This is a guest article, contributed by Roy Ang, class of 2008.
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If you are reading this article, you must be a prospective applicant for the course of Medicine in NUS – one of the most highly sought after degrees in Singapore. Well, young padawan doctor-to-be, read on!
Due to the high – possibly bordering insane – academic demands of the course, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM) has in place a highly rigorous selection criteria set in place to pick their students to study medicine. Out of 2000+ applicants, only 260+ lucky students get admitted to the school by September. With that kind of admission rates, it is almost as competitive as top universities in US and UK!
I applied for admissions to Medicine in NUS in 2009, and received the offer when I was still in OCS in May that year. While the offer of disruption from NS and joining the many doctors in Singapore was tempting, I eventually decided to reject the offer put forward by YLLSoM. (more details on that in my next article) Though the thought of being an M.D. has since long passed me, I still clearly remember the ardous process I had to put myself through to finally receive that precious piece of good news in that merry month of May.
Without further ado, here’s the rundown on the admissions process.
Read the rest at his blog: http://rangspeakyourmind.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/an-unofficial-guide-to-admission-to-yong-loo-lin-school-of-medicine/
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cover Letters and Curriculum Vitae/Resumes
Many students will find a point in time when they are asked to submit any permutation of the following:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover Letter
- Letters of Recommendation/Testimonials
- Resumes (If applying for a job)
This means that it is to your benefit to begin preparing these materials as early as possible, even if you don't foresee yourself using them in the immediate future. I shan't talk about Letters of Recommendation or Testimonials, since they've already been covered extensively.
Curriculum Vitae and Resumes
For the Y1/2s I recommend starting your CV as a simple document listing all your achievements. Do not be over-reliant on the eSpace student-development transcript to log all your activities and achievements, for it is not infallible and can occasionally omit or misprint certain information. Doing so also gets you into the habit of recording what events have transgressed (As a Y6 I have to think really hard to remember some things that happened in Y1/2) and remove the need for a last-minute rush in future. For Y3/4s, this is the time when you will begin applying for some scholarships and awards, e.g. the YDSP Scholarship. While such organizations, aware that you are only in Sec 3/4 or equivalent, will not demand a CV, I find that attaching a CV as supporting material for your application can demonstrate your maturity and highlight what you want the interviewers to see. For Y5/6s, you will need your CV either as a supporting document or as a reference when filling up the multitude of university and scholarship applications.
It is important to note that a CV and Resume are often used interchangeably for students, but there can be differences in the working world. As it's name suggests a CV includes some or part of one's educational background, and in the United States or Canada a CV in academic circles tends to be very comprehensive, with long lists of journals published, papers delivered and conferences attended. A Resume on the other hand is normally a one to two page document that succintly states your experience vis a vis whatever you are applying for. However, as students we needn't worry that much - a good, well-formatted document highlighting key achievements and your grades can put you in good stead. I'll henceforth refer to both as a CV because it's shorter to type.
People have differing opinions on what exactly should go inside a CV and how it should look like. Some people like to design theirs to look unique and present their information in a radically different manner; others prefer formal text, formal wording and a formal look. I say, decide on what kind of image you want to portray. If you are submitting your CV to a creative design firm or to an advertisement and branding company, let the creative juices flow. If you are submitting your CV to PSC or to A*STAR, play it safe and stick with the formal mumbo jumbo. Nevertheless, a good CV should include the following:
The cover letter is not a handwritten drawl to your old Uncle Jim, nor is it an outright, desperate imploration for the organization to accept you. It's a form of introduction and a chance for the interviewers to see a couple of written sentences from you. Think of it as the equivalent of walking into a recruitment office and telling the receptionist "I'm here to apply for XYZ job. I saw your advert in the papers, and I think I'm the guy you need. It would be great if you could schedule an interview for me". Since cover letters accompany mailed applications, it serves exactly this purpose.
NUSHS students will most probably encounter the need to submit a cover letter if they are applying for the IBN YRP Programme or related A*STAR programmes. I'm not sure if subsequent arrangements will eliminate the need for the submission of a cover letter, but knowing how to write one is good general knowledge. Here's a sample of what I submitted when applying for the IBN YRP:
Curriculum Vitae and Resumes
For the Y1/2s I recommend starting your CV as a simple document listing all your achievements. Do not be over-reliant on the eSpace student-development transcript to log all your activities and achievements, for it is not infallible and can occasionally omit or misprint certain information. Doing so also gets you into the habit of recording what events have transgressed (As a Y6 I have to think really hard to remember some things that happened in Y1/2) and remove the need for a last-minute rush in future. For Y3/4s, this is the time when you will begin applying for some scholarships and awards, e.g. the YDSP Scholarship. While such organizations, aware that you are only in Sec 3/4 or equivalent, will not demand a CV, I find that attaching a CV as supporting material for your application can demonstrate your maturity and highlight what you want the interviewers to see. For Y5/6s, you will need your CV either as a supporting document or as a reference when filling up the multitude of university and scholarship applications.
