A Comprehensive Guide to Applying to G5 Universities and Specialist Programs
UK G5 universities emphasize academic rigor and personalized student development, often boasting excellent faculty and abundant teaching resources, ensuring outstanding educational quality. Speaking of "UK G5 universities," do you know what they are?
UK G5 universities
The term "UK G5 universities" is often mentioned among students and parents, referring to the five most prestigious institutions in the UK: University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London (UCL) and LSE.
These five shining academic stars undoubtedly attract many aspiring students. The admission standards for G5 universities are exceptionally high; Oxford and Cambridge even have their own unique "rules of the game."
Despite this, they remain highly sought after by top students, rivaling the popularity of today's famous music groups.
UK G5 universities—Professional Qualifications
In addition to the UK G5 universities, students in Hong Kong are also keen on disciplines that offer professional qualifications. Medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science are undoubtedly competitive fields, but there is also a growing number of applicants for professions such as law, accounting, architecture, and physiotherapy.
Some of these disciplines have limited spots available, which further intensifies the difficulty of the application process. To secure a place, applicants employ various strategies and invest significant time crafting their personal statements. Many even begin their UCAS applications months in advance of the deadlines.
While it may seem like everything is in order, there are still several important factors to consider to ensure success in securing a position at a UK G5 university or in a professional program.
Strategies for Choosing Schools: Pairing is Essential
Choosing universities is an extremely important part of the entire UCAS application process. While everyone may apply for the same subjects or fields, each student's application is unique. It’s essential to analyze each student's academic performance, subject choices, personal characteristics, and research interests to develop an appropriate university selection plan.
For instance, when applying for medicine, a student with an average score in the UCAT should adopt a relatively conservative combination of medical schools to ensure they receive interview opportunities. On the other hand, students with outstanding academic results should also prioritize securing interview chances when selecting their medical school options.
Participating in various activities to enhance your personal resume
The personal statement can be seen as the applicant's "business card." Given the fierce competition for places in UK G5 universities and professional programs, students put great effort into showcasing their best selves. However, the word limit on the statement can lead some to include content that feels less relevant, often because they have limited experience in related activities. Students can take advantage of summer or long holidays to participate in activities closely related to their chosen field, helping them accumulate relevant experience and stand out during the application process.
Understanding Your Career Direction
While many students know what subject they want to study, not everyone is aware of their career and development direction. Sometimes, they might choose a course based on trends or peer influence, rather than personal interest; they may also lack a clear understanding of the career paths available after completing their studies.
Before starting their studies, students should explore the various career options available upon completion. Additionally, those without a clear career intention can strengthen their understanding of different industries by participating in various related activities, which will also enhance their personal resume.

Extended Readings
Guide for Hong Kong Students Pursuing a Law Degree in the UK
The Importance of Shadowing in UK Health Science
Key Steps to Improve Your UCAT Score and Secure a Medical School Offer
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Ready to Hear Success Stories? See Why Ascent Prep is a Student Favourite!
Michelle has excelled in academics since she was young and has been determined to apply to medical school since her third year of junior high school. She attends a local traditional girls' school that offers British A-Level courses. To lay a solid foundation for her dream of studying medicine, Michelle chose challenging subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. In the summer vacation after completing the IGCSE exam, Michelle interned in a cardiologist's clinic for five days through our arrangement. During her internship, she deeply realized the busy schedule of doctors and their sense of mission for the recovery of patients, which made her more determined to become a doctor.
Academically, Michelle took a UCAT preparation course during her first Christmas in the A-Level course, and learned various exam techniques under the guidance of the tutor, mastering how to quickly understand questions. She eventually scored an excellent 2830 in the UCAT exam and obtained a level 1 in the situational judgement test, which led to an interview invitation from the University of Nottingham Medical School. During the Easter period, she attended a personal statement guidance course. With the advice of her tutor, Michelle chose appropriate extracurricular activities and revised the content of her personal statement to make it more clearly express her passion and motivation for medicine. In addition, Michelle also took the BMAT exam (note that the BMAT has now been cancelled) and obtained a good score of 12.7, which exceeded the qualifying score and increased her chances of entering medical school.
