CollegeTalk: A blog for NUS High Students, by NUS High Seniors

The NUSHSCollegeTalk Reader's Survey

2011-05-28T20:17:00.000+08:00

The more religious of our readers will have noticed a new tab on the far right of our top navigation bar titled "Reader's Survey". As part of our ongoing efforts to cater articles and content to our readers, we at NUSHSCollegeTalk are hoping that you'll spare a few minutes of your time to complete the survey. You have our assurance that the results of the survey will be subject to the maximum

The Surprise

2011-04-29T19:51:00.002+08:00

April 30th - something amazing comes your way. Don't even blink.

Medicine tests (UK and Australia)

2011-04-17T00:29:00.002+08:00

Dear juniors,The ISAT season has begun. It will run from 4th April to 28th October this year. Those who are applying to Australian medical schools, please take it before your June application deadlines!At the same time, I want to refer you guys to my previous post on the four UK and Australian admisisons tests for medical school: http://nushscollegetalk.blogspot.com/2010/09/medicine-tests.html

Oxbridge applications (again)

2011-04-16T05:49:00.003+08:00

As with every year, we get a bunch of questions about applying to those two schools. Here's the quick rundown: Both schools require interviews. Cambridge will fly a couple of admissions tutors to Singapore and they will interview you (except for medicine - you have to fly there). Oxford has been doing Skype interviews of late. So, deadlines: Cambridge – 20 September if you want to be

NUSHS Open House 2011

2011-04-06T12:29:00.000+08:00

Posted on behalf of Roy Ang, representing NUS High School and the NUS High School Alumni. Hey all, I would like to inform you that NUSHS will be having its Open House this Sat, 9 April 2011. Do help to spread the news to your friends and invite them to come down to show support for the school, visit your juniors, or just have fun and hang out. Last year, some alumni members have come down to help

The Hidden Backdoor – How Impressive is Impressive?

2011-04-04T13:23:00.000+08:00

So you’re a student who’s diligently studying their way through high school. You want to get into the top universities around. Here’s your plan: Get as many As as possible. Get as many 5s as possible. Throw yourself into a

College Application Essays - The Definitive Guide

2011-04-01T20:25:00.001+08:00

It's that time of the year when Year 6 students get down to business preparing for their college applications. The process normally starts by writing up a personal statement or admissions essay of some sort. What most people come to realize, is that the process can become horribly painful. Every year students are reminded to start early, and I think we seniors are the prime examples of why you

An Unofficial Guide to Admission to Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (for NUSHS students ONLY)

2011-03-29T13:34:00.000+08:00

This is a guest article, contributed by Roy Ang, class of 2008. --- 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)

Congratulations SSEF2011 Participants

2011-03-11T00:12:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to all NUSHS students participating in the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair 2011, on a sterling performance! 10 golds (out of 17 awarded) 5 silvers 11 bronzes 5 merits

The Student Worker [Part II]

2011-03-09T15:21:00.000+08:00

This is the second and final part in a series about students going out into the working world. Read Part I here. Many people let their guard down after going through the ritualistic hassle of finding a job. It's tempting to do so, since the job is now yours for the duration of the contract, and the technical requirements of the job may not be particularly challenging. That's also the most

Tagboard Updates

2011-03-05T16:07:00.000+08:00

The tagboard's recently been the target of unwanted spam messages, so we've taken action to minimize and hopefully prevent that from happening again. While we're at it some functionality changes have also been made, which should make it easier for everyone to use. Changes:Font size increased Entry form increased to three lines, with a 200 character limit Size of display column increased CAPTCHA

Driving in Singapore - The Insider's Guide

2011-03-05T11:09:00.000+08:00

Many of you will be coming to the age where you qualify to get behind a steering wheel or bike handlebars and zoom off into the horizon. There's a post on the same topic by Lay Kuan, though I'm going to try to take it from a different perspective. Introduction The magic number for driving is 18, and you'll see why along the way. To the best of my knowledge, you can take the very first theory

Sourcing for jobs

2011-02-26T12:20:00.003+08:00

Thanks Kenneth for telling us about the types of jobs available! =) Also got to agree with him about being politics-cognizant in your work place. Even though everyone might treat each other with respect, there is a hierarchy--for example, director, assistant manager, senior executive, executive, assistant--and there will be people who take instructions and people who give instructions. Be smart

