Wong's Tips
K1 Admissions
Inside the K1 admissions process — from someone who ran it. What schools actually score, why the process works the way it does, and what no consultant will tell you.
18 Preschools Closed This Term. The Ones Closing Aren't the Bad Ones.
Ms. Poon on the kindergarten closure wave — which schools are closing and why quality has nothing to do with it, and what it means for families in the K1 application process.
Eighteen preschools have closed this term. Thirty more are expected to close or cut staff in 2025. When you read that in the news, your instinct is probably to assume that what closed was the deadwood...
Ms. PoonK1 admissions for families new to Hong Kong: the expat guide no one writes
Expat school vs. local system, timing for mid-cycle arrivals, which schools have rolling admissions, and how to handle a non-Cantonese-dominant child.
If you are moving to Hong Kong and your child is approaching kindergarten age, you are facing a system that assumes familiarity with norms, timelines, and informal knowledge that first-generation Hong...
Ms. PoonHow K1 waiting lists actually work — and when to let go
When schools move waiting lists, what you can do to signal continued interest without damaging your application, and when to stop waiting.
Being placed on a waiting list rather than receiving an offer is a specific kind of outcome — better than a rejection, worse than an offer, and considerably harder to act on than either. Families on w...
Ms. PoonDo K1 reference letters actually matter in Hong Kong? An honest answer.
Ms. Poon21 JulWhy boys receive more K1 rejections — and what the science says about it
Ms. Poon19 MayK1 admissions for children with developmental delays, speech delays, or suspected ASD
Ms. Poon5 MayK1 interview prep classes: an honest review from someone who saw their output for 12 years
Ms. Poon14 AprHow to find the right kindergarten for your actual child, not the most prestigious one
Ms. Poon17 MarThe myth of the assessment-proof child — and why chasing it backfires
Ms. Poon15 FebK1 rejection: what it means, what it doesn't, and how to talk to a 3-year-old about it
Ms. Poon1 FebWhat schools are actually watching at open days — before you even apply
Ms. Poon20 JanWhy applying to 15 kindergartens is not a strategy
Ms. Poon15 DecLocal Band 1, DSS, or international kindergarten: what you're actually choosing
Ms. Poon1 DecHow sibling priority actually works at Hong Kong kindergartens
Ms. Poon15 NovI Rejected Children Who Had Been Through Interview Coaching. Here's Why.
Ms. Poon14 NovWhat actually happens inside a K1 interview: a realistic breakdown
Ms. Poon1 NovParent behaviour that kills K1 applications — and why you're being assessed too
Ms. Poon15 OctWhy Mandarin fluency alone won't get your child into a top kindergarten
Ms. Poon1 OctThe K1 application timeline: month by month from birth to offer
Ms. Poon15 SeptWhat K1 assessors actually score in that 15-minute interview
Ms. Poon1 Sept