Chong studied in CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, Dunman High School and Victoria Junior College where she took drama as a subject. Her drama teacher recommended her to Bates College, a top liberal arts college in Maine, USA where she studied theatre for a year. She also subsequently studied in the National University of Singapore. She was voted by FHM readers as one of the world's top 30 sexiest women in 2002 and 2003.