IBN Youth Research Programme

2011-02-24T21:01:00.002+08:00

Posted on behalf of Neo Boon Siong, NUSHS Class of 2011 Now that research congress is over, I shall take advantage of the brief respite to write a small article on the Youth Research Programme at Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. This article is mainly targeted at year 5s who are looking for choices for ARP. The Youth Research Program lets students take on a full-time internship

The Student Worker [Part I]

2011-02-23T21:53:00.002+08:00

There's a couple of reasons you'll be interested in this post. You're currently studying and looking for a bit of exposure or income over the holidays. You've graduated (lucky you) and you've come to the realization that you actually have a holiday for once where you don't have to worry about ARP, module selection or preparing for the next semester. To top things off, if your chromosomes

Any requests for articles?

2011-02-23T04:11:00.002+08:00

So you guys have probably noticed that collegetalk has been a little dead the past few days. That's what happens when our writers are busy either serving the country or whisked away to college. As such, this is a call for:1. WRITERS! Collegetalk has been sustainable for 2 years now with the help of our volunteer writers - juniors, students from others schools, anyone at all - and we want to keep

Happy Chinese New Year

2011-02-02T15:55:00.000+08:00

To our friends, both in Singapore and overseas, here's a Happy Chinese New Year from all of us at NUSHSCollegeTalk. Enjoy the tidbits, the extra calories and the Angbao money while it is still not our turn to give it out.

How to do what you love.

2011-02-02T13:15:00.002+08:00

To do something well you have to like it. That idea is not exactly novel. We've got it down to four words: "Do what you love." But it's not enough just to tell people that. Doing what you love is complicated. The very idea is foreign to what most of us learn as kids. When I was a kid, it seemed as if work and fun were opposites by definition. Life had two states: some of the time adults were

Readings for prospective medics

2011-01-28T11:00:00.002+08:00

To those who want to prepare to be doctors, or who simply want to research the profession, I'd like to recommend that you follow the articles in these websites:1. Singapore medical association (SMA) news: http://www.sma.org.sg/sma_news/newscurrent.html2. Singapore Medical journal (SMJ): http://smj.sma.org.sg/smjcurrent.html3. Student British Medical Journal (Student BMJ): http://student.bmj.com/

My Interview Kit

2011-01-23T19:18:00.000+08:00

Different interviews ask for different things. Some places want your academic records, some places want letters, some places don't need anything. Over time I've found it's easier to always carry a "standard issue" (you can see the Army lingo begin to slip into my daily verbose) of items in my bag when I attend an interview. My NUS High School Diploma folder (a.k.a my academic results,

College and breaks

2011-01-19T05:45:00.003+08:00

I havent been blogging much, if at all, recently, and since I am slightly free-er this week and so I decided to make a surprise appearance here. I will only be back in Singapore sometime around June, because that's when my school year ends. My school generally starts later than the other US schools and end later as well, maybe because we are on the quarter system (I honestly dont know why this is

The Jardine Foundation Scholarship

2011-01-04T20:16:00.000+08:00

For future Oxbridge applicants, I would like to draw your attention to the Jardine Foundation Scholarship (Follow link for Scholarship Prospectus), a bond-free scholarship sponsored by the Jardine Matheson Group for lucky individuals to pursue an undergraduate degree at these specific Oxbridge Colleges: Cambridge: Trinity, Magdalene (Pronounced Maudlyn), Peterhouse, Downing Oxford: Exeter, Oriel

The Cost of Applying to College

2011-01-01T13:05:00.001+08:00

Attending university overseas is expensive. The size of the five digit number you pay per annum can vary depending on where you go and what you do, so most people resort to scholarships, bank loans or the daddy-mummy fund.Applying for university alone, however, can already be costly. If you're just applying to NUS or SMU and to no others, your costs are significantly lower - the application fee

Olympiads in Year 1-4

2010-12-31T23:04:00.002+08:00

As this is my first time writing an article for Collegetalk, here’s a brief introduction about myself. I’m Gloria, and will be in Year 5 in 2011. After looking back at the past 4 years of my life at NUSHS, let me share with you a little about taking math and science Olympiads and NUSH Olympiad trainings in the lower years (Yr 1-4). (Beware: Long article ahead) Olympiads for

Hang On Tight!