It is important to note that a CV and Resume are often used interchangeably for students, but there can be differences in the working world. As it's name suggests a CV includes some or part of one's educational background, and in the United States or Canada a CV in academic circles tends to be very comprehensive, with long lists of journals published, papers delivered and conferences attended. A Resume on the other hand is normally a one to two page document that succintly states your experience vis a vis whatever you are applying for. However, as students we needn't worry that much - a good, well-formatted document highlighting key achievements and your grades can put you in good stead. I'll henceforth refer to both as a CV because it's shorter to type.
People have differing opinions on what exactly should go inside a CV and how it should look like. Some people like to design theirs to look unique and present their information in a radically different manner; others prefer formal text, formal wording and a formal look. I say, decide on what kind of image you want to portray. If you are submitting your CV to a creative design firm or to an advertisement and branding company, let the creative juices flow. If you are submitting your CV to PSC or to A*STAR, play it safe and stick with the formal mumbo jumbo. Nevertheless, a good CV should include the following:
- Your particulars and contact details. Attaching a picture is de-rigeur and often requested as part of the application
- Your educational background. From what year to what year did you attend XYZ school? With what honours did you graduate? This is a good place to subtly hint at how you compare with the rest of the cohort if you did well
- Your awards and achievements. Self explanatory. Olympiads, gold medals and things like that are the order of the day. Leave Certificates of Participation out unless they are to recognize participating in prestigious events for which there is no competitive element.
- Your external/work experiences. If you've organized a key CIP event which you feel is important, it goes here. If you've interned at an organization over your holidays, it also goes here. If you've worked for a company or been recognized by a company, it goes here.
- Your research work or key area. This is where you "tailor" your CV to match whatever you are applying to. Since research is a key element of NUSHS education it becomes one of our strong advertising points. Throw publications, reviews, organizations with which you have conducted research and the likes in here.
- Referees. I keep this as an optional section. Occasionally (job) nterviewers or admission panels will appreciate a list of people whom they can contact should they require verbal testimonial or purely wish to know more about you. I state the name, affiliation and designation of the person and where their contact details are supposed to appear I will write "Available on Request". This lets people know that I have referees and I am willing to provide them should he who wants them want them. Sometimes this area can be used to drop names, and in fact the mention of a reputable name or two can work wonders for you if you have them
The cover letter is not a handwritten drawl to your old Uncle Jim, nor is it an outright, desperate imploration for the organization to accept you. It's a form of introduction and a chance for the interviewers to see a couple of written sentences from you. Think of it as the equivalent of walking into a recruitment office and telling the receptionist "I'm here to apply for XYZ job. I saw your advert in the papers, and I think I'm the guy you need. It would be great if you could schedule an interview for me". Since cover letters accompany mailed applications, it serves exactly this purpose.
NUSHS students will most probably encounter the need to submit a cover letter if they are applying for the IBN YRP Programme or related A*STAR programmes. I'm not sure if subsequent arrangements will eliminate the need for the submission of a cover letter, but knowing how to write one is good general knowledge. Here's a sample of what I submitted when applying for the IBN YRP:
It's not the most impressive cover letter that can be written, but this will give you an idea.
Lim Mingjie Kenneth
NUS High School of Math and Science
Year 4
January 1, 2008
YRP Coordinator
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
31 Biopolis Way
The Nanos #04-01
Singapore 138669
Dear Sir/Mdm:
I would like to apply for your Youth Research Programme from 21 May 2008 to 21 June 2008. The information and samples provided on your YRP Internet Portal caught my eye, and have been most helpful in allowing me to gain a better understanding of the programme. My school (NUS High School of Math and Science) has also recommended your programme as an immersive research opportunity. Please accept this letter and my enclosed curriculum vitae as my application for the Youth Research Programme.
I am a Year 4 (Secondary 4/IP2 equivalent) student studying at the NUS High School of Math and Science and have participated in research projects of various disciplines for the past three years. In my application form I indicated that I would be most interested in the Biological and Biomedical Imaging sector of IBN research. My enclosed curriculum vitae contains evidence of my work. In addition, I am able to observe and analyze things from different perspectives and my previous mentors have described me as being systematic in my problem solving approaches.
The prospect of undertaking the YRP is both challenging and stimulating for me. I am available for an interview at your convenience to review my interests and discuss research opportunities under your programme. You may contact me at or email me at .
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours Sincerely,
Lim Mingjie Kenneth
Monday, June 14, 2010
Questions you will almost certainly see in every scholarship interview
This list was drawn from my personal experience of applying for so many scholarships, and other things which had interviews. Also listed what I gleaned from other people who went for interviews.
Questions you will likely see
1. Why do you want to apply for this scholarship?
2. What makes you a deserving candidate?
3. How do you think your interests align with the job scope required of you as a scholar?
4. Why should we give you the scholarship?
5. What books, newspaper publications do you read? Tell me what was on the newspaper front page today! Do you read the news on current affairs and politics, or just the life section? (I love the Urban section of the Straits Times, by the way.) Remember that your interviewers were once your age!
6. If you got all the scholarships you applied for, which one will you choose?
7. Tell me about NUS High School. How come you're not going to NUS? I thought NUS High students go there by default! (Almost every stranger with no NUS High connections has asked me this. I'm sure many of you have been on the receiving end of such questions also.)
