Half of ESF's IB top scorers choose to study in HK

Alysha Bibi

Eight of 17 students from the English Schools Foundation who attained full marks of 45 points in the International Baccalaureate exams said they will study in a Hong Kong university.

They were among 32 Hong Kong students who scored full marks - up from 23 last year - and who shared how support from family and friends had been vital to their test success.

The test results were released on Saturday, with a total of 2,406 students in the city sitting for the exam in May.

ESF, which has seven secondary schools in Hong Kong, also had 43 students scoring 44 points and 47 students netting 43 points.

Nearly 32 percent of ESF students achieved 40 points or more this year.

The ESF schools also recorded an impressive average score of 36.4, which is 6.1 points higher than the global average.

ESF's South Island School had the highest number of top scorers with four.

The other top scorers included four from Diocesan Boys' School, two each from Victoria Shanghai Academy, Singapore International School (Hong Kong) and Yew Chung International School, and one each from St Paul's Co-educational College, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School and St Stephen's College.

Medicine continues to be a hot pick among top scorers with six top ESF students looking to take that path - five who at Chinese University and the other one at Oxford University.

Another popular university pick was Imperial College London.

Joseph Wong Tin-chi, who will study mechanical engineering there, said he is particularly interested in developing surgical robotics, artificial organs and prosthetics.

"I want to develop robotics that can enter the bloodstream to fight blood-related diseases," Wong said.

Lau Sien-tung, a top scorer from ESF King George V school who will be going to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study bioengineering, said while exams preparations were demanding, her family and friends "always reassured" her that she would be okay.

Lau also shared study tips, along with her exam preparations which included drilling on past papers.

"I have this document which I think is very helpful - I have kept all my wrong answers there since Year 12. I find it very helpful to keep track of all your wrong answers and go back to them," Lau said.

"While Hong Kong's bio engineering industry is growing really rapidly. I think UCLA and [other overseas institutions] have been in the technology and medical field a bit longer, and have a bit more experience and facilities for that type of work," she said.

Most ESF top scorers, including Lau, also said they aspire to return to Hong Kong upon the completion of their degrees. However, some had no such plan.

"Since I will be studying chemical engineering, there aren't as many job opportunities in Hong Kong," said Marcus Lau Hin-tung, who will be going to Oxford University.