2010-12-31T01:47:00.004+08:00

The last day of the year, the 31st of December is here.NUS Deadline.USP Deadline.The Start of US Regular Deadlines. (Yale today, a TON tomorrow.)To all my fellow Y6s, glhf, and I'll see you on the other side!Have a great New Year.

Financial Aid Deadlines

2010-12-30T00:27:00.003+08:00

To all applicants for financial aid, please do remember to check the deadlines for the submission of your financial aid forms. Hint/Warning: Some of these deadlines are impending. (Like Cornell.)Like really, really soon.You do not want to be caught off-guard. International express mailing fees are ridiculously expensive.

Shoutout from Year 6

2010-12-29T13:40:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone!I am now deep in uni applications/admissions and (juniors beware) it is so painful I can't imagine how some seniors can write about it so extensively after the process (refer to seniors' previous posts under the "my applications" tab).Nevertheless, I shall post everything before the next application cycle! =) But for now, I am so sorry for the dearth of posts from me!

Where are NUS High graduates now?

2010-12-28T12:18:00.001+08:00

1. Army. Every single vocation you can think of. 2. NUS Medicine/Dentistry/Pharmacy. Or any of these in the UK or Australia. 3. NUS/SMU Law. 4. NUS Science. 5. NUS Engineering. 6. NUS/NTU/SMU Business. 7. Studying some sort of science major in the US. 8. Studying some sort of science in the UK. 9. Studying some sort of science in Australia. 10. Studying in Korea, studying in Japan. 11.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T23:05:00.000+08:00

T'is the season to be giving and sharing! Wherever in the world you might be - in college in Europe, UK or US, or still plodding on in Singapore - here's wishing you a Merry Christmas from all of us at NUSHSCollegeTalk. We unfortunately don't have any presents to hand around, but you have it on our honour we'll try to keep sharing whatever we know, whenever we can :-D

A US education

2010-12-24T22:50:00.003+08:00

My first semester at Berkeley is over and I'm back in Singapore for winter break. The 20-hour flight prompted a little reflection of the experience, which I thought I'd share here. I was in the US for four months. It felt a lot longer. Part of it was being so far away from home; I'm not the sentimental type, and I didn't think I would miss home, but I did. Then, there was the excitement of (

An Overview of the ACT Test Part II

2010-12-19T07:49:00.005+08:00

Introduction This is the second part on the ACT test. The first part is viewable here. I will cover the different score reports, SAT/ACT conversion, what a good ACT score is and standby testing. Score Reports Although not as well known as the SAT, the ACT processes scores just as quickly for the multiple choice sections. The essay section takes about 2 weeks longer. Scores are viewable online at

Second reading for essay

2010-12-18T15:32:00.003+08:00

If there's anyone who wants a second, alternate reading of their application essay (to scholarships/colleges/internship/etc.), I don't mind reading even though I don't think I can really offer much help besides being someone who doesn't know you too well. Just drop me a message on FB if you want. It's winterval here, so happy christmas!- Zhong Ming

What You'll Wish You'd Known

2010-12-16T13:42:00.002+08:00

A pretty handy link contributed by Shiyang. It makes for an interesting read.http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html

Stanford admits 754 early applicants

2010-12-14T16:06:00.000+08:00

The number of high school students seeking early admission to the Class of 2015 – 5,929 applicants – has set a new record for Stanford.Stanford Report: Decmber 13, 2010Stanford has sent acceptance letters to 754 applicants, or 12.7 percent of those who applied, the Office of Undergraduate Admission announced today."We continue to attract an exceptional number of highly competitive candidates and

A never been discussed topic: TAIWAN UNI APPS

2010-12-09T17:55:00.005+08:00

Taiwan's a great place, really! I'm sure that those who have been to the country for exchange programmes will know this fact at an even more personal level :)So, being a member of the rather small(but not that small) Taiwanese population in NUS High School, I will take the liberty of providing details about Taiwan Uni Apps. This post will mainly be on application to the National Taiwan University

NUSHS Checkpoints

2010-12-01T15:28:00.004+08:00

The NUS High School Diploma Package

2010-11-24T17:15:00.000+08:00

For those of you who might be interested, here's a physical description of the NUSHS Diploma which a student receives upon graduation at NUS High School. The outer cover is a folder with the school logo and motto across the front. Think of it as a high class, A4-version of primary school report books. In order from the top: A page listing your personal information, date of matriculation and