8. Do you feel you have been given more opportunities than your peers in mainstream schools due to the brand name of 'NUS High School'? Does it mean you are actually not that good, just that you got lucky for going to NUS High?
9. Why do you want to go study in X overseas university? Aren't Singapore universities very good?
10. If you applied for PSC and DSTA - the job description of the PSC and DSTA scholar is very different. Why did you apply for both? Which one do you really want? Or are you just trying your luck? (a.k.a Why did you apply for one which makes you do management and another one which makes you do science?)
11. Tell me about your weaknesses?
12. How did you overcome them?
13. Tell me about your social life. What do you do in your free time? Hobbies? Do you have a lot of friends? How about close friends whom you can share all your secrets with, not just 'regular' friends to chat to?
14. Why do you want to major in Y subject? What made you like it? Why do you see yourself studying it for the next four years?
15. What questions do you have for me? (You can ask about their appraisal system, for one).
16. Why did you ask about your appraisal system? Are you money minded or motivated by other means?
17. Did you ever intern at our organization? If yes, how did you find the experience? If not, why not? How can you say this is the organization for you if you haven't even experiences it for yourself yet? 'I was busy with other activities ... I plan to take an internship at your organization now/ once I have the time.'
18. A lot of people like to go to UK or US to study. Do you want to go to somewhere like China, Taiwan, Korea, Switzerland to study instead? We want diversity as well.
19. What are you doing now that your high school is over? If you have a job, even a part time one, that's good. If you are bumming around, say something like 'Oh, I'm studying for university so I can be familiar with my subjects when I actually go', or 'I'm learning how to drive!' or 'I'm looking for jobs now! Actively hunting everyday, going for interviews...'. Don't like, really bum and play computer games or watch movies all day long haha. I doubt they would be impressed, unless you're representing Singapore in the World Cyber Games. Be prepared to defend your reason for bumming if you bum.
19. Tell me about your research projects. What did you do? How did you pick your topic? What did you learn? Planning to continue?
20. Anything interesting you did that you want to share with us?
21. What will you do if you don't get this scholarship? Turn into a banshee? Get depression? Be determined to work harder than ever in University?
22. What is your impression of our organization? Some interviews might decide to throw questions about specific facts of the organization, like what big project have they recently completed, or what big event is they are doing next. Watch out for these!
23. I never went for it, but everyone says PSC likes to ask about current affairs. So does Defence Merit Scholarship. People who did do for them said they ask a lot about you personal opinion on politics, so prepare for this if you're interested.
24. For guys: How's NS? How's OCS? (They tend to ask questions about NS, but ask a guy about what type and what style).
25. Convince us that you really want the scholarship, and are not taking it just to go overseas. We've seen people reject our offers before, after going through all the selection rounds.
26. How much revenue does our company earn a year?
27. How long have you been preparing for this interview? Some of your answers sound rehearsed. 'Of course I prepared, I'm interested in this scholarship and I really want to get it. Naturally I put in some effort to show my interest. Besides, I've long been checking your website for updates! Blah... Blah...'
28. Do you think scholars have a moral obligation to serve their bond out or its okay to break the bond as long as they pay back the stipulated sum?
29. Did you ever have to work with someone you found irritating? How did you deal with it?
30. Do you view getting a scholarship as prestigious? How important was prestige to you when considering scholarships and colleges to apply to?
More unexpected questions include:
1. What do you see our company in the next ten years?
2. If you were the CEO of this company, what changes will you make?
3. Anything you dislike about our company?
4. And some totally offbeat questions, just to catch you off guard: Should dustbins be square of round? Why?
5. "Any questions for the board?"
'Yes. How many scholars does this organization hope to eventually get? The number of scholars they have increases each year as you offer more scholarships. Is there going to be a cap on the scholars taken once you reach the desired number of people to perform the job optimally?'
"Well, what do you think, from your knowledge?'
(Questions thrown back at you).
6. Can you cook? To check if you have life skills, are a mugger, or just can't be bothered ;)
Questions you will likely see
1. Why do you want to apply for this scholarship?
2. What makes you a deserving candidate?
3. How do you think your interests align with the job scope required of you as a scholar?
4. Why should we give you the scholarship?
5. What books, newspaper publications do you read? Tell me what was on the newspaper front page today! Do you read the news on current affairs and politics, or just the life section? (I love the Urban section of the Straits Times, by the way.) Remember that your interviewers were once your age!
6. If you got all the scholarships you applied for, which one will you choose?
7. Tell me about NUS High School. How come you're not going to NUS? I thought NUS High students go there by default! (Almost every stranger with no NUS High connections has asked me this. I'm sure many of you have been on the receiving end of such questions also.)
8. Do you feel you have been given more opportunities than your peers in mainstream schools due to the brand name of 'NUS High School'? Does it mean you are actually not that good, just that you got lucky for going to NUS High?
9. Why do you want to go study in X overseas university? Aren't Singapore universities very good?
10. If you applied for PSC and DSTA - the job description of the PSC and DSTA scholar is very different. Why did you apply for both? Which one do you really want? Or are you just trying your luck? (a.k.a Why did you apply for one which makes you do management and another one which makes you do science?)
