The University of Hong Kong is adjusting to a new admissions environment after the Hong Kong government raised the non-local student quota for UGC-funded ((University Grants Committee) universities from 40 percent to 50 percent. For 2026–27, the university plans to maintain a steady intake of roughly 1,600 non-local students.

Bennett Yim, director of Admissions and International Student Exchange, said HKU is increasingly taking a holistic approach to selection. Strong grades remain a prerequisite, he stressed, but they are only the starting point. On interview preparation, Yim dismissed last-minute cramming as ineffective. "The preparation cannot be done just right before your interview," he said. "You have to be a person who is well read. You need to be a person, aware of what's happening around you. If they are true to themselves and show their real selves in the interview, I think they'll do well."