50 things

2010-11-22T05:42:00.000+08:00

For those of you who are starting to think about college, or are already in college, check out this interesting article by an MIT adcom officer regarding college life: 50 things

The Internet Impression

2010-11-13T10:58:00.003+08:00

Prospective scholarship providers, interviewers and admissions officers who happen to be a shade more tech savvy have been known to look up candidates and applicants on Facebook, Google or Twitter. They'll get an impression of you even before you meet them. If you've been up to no good, that's guilty until proven innocent. Here's a couple of simple ways to keep yourself safe. Set up Google

An Overview of the ACT Test

2010-11-01T23:51:00.009+08:00

Disclaimer: This is by no means a score-booster, prep-course or official ACT information. Introduction In this first part I will cover what the ACT Test is, registering for it, differences between the SAT and the ACT and how to prepare for it.Not many of you reading this would know what the ACT, let alone have taken it. Interesting fact: There were only 13 (inclusive) students at the test

Studying Literature in NUS High: An Account

2010-11-01T23:07:00.003+08:00

'Studying Literature in NUS High: An Account'Annabeth Leow Hello, delicious friends. In this post, I will be talking a little about studying English Literature in NUS High School. For those who are considering taking a Major in English Literature (because Honours modules are not available for Humanities, Arts & Music), or for those who are wondering if they should apply to NUS High to

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T16:18:00.002+08:00

NUSHSCollegeTalk wishes all its readers a Happy Halloween!

Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone

2010-10-31T02:01:00.000+08:00

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/08/life-and-how-to-survive-it.htmlThis is the NTU convocation address given by a lawyer, Adrian Tan. An excerpt as follows:I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here for ten minutes

A very funny article, about physics

2010-10-28T01:39:00.002+08:00

It's really funny, and all you physics/non-physics people should check it out.http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/unpopular-science/?src=me&ref=general

Books for Sale

2010-10-26T17:58:00.000+08:00

I'm at the stage in my life where I get to do away with a good number of books I do not foresee myself using in the near future, so I'm offering them up here for grabs should any of our loyal readers want a dig at them College Physics (8th ed) by Young and Geller, $30 Biology, Life on Earth (7th ed) by Audersirk and Byers, $20 The Practice of Statistics (3rd ed) by Yates et. al, $20 Precalculus:

Updates

2010-10-21T18:33:00.003+08:00

We've got a set of updates for everyone!1. Swanky new design!2. We've added a new page on Deadlines, linked to a Google Calendar. Do check that out and begin your applications early! If there's any relevant deadline we missed out, do give us a shoutout in the tagboard.3. With the whole social media marketing thing going on, we decided to hop onto the bandwagon.You may now follow us on twitter. (

Young, Educated, and Unemployed: A New Generation of Kids Search for Work in their 20s

2010-10-14T10:54:00.001+08:00

The Lost Generation: What it's like for 20-somethings to go in search of meaningful work—and not find it.Since January, for 35 hours a week, at a rate of $10 an hour, Luke Stacks has been working for a home-electronics chain. He answers the phone and attempts to coax callers into buying more stuff. This is not how he imagined he would be spending his late 20s.Like a lot of us, Stacks was given a

Your Opinion Counts!

2010-10-11T17:36:00.002+08:00

Here at NUSHSCollegeTalk we're constantly racking our brains to decide what we can write that you might find useful. We do hear from a good number of you via the tagboard, but I think we can do better, so here goes:What would you want to know more about?Leave your answer in the tagboard, or drop us an email, and it might just be the next post that appears on NUSHSCollegeTalk.

Why I gave up doing chemistry as a major

2010-10-04T05:01:00.007+08:00

You would think that after 4 years of being in a math and science school, and 2 years before that hating on my humanities, taking up science in college would be a no brainer. In fact, I myself thought it was a no brainer, and as I approached Year 5 and 6 I invested large amounts of $ in chemistry books from NUS, believing that I would use it then and for many more years in the future. However, I

Buying your textbooks.

