CAPs

I think there might have been a post about this before, but nevertheless, I'll just explain the different types of CAPs you get on your transcript again.

Subject CAP - CAP of all your modules in that subject. Includes honours modules. Electives are optional. [edit] The optimal CAP is already computed by the system [/edit]

Graduation CAP - CAP of all your modules ever taken, weighted appropriately in two-year blocks (20-40-40 (we'll check on this one and update) or 50-50, depending if you entered in Year 1 or Year 3). Includes honours modules. Electives are optional.

Major CAP - CAP of your Year 5&6 modules in that subject. Does not include honours modules. Electives are optional. [edit] Shows up much more prominently than your subject CAP on your graduation transcript. [/edit]

Honours CAP - CAP of all (and only) honours modules in that subject.

Yr 5-6 CAP - CAP of the modules you've taken in Year 5&6. It's the same way as they've been counting for those two year CAPs. This is quite important for local uni applications as they demand this separately from your graduation CAP.

A note about optional electives: You can only make selection of electives once. Those you choose to exclude will be excluded from all CAPs, and vice versa. Why is this important? Let's use a hypothetical Year 5 biology elective as an example. You scored A- (4.5). Your graduation CAP (the overall one) is currently at 4.3, but your biology subject CAP and major CAP are 4.7 and 4.8 respectively. If you include this module, your graduation CAP will increase, but your subject CAP and major CAP will decrease. Which will you choose to "sacrifice", in this case?

I'm not sure if the school has fully automated the elective selection process. In any case, you should still choose your electives carefully, because you can't predict what the algorithm would pick in the above situation. [Edit] The process is now fully automated. The system will choose to include/exclude elective modules that do not help boost your CAP. But being a computer system, the process can be flawed, and you will be able to manually request to include/exclude certain modules to boost your CAP. [/edit]

(Personally, I'd exclude that module because it probably won't affect graduation CAP much, or subject CAP for that matter, but it would have a noticeable impact on major CAP.)

[edit] What if you decide to drop honours for whatever reasons, and you no longer want to count the honours module into your CAP? If I'm not wrong, the system will automatically consider it as an elective and process it as what it does with elective modules - erm, remove it. [/edit]

Independent Research

Research is something that confuses many people; parents, new NUSHS students (I shall hence call you all freshmen) and even existing NUSHS students. I shan't endeavour to define research, but let us take a look at research in NUS High and the opportunities it provides.

I'll like to start with the history of research in NUS High School. Details are sketchy, in 2005 some forms of research did exist and it was called IPW (Independent Project Work)[Thanks to Royston for providing the information]. The projects available at that time were not very in-depth due to the lack of equipment available; e.g. proper DNA extraction was not possible. Projects then latched mainly on external resources or were simple, investigative projects.

Sometime later in 2006 the programme would come to be known as Independent Research or IR for short. More students began taking up research projects since the Batch of 2005 was in their fourth year and the move to the new campus along Clementi Avenue 1 provided enhanced lab facilities. In 2007 the programme was formalized and a curriculum (of sorts) was drawn up. It was called AXIS. In that year the first Research Congress was held to showcase students' research work. From 2008 to 2009, the programme was renamed as Da Vinci after the famous polymath and all Year 5/6 students partake in research projects, (Advanced Research Projects, or ARPs) either with external organizations, or with internal mentors.

That being said, what's in it for everyone? Firstly, an ARP is a graduation requirement, meaning that you will either have to take a project in Year 5 or Year 6 and obtain a satisfactory grade. The nature of the project can vary - Some people opt to do high level research such as Quantum Mechanics, Femtochemistry or Proteomics with external organizations. This list is certainly not exhaustive. Others opt to do research in current, familiar areas such as alternative energy or just applying concepts learnt in NUS High School. Note that the burden for the former category is significantly higher, but as with all things, you will reap rewards proportional to the amount of effort put in.

Research from Year 1 to Year 4 is a bit tricky. You will recall I mentioned that in 2005 a number of research projects existed (even for Year 1s - I did one), but as of now the Year 1 to 3 programme is such that a series of workshops and courses are conducted to familiarize students with the requirements for research. These include things like problem solving and research methodology, and you will use these things subconsciously, if not consciously, when you begin your research projects. Some Year 4s do opt to begin their own research, but due to the limited number of projects it may not always be possible (More on this later!). My tip here for Year 4s or prospective Year 4s is that if you do so and your project excels, it may be wise to contemplate converting your project to an ARP. Inquire with relevant people for the procedures.

