2023 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2011)

[Chin99]

Hi, I am curious, for those schools at AL7-8 with affiliation for express & IP, any idea how many spots available for IP & Express I wonder. Would all the spots be filled up by the \"first round\" ie the \"first choice\"?


I am asking because those with AL8 is going to be high risk for ballot , subsequently the second choice should already moved to an AL9 or AL10 school to be safe .

Also thinking that maybe let the child relax a bit and just go for those non affiliation schools and with lower AL . As he seems to be struggling at this point at AL10 due to highly inconsistent attitude. :frustrated:

[zac's mum]

Chin99\" post_id=\"2108822\" time=\"1684288969\" user_id=\"120803:

Hi, I am curious, for those schools at AL7-8 with affiliation for express & IP, any idea how many spots available for IP & Express I wonder. Would all the spots be filled up by the \"first round\" ie the \"first choice\"?

I am asking because those with AL8 is going to be high risk for ballot , subsequently the second choice should already moved to an AL9 or AL10 school to be safe .

Also thinking that maybe let the child relax a bit and just go for those non affiliation schools and with lower AL . As he seems to be struggling at this point at AL10 due to highly inconsistent attitude. :frustrated:

Popular choice order for boys:
1. ACSI IP track (AL7)
2. ACSI OP track (AL8) or SJI IP track (AL8) - see whether u prefer the school more or prefer the track more
3. SJI OP track (AL10)

Child’s actual PSLE result will determine your final range of choices. No point fretting over it now, just study hard.

[manorway]

If a girl scored AL8, and the family cannot decide if IP or Express is better… should they choose


SCGS IP or SCGS Express or MGS Express?

But since all 3 ballot at AL8, if putting them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice will waste the chances, right?

Any thoughts?

I agree with Zac’s mum no need to fret now and just study very hard. But the parents are also wondering if they should spend more $$ now for the final dash of classes or just accept Express at less competitive schools. Then no need to spend $$.

[zac's mum]

manorway\" post_id=\"2108894\" time=\"1684335125\" user_id=\"9303:

If a girl scored AL8, and the family cannot decide if IP or Express is better... should they choose

SCGS IP or SCGS Express or MGS Express?

But since all 3 ballot at AL8, if putting them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice will waste the chances, right?

Any thoughts?

I agree with Zac's mum no need to fret now and just study very hard. But the parents are also wondering if they should spend more $$ now for the final dash of classes or just accept Express at less competitive schools. Then no need to spend $$.

My opinion only…
- if they like Eunoia JC, pick SCGS IP
- if they like Christian school, pick MGS Express
- if they dont like Christian school, pick SCGS Express
Note that the latter 2 will have many affiliated girls. Child must be able to socialize well in order to assimilate into the cliques.

Also my personal opinion…
AL8 is right at the borderline of IP track. Spend the money, push a bit now for IP (whichever school), u buy the freedom of not having to stress over another national exam in 4 years’ time.

Take it from a parent whose kid is in O level track now. It is never fun to have to stress over earning CCA bonus points. And whether child can do well in Math/Science/Humanities. IP has more room for the child to learn at own pace, falter here & there is fine along the 6 years.

[00skyblue00]

manorway\" post_id=\"2108894\" time=\"1684335125\" user_id=\"9303:

If a girl scored AL8, and the family cannot decide if IP or Express is better... should they choose

SCGS IP or SCGS Express or MGS Express?

But since all 3 ballot at AL8, if putting them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice will waste the chances, right?

Any thoughts?

I agree with Zac's mum no need to fret now and just study very hard. But the parents are also wondering if they should spend more $$ now for the final dash of classes or just accept Express at less competitive schools. Then no need to spend $$.

Is your child taking HCL?
PM you.

[Chin99]

manorway\" post_id=\"2108894\" time=\"1684335125\" user_id=\"9303:

If a girl scored AL8, and the family cannot decide if IP or Express is better... should they choose

SCGS IP or SCGS Express or MGS Express?

But since all 3 ballot at AL8, if putting them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice will waste the chances, right?

Any thoughts?