2010-09-28T10:49:00.002+08:00

Buying our textbooks is something that we are very familiar with; buying university type of textbooks is something we are also very familiar with. So there are a few places that I normally get my books from:1. NUS Co-Op / Clementi bookstoreBooks from Singapore are way way cheaper than books in the US (and presumably the UK as well), because we buy the International Student Edition. For example, a

Regarding: Applying to Oxford, Tufts University and Subject Specialization

2010-09-27T17:20:00.002+08:00

Hello! As this is the first time I'm writing for CollegeTalk, just a quick introduction - I'm Kylie, a Year 6 student at NUS High. The agenda of this post is up there^ in the title. Firstly, please do revisit the previous post on Applying to Oxford, for some important edits regarding Oxford applications - namely that this year (may not be true for next year) there is no Oxford International

Applying to Oxford

2010-09-25T01:22:00.007+08:00

Note: This post was not written by me. This post has been contributed by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. I am merely copying and pasting what someone else wrote here for you all to see. Applying to Oxford, should/shouldn’t I?You should, because:1. The university is older, yet the place is more industrialized and dynamics. So if you think of having an internship during your study, Oxford

Getting a phone in the US

2010-09-24T06:01:00.001+08:00

I have been enjoying my summer back in Singapore and now I am back in Stanford. Given that the new freshmen were trying to get their phones and all up and running, I thought I'd talk about how phones are like here. I am on an AT & T plan. I am not sure if it is necessarily better than other networks, but generally many Stanford students use AT & T because they have the best reception on campus (

Times Higher Education 2010-2011 rankings

2010-09-21T12:39:00.004+08:00

As many of you would have already known, this year, Times is linking up with a new data provider--Thomson Reuters-- to present their yearly university rankings. The most publicized change in the ranking methodology is the greater emphasis on research (reputation, volume and income) and a low emphasis on reputation (2009 rankings made use of opinion polls). I personally think that that is what

Writing papers

2010-09-21T03:30:00.002+08:00

After nearly a year of letting my brain atrophy, I finally gathered myself to write a 1500-word, 5-page paper. It was not an easy task, because I didn't know what made me tick previously. Only upon further reflection did I realize that there were some strategies I could've employed to get myself started earlier. So, here are my tips for "forcing out" the first drafts of essays: 1. Outline your

Takeaway from the Tufts Talk

2010-09-14T12:43:00.005+08:00

The Assistant Director for Admissions at Tufts, Daniel Grayson, visited the school yesterday and shared some interesting insights both about the university as well as the US admissions process, more specifically, the essay.When it comes to applying for university, a student's essay is the only way that they can influence the admissions officers into making choices - Your grades, teacher

Last post (for a while)

2010-09-11T17:01:00.001+08:00

School is starting today, so I don't think I'll be blogging for quite some time anymore. I'll like to reiterate Yingzhen's call for more writers here. So basically this year I was more free than I was in the past, so I've been writing quite a bit for the past like, 8 months. But now that I'm starting school I won't have time anymore, and other writers also are busy with school and their lives.

How to Get Your Paper Published

2010-09-10T03:43:00.007+08:00

I attended a seminar on how to get your papers published in journals by Richard Taylor early in December last year. Here are my notes.Richard Taylor. University of York, UK.“How to get your paper published”-Think of a good idea. Read the literature; know what people have done, so you know what you can do that is novel. Find what is needed-Consult your colleagues-Carry out your researchDecide on

Cambridge Overseas Application Form

2010-09-09T11:38:00.003+08:00

For those who have to fill up the Cambridge Overseas Application Form (COAF), you'll find that you have to either fill up the form by hand or use some form of PDF authoring application to add the blanks so you can type your information in.Here's salvation. I've added the boxes in for you - so long you open the document here in Adobe Reader, you'll find that you can type and save your stuff

Medicine tests (UK and Australia)

2010-09-08T22:29:00.012+08:00

I am going to cover four of the medical tests: the UKCAT, BMAT , ISAT and PQA, which I took. The first two are fo applications to the UK, the last two are for applications to Australia. I will focus will be on what you cannot find on the websites e.g. my thoughts and feelings, my recommendations and test-taking strategies for juniors.1. UKCAT (UK Clinical Admissions Test)http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/

OSAP (ISSYP)

2010-09-05T16:31:00.014+08:00

Together with Nicholas Chen and Joel Yap, I went for the International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP) in 2008 under MOE's Overseas Attachment Programme (OSAP). It's possible to apply for ISSYP directly, but it's easier to get in through OSAP.You will have to fill up a set of forms. I don't know if they have changed since then, and though I have the essay with me (I think there were