Ok, so now we know how research is like, but what's the big deal? Research speaks you on your CV as much as any other credential. It is hard to represent time spent by receiving an award for "Good Progress", but citing your research and any awards it might have received instantly says that you have put in significant effort and speaks volumes about your analytical skills. Some scholarships and awards will ask you to demonstrate that you have the necessary aptitude in Science, and research is a good way to put it across to them. Secondly, there are many opportunities for you to shine in research. Projects can be sent to conferences or fairs, or better still, published. For the uninitiated, conferences are events where you put up a poster or deliver a speech regarding your project. As such, these conferences are normally very specific. Invited papers to international conferences, should you be honoured, are very prestigious. Fairs, such as the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF), or the Singapore Youth Science Fair (SYSF), offer good awards. In particular, winning a gold at the SSEF is considered to be one of the highlights of JC Science life. Singapore's representatives to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) are selected from SSEF Gold medalists.

I will dedicate a separate section to publishing and beyond. There is no exact Science to this, but there's a general rule of thumb that publishing and applying for a patent are extremely good accolades if you are able to reach that stage. Professors normally will encourage you to write a paper if your research is promising. For that matter, think for a moment how many people under the age of 18 will have actually published papers in international journals. A patent is much more complicated - It states that you have actually invented something, and you own the rights to that invention.

Getting research to that level however, requires a good amount of time invested in it. Research, like all subjects, requires practice. It is normal that the first research project you do will be a little lack-luster, and rightfully so, because you are not familiar with the ropes and the nature of the industry. Once you get used to the rhythm of research, you will be able to progress much quickly. As a rule of thumb, if you are lucky enough to get a good research mentor, stay with him and learn as much as you can. So long you work hard, you should be able to join a higher level project with the same mentor when you start your research again.

A number of organizations like A*Star (do a search or look up the College Councillors) open research projects to independent students. In other words, you can apply on your own. I personally recommend that you do not do so until you are about 15 years old, i.e. Year 3, because the rigour of industrial research attachments are even higher than that of scholastic environments. People there do research for profit and occasionally race against time to beat competitors to the market. It is however, valuable experience and such projects often have potential. Always remember that the key to research is to work at the cutting-edge. No one wants to know if you found out how many times a day sheep baa, but everyone will want to know if you managed to turn sheep manure into Methanol xD.

Questions about the many things that we do in school: Does it matter?

Many parents (including mine) often wonder about how much of the things that we do in school really count especially when our school diploma is still unknown relative to the A levels, when the lady in the fish market knows what A levels is but the taxi driver that drives by your house everyday doesnt know what "NUS High School" is.

So in this post I will talk about:
1. APs
2. Majors and honours
3. Rigour of curriculum and The CAP
And how much of a factor each plays in university and scholarship admissions.

Okay first of all I will describe university admission and scholarship admissions. I am not an expert so this is from my experience and knowledge. Please do ask the school straight if you want the school's perspective, this is just mine and no one else's (please dont kill me Dr Hang).

University admission is a judgment of your personality, ability, everything, based on some writing. That writing comprises of: 1. Your CAP, 2. Your curriculum/subject combinations, 3. Extracurriculars, 4. Standardized tests like SAT/IELTS/BMAT, 5. Awards, 6. Your essay.

Then there is the interview which you are expected to ace, for some universities, but not for most of them. So it's safe to conclude that it is more important to appear good on paper (bluntly speaking) because appearing good on paper means you are a really good person.

For scholarships, it is the same thing as university admissions, except that there is DEFINITELY ONE OR MORE interviews which YOU MUST ACE. So looking good on paper is no longer sufficient.

Okay so on to the next 4 things to talk about and my views.
1. APs: nearly useless for admissions, but no point not taking it. More and more top students from other schools such as RJC and HCI are taking APs as well, and they take loads at a go by self studying. APs are a lot easier than A levels, and these top students just cram the studying in a month or 2 and get 5s anyway. It's easier because APs test for breadth while A levels are more of 'depth', so knowing a little about everything will suffice for APs. Many Americans also take about 5 to 6 APs in their senior year.

So if top students are doing APs and some have A level results too does doing APs really give you the advantage? I dont think so.