11. Tell me about your weaknesses?
12. How did you overcome them?
13. Tell me about your social life. What do you do in your free time? Hobbies? Do you have a lot of friends? How about close friends whom you can share all your secrets with, not just 'regular' friends to chat to?
14. Why do you want to major in Y subject? What made you like it? Why do you see yourself studying it for the next four years?
15. What questions do you have for me? (You can ask about their appraisal system, for one).
16. Why did you ask about your appraisal system? Are you money minded or motivated by other means?
17. Did you ever intern at our organization? If yes, how did you find the experience? If not, why not? How can you say this is the organization for you if you haven't even experiences it for yourself yet? 'I was busy with other activities ... I plan to take an internship at your organization now/ once I have the time.'
18. A lot of people like to go to UK or US to study. Do you want to go to somewhere like China, Taiwan, Korea, Switzerland to study instead? We want diversity as well.
19. What are you doing now that your high school is over? If you have a job, even a part time one, that's good. If you are bumming around, say something like 'Oh, I'm studying for university so I can be familiar with my subjects when I actually go', or 'I'm learning how to drive!' or 'I'm looking for jobs now! Actively hunting everyday, going for interviews...'. Don't like, really bum and play computer games or watch movies all day long haha. I doubt they would be impressed, unless you're representing Singapore in the World Cyber Games. Be prepared to defend your reason for bumming if you bum.
19. Tell me about your research projects. What did you do? How did you pick your topic? What did you learn? Planning to continue?
20. Anything interesting you did that you want to share with us?
21. What will you do if you don't get this scholarship? Turn into a banshee? Get depression? Be determined to work harder than ever in University?
22. What is your impression of our organization? Some interviews might decide to throw questions about specific facts of the organization, like what big project have they recently completed, or what big event is they are doing next. Watch out for these!
23. I never went for it, but everyone says PSC likes to ask about current affairs. So does Defence Merit Scholarship. People who did do for them said they ask a lot about you personal opinion on politics, so prepare for this if you're interested.
24. For guys: How's NS? How's OCS? (They tend to ask questions about NS, but ask a guy about what type and what style).
25. Convince us that you really want the scholarship, and are not taking it just to go overseas. We've seen people reject our offers before, after going through all the selection rounds.
26. How much revenue does our company earn a year?
27. How long have you been preparing for this interview? Some of your answers sound rehearsed. 'Of course I prepared, I'm interested in this scholarship and I really want to get it. Naturally I put in some effort to show my interest. Besides, I've long been checking your website for updates! Blah... Blah...'
28. Do you think scholars have a moral obligation to serve their bond out or its okay to break the bond as long as they pay back the stipulated sum?
29. Did you ever have to work with someone you found irritating? How did you deal with it?
30. Do you view getting a scholarship as prestigious? How important was prestige to you when considering scholarships and colleges to apply to?
More unexpected questions include:
1. What do you see our company in the next ten years?
2. If you were the CEO of this company, what changes will you make?
3. Anything you dislike about our company?
4. And some totally offbeat questions, just to catch you off guard: Should dustbins be square of round? Why?
5. "Any questions for the board?"
'Yes. How many scholars does this organization hope to eventually get? The number of scholars they have increases each year as you offer more scholarships. Is there going to be a cap on the scholars taken once you reach the desired number of people to perform the job optimally?'
"Well, what do you think, from your knowledge?'
(Questions thrown back at you).
6. Can you cook? To check if you have life skills, are a mugger, or just can't be bothered ;)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Interviews
Interviews are often conducted as part of your applications not just for college but also for scholarships, programmes, jobs, internships and so on. There are many websites out there that deal with interview techniques and skills which you can google for, but I will run through some pointers that might be useful for you.
1. Know what your interview is for and what you wrote in your application: How stupid would it look if you went into an interview not knowing what it was for? It would reflect a lack of interest in the company (such that you dont even bother to find out what the interview is for) and a lack of preparation. If you don't know what your wrote in your application, that is also not any better; you clearly have not given much thought to it. In any case, why would anyone hire someone who isnt interested in them or doesnt even know what they are about?
2. Put your hands on the table or at least, in full view of the interviewer: Subtle issue, but it's something I always make a point to do. Putting your hands underneath the table limits your movements and hand-gestures, and makes it look like you have something to hide. In any case I think you might even feel more comfortable having them out in the open.
3. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer(s): When you talk to people, doesnt it feel weird when they do not look at you in the eye? It also feels like they are more interested in something else other than at you or at the conversation at hand! It's the same issue here with interviews, you would want to look at them because you want to at least look interested in what they have to say. Looking at someone in the eye also makes them want to reciprocate that; wouldn't you want your interviewer to be interested in what you have to say too?
4. Be honest: If you are dishonest, it will show...unless you are an accomplished liar.
5. Know yourself well: This is helpful not just in interviews but in everyday life. Knowing yourself well means knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and how you will fit into the company. It is also helpful because you can work on your interview weaknesses beforehand - for instance if you know that you are a very emotional person, you might want to pre-empt potentially emotional questions so that you dont break down or something in front of the interviewers.