A journey

2010-09-04T10:34:00.017+08:00

Hi, I'm Sidwyn. I've been reading this blog and decided to contribute something.As some of you know, the NUS High iPhone app was released two months back. I'm the developer of the app and am happy to see so many students and staff using it. Alot of people have been asking me how I did it, so instead of answering one by one, let me detail my experience here..I started out in May 2010. I was an

About this blog

2010-09-02T12:39:00.001+08:00

I haven’t been blogging here these days because I have been very busy with multiple things: a month or so ago I was busy with my school exams, and now that I am back in Singapore I have been busy meeting my friends and enjoying life. :)I am not sure what to write about, really. I am far too detached from the school to write anything about it, and I am not sure what you all want to know about

Typing in PDF files

2010-09-02T11:52:00.007+08:00

Some organizations ask applicants to type or print into a PDF application form. Now this might be slightly irritating, especially to people with bad handwriting, have a lot to write, or have forgotten how to write by hand. Some programmes allow people to type onto PDF form, such as this one here.I've upload a few pictures of an example of how this programme might work if you want to type out the

Free Software sites

2010-08-28T23:05:00.003+08:00

Referring to the post "Useful tech skills to know", you can get some of the links to download the free software here. 1. Typesetting People who want to use LaTeX can get a very good compiler here, WinEdt - its great. But I find that MikTex is easier to type equations with. To install LaTeX properly, you'll need to have Ghostview and prefably Ghostscript installed too, and Adobe Acrobat reader if

SSEF

2010-08-21T14:34:00.009+08:00

Yo everyone, I've been reading this blog for some time now, and under Lay Kuan's influence, I've decided to contribute too. My first post here will be about the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF), since it's one of the main highlights of my last year in school. A very memorable experience, got to meet many other research enthusiasts (like Chui Yi, although I didn't know her name back

Examples of APA Citation style

2010-08-21T11:52:00.001+08:00

See here for a good website on how to cite references for scientific papers, homework, lab reports, etc, properly.EDIT: 22 August 2010'nana' suggests using this site instead. Many thanks for the suggestion!

Top 10 Commencement Speeches on YouTube

2010-08-20T21:05:00.000+08:00

Carrie Oakley wrote to CollegeTalk about an article called "Top 10 Commencement speeches on YouTube". This article was posted on the online website, Online Colleges: Complete Guide to Accredited Online Colleges.From the home page of Online Colleges:"Online Colleges is a nonprofit resource for students considering attending an online college. As a nonprofit website we accept no sponsorships from

The Illustrated guide to a PhD

2010-08-19T10:17:00.000+08:00

For those interested!Matt Might illustrated a guide to what most people achieve after getting a PhD.

Desperate Guide

2010-08-18T21:02:00.000+08:00

Edwin Fu is a college student who received a full tuition scholarship. He has written to CollegeTalk about a website called Desperate Guide: Undergraduate College Financial Aid, Scholarship. This website lists all the US colleges and universities that give financial aid and merit scholarships to international students. It has detailed descriptions of each college as well as their admissions

Journal Watermark

2010-08-16T20:46:00.011+08:00

Journal Watermark is a newly-launched literature/art magazine, an online magazine featuring the literary and artistic works of talented young Singapore-based creators. It looks very meaningful, so do go and check it out and start writing!Journal Watermark is an amateur online literary journal, written by young writers and for young writers. A collaboration between students of NUS High School and

Sureties

2010-08-13T21:29:00.000+08:00

If you're ever thinking of signing for a scholarship with a bond, you'll need two sureties. Check the approximate criteria here, from the MOH website. Varies between different scholarship boards but you might want to think about who could qualify and would agree to be your surety, given the possible consequences if you ever renege on your bond.

Choosing between A*STAR and DSTA

2010-08-10T20:03:00.001+08:00

For people interested in a career in science and engineering, these are the two scholarships they are most likely to apply for. Chances are, if you can get one, you can get the other. It was a tough choice, really, since they both looked so good and offered exciting career paths.For me, what really tipped the balance in my favor was the fact that A*STAR scholars are encouraged to do a PhD. I

Discovery Vacation Camps

2010-08-06T09:22:00.002+08:00

This was sent out last year through the forum. Dunno if anyone is interested to earn a little money during the school vacations. If you are click here. Commitment time is one week at least during the June/December holidays.

