q: If I apply, am I guaranteed to get a mentor?
A: Unfortunately, due to a limit on the number of mentors, we are unable to offer mentorship to everyone who applies. We will assess your financial circumstances and academic potential through your application, the aptitude test and an interview before accepting you as a mentee. We will assign you to your mentor if you are accepted as a mentee.
Q: If I do not get accepted into AAHK, does this mean I shouldn’t apply to Oxbridge?
A: Definitely not. Admission into our mentorship program is competitive due to our limited mentor availability, so we are only able to give priority to underprivileged and under-resourced students who are passionate and show academic potential. If we are unable to offer you a place in our mentorship program, this is not any weakness on your part and does not mean that you will be rejected from Oxbridge or other UK universities.
Q: How do I know if you received my application?
A: A confirmation email should be sent to your inbox after you apply. Please send us a message or email if you have not received a confirmation email one week after you apply.
Q: I just applied. When do I find out whether I am accepted?
A: If you applied for our round 1 applications, you should be getting further emails regarding aptitude tests and interviews once we have processed them by mid July.
Q: Do you offer mentorship programs to postgraduate applications?
A: Unfortunately, we do not currently have mentors for graduate programs, so we are only able to offer mentorship to undergraduate applications.
A: Access Abroad Hong Kong (AAHK) is a non-profit organization operated by Oxford and Cambridge students, aiming to battle inequality in higher education, especially in Oxford and Cambridge (‘Oxbridge’) admissions. Our team strives to break down the cultural, informational, and financial barriers that prevent deserving talented Hong Kong students from gaining a world-class education, namely by providing a subject and scholarship mentorship scheme for less-privileged local students pursuing higher education in Oxbridge and the UK.
Q: What universities does AAHK provide mentorship for?
A: AAHK provides mentorship for application to the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and University of Edinburgh.
Q: Who will be my mentor?
A: All AAHK mentees are paired with a subject mentor studying the target subject or a similar subject. AAHK has over 80 student mentors studying at the 5 universities mentioned above, so we will try to assign you with the mentor who can help you the most. The subject mentor assigned will be a student studying at the target university, and will provide 1 to 1 support for the university applications, from subject choices to giving advice on personal statements, interview preparation, aptitude tests and more. All AAHK mentees will also be allowed to participate in small classes with scholarship mentors who will guide you through the scholarship application process. Our scholarship mentors are all students holding a scholarship that you wish to apply to, and so will have experience with the application process. They will assist you with scholarship personal statement writing and interview preparation. If you apply early, you will be given priority to be assigned a 1 to 1 scholarship mentor, who will be able to offer guidance on a more personal level.
Q: Am I eligible to apply?
A: AAHK aims to identify underprivileged and under-resourced students who have the academic potential to succeed at universities like Oxbridge. If you are a form 5 student interested in pursuing further education at Oxbridge, Edinburgh, Imperial or LSE and you believe you fit this criteria, then we strongly encourage you to apply.
Q: I study at an international school. Am I still eligible to apply?
A: Admission into our mentorship program is quite competitive and so we always give priority to underprivileged students studying at schools that provide little resources for UK university applications. If you feel that you are experiencing financial difficulties that will prevent you from studying abroad, we encourage you to apply as we may still be able to offer you a place as our mentee, but this will depend on your financial circumstance, academic ability and mentor availability.
Q: I am underprivileged and would love to study my favourite subject at Oxbridge. I perform relatively well at school, but I am not sure if I have the academic capability to succeed at Oxbridge. Should I apply for this program?
A: Yes! Passion is one of the most important factors for success in applying to Oxbridge. We will assess this from your personal statement, as well as your academic potential through the aptitude test and interview. Many students in Hong Kong are perfectly capable of getting an offer from Oxbridge and succeeding there, but do not apply because they underestimate their abilities and potential. AAHK wishes to minimize this happening and help you reach your dream university, so we would strongly encourage you to apply for our program.
Q: I am passionate about a particular subject but I don’t know which university is best for me. What should I put as my first choice option on the application form?
A: Yes, it’s hard to know exactly which course at which university is best for you. Read about each of the courses online and put down your favourite course as your first choice option. If you are accepted into the program and get assigned to an AAHK mentor, you may discuss this further with your mentor. If you change your mind after this discussion and decide to apply to another university/course, we will try to re-assign a more appropriate mentor if possible, but this will depend on mentor availability.
Q: Due to my financial circumstances, I am afraid that even if I receive an offer to study abroad, I will not be able to afford the school fees and living costs. Should I still bother applying?
A: This is exactly the mindset we fear! Please do not worry about the financial costs of studying abroad – our scholarship mentors will try their best to alleviate your financial burden by helping you receive the scholarship that you deserve. More than half of our successful mentees have been awarded with prestigious “full ride” scholarships that guarantee funding for both tuition and air-fares, with a living stipend.
Q: Is it really free???
A: Yes – completely free with no hidden costs!
Q: When should I apply?
A: As soon as possible! Due to limited scholarship mentor availability, earlier applications will have a higher priority of getting a scholarship mentor. The deadline for round 1 application is 20th June 2021. If you have missed this, do not fear as our round 2 applications will begin soon.
Q: If I am applying for entry in 2023, can I still apply?
A: Our program is only for 2022 entry – you must be going into form 6 now to be eligible. If you are taking a gap year, please apply for our program next year.
Q: If I apply, am I guaranteed to get a mentor?
A: Unfortunately, due to a limit on the number of mentors, we are unable to offer mentorship to everyone who applies. We will assess your financial circumstances and academic potential through your application, the aptitude test and an interview before accepting you as a mentee. We will assign you to your mentor if you are accepted as a mentee.
Q: If I do not get accepted into AAHK, does this mean I shouldn’t apply to Oxbridge?
A: Definitely not. Admission into our mentorship program is competitive due to our limited mentor availability, so we are only able to give priority to underprivileged and under-resourced students who are passionate and show academic potential. If we are unable to offer you a place in our mentorship program, this is not any weakness on your part and does not mean that you will be rejected from Oxbridge or other UK universities.
Q: How do I know if you received my application?
A: A confirmation email should be sent to your inbox after you apply. Please send us a message or email if you have not received a confirmation email one week after you apply.
Q: I just applied. When do I find out whether I am accepted?
A: If you applied for our round 1 applications, you should be getting further emails regarding aptitude tests and interviews once we have processed them by mid July.
Q: Do you offer mentorship programs to postgraduate applications?
A: Unfortunately, we do not currently have mentors for graduate programs, so we are only able to offer mentorship to undergraduate applications.