I agree with Zac's mum no need to fret now and just study very hard. But the parents are also wondering if they should spend more $$ now for the final dash of classes or just accept Express at less competitive schools. Then no need to spend $$.

Agreed that it is about the $$ and spending that $$ money with the hope that it will help. Also trying to save that $$ if it a wasted effort. I have spent $$ with no result before so very wary of the that.
AL8 is really an unknown as I don't know how many places were given to the AL8. For example if an affiliated school has only 30-50 places ( I am guessing ?) we will never know if the first round was given to the safe ones at AL7 and the AL8s were going to ballot. That means that the second choice might also be full? at those affiliated AL7-8 schools.

Does anyone from earlier batch can share if they got the second round at AL8 when choice as Manorways?

\"But since all 3 ballot at AL8, if putting them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice \"?

[zac's mum]

An AL8 total where all 4 subjects are AL2 each, may be harder to see a big improvement.


Whereas an AL8 total where 3xAL1 + eg. MT of AL5, can work on 1-2AL worth of improvement in the weakest subject between now and PSLE.

[manorway]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2108906\" time=\"1684375915\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2108906 time=1684375915 user_id=53606]
An AL8 total where all 4 subjects are AL2 each, may be harder to see a big improvement.

Whereas an AL8 total where 3xAL1 + eg. MT of AL5, can work on 1-2AL worth of improvement in the weakest subject between now and PSLE.[/quote]

I believe it is more like AL8 where all 4 subjects are about the same. But 1 or 2 subjects can also move to AL1 (especially for English) and AL3 (careless mistakes for Math or Science) though the child and parents think more likely AL8 at best.

Zac's mum, I read you shared your child improved 3AL between prelim and PSLE. Would you please share what you think contributed to this improvement in the short time?

[manorway]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2108901\" time=\"1684362111\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2108901 time=1684362111 user_id=53606]
My opinion only…
- if they like Eunoia JC, pick SCGS IP
- if they like Christian school, pick MGS Express
- if they dont like Christian school, pick SCGS Express
Note that the latter 2 will have many affiliated girls. Child must be able to socialize well in order to assimilate into the cliques.

Also my personal opinion…
AL8 is right at the borderline of IP track. Spend the money, push a bit now for IP (whichever school), u buy the freedom of not having to stress over another national exam in 4 years’ time.

Take it from a parent whose kid is in O level track now. It is never fun to have to stress over earning CCA bonus points. And whether child can do well in Math/Science/Humanities. IP has more room for the child to learn at own pace, falter here & there is fine along the 6 years.[/quote]

Thanks for sharing! No preference whether Christian school or not. They don't know anything about Eunoia, so cannot consider the JC part yet.

It is more like whether to ballot for the SCGS IP if one scores AL8 or don't even waste the chance and just ballot for the SCGS Express or MGS Express as first choice.

Not sure if spending money on tuition now is adding more stress for kid too and may backfire.

[zac's mum]

manorway\" post_id=\"2108907\" time=\"1684376605\" user_id=\"9303:

I believe it is more like AL8 where all 4 subjects are about the same. But 1 or 2 subjects can also move to AL1 (especially for English) and AL3 (careless mistakes for Math or Science) though the child and parents think more likely AL8 at best.

Zac's mum, I read you shared your child improved 3AL between prelim and PSLE. Would you please share what you think contributed to this improvement in the short time?

From Prelim:
English AL4
Science AL5
Math AL5
Chinese AL5
Total AL19

To PSLE:
English AL2
Science AL4
Math AL5
Chinese AL5
Total AL16

Not to say that we didn’t try hard to improve for all subjects (we did). But only saw improvement for Science and English. For Science, I think it was the 2 crash courses that helped (on top of the regular weekly Science tuition). For English (no tuition), I think it was our strategizing on the Compo section. All along school teachers never gave him high marks for Compo, but I taught him to memorize a few versatile compos that he could tweak to fit any topic. It worked out in the end.

Of course watch to see the child’s stress level. They must be willing to attend any crash course otherwise the money is wasted before even step into lesson. Parent needs to have a heart to heart talk about why aiming for a certain goal. If child is not keen on final sprint now, then no point to force.