All About Universities
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Hey guys, this is my first post on this awesome forum. I need some help.
First, I'd like to introduce myself so you guys can better judge if I have a good chance of being accepted into NTU or NUS. I've heard that both universities are incredibly hard to get accepted into, for an international student. I know it's long, but please bear with me till the end- it's very important for me.
I have just started studying as international student at MDIS(University of Bradford,UK, first year) in September, studying Mechanical Engineering. I have taken Edexcel GCE A level and received the following marks.
Mathematics : 555/600(Grade A)
Physics: 560/600 (Grade A*)
Chemistry: 552/600 (Grade A*)
I also have a report card with an overall percentage of 93% in 12th grade when I graduated. I have an IELTS score of 8.5, and have received a bronze medal in the International Junior Science Olympiad 2008(Busan, Korea). I have received distinctions in several International science and math competitions from Australia, and was ranked 8 in my country in a national Mathematics competition. In my GCE 'O' Level, I have received 5 A's and a B. I am from Myanmar and I wish to study Aerospace Engineering(or mechanical engineering with aerospace specialization for NUS, or just Mechanical Engineering as my second preference). I wish to transfer to either NUS or NTU after I finish my first year here, as I think that Bradford is not suitable for me. My family is not very financially privileged, so it is extremely important that I make the right choice. Please tell me about the chances I have of being accepted into NUS or NTU, and please advice me on which university to choose. Also, I wish to know if there is a chance of me receiving a scholarship of any kind. This is incredibly important to my life and my parents, so please try your best to educate me on this matter ASAP as NTU's and NUS's applications are open right now. I will apply to both universities. Thank you, and blessings. -
Placement:
Edexcel GCE A level is not common in Singapore. You will be required a good pass in 3 “Advanced” Level subject to make a competitive application. Even you are eligible, there is not guarantee of admissions. Generally, it is a good choice to transfer to NUS/NTU where possible. An external degree from the University of Bradford,UK under MDIS is not well-recieved here.
Scholarship:
Being an international student (who is neither a Singaporean or PR), you can expect little help from the government or the government-linked universities. If you get into NUS/NTU, you can apply for ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship offered by MOE. There is no bond but you will be required to work in Singapore (for any company of your choice) for a minimum period of 3 years. Scholarship placing is EVEN more competitive than admission to universities.
Another viable choices would be to seek corporate scholarships. Like the ASEAN undergraduate scholarship, your tuition fees (university fees) will be paid for, as well as given monthly/annual living allowances, computer allowances etc. However, you will be contractually bonded to work for the after graduation. -
My girl got a A for Geog, C for Economics and C for Maths under H2
and a A for GP and a C for Biology. Counted the grading and thought she stand a fair chance to entry to do mass comm at NTU. Got reject by SMU and NUS. So sad. This is her retake. The 1st round she didn’t do too well but could have qualified her to SIM. But she is so keen to go to the 3 public U, feel the campus and live in a hostel and now looks like her chances are so slim. Now we are thinking of SIM biz studies. Don’t know which is better RMIT or University of London. Her poly cousin is now taking admission/exemption exam to take to Level 2. She should finish her degree earlier than my girl. Should have asked my girl to go to the poly instead. So full of regret…going in a big circle. Desperate mum -
It is fine. I have many friends who went through JC path and it is totally worth it. A poly path may not be as rewarding as JC. Diploma does not guarantee university admission and in fact JC students have advantage in doing so.
Don’t worry too much if your child has to go private university. In the end, it is still better for your child’s future. Higher pay check than diplomas fresh graduates on average. -
NUS and NTU are over-hyped. She should consider going to a european university. Fees are free so you only have to think of rent and food. She also will get a much better education.
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Miss Raja:
NUS and NTU are over-hyped. She should consider going to a european university. Fees are free so you only have to think of rent and food. She also will get a much better education.