College Applications 2010/2011

2010-08-02T21:21:00.003+08:00

Just thought I'd give this a brief mention... both UCAS and Common App have reopened for admissions in 2010/2011. Juniors who aren't intending to apply to uni this year are also welcome to check them out and get an idea of what the whole system is like.Another thing I thought I'd mention is that some US colleges (the only ones I can remember off the top of my head are the whole UC group and MIT)

Criticism of college rankings

2010-08-02T11:56:00.000+08:00

Don't get too caught up in college rankings when researching them. Here's why.

Specialization pdf by NUS High School (2007)

2010-08-01T00:32:00.002+08:00

So some people were commenting in the tagboard that they can't find the pdf on the specialization of subjects anymore. I had a copy stored in my computer, so click here for that pdf google doc.

Singapore Scholarship Listings

2010-07-31T16:52:00.004+08:00

I'm posting this as a response to a question on the tagboard (@worried), and to any who may be interested. If you want to know what scholarships are available in Singapore, who provides them, how much money they give, international/PR/citizen only, bond period, etc.: http://student.brightsparks.com.sg/scholarshipproviderlist.php The link above takes you to a search form on BrightSparks where

National Day

2010-07-29T22:59:00.000+08:00

Hello! I'm doing this for a friend, but nevertheless, this is a very interesting, and meaningful project. Do go take a look, and contribute.------------------------Hello Everyone! We are a small community that seeks to use the 30 days before National Day to crowdsource ideas on how to improve singapore. It can be small things, like misplaced street signs, to the big stuff like education. We're

Comprehensive SAT guide

2010-07-28T11:34:00.002+08:00

If you guys do not frequently visit CollegeConfidential (CC) forum, please read this excellent SAT guide written by one of its members. It is very comprehensive and sums up many things I only learnt after a few months of exploring the SAT prep section of CC.

Useful Tech Skills to Know

2010-07-25T10:22:00.002+08:00

This is going to come as a really random post, but in an age where everyone uses a computer for coursework I've found that certain skill-sets (soft skills) are particularly useful to have. Things like knowing how to do a bit of graphic design, or a bit of programming, can make a difference for a project or even as an addendum to your CV. You can also pick these skills up in your spare time, so it

Some useful websites for those who're writing essays

2010-07-24T01:09:00.001+08:00

If you need to write essays for your college application, there are a few sites that have provided interesting (good and bad) examples:www.essayfroum.comThis site shows both the good and the needs-improvement essays. Those who post usually will edit the posted essay directly below so you can see how people think about essays. If it helps, it's a large collection.www.brainyprep.comThis site is

Waitlist letters from Princeton

2010-07-18T22:11:00.002+08:00

Dear XXXXX,I am writing to let you know that we have placed your name on the wait list for Princeton's Class of 2014.We received a record pool of over 26 000 applications this year. Most of the candidates had excellent credentials, and we could have filled five or six Princeton classes with the thousands of remarkably qualified applicants.Your credentials are so impressive, however, that we hope

The Stanford Supplement Short Essays - Question 3

2010-07-15T19:17:00.000+08:00

Candidates must respond to all three questions/topics. Responses must be at least 250 words but should not exceed the space provided in the Supplement.Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you.The best way to develop any skill is to immerse yourself in the right environment. I believe Stanford has the perfect environment to give me not only a good education, but a stimulating one

The Stanford Supplement Short Essays - Question 2

2010-07-08T18:31:00.000+08:00

Candidates must respond to all three questions/topics. Responses must be at least 250 words but should not exceed the space provided in the Supplement.Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. What would you want your freshman year roommate to know about you? Tell us something about you that will help your roommate—and us—know you better. I’m a pragmatic, but flexible person. I

Application to Australian medical school

2010-07-03T11:46:00.004+08:00

This article was written by Chan May Fong '09 who is currently a student at the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Thank you, May Fong! Hi there, I’m May Fong. I’m a graduate from the 2009 batch, and I’m currently studying medicine in the University of Adelaide in Australia. I was asked to share my experience on applying to Australian medical schools and so here I am. I

