School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS)

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Title
OVERVIEW
Description

School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS) is a school nominations scheme introduced by the Education Bureau (EDB) and takes effect from the 2022/23 entry.

SNDAS aims at recognising the talent of local students that could not be fully assessed by the HKDSE. Local students pursuing the local secondary curriculum and taking the 2025 HKDSE examination, and in parallel holding a valid JUPAS application for 2025/26 entry, will be eligible for nomination by respective local secondary schools under SNDAS to participating UGC-funded programs. 

Eligible students who wish to be nominated by their secondary schools to HKUST under SNDAS shall submit an online application to HKUST online application system following specific timeline. For full details of SNDAS and enquiries, please refer to the official SNDAS page by HKSAR Government.

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Title
Apply for Direct Admissions with Non-Academic Achievements
Description

Sanders is passionate about technology and robotics. He is among the first cohort of students admitted via SNDAS and he has just kickstarted his engineering journey at HKUST.

With the aim to match an undergraduate program with the right kind of talent, SNDAS allows each Hong Kong secondary school to recommend up to two students to HKUST for direct admissions. Each successful SNDAS applicant will receive a firm offer before the release of HKDSE results, and a one-off HK$50,000 scholarship.

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THE SNDAS PACKAGE
Firm Admission Offer
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Firm admission offer, regardless of the final HKDSE results, will be issued to each successful SNDAS applicant after the admissions interview. Successful applicants have to accept the SNDAS offer before the release of HKDSE exam results.

SNDAS Scholarship
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Each SNDAS offer recipient is eligible for the SNDAS Scholarship automatically. The scholarship amount is HK$50,000, one-off.

Details :
Title
TIMELINE AND IMPORTANT DATES
Date
Oct
Year
2024
Description Title
Start of nomination period
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Date
Mid Oct
Year
2024
Description Title
Online application system opens
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Date
Early Dec
Year
2024
Description Title
Deadline for application and nomination under SNDAS to HKUST
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Date
Feb / May - Early Jun
Year
2025
Description Title
Mandatory interviews for shortlisted SNDAS nominees
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Date
Late Jun
Year
2025
Description Title
Release of SNDAS firm offer for acceptance by offer recipients
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HKUST REQUIREMENTS FOR SNDAS

In order to be considered, all SNDAS nominees must fulfil all of the following:

01
Program applied and JUPAS Band A choice

The program applied via SNDAS must also be one of your JUPAS Band A choices.

02
OEA and SLP in JUPAS Application

Submit both the Other Experiences and Achievements in Competition / Activities (OEA) and the Student Learning Profile (SLP) in their JUPAS application.

04
Program-specific Admissions Requirements

Meet the Program-specific Admissions Requirements. Please click here for program-specific admissions requirements of HKUST programs in 2024 entry.

05
Admissions Interview

Attendance at the admissions interview is compulsory.

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01
Program applied and JUPAS Band A choice

The program applied via SNDAS must also be one of your JUPAS Band A choices.

02
OEA and SLP in JUPAS Application

Submit both the Other Experiences and Achievements in Competition / Activities (OEA) and the Student Learning Profile (SLP) in their JUPAS application.

04
Program-specific Admissions Requirements

Meet the Program-specific Admissions Requirements. Please click here for program-specific admissions requirements of HKUST programs in 2024 entry.

05
Admissions Interview

Attendance at the admissions interview is compulsory.

Title
PROGRAMS FOR SNDAS
Description

In 2025/26 Academic Year, HKUST is offering SNDAS applicants total 25 program choices.

School of Science School of Engineering School of Business and Management School of Humanities and Social Science Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies Joint Programs
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School of Humanities and Social Science
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Joint Programs
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Title
Does SNDAS accept applications from non-local students?
Description

SNDAS only accepts local students pursuing local secondary curriculum and taking HKDSE Examinations. 

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Do HKUST programs have specific subject requirements for their SNDAS applicants?
Description

Some programs prefer good performance in specific subjects in their admissions requirements.

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If I have an offer from SNDAS, what will happen to my JUPAS application?
Description

You need to decide whether to accept the offer by the offer acceptance deadline as stipulated in the offer letter. Once the offer is accepted, your JUPAS applications will automically be removed from the JUPAS application system and you will not be considered / accepted by other JUPAS programs in the same Entry Year regardless of your HKDSE Examination results.

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What happens if I did not receive / reject the SNDAS offer?
Description

Your JUPAS application will continue to be processed and considered by the JUPAS-participating institutions for admissions after the release of your HKDSE results.

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Can I be nominated for both School Principal’s Nominations Scheme (SPN) of JUPAS and SNDAS at the same time?
Description

No, students nominated for the SPN under JUPAS will not be eligible for nomination under SNDAS and vice versa.

Title
Can I be awarded for both BAAS and SNDAS at the same time?
Description

The spirit of SNDAS is to embrace students with outstanding non-academic talents, which is synchronized with the mission of the Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship (BAAS).

Riding on this, HKUST extended the scope of BAAS to SNDAS, offering the ‘School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme Scholarship’ (SNDAS Scholarship).

Once SNDAS awardees accept the admissions offer and receive the SNDAS scholarship, they will not be further considered by BAAS.

Title
Am I still eligible for the admissions scholarship for HKDSE qualification?
Description

Yes, students admitted via SNDAS are not participating in the JUPAS practice anymore, they can still receive admissions scholarships for HKDSE qualification should they obtain corresponding levels of HKDSE exam results.

For details about the admissions scholarship for HKDSE qualification, please see Fees and Scholarships | HKUST Undergraduate Admissions

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Telephone:

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Mailing Address:

Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions Office, HKUST
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