1. DSA is a commitment for 4 or 6 years depending on O level track or IP track. Once the kid accepts the offer, he or she can’t switch schools or course.


2. DSA is an alternate path for kids to get into good schools. Once they received confirmed offer, they would only need to score 200 or above to qualify for admission. However, this does not mean a kid who scored only 200 getting into a good school could do well. So parents should not be naive and hope that their kids will improve over time in a good school. The teachers will usually conduct lessons at a faster pace because the majority of the students are able to understand the fast paced lessons. DSA applications considered consistent results, achievements in domain areas and also performance in interviews. Prepare the child well for interview as this is the first formal interview the child is facing.

3. DSA sports or CCA good for kids? It depends on the child’s ability to cope with the high demands of sports / CCAs in addition to academic workload. The truth of the matter is that if one is admitted using sports domain, the school expects the student to put in his or her best effort to earn gold for the school. Academic performance is secondary. Students are also not allowed to drop the sports CCA. A few years ago, there was an article on RI students who failed because they were spending too much time on sports and couldn’t cope with studies. While many people mighty empathise with these RI students, but this is actually quite common. Top schools made use of these students to make a name in the sports arenas. This is a fact of life. If the kids can’t cope, nobody is forcing them to accept sports DSA.

4. DSA for academic or leadership is the less strenuous on the child. There is no commitment in CCAs. Instead the child will be exposed to training to participate in Olympiad competition.

5. How to plan for DSA application? Well there are two schools of thought. Some parents plan early for their child. Provide them with additional Olympiad training and / or hiring national coach to train their kids to ace sports competition. Some parents just let their kids find their niche interests. But having said that, don’t put too much pressure on the child on DSA application. If he gets in, it’s a bonus. If he doesn’t, that’s usually the case as the success rate for DSA is very Low.

6. Music as DSA. It’s getting extremely competitive. A grade 8 for one instrument is no longer sufficient. Need to have diploma. And win national competitions.

7. Over 70 percent of students got into top schools using T score. Hence, DSA is not the only path.

Hope this helps.

Is it true that there is no interview for DSA for ACSI this year?

Is it true that there is no interview for DSA for ACSI this year?

Cool nurse, do you know if RI had sent out invitations for interviews yet?

Anyone received interview invitation for RI for math domain?

Anyone received interview invitation for RI for math domain?

For NUS high math domain, 3 interviewers. One from math, one from science and another from Computer science. Questions were asked on math and science.

HCI and CHS received yesterday. NUS High received from school on Monday.

HCI and CHS received yesterday. NUS High received from school on Monday.

Received email from CHS, HCI and NUSH.


HCI and NUSH for math domain will have a task during e interview, scheduled for mid July.

CHS bilingualism scheduled for early August.

Hope for the best.