6. SMILE: VERY VERY IMPORTANT. NO ONE CAN RESIST THE CHARM OF A SMILE =D plus you look better with a smile than without! I'd love to know more about the smiling person than the frowning one any day.
1. Know what your interview is for and what you wrote in your application: How stupid would it look if you went into an interview not knowing what it was for? It would reflect a lack of interest in the company (such that you dont even bother to find out what the interview is for) and a lack of preparation. If you don't know what your wrote in your application, that is also not any better; you clearly have not given much thought to it. In any case, why would anyone hire someone who isnt interested in them or doesnt even know what they are about?
2. Put your hands on the table or at least, in full view of the interviewer: Subtle issue, but it's something I always make a point to do. Putting your hands underneath the table limits your movements and hand-gestures, and makes it look like you have something to hide. In any case I think you might even feel more comfortable having them out in the open.
3. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer(s): When you talk to people, doesnt it feel weird when they do not look at you in the eye? It also feels like they are more interested in something else other than at you or at the conversation at hand! It's the same issue here with interviews, you would want to look at them because you want to at least look interested in what they have to say. Looking at someone in the eye also makes them want to reciprocate that; wouldn't you want your interviewer to be interested in what you have to say too?
4. Be honest: If you are dishonest, it will show...unless you are an accomplished liar.
5. Know yourself well: This is helpful not just in interviews but in everyday life. Knowing yourself well means knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and how you will fit into the company. It is also helpful because you can work on your interview weaknesses beforehand - for instance if you know that you are a very emotional person, you might want to pre-empt potentially emotional questions so that you dont break down or something in front of the interviewers.
6. SMILE: VERY VERY IMPORTANT. NO ONE CAN RESIST THE CHARM OF A SMILE =D plus you look better with a smile than without! I'd love to know more about the smiling person than the frowning one any day.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
ST Engineering Scholarship
As the name suggests, ST Engineering is mainly about engineering, but they welcome people interested in economics, business, etc, too, subject to approval by the company.
To apply for the ST Engineering Scholarship, you can either download the form from their website, or more advisably go to Brightsparks and submit the form from there.
***
PERSONAL PARTICULARS
Self explanatory
GCE ‘O’ LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT
School name: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Country: Singapore
Stream: N.A.
Start Date: 01 Jan 2006
Examination date: 31 Dec 2007
Aggregate L1R5/ CAP/ GPA Score: 4.53
Type of School certificate: IP School Examination
Subject Taken
English Language: 4.25
Higher Chinese: 3.75
Higher Chinese O’Level: B3
Chinese O’Level: A1
Mathematics: 5.00
Chemistry: 5.00
Biology: 4.50
Physics: 4.62
Geography: 4.25
Fine Art: 4.00
GCE ‘A’ LEVEL, IB, ACT, DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT
School name: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Country: Singapore
Start Date: 01 Jan 2008
Examination date: 26 Nov 2009 (Day my batch graduated)
Aggregate L1R5/ CAP/ GPA Score: 4.7
Type of School certificate: NUS High School
Subject Taken
Format: (subject, major CAP, honors CAP)
Mathematics, 5.0, 5.0
Biology, 4.6, 4.7
Chemistry, 4.8, 4.8
Physics 4.8, 5.0
English Language, 4.2
Mother Tongue, 3.8
Mathematics, 5.0
Biology, 4.6
Chemistry, 4.9
Physics, 4.8
Humanities and the Arts, 4.1
EDUCATION RECORDS (TOEFL, SAT 1 & 2, GMAT & GRE)
Leave those you didn’t take blank, system will automatically record as 0.
SAT I
Date of sitting: 10 Oct 2009
Test Centre: St Francis Methodist School
Critical Reading: 670, Percentile 92
Writing, 770, Percentile 99
Mathematics 770, Percentile 98
Total: 2210
SAT II
Date of Sitting: 06 Jan 2009 (If you took the test on two separate dates just put the date of the first time you took them)
Test Centre: St Francis Methodist School
Chemistry: 800, Percentile 93
Physics: 800, Percentile 90
Math Level 2: 800, Percentile 89
Biology (M): 790, Percentile 95
Total: 3190
FAMILY PARTICULARS
Self explanatory
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
(Language, speak proficiency, read proficiency, write proficiency)
English, excellent, excellent, excellent
Chinese, good, good, good
INTENDED ADMISSION/ CURRENT UNIVERSITY INFORMATION
Latest/ Current Academic Level: NUS High School
Future course of study preferences: List five of them
Intended Commencement date: 01 Sep 2010 (just approximate if you are not sure)
Applications made to university: list details on the universities you have applied to.
APPLICATION FOR OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS/ GRANTS
(Scholarship/ Grant, Organization, Course, Outcome, Application date)
Detail everything, including University based scholarships and Singapore government scholarships for overseas studies.
Eg, NUS Undergraduate Scholarship; PSC Scholarship
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Chinese Orchestra, Research, Music Ambassadors, Physics Interest Group, Community Service
ACHIEVEMENTS/ AWARDS/ PRIZES
List the most significant you can put in.