To ensure that Michelle can fully express herself in the interview, we recommend arranging three targeted mock interviews to ensure that the areas that need improvement can be accurately improved. Finally, Michelle received an interview invitation from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong through the Non-JUPAS application. Her efforts finally paid off and she successfully received admission notices from the University of Nottingham and the University of Hong Kong.
After sharing Michelle's case, for students who aspire to enter the medical school, starting preparation one to two years in advance can indeed significantly increase the chances of success. Michelle's story not only inspires other students, but also proves that with planning and hard work, pursuing your dreams is achievable.
David attends a top secondary school in the UK and has excellent academic performance, with all 9s in GCSE and all A* predicted A-level grades. His dream has always been to become a doctor, and he has worked hard to achieve this goal. However, David unfortunately encountered a setback in the interview for a British medical school in January. The failure of the interview for his first application to a medical school made him depressed and anxious, and he began to doubt his abilities and future. At this time, his father contacted us at Ascent Prep for advice and suggestions.
We first comforted David and encouraged him not to give up his dream. Although he missed the chance to apply for medical school at a British university, the start date of medical school in Australia is half a year later than that in the UK, so he still has a chance to enroll. We suggested that he consider switching to medical school in Australia. In order to help David overcome the difficulties in the interview, we analyzed the reasons for his failure and found that although he was knowledgeable, he was flustered in the interview, especially lacking logic in judgment and problem-solving questions. We developed a personalized coaching program for him, including mock interview training and various coping skills, such as the STAR rule, responding to open-ended questions, and demonstrating passion for medicine and personal traits.
Through these intensive trainings, David's interview skills and confidence have been significantly improved. He also used the summer vacation when he returned to Hong Kong to retake the ISAT and UCAT exams and continued to practice under our guidance. At the same time, he continued to work as a research assistant at HKU, enhancing his medical experience and understanding of medical biology. Eventually, David successfully obtained admission notices from three Australian medical schools, including the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This proves that as long as you persevere, you can overcome challenges. His experience inspires other students pursuing their medical dreams, demonstrating to them the importance of persistence and hard work.
Brian is a student with a passion for medicine and his goal is to attend one of the top medical schools in the world. In order to realize this dream, he not only worked hard in his studies and achieved excellent results, but also actively participated in various extracurricular activities to comprehensively improve his abilities. Brian observed in the hospital’s cardiology department for a week and participated in the BSMS Virtual Work Experience, which allowed him to gain an in-depth understanding of the medical field through technological simulation. He not only learned the skills and qualities required to be a competent doctor, but also experienced the close relationship between doctors and patients.
After learning about Brian's goals, we encouraged him to set his sights on the University of Cambridge Medical School, whose outstanding reputation in medical research and teaching quality are impeccable. We also advised him to apply to other G5 medical schools such as Imperial, UCL and KCL. In order to improve his BMAT score and interview skills, we arranged a 15-hour BMAT preparation course ((Note that BMAT has been cancelled), which provided systematic training by experienced tutors, including problem-solving skills, test-taking strategies and time management. We also conducted several mock interviews for him, specifically targeting the interview style of Cambridge University, and designed relevant questions to help him prepare and better deal with academic and ethical issues.
Brian submitted his UCAS application in mid-October, took the BMAT in November, and received an interview invitation from Cambridge University in December. He was successfully accepted by Cambridge in January and also successfully obtained interview invitations from ICL and UCL. In order to reduce his financial burden, we encouraged him to apply for the Hong Kong Excellence Scholarship Scheme, which offers a scholarship of up to HK$300,000 and can support outstanding students to study in well-known overseas universities. In the end, Brian not only achieved high scores in the BMAT exam, but also was admitted to Cambridge University Medical School and KCL. He finally chose to go to Dowling College, Cambridge, England to pursue higher academic goals and realize his dream.