Education: The Ivy League's X Factor

2010-07-02T20:43:00.002+08:00

I saw this article by Walter Kirn here. I don't agree with everything it says but it does offer food for thought.I went to Princeton. There: my résumé. Usually I slip it in more casually. I wait for an opening, a cue, a question. I rarely wait very long, though. As every Ivy League graduate discovers, the greatest benefit of that education is social, not intellectual. I went to Princeton. That

Driving Lessons in Singapore

2010-07-01T23:05:00.002+08:00

Despite most cars being automatic these days, most people choose to learn manual as you get a manual and auto car license. If you learn auto only, you get the auto license only. I've been taking lessons at the Bukit Batok Driving Center, so I'll write about what happens there.1. Sign up at a driving centre to take lessons. You must go down in person to do so. Bring your IC, money, and visual aids

Obtaining a driver's licence in California

2010-06-30T02:17:00.001+08:00

Given that this writer here has failed her driving test in Singapore, she had no choice but to take it in California. It turned out that even if I had a Singaporean licence I would still have to take the driving test in California anyway. If you are a Singaporean tourist and are staying in California for <30 days, you can use your SIngaporean licence to drive around, but if you are staying for

Guest Column I: Career in the SAF (Navy)

2010-06-27T00:40:00.010+08:00

by Mikel Syn, class of 2008Tell us a bit about yourself. (and a bit of what you did in school too!)Part of the pioneer batch of nushs. I never had the intention of joining council cos I didn't really like prefects, though I got in anyway. My main job in the council was to piss yingzhen off during every council meeting. Being logistic committee head was a secondary appointment compared. Became

The Stanford Supplement Short Essays - Question 1

2010-06-25T22:36:00.000+08:00

Candidates must respond to all three questions/topics. Responses must be at least 250 words but should not exceed the space provided in the Supplement.1. Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging. I wanted to tick “No” as I wavered in front of the teacher’s locker,

Pre-departure 2010 for UK-bound students

2010-06-24T23:44:00.001+08:00

This talk has been organized by the British Council Singapore. It will be held somewhere in Suntec on 24 July 2010. Prior registration is needed if you want to attend. See here for more details.

Word meanings in different countries

2010-06-23T00:01:00.001+08:00

This website lists language differences between UK and UK. Its quite surprising how different some things can get. I never knew a 'pavement' was what I call a road in the US. Or that 'Headmaster' was the British way of referring to a 'Principal'. Or how much Singaporean English draws elements from both countries. I always thought we followed the British style but apparently not always.http://

US visa applications

2010-06-22T23:56:00.006+08:00

I just did mine this morning so I thought I'd write about it while it's fresh in my mind. Ying Zhen wrote a post a while back, but things have changed since then. Here's the most updated version. Step 1: Get your I-20. This has nothing to do with the US embassy. Your university should contact you about the steps needed to get your I-20. Generally it involves giving them your personal particulars

Stanford University.

2010-06-22T04:04:00.006+08:00

So Zhong Ming has decided to get us to write a short writeup about each of our school (and he gave us a short template haha) so I will fill up the template and post it up here. I also realized that this is very timely because I have never written at length about what Stanford is like, so here goes.Six words to describe the university (and the people in it):HAPPY!, sunny, vibrant, laid-back,

Part II: The limbo between high school and college

2010-06-21T19:30:00.007+08:00

There's a nice, long eight month break between the end of high school and college. Especially for those in year 6, contending with all the madness of school, rounding up ARPs, and college applications, you'll probably by looking forward to the long break. So let's see what might be happening during those warm, sunny, honeymoon months.An approximate time-and-action line for those going overseas

Cover Letters and Curriculum Vitae/Resumes

2010-06-18T16:50:00.004+08:00

Many students will find a point in time when they are asked to submit any permutation of the following: Curriculum VitaeCover LetterLetters of Recommendation/TestimonialsResumes (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

Questions you will almost certainly see in every scholarship interview

2010-06-15T00:13:00.003+08:00

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 see1. 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

Interviews

2010-06-11T12:10:00.000+08:00

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:

UK Visa Applications

2010-06-11T03:47:00.003+08:00

There are lots of different websites/sources(e.g. university emails) that will tell you what you need to bring along or what you need to do to apply for the visa and this can get quite confusing as they all tell you different things. In general, students studying in the UK are classified as Tier 4 General/Adult Student for their visa application. All students have to apply for a visa online AND