OTHER QUALIFICATION/ CERTIFICATION
As above.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
I listed unpaid and paid jobs here.
Not sure if tuition teacher, a popular job among fresh A-Level or High School graduates, counts if you solicited on your own without the help of tuition agency. Check it up yourself.
REFEREES
I asked two of my former teachers who taught me in year 5 and 6.
OTHER INFORMATION
About yourself:
I’m a pragmatic person. I know my limits and what I can achieve, but I am also a very determined person who can work with single minded focus to achieve my goals. I’m not afraid to try to achieve more ambitious goals if I think there is a chance of success, and I don’t give up easily. I believe these traits will serve me well if ST Engineering accepts me because engineers often encounter challenging problems which take a lot of time to solve. My first choice of study is Electrical Engineering as electrical engineers are needed in most engineering fields, as well as being a hot spot of research, so I believe this is where I will have the most scope in my work.
Other relevant information:
I wrote about the CREATE2010 Contest and what I did there.
Questions about your health, legal troubles (if any), and whether you have applied for the scholarship before.
ST ENGINEERING ADDITIONAL QUESTION
Your response to these questions below will help us understand your aspirations and motivations. You are requested to attach your completed response to this application form.No more than 200 words for each response.
(a) The goals you have set for yourself and how you plan to achieve them.
I hope to attend a premier US college. US is my dream location for my further studies as it is excellent in science and technology and I believe the exposure to a completely different lifestyle will help stretch my mind and learn how to think differently. Recently, I had an idea on the design of a wheel which could weigh the weight of luggage without an external scale. I entered it into the CREATE2010 Engineering Challenge, and became one of the top five finalists there. Inspiration doesn’t come very often, but I believe with work and knowledge in the Engineering field, I will have more ideas. ST Engineering would be a good option for me as the company works on many different fields of Engineering; I hope to get some exposure in many different fields to see what I truly enjoy. Long term goals for me include eventually leading my own team and leading my own research team to work on projects to benefit humanity.
(b) Your career aspirations and the field of work which interests you.
Academically, I’m interested in studying Engineering or Mathematics at University. Mathematics because I’ve always been interested in the subject since I was in primary school – the logic to it just appeals to me. But Engineering is a very exciting choice – the possibilities to it are infinite, limited only by our imagination, and there is huge scope for potential in this field. Being able to apply what I’ve learnt in class also appeals to me. Currently, I’ve leaning towards Electrical Engineering, the field which I feel makes full use of both the subjects I enjoy., also because it involves Quantum Mechanics, a field which interests me. I want to first work as an engineer or scientist in a major organization to learn from experiences veterans in my field, then work my way up to become a leader in a research team when I'm more confident of my skills and have found projects which I'm passionate about. But I also hope to have a role in the management of the company, as the direction of the company is just as vital to its success as the caliber of their employees.
UPLOADS
1. My C/V
2. A recommendation letter date 2007, which a teacher wrote for me when I applied for the DSTA Junior College Scholarship.
You may upload up to two documents on the website for review.
Comment:
Refresh your memory of what you've written on the application form before your interview because they are bound to pick questions off it about what you wrote there.
***
The rest of the photocopies of my school transcripts, NUS High Diploma, CCA Records, Award certificates, ICs, NRIC scans, headshoots, GCE O'Level certs, and records of achievements were stamped "certified true copy" at the school's General Office. They went into a big envelope addressed to ST Engineering's scholarship division. You get to do this process for every single scholarship you apply for, and some universities as well. Pleasant eh?
***
I was called for the first interview but didn’t receive the scholarship. Anyway, hope this information about how to fill the form is useful because after you’ve got the interview, general consensus is that you’re on equal footing with other candidates after that.
You might be asked to bring original copies of the certificates you have submitted for review by the scholarship officers, even if you have already submitted certified true copies in the application.
As I recall, the interview room had three people, two were asking questions and the other was the scholarship officer who was taking notes. I was asked questions about NUS High, how I liked it there, etc. I was also asked about my university choices and subject choices. I was given the chance to ask them questions about the company, such as appraisal and training for staff. Overall, the interview took about half an hour and went quite well, but in scholarship and university admissions you can never be sure until the offer or rejection letter is on your table.
To apply for the ST Engineering Scholarship, you can either download the form from their website, or more advisably go to Brightsparks and submit the form from there.
***
PERSONAL PARTICULARS
Self explanatory
GCE ‘O’ LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT
School name: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Country: Singapore
Stream: N.A.
