THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIP 2016
HONG KONG
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
FOR ELECTION FOR 2016 ONLY
(This Memorandum cancels those issued for previous years)
Updated May 2015
This document assumes that you have read and are familiar with the basic admission criteria for the Rhodes
Scholarships, available on the Rhodes Trust website. For detailed conditions of tenure, view the document at
www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/files/Application/Conditions-of-Tenure.pdf
1)
Closing date
a) Your application must be submitted online by midnight, Hong Kong time, on 25 September 2015.
2)
Eligibility criteria
a) You must fulfil one of the following criteria:
i) a permanent resident of Hong Kong who has received no less than 5 of the last 10 years of
education in Hong Kong, OR
ii) a citizen of China who is studying at (or has obtained an Honours degree from) a university in
Hong Kong, OR
iii) have lived in Hong Kong for no less than 7 years, have received no less than 5 of the last 10 years
of education in Hong Kong and can demonstrate a strong personal connection with Hong Kong.
Please note: Candidates with dual citizenship/permanent residency must not apply in more than
one of the countries of which they are citizens/permanent residents.
b) You must have reached your 19th and not have passed your 25th birthday on 1 October 2016. This
means applicants must have been born after 30 September 1991 and on or before 1 October, 1997.
c) Candidates must have completed (or be due to complete by August 2016) an Honours degree or
equivalent qualification in Hong Kong or elsewhere.
3)
Application process
a) Applicants must apply online from early June: www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/hong-kong
b) In preparation for making their application, all candidates should read carefully the general
information for candidates on the Rhodes website, the Conditions of Tenure for the Rhodes
Scholarship, the information in this document and the graduate admissions pages of the University
of Oxford: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate.
c) All applications must be submitted by the closing date, see (1) above. Candidates submitting from
overseas must meet the deadline, using Hong Kong time. All supporting documents should be
submitted online. In exceptional circumstances, send them separately by post/in person to The
Rhodes Administrator (Hong Kong) and Hon. Secretary, Hong Kong Selection Committee, c/o
University of Oxford China Office, Suite 4018, Cosco Tower, Grand Millennium Plaza, 181-183
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Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong during office hours (Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. except Public Holidays) by the deadline. Late or partial submissions may not
be considered.
d) The Selection Committee will invite candidates they wish to see to a personal interview. No
candidate will be selected without a personal interview. Applicants who cannot be at the relevant
selection committee interviews will not be considered. For your guidance the selection committees
usually meet in October/November. The cost of travel to the interview will not be reimbursed by
the Selection Committee.
4)
Information to be submitted with application
The application will require you to submit the following documents. All documents must be submitted
in English, or English translations provided. Please note that, if you are invited to interview, you will be
asked to bring the originals of all documents with you:
• a copy of the Hong Kong Identity Card/Passport or, failing that, any other evidence of the date of
birth accepted as satisfactory by the Selection Committee;
• an official academic transcript from the university at which the candidate is studying, showing
grades achieved to date;
• in addition, if you are applying under either paragraphs 2.a.i or 2.a.iii above, evidence of a total of
at least five years of full-time education in Hong Kong during the last 10 years of the candidate’s
education;
• A head and shoulders photograph (jpg); please note that your photo will remain hidden from
reviewers until candidates have been shortlisted for final interviews;
• a statement of no more than 1000 words, written in English, in as simple and direct a manner as
possible, avoiding a diffuse or rhetorical style on the one hand and excessive curtness on the other.
This is your opportunity to tell the Selection Committee who you are.
General advice on preparing your personal statement can be found in a short video entitled Rhodes
Scholars speak about preparing the personal statement and the application process at
http://www.rhodesscholarshiptrust.com/apply.
The content should include:
o Your general interests and activities and what you plan to do with your life once you have
completed your studies.
o Your aims and priorities as well as the contribution you have made and would like to make to
society.
o If you left the University before applying for a Rhodes Scholarship, you should also state your
occupation since leaving.
o Indicate the course of study and degree you wish to follow at Oxford.
o Also demonstrate that you are able to meet the requirements of the specific course you have
chosen.
o Applicants wishing to undertake a DPhil must provide a brief outline of their proposed research
and list one or more researchers under whom you would like to work in Oxford.
Your personal statement is a very important part of your application. It is very important for you to
have considered what course and degree you wish to follow at Oxford before you submit your
application. It is a good idea to discuss your proposed course of study with your professors or
lecturers in that field, and, if possible, with someone who has knowledge of United Kingdom
universities. Please consult the University of Oxford website: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate.
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The admissions pages will give clear guidance on the admissions requirements for your chosen
course. Many courses require written work or the GRE or GMAT.
The personal statement must be entirely your own work. When submitting your application you
will be asked to attest that it is “my own work and is wholly truthful. Neither it nor any earlier draft
has been edited by anyone other than me, nor has anyone else reviewed it to provide me with
suggestions to improve it. I understand that any such editing or review would disqualify my
application.”
• four letters of recommendation from persons who are well acquainted with the candidate are
required for the purpose of confidential reference. Three references should be persons under
whom the applicant has studied at university. One reference should be from a person well
acquainted with the candidate who can speak to character and/or extra-curricular activities.
Referees are requested to upload the letter of recommendation which is preferably in pdf format
on headed paper and signed. References from persons acquainted with the candidate’s family or
relations, but not with the candidate personally, should not be included, since testimonials from
such persons will be disregarded. Referees should note that – for the successful candidate – these
references will be submitted to the University of Oxford in support of their application for
postgraduate study.
• a full curriculum vitae which should include awards received, records of achievements and extracurricular activities, work experience (if any) as well as educational history, together with the
supporting documents.
• Evidence of English Language Proficiency, the score report of public examinations you have taken
(eg TOEFL/IELTS) with Explanation Notes of the Grading System, ie copies of both sides of the score
report.
• CD, memory stick and emailed applications will not be accepted.
5)
Selection Procedure
a. The Rhodes Trust does not require any financial information from applicants, since selection for the
Rhodes Scholarship is made without regard to financial means.
b. If you have dual citizenship, you may apply to one constituency only;
c. Selection for the Rhodes Scholarship is of course made without regard to marital status, race,
ethnic origin, colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social background, disability, caste or
other irrelevant distinction.
d. The Rhodes Scholarship for which you are applying is for entry to Oxford in October 2016 and may
not be deferred.
e. The Rhodes Scholarship is confirmed only upon successful admission to the University of Oxford.
f. A selection committee will make no nomination if it is of the opinion that there is no sufficiently
qualified candidate.
g. The decision of the Selection Committee is final.
5. Procedure after Selection
a. Please note that successful applicants will need to apply to the University of Oxford very soon after
selection. Full details will be given upon selection.
b. The full application of successful candidates will be forwarded to Rhodes House, Oxford, where the
Scholarship references will be used as appropriate in support of the candidate’s subsequent
application to Oxford.
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c. Applicants for a second undergraduate degree with senior status will need to submit a paper
application, provided on selection, which must reach Oxford by Friday, 27 November 2015.
Candidates must therefore make a quick submission immediately following election.
d. Successful candidates will be encouraged to disclose, in confidence, any medical condition or special
needs which may require academic or personal support in Oxford. This disclosure is entirely
voluntary and is requested only to enable Rhodes House to provide suitable support in Oxford and to
make the transition to Oxford as smooth as possible.
For further information about the Rhodes Trust and the Rhodes Scholarships, see
www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk and www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/page/hong-kong
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