I wont say that APs are entirely useless, because they lend credit to your curriculum and rigour. It's a standardized test after all, so getting a 5 in every AP exam says something when you are compared to the rest of the world. Being in a school with everyone getting 5s say something about your standard in comparison with everyone else, and that's what our school needs before people are willing to recognize our rigorous curriculum.

So when AP time comes, please do help one another because it raises the school name, now you are no longer competing against one another but competing with the rest of the world - some students dont seem to grasp that - it's one thing to be selfish during exam time, it's another to be selfish during AP time.

I am a little thankful for doing APs too because it allows me to skip some modules in US universities. I think A levels allow you to skip too (I am not sure) but for APs it's a definite. Each university has their policy online.

Another reason to do APs is because based on the school curriculum, you have enough knowledge to ace the APs so why not have a 5 on your paper than not have a 5? Makes you look better too.

In terms of university applications, schools tend to look at everything in context - including whether or not you have taken the most challenging courseload, so taking the maximum amount of APs would be an extra testament to that in addition to your majors and honours.

In terms of scholarship applications, cant really comment because I have never put any AP results on my scholarship applications - there isnt a space to put it on Brightsparks and when people ask you to submit your results you submit your school diploma (cos the curriculum is more rigorous) and not your AP results.

Overall verdict: After university it will be useful, dont expect it to boost your university application by too much though. Take it anyway cos it's a waste not to.

2. Majors and Honours. I always thought that taking 3 honours and 1 major would be a major disadvantage for me if I wanted to fight for a spot in top schools and scholarships. It turned out to be the best choice I made.

I took honours in biology, chemistry and math and a major in physics. In fact, I took the fast track in physics (i.e. I went along the honours track in physics, but dropped out after taking physics B in year 5). I thought I would be disadvantaged because as the adage goes, everyone prefers to take someone with a lower CAP but more challenging courseload instead of someone with a higher CAP but less challenging courseload. Right?

Not necessarily, I feel. It depends on how you spend that extra time.

In terms of university applications, your college counsellor (ie Mr. Allan or Ms. Sng) will have to rate your curriculum on whether it is most demanding, demanding, etc etc, and it is rumoured that top colleges will only take in those with the most demanding courseload.

There was this slide that serves as a guideline on what's demanding and what's most demanding, I am not a NUSHS student anymore so I dont have it but you probably will see it in 1 of those PTM slides. (Vanessa/ZM do you have it? If you do please edit my post and post it here, haha)

I dont know what Mr. Allan put for my courseload but I do remember my courseload was somewhere in between demanding and most demanding.

The reason why I didnt major with honours in physics was because I didnt like it. Admittedly, I was struggling in it too - the problem with modular system is the moment you screw up your basic modules you cant catch up - and I didnt want to waste another year doing physics when I could spend that time doing something else. So I dropped it, and I got to spend more time in council, external activities like ECO, YCM, etc.

My point is, dont take 4 honours if you dont enjoy the subject because that time can be spent doing something else that you like, and that's what colleges want to see - you doing something that you have a passion for, rather than just blindly studying and being on paper chase. At the same time I understand that your academics must be somewhat competitive to have a chance at all the top spots, so...it's a judgment call for you I guess. Take honours for the subjects you like better and dont force yourself if you dont like the subject?

Does it really matter in the big scheme of things? Well I have friends who took the most rigorous curriculum possible but are worse off (in terms of scholarships and unis) than friends who just took 3 majors with honours. My conclusion is that taking the most rigorous curriculum may give you a slight edge but there are more important other factors. Dont waste your time and youth taking classes you hate just for that extra writing on paper!

3. Rigour of curriculum. Okay I got good news and bad news. Bad news is that Dr Hang will kill me but I dont think the rigour of our curriculum is recognized yet. Good news is that it will probably be recognized by your time (in a few years).

I didnt think that people understood what a 4.36 cap meant. When I went for my PSC checkup yesterday, the nurse asked me so you must have scored all As in your A levels la! I said er we dont take A levels and the nurse looked so puzzled. "But I thought it's PSC?" "Yes I am from the math and science school. NUS High School?" "Oh... but you got all As right?" I just smiled. -.-

Is it bad? I dont think so. I feel so confident going to university right now because I have learnt more than others. You really do learn more and you will find that it's not just the curriculum, but the independent study techniques and time management skills that will be very helpful in the long run.

So does the CAP matter? Dr Hang once told us that scholarships expect you to have a minimum CAP (3.6) just to clear the 1st round, after that it depends on your interview - and I am inclined to agree with him. So dont spend 10 hours a day trying to push your CAP up from 4.2 to 4.3.