Start Date: 01 Jan 2006
Examination date: 31 Dec 2007
Aggregate L1R5/ CAP/ GPA Score: 4.53
Type of School certificate: IP School Examination
Subject Taken
English Language: 4.25
Higher Chinese: 3.75
Higher Chinese O’Level: B3
Chinese O’Level: A1
Mathematics: 5.00
Chemistry: 5.00
Biology: 4.50
Physics: 4.62
Geography: 4.25
Fine Art: 4.00
GCE ‘A’ LEVEL, IB, ACT, DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT
School name: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Country: Singapore
Start Date: 01 Jan 2008
Examination date: 26 Nov 2009 (Day my batch graduated)
Aggregate L1R5/ CAP/ GPA Score: 4.7
Type of School certificate: NUS High School
Subject Taken
Format: (subject, major CAP, honors CAP)
Mathematics, 5.0, 5.0
Biology, 4.6, 4.7
Chemistry, 4.8, 4.8
Physics 4.8, 5.0
English Language, 4.2
Mother Tongue, 3.8
Mathematics, 5.0
Biology, 4.6
Chemistry, 4.9
Physics, 4.8
Humanities and the Arts, 4.1
EDUCATION RECORDS (TOEFL, SAT 1 & 2, GMAT & GRE)
Leave those you didn’t take blank, system will automatically record as 0.
SAT I
Date of sitting: 10 Oct 2009
Test Centre: St Francis Methodist School
Critical Reading: 670, Percentile 92
Writing, 770, Percentile 99
Mathematics 770, Percentile 98
Total: 2210
SAT II
Date of Sitting: 06 Jan 2009 (If you took the test on two separate dates just put the date of the first time you took them)
Test Centre: St Francis Methodist School
Chemistry: 800, Percentile 93
Physics: 800, Percentile 90
Math Level 2: 800, Percentile 89
Biology (M): 790, Percentile 95
Total: 3190
FAMILY PARTICULARS
Self explanatory
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
(Language, speak proficiency, read proficiency, write proficiency)
English, excellent, excellent, excellent
Chinese, good, good, good
INTENDED ADMISSION/ CURRENT UNIVERSITY INFORMATION
Latest/ Current Academic Level: NUS High School
Future course of study preferences: List five of them
Intended Commencement date: 01 Sep 2010 (just approximate if you are not sure)
Applications made to university: list details on the universities you have applied to.
APPLICATION FOR OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS/ GRANTS
(Scholarship/ Grant, Organization, Course, Outcome, Application date)
Detail everything, including University based scholarships and Singapore government scholarships for overseas studies.
Eg, NUS Undergraduate Scholarship; PSC Scholarship
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Chinese Orchestra, Research, Music Ambassadors, Physics Interest Group, Community Service
ACHIEVEMENTS/ AWARDS/ PRIZES
List the most significant you can put in.
OTHER QUALIFICATION/ CERTIFICATION
As above.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
I listed unpaid and paid jobs here.
Not sure if tuition teacher, a popular job among fresh A-Level or High School graduates, counts if you solicited on your own without the help of tuition agency. Check it up yourself.
REFEREES
I asked two of my former teachers who taught me in year 5 and 6.
OTHER INFORMATION
About yourself:
I’m a pragmatic person. I know my limits and what I can achieve, but I am also a very determined person who can work with single minded focus to achieve my goals. I’m not afraid to try to achieve more ambitious goals if I think there is a chance of success, and I don’t give up easily. I believe these traits will serve me well if ST Engineering accepts me because engineers often encounter challenging problems which take a lot of time to solve. My first choice of study is Electrical Engineering as electrical engineers are needed in most engineering fields, as well as being a hot spot of research, so I believe this is where I will have the most scope in my work.
Other relevant information:
I wrote about the CREATE2010 Contest and what I did there.
Questions about your health, legal troubles (if any), and whether you have applied for the scholarship before.
ST ENGINEERING ADDITIONAL QUESTION
Your response to these questions below will help us understand your aspirations and motivations. You are requested to attach your completed response to this application form.No more than 200 words for each response.
(a) The goals you have set for yourself and how you plan to achieve them.
I hope to attend a premier US college. US is my dream location for my further studies as it is excellent in science and technology and I believe the exposure to a completely different lifestyle will help stretch my mind and learn how to think differently. Recently, I had an idea on the design of a wheel which could weigh the weight of luggage without an external scale. I entered it into the CREATE2010 Engineering Challenge, and became one of the top five finalists there. Inspiration doesn’t come very often, but I believe with work and knowledge in the Engineering field, I will have more ideas. ST Engineering would be a good option for me as the company works on many different fields of Engineering; I hope to get some exposure in many different fields to see what I truly enjoy. Long term goals for me include eventually leading my own team and leading my own research team to work on projects to benefit humanity.
(b) Your career aspirations and the field of work which interests you.
Academically, I’m interested in studying Engineering or Mathematics at University. Mathematics because I’ve always been interested in the subject since I was in primary school – the logic to it just appeals to me. But Engineering is a very exciting choice – the possibilities to it are infinite, limited only by our imagination, and there is huge scope for potential in this field. Being able to apply what I’ve learnt in class also appeals to me. Currently, I’ve leaning towards Electrical Engineering, the field which I feel makes full use of both the subjects I enjoy., also because it involves Quantum Mechanics, a field which interests me. I want to first work as an engineer or scientist in a major organization to learn from experiences veterans in my field, then work my way up to become a leader in a research team when I'm more confident of my skills and have found projects which I'm passionate about. But I also hope to have a role in the management of the company, as the direction of the company is just as vital to its success as the caliber of their employees.
UPLOADS
1. My C/V
2. A recommendation letter date 2007, which a teacher wrote for me when I applied for the DSTA Junior College Scholarship.
