Hi everyone! My name is João Davi and I'm from Fortaleza, Ceará. Here is my journey to the University of Hong Kong!

My Background

I was born and raised in Fortaleza, where I live in one of the biggest Brazilian favelas, Grande Pirambu. My reality faced me with many challenges, but it also shaped who I am today and made me realize how powerful education can be.

I studied at Colégio Militar do Corpo de Bombeiros do Estado do Ceará, a renowned military school in my state, from elementary school to my freshman year of high school. Later on, I received a full scholarship to finish my high school studies at Farias Brito, a very prestigious school in Brazil, due to my results in scientific olympiads. There, I was placed in the ITA class, an advanced group of students focused on STEM subjects.

Additionally, the NGO Primeira Chance provided support to cover other educational costs.

Why Study Abroad?

I was always passionate about exploring different interests and getting involved in projects, whether they were STEM or humanities-related. But in Brazilian universities, the major options are divided into specific areas of study (such as Humanities, Exact and Natural Sciences, Law, Medicine…) that usually don’t blend with each other, an obstacle that placed limits on my ideas. So I saw the opportunity of studying abroad as a chance of exploring my interests with more freedom.

Also, I really enjoy meeting new people and connecting with them because I can learn from their trajectories and cultures. That was a skill that I developed even more as I delved deeper into the Communication sector and the Application process.

Why Hong Kong University?

With the incredible support of the program Opportunity Funds from Education USA, and before I had discovered HKU, I applied to 11 universities in the United States, but I was rejected by all of them.

Thankfully, everything changed when I met the project Second Chance while scrolling on LinkedIn. It is a program for students who were rejected or received an insufficient scholarship to attend college, which gives them a second round of application with certain universities, in which they are the ones who show interest in the students (instead of the usual way, when students choose where they want to apply). There, I went through a challenging process in which each step had to be taken quickly and strategically, but at the end, I was offered a full-ride scholarship to study at The Hong Kong University.

Extracurriculars

The majority of my extracurriculars are related to journalism and education, both subjects that I have a deep passion for.

I was a school correspondent of the OPOVO Educação newspaper, for which I wrote articles about crucial issues in Brazil, such as education, reading, and social change. I also participated in radio programs, podcasts, and a documentary promoted by the journal.

I’m also vice president of Pitagóricos, a project that promotes training for scientific olympiads and other academic opportunities to low-income students. It has a partnership with the Legislative Assembly of Ceará, and we have also published a book.

I started as the general secretary of the Youth Academy of Letters of my school, becoming later the president of the project. I have led students to promote art and culture not only within the academy but also for the broader community.

I work for the project “Educando para o futuro”, which was developed by the Ceará Academy of Letters, which puts students in contact with scholars and educational spaces to encourage the practice of reading.

Finally, I was approved to be a Global Youth Ambassador of the NGO Theirworld, an opportunity that opened the door for me to be selected for the first class of the Theirworld Journalism Project. We are producing a documentary about Early Childhood in Brazil, narrating the daily life of a daycare center located in Pirambu, the 7th largest Brazilian favela. It is going to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and published in The Observer journal.

I also participated and was awarded in several scientific olympiads in different subjects.

Financial Aid

HKU has a need-aware policy for scholarships, which means that my financial documents were considered for the decision of my application. I used the CSS Profile to send it, and after their examination, the university decided to offer me a full scholarship.

Stats and Tips for Applicants

I got an SAT score of 1450, and for my English proficiency test, I took the DET and scored 135. Lastly, my GPA was 8.8/10.

Some of the sites that helped me study for the SAT were Khan Academy and Blue Book. I also used many tips from the College Essay Guy to improve my essays.

The message that I want to give to the new applicants is to never give up on their dreams, even though they seem far away and unachievable. Also, don’t let comparison discourage you, believe in yourself, and give your best!