Applying to top-tier secondary schools can be a daunting prospect for P6 students and their parents. To secure a place in a well-regarded school, many parents target its Discretionary Places (DP) instead of crossing their fingers and waiting for the results of Central Allocation.

Having coordinated the school-specific exam practice for more than three years here at i-Learner, I have helped numerous parents and students through the application process and the preparation work required for it. I have got several key tips that will improve the process for everyone:

1. Exam success is vital

As we all know, Chinese, English and mathematics are the core subjects in Hong Kong. Out of the six subjects that play a role in the Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) system, these three are the core components – each one carries three times the weighting of visual arts!

It is essential that students lay a solid academic foundation as early as possible – things get significantly more challenging from P4 onwards! Top-tier schools are mostly English as the medium of instruction (EMI) schools, so the earlier you start polishing your English, the better. With great English, you can show the teachers in the interview how well you’ll cope in an EMI learning environment.

2. Research the schools well

Each P6 student gets just two copies of the application form for S1 DP, meaning you only have two chances of getting an interview before Central Allocation. As the DP application is not subject to restriction by district, you are free to look into the schools’ educational philosophies and characteristics and find the best match with your child’s strengths.

3. Make your portfolio clear and concise

Can you imagine how many applications a school juggles? How much time do you think teachers have to hunt for the details of every child? Parents who succeed at this stage help teachers find what they most need. Parents do this by being selective and only presenting key elements which match what a particular target school is looking for. Applicants may be required to write about their strengths and weaknesses and hand in sample pieces of writing (e.g. book reports and film reviews). Students struggle to find the right tone, and often veer between being humble and conceited. They also tend to write too much for these assignments, and as you now know, when it comes to portfolios, quality always overweighs quantity.

Once you have chosen your target schools, make sure to polish the skills they’re looking for. I-Learner offers courses in grammar, writing, critical thinking, and many more, as well as school-specific exam practice to help each child achieve the best results they can.

Make sure to join our specialised interview preparation courses as well so you can present yourself with confidence!