advice? undergrad applying for east asian/chinese studies

[Jaki Liu]

Hey guys! I'm a junior studying in the Chinese University of Hong Kong( Top 3 in Hong Kong, Top 10 in Asia). My major is contemporary China studies with a minor in history. I think my program is strong as all of my professors in the department are graduates of ivy league phd and some of them are well-known in their fields. I'm thinking about applying for graduate school and my ultimate goal would be a phd in (maybe) modern Chinese studies (from Late Qing to the present) and then used to apply for an academic job (I’m still on the fence about my research interest. Modern Chinese studies would fit best because all my courses taken are about modern China, but I’m thinking about exploring more about Pre-modern China, especially Song period, by taking some history courses next semester)  My GPA is around 3.4 right now. I can probably bring it up to 3.6 by the time I’m applying which is 2020 fall and a 3.6 can probably get me a first-class honor in my class. But I’m still pretty worried about my GPA. 

I’m Chinese native speaker and studied in the U.S. for high school so I don’t worried about English too much. I took Toefl three years ago and got 100. I haven’t taken GRE and kinda worried about that. I went to Beijing university for one-semester exchange last year and i found I’m really passionate about history, especially history of Chinese religions and local history. This semester I took cultural history and party history, both were taught by really good professors. I think i can get quality recommendations from them. 

I want to stay in Hong Kong and be around family for the next few years but the only way to get good teaching positions in Hong Kong is to get a phd from a top-tier university. Since all the top-tier universities are in the U.S. and Oxbridge, I have to limit my options to these territories. The only thing i’m worried about is funding. 

I’d like to apply to a master program, but master in the U.S. cost so much. Can anyone recommend programs (us/uk/other places with strong east asian studies department) that cover tuition and reasonable amount of living expenses? 

I can also apply to a mphil in Hong Kong but my favorite professor is about to retire. And if I choose other professors, i would probably have to tailor my research interest early to fit their interests. If I go abroad, i can explore more before i actually go into phd. 

If there are other advice you can give me base on my profile, i would appreciate it very much. 

Thanks guys