Some places have the tendency to equate an A in A levels to an A in our school diploma (such as Murdoch who expects a CAP of 5 for some courses). I feel that there is nothing you can do about that other than rue your luck and hope that they will recognize our diploma in a few years from now. :( On the other side, there are also universities like Cambridge who expect a CAP of 4.2 for some courses, so that's great.

Possible majors and SATs

The official policy of the school is that the maximum number of majors you can specialise in is four. Therefore, the most demanding program would be 1 math + 3 sciences, all honours. However it is worth noting that the humanities majors are also extremely demanding, and so a student taking 1 math + 2 sci + 1 humanities/arts, with honours in all math and science subjects, will probably be equally as stressed.

The obvious exception to this rule is Zhongming. I am not sure if the school has officially approved his fifth major (history). I believe he will post about his experience taking five majors himself. But basically what he did was take 4 honours and just select the history elective modules. Technically, if he finishes all the history modules, the school cannot deny awarding him the history major.

He could take the extra modules on the side because humanities/arts modules are always scheduled separately, so they don't clash with languages/math/science modules (this is because these modules may be taken by people from different classes, so they have to make sure everyone can attend).

Realistically, the school will only approve the fifth major if you have consistently done well in your acads, like Zhongming.

Just for your info, here is a screenshot of the subject combinations of the graduated batch:

As for SATs I think Yingzhen has mentioned strategies for taking the SAT before, and some measure of its importance.

SATs, whether you are taking SAT Reasoning (new name for SAT 1) or SAT Subject Tests (new name for SAT 2), are entirely, truly optional. The school just functions as one of the many SAT test centers around Singapore.

A student might take SAT because:

1. He wants to apply to a US university. Almost all US universities require SAT 1 and 2 SAT 2s. Alternatively, he can take the ACT, which is an equally-recognised standardised test, but there are fewer ACT test dates and only one test center (Singapore American School in Woodlands).

2. He wants to apply for a scholarship that requires SAT scores, e.g. A*STAR.

3. He wants to attend a university that requires standard proof of English. The Reading component of SAT 1 is usually accepted as a measure of English ability. You need to get above a certain score which varies from university to university. Usually, studying in a Singapore school exempts you from this requirement (as you have studied in an English-medium school for the past few years), but there are still a few universities that may ask for standard proof.

4. He wants to study undergraduate Law in NUS, or any courses in SMU. SAT 1 scores are not a requirement but a high score can be an advantage.

When you sign up for SATs, the online registration will ask you to choose your preferred test center. If there are still spaces you will get that center. Besides NUS High, there are other centers such as Hwa Chong, ACS(I), and Singapore American School.

Because the test center allocation is on a first-come-first-serve basis, you will see non-NUSH-students in the exam hall on the day of the SAT. Similarly, even if you are a student in this school, if you choose to sign up at the last minute, you may have to settle for a test center somewhere else.

Is it necessary to take both AP Calculus AB/BC and both Physics B/C?

It depends on your major/honours combination.

AP Calculus BC and Physics C are advanced papers that can only be taken by honours students. Theoretically, if you didn't do honours, you can still choose to take the exam, but you have to self-study the content so it isn't really encouraged.

AP Calculus AB and Physics B are regular papers that are practically compulsory unless you have exceptional reasons not to take them. Calculus AB is taken by everyone, because everyone has to take math and learn calculus. Physics B is taken by all physics majors.

In principle all the papers are optional, however, like I have mentioned, in reality, they are as good as compulsory. In any case, most students choose to do all the APs they can because they provide benefits.

First, APs are a standardized exam, so it provides benchmarking for the school diploma. Gets the colleges to realise the rigour of the curriculum: "even someone getting a 3.5/5 CAP still scores 5 (the max score) on an AP". Secondly, most US colleges allow people who score 4 and above on the relevant AP to skip some first-year modules, which is an obvious advantage to the student.

Also, there is financial aid for the APs if your total gross household income or income per dependent is below a certain threshold, so cost isn't too much of a factor.

Dr Hang has said that the school will eventually phase out APs. I think the papers will still be offered but they will truly be optional, not the as-good-as-compulsory policy in place now. This will happen when the rigour of the diploma is fully recognised. However, Dr Hang has only said that it will happen "in a couple of years", so I don't know exactly when.