Provisional offer to uni scholarship
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Ya, there are many factors when choosing a Uni. Like hostel experiences, Uni reputation, distance, feedback from seniors…. After all, the kids put in efforts to get to where they are so their views matter. If got scholarship can take, the money your DD saved over 3-4 years, she can have savings to invest (down payment for EC, prime BTO, a new car…)
https://blog.seedly.sg/graduate-starting-salary-nus-ntu-smu-sutd-sit/
Not sure which uni course you are referring to but I shall use an example, say Accountancy.
If we look at the MEDIAN starting pay of NUS, NTU and SMU Accountancy graduates with Honors:
NUS Accountancy $3,600
NUS Accountancy (Hons) $4,200
Employment rate 96.5%NTU Accountancy (Hons) $3,600
Employment rate 96.6%SMU Accountancy $3,900
SMU Accountancy (Cum Laude and above) $4,500
Employment rate 96%If your DD is looking to take Biz, Accountancy, Econs, SMU could be a good choice. The employment rate for new Acct graduates is the same, with or without Hons. SMU’s median starting salary is the highest, which means employers are willing to pay more to hire SMU graduates. I will also seriously consider NTU because out of the 3, it is the only one that allows one to complete Accountancy with direct honors within 3yrs. But if you are looking for world ranking, then of cos NUS.
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If finances are not an issue, I would say these are the strengths of NUS that attract me:
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strong international reputation for graduate school application
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unrivalled scope to do second majors and minors as compared to other local universities. I would love to do a second major or minor in music or theatre if I am an NUS student now…
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amazing opportunities for learning such as the residential college programmes, NUS Overseas Colleges programme for entrepreneurship and innovation etc. it’s not relevant for kids who aren’t interested in such pursuits
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Thanks for all inputs.
Considering doing business, accountancy or Econs course so the brandname of NUS in these areas I think not so strong leh and I am leaning towards whichever sponsors the degree bond-free (how different can the 3 uni be to give up an almost 6-figure scholarship). Already got a daughter in SMU but have to agree the pedagogy may work well for some child but not others. -
SMU : Business, Econs, Accountancy
NUS : Law and Medicine
NTU : EngineeringDifferent universities different strengths.
I am pleasantly surprised to learn that for friend’s son in SUTD, his exchange program went to Stanford. Another friend’s daughter graduated from SIT Accountancy, first job landed in Big Four. All the 6 local universities are good and highly recognised, even for the newly established ones. Our universities have come a long way.
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It’s a larger and more variegated landscape for tertiary education in Singapore now. Different unis have different pedagogies and approaches. Singaporeans benefit with more choices on hand.
SMU has an amazing appeal among the youngsters - my two kids are very drawn to SMU. Their marketing is highly effective lol
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@doodbug said in Provisional offer to uni scholarship:
It’s a larger and more variegated landscape for tertiary education in Singapore now. Different unis have different pedagogies and approaches. Singaporeans benefit with more choices on hand.
SMU has an amazing appeal among the youngsters - my two kids are very drawn to SMU. Their marketing is highly effective lol
For students who have the choice, it’s good for both parents and student to consider learning styles, likes and dislikes etc. Of course, if there is only 1 offer, just grab it.
My daughter compared NUS and SMU, and eventually decided that if she were going to apply for a local university, she would choose NUS. She felt that she preferred the atmosphere and assessment style of NUS over SMU. Similarly, she compared UK with US, and preferred UK to US as well. Not that everyone will make the same choices, but it’s good for the student, especially, to think through and know which will suit her better.
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@lee_yl my impression is SMU’s law school is very good too. And NTU’s med school is very good too.
But that is probably off topic lol
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Yes yes, SMU law very good, NTU med also very good.
Based on the employment survey link I attached earlier, for SMU law and NUS Law fresh graduates, their median salaries are exactly the same at $7000, which means in the eyes of the employers, both are of equal standing.
Last year DD1 took part in the Uni admission exercise, so I actively asked around to solicit different opinions of the universities. Most of them commented that NUS fresh grads are more theoretical.
As for NTU vs NUS med, I am not that familiar but I think their teaching pedagogies and approaches are different. Sometimes we keep going back to the same GP is because of the empathy the GP offers not because GP was from xx uni?
As to why I think NUS law and med are more popular, could be due to their long standing history, reputation and stronger alumni network. Just my personal opinion and I could well be mistaken in my views.
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@lee_yl i am not surprised at the perception that nus grads are more theoretical. it’s the same between JC and poly grads - the A levels are a more theoretical education than a poly education. it’s also true that other universities probably have more emphasis on applied degree programmes than NUS.
it also boils down to what one wants out of a university education. i see it as a final opportunity to reach one’s academic peak and intellectual engagement with a discipline. Theoretical foundations may not be immediately relevant to a job role, but the foundations and honing of critical thinking, literacy and analytical skills (depending on what one reads) are valuable for lifelong learning. Some kids prefer to engage in more vocational and applied training for specific job roles in their university years - others are happy to continue on theoretical studies for a longer period (that’s why there are still students who would opt for Physics, or English degrees).
As for the graduate employment survey, it is a good indicator of starting salaries in the Singapore context. What’s probably more interesting are data points we don’t currently have - career trajectories etc.
Speaking of which, the NUS IGPs look very scary compared to the other AUs. I would imagine the profile of students of each uni can be quite different as well. So if one is in a position to choose between universities, there are various factors to consider. For those of us who might only have one offer, then just grab it! It’s a subsidized university education! There are no deadend pathways these days
Make the best of it! -
In my view, career trajectories are subject to too many variables such as the macro economic situation, one’s luck and choices or even parental connections, which do not provide a good reflection of the universities’ capacity to teach and prepare its students for the real world.
Indeed, the IGPs looks scary for NUS as compared to other AUs, but at the end of 3-4yrs, the median salary for Accountancy graduates for NUS, NTU, SMU and SIT are similar. Unless NUS Acct graduates can command a much higher premium otherwise it would not be worth the while. Similar comparison could be applied to other faculties, including Law.
Employers likely have employed graduates from all the 6 local unis before so they should know what are the fresh graduates worth.
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