That's not true at all, and it depends on the course one wants to take. Don't over-generalize. For example, for practicing law here, NUS is ranked 10th-20th in the world, which is already stellar. Most law firms are staffed by NUS/SMU graduates, and those who finish their degrees overseas aren't viewed too kindly, unless said degree comes from Oxbridge/Ivy(Only two are recognised here though)/UCL(debatable)/LSE.
Furthermore, not all European universities are even reputable, with the more common ones located in the UK, France and Germany.
Imagine getting a degree in Bucharest for economics. Compare that to NUS. Which would you think is better? -
elkniwt:
There are no institutes of tertiary education that are free I'm afraid. Online courses maybe, but not an actual degree.Miss Raja:
NUS and NTU are over-hyped. She should consider going to a european university. Fees are free so you only have to think of rent and food. She also will get a much better education.
Which universities are free?? As international students also free?? -
SignorWinter:
There are no institutes of tertiary education that are free I'm afraid. Online courses maybe, but not an actual degree.[/quote]elkniwt:
[quote=\"Miss Raja\"]NUS and NTU are over-hyped. She should consider going to a european university. Fees are free so you only have to think of rent and food. She also will get a much better education.
Which universities are free?? As international students also free??
I remember Germany is free but have to take a year of German and pass the language test before one can be officially enrolled in the university (something like this).
Russia is much cheaper but living conditions can be harsh (due to weather). Understand many Malaysian kids are taking their doctor titles there due to much lower cost... -
insider:
There are no institutes of tertiary education that are free I'm afraid. Online courses maybe, but not an actual degree.[/quote]SignorWinter:
[quote=\"Miss Raja\"]NUS and NTU are over-hyped. She should consider going to a european university. Fees are free so you only have to think of rent and food. She also will get a much better education.
Which universities are free?? As international students also free??
I remember Germany is free but have to take a year of German and pass the language test before one can be officially enrolled in the university (something like this).
Russia is much cheaper but living conditions can be harsh (due to weather). Understand many Malaysian kids are taking their doctor titles there due to much lower cost...[/quote]
It used to be largely free, but they've been changing it recently. Also, rather hard to get visas easily, due to the growing unrest against foreigners there. And well, you need to be very good at the language to make much of it I'm afraid. One side effect too, is that the classes can get really packed.
And, you still need to get your own accommodation, food, clothes, airfare, and what not, which kind of defeats the whole venture really. -
University age is a great time for students to travel and see another part of the world and experience different cultures. There are lots of Universities in Europe, the United States and Australia that offer mass communication degrees and at the same time allow the student to explore the world. And especially for mass communication, you want to know how to reach out to people in different cultures and how different people speak and respond to communication.
I am visiting the US now during the school holiday and I am reminded of how many great opportunities there are over here in terms of education. -
Not sure if there is a discussion on this before, moderators, pls merge if there is one.
As we know, both Uni are the best in SIN, so given a choice (if both have the same courses), would you choose NUS as first choice?
I was given the impression that top students will definitely choose NUS over NTU. Is it true?
I like to know -
Is the quality of teaching in both institutions comparable?
Why does everyone go for NUS?
Do employers really consider which Uni you come from when you apply for jobs (bearing in mind that all other factors are constant)
Hope to hear the views from everyone here.
Thanks. -
SMU also equally good. Dont forget SUTD too
Some courses do not overlap between NUS and NTU…and some seemingly same but actually have subtle differences
FASS is more established in NUS
B Acc is more established in NTU as it was transplanted from NUS though now NUS started B Acc again
MBBS is quite different between LKC and YLL, entrance requirements are different too
NTU does not have architecture. And SUTD’s archi is diff from NUS too
NTU does not have dentistry …
More meaningful to compare the actual degrees on offer between the various institutions rather than just overall name plate ranking of the uni
Do note all these uni do not have allied health care degrees which is actually in great demand going forward. MOHH is spending large sum of money sending students to “not so famous” uni to do the allied health care degrees because they are good at it -
I don’t think most people have a better/worse opinion when comparing whole universities. But the emphasis or electives offered, even in the courses which are offered by more than university, will differ, and the assessment requirements etc may also differ. Some employers may prefer one over the other. At the end of the day, though, it’s the assessment of the applicant by the employer that matters most, rather than whether the degree is from NUS/NTU/SMU etc.