You may upload up to two documents on the website for review.
Comment:
Refresh your memory of what you've written on the application form before your interview because they are bound to pick questions off it about what you wrote there.
***
The rest of the photocopies of my school transcripts, NUS High Diploma, CCA Records, Award certificates, ICs, NRIC scans, headshoots, GCE O'Level certs, and records of achievements were stamped "certified true copy" at the school's General Office. They went into a big envelope addressed to ST Engineering's scholarship division. You get to do this process for every single scholarship you apply for, and some universities as well. Pleasant eh?
***
I was called for the first interview but didn’t receive the scholarship. Anyway, hope this information about how to fill the form is useful because after you’ve got the interview, general consensus is that you’re on equal footing with other candidates after that.
You might be asked to bring original copies of the certificates you have submitted for review by the scholarship officers, even if you have already submitted certified true copies in the application.
As I recall, the interview room had three people, two were asking questions and the other was the scholarship officer who was taking notes. I was asked questions about NUS High, how I liked it there, etc. I was also asked about my university choices and subject choices. I was given the chance to ask them questions about the company, such as appraisal and training for staff. Overall, the interview took about half an hour and went quite well, but in scholarship and university admissions you can never be sure until the offer or rejection letter is on your table.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Interview classes
I had the sudden inspiration to write about this "service" the college counselors help students with, though it's pretty under-the-radar. Not many students have heard of it, probably because it travels by word-of-mouth.
I'm referring to interview classes.
What happens is that you have a bunch of students sitting around a conference table, and they each take turns to be the interviewee, with everyone else firing questions at them. One of the college counselors (or someone designated by them) facilitates the entire process and can ask questions as well. At the end of your mock interview, there'll be a short discussion on how you performed in the interview.
Our college counselors can be quite perceptive and brutal. Perceptive because they can tell which questions break you. Brutal because they ask them anyway. But based on my personal experience, this is very beneficial as preparation. A large part of the reason why we're scared is because it's our first time and we only have a theoretical vision of what to expect. The interview classes will dissect all that, show you what your weaknesses are and which questions you need to look out for. You'll also get opinions on how to answer weird questions and how to respond to skepticism. And you get to see how others fare under the same conditions, which you can adapt to your own style.
This doesn't mean you won't be nervous at all during the actual interview. No matter how much preparation you do, there's still the element of the unknown. However, knowing that you were totally crushed during your mock interview makes you a lot more confident about yourself, and then you'll be less likely to stutter, stammer or screw up in general :) After all, you've already been put through an emotional trainwreck; how much worse can it get?
Contact the college counselors if you want an interview class. The best arrangement is to find a group of, say, six to seven acquaintances, and try to schedule a 2-hour slot. The earlier the better, as the college counselors' workload increases exponentially in the 2nd half of the year. Why acquaintances? Because you want to be able to ask all types of questions without risking hurt feelings. That requires some sort of distance and unfamiliarity. If you go with your best friends, it might be extremely awkward. You will also not get feedback about how your character appears to strangers, because your friends know you too well.
That's all I have on this topic. Again I'll emphasize that it was a great help for me. I went for it one day before my interview, which is not a good idea because you need some sort of 'recovery time' - but it was still better than nothing. Ask the college counselors for more details. Schedule one early; this can only advantage you.
I'm referring to interview classes.
What happens is that you have a bunch of students sitting around a conference table, and they each take turns to be the interviewee, with everyone else firing questions at them. One of the college counselors (or someone designated by them) facilitates the entire process and can ask questions as well. At the end of your mock interview, there'll be a short discussion on how you performed in the interview.
Our college counselors can be quite perceptive and brutal. Perceptive because they can tell which questions break you. Brutal because they ask them anyway. But based on my personal experience, this is very beneficial as preparation. A large part of the reason why we're scared is because it's our first time and we only have a theoretical vision of what to expect. The interview classes will dissect all that, show you what your weaknesses are and which questions you need to look out for. You'll also get opinions on how to answer weird questions and how to respond to skepticism. And you get to see how others fare under the same conditions, which you can adapt to your own style.
This doesn't mean you won't be nervous at all during the actual interview. No matter how much preparation you do, there's still the element of the unknown. However, knowing that you were totally crushed during your mock interview makes you a lot more confident about yourself, and then you'll be less likely to stutter, stammer or screw up in general :) After all, you've already been put through an emotional trainwreck; how much worse can it get?
Contact the college counselors if you want an interview class. The best arrangement is to find a group of, say, six to seven acquaintances, and try to schedule a 2-hour slot. The earlier the better, as the college counselors' workload increases exponentially in the 2nd half of the year. Why acquaintances? Because you want to be able to ask all types of questions without risking hurt feelings. That requires some sort of distance and unfamiliarity. If you go with your best friends, it might be extremely awkward. You will also not get feedback about how your character appears to strangers, because your friends know you too well.
That's all I have on this topic. Again I'll emphasize that it was a great help for me. I went for it one day before my interview, which is not a good idea because you need some sort of 'recovery time' - but it was still better than nothing. Ask the college counselors for more details. Schedule one early; this can only advantage you.
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