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Which course is your daughter applying for, zbear? I would compare the unis based on the course of interest rather than looking at the overall university ranking.
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Location wise, NUS is much more accessible, especially now that Kent Ridge MRT is up.
I think travelling to and from NTU can take up to 4 hours per day, if the student is not living in the extreme west of Singapore. -
It really depends on the course. If wanna compare must compare in the narrower sense. Biz vs biz, Psych vs Psych etc. Some courses are better at NTU than at NUS. You really have to look quite deep into it.
It also depends on the specialisation and concentrations that one intends to do. This will be dependant on the faculty members of the division. If you want to research on a particular issue but you have no suitable professors that specialise in that area, then you won’t be able to. Fields such as pol science, psych, sociology and philosophy are extremely broad!! So its not possible to compare FASS vs HASS. Neither universities can claim that their entire faculty actually covers ALL sub-fields and are experts in them. So it really boils down even to the particular sub-field you are interested in. I chose NTU specifically because they poached really good, up and coming professors in a sub-field I am interested in. Although NUS does offer modules in this sub-field, their professors are not well-known and their papers are not as well-cited. Also, NTU is a direct major unlike FASS. So it really depends on what you want out of your degree. NTU has much closer student-prof interaction IMO. Undergrads can also start research with their profs with the URECA programme. I feel its well-suited for those academic overachievers who are looking towards a career in academia. But its really up to the individual and what he wants out of his degree. -
One of the reasons students choose NTU over NUS is the attractive scholarship offered to top students.
For NTU, bond free scholarship (Nanyang/College Scholarship) is given more readily to top students e.g. those with UAS 87.5 and above. I know quite a number of 7As/8As students who choose NTU over NUS when everything seems equal (e.g course that they like are offered in both unis) because of the scholarship. Distance is not a problem as students can stay in the hostel, which is also covered by the scholarship.
Employers don’t look at which local uni the students come from. They look at individual’s capability, their academic achievements, how they perform during selection tests and interviews, if they fit into the firm’s culture etc. -
Not true
My son just submitted his application last nite
He prefer SMU though he still apply for NUS -
In recent years, I feel NTU and SMU are more in touch and offering more relevant courses compared to NUS. Because they are “newer” than NUS, they are bolder and more willing to try something new. They have also been more aggressive in getting in top students by offering them scholarships. Scholarships holders are also guaranteed hostel accommodation. NTU looks like its heading towards the right direction. If you look at the IGP, it doesn’t look like NUS-rejects go to NTU.
NUS seems to be taking its own sweet time to take its pick. While it has started offering places to students who can meet the course’s IGP, i haven’t hear of them offering places to students with 90 UAS yet.
NUS double degrees takes 4.5-5 years to finish. I thought that was a bit too long. Whereas SMU and NTU are able to offer these in 4 years. -
doodley:
In recent years, I feel NTU and SMU are more in touch and offering more relevant courses compared to NUS. Because they are \"newer\" than NUS, they are bolder and more willing to try something new. They have also been more aggressive in getting in top students by offering them scholarships. Scholarships holders are also guaranteed hostel accommodation. NTU looks like its heading towards the right direction. If you look at the IGP, it doesn't look like NUS-rejects go to NTU.
NUS seems to be taking its own sweet time to take its pick. While it has started offering places to students who can meet the course's IGP, i haven't hear of them offering places to students with 90 UAS yet.
NUS double degrees takes 4.5-5 years to finish. I thought that was a bit too long. Whereas SMU and NTU are able to offer these in 4 years.
Is it true that NUS is more stringent in their scholarship offers?