DSA 2011

[OrangeJuice]

Hi, I am new to this forum, pardon me if I am repeating this topic that I wish to raise…


My DD wants to try for DSA at RGS via academic. She is strong in both English 92% in P5 SA2 and Science 90% in P5 SA2. How do I help her decide which subject to use in her DSA application ?

Note, though she does well in these subjects at school, she didnt win any awards or competition other than the fact that she scored distinctions in her Global UNSW exams in P5 - she is in top 2% for English, top 5% for Science and top 1% (High Distinction) for Mathematics. She was also in the top 10% in her cohort in P5.

If anyone could give me some advice, I’d be very grateful. Thanks !

[verykiasu2010]

OrangeJuice:

Hi, I am new to this forum, pardon me if I am repeating this topic that I wish to raise....


My DD wants to try for DSA at RGS via academic. She is strong in both English 92% in P5 SA2 and Science 90% in P5 SA2. How do I help her decide which subject to use in her DSA application ?

Note, though she does well in these subjects at school, she didnt win any awards or competition other than the fact that she scored distinctions in her Global UNSW exams in P5 - she is in top 2% for English, top 5% for Science and top 1% (High Distinction) for Mathematics. She was also in the top 10% in her cohort in P5.

If anyone could give me some advice, I'd be very grateful. Thanks !

you need very good result starting from P4. if you are from GEP with the set of result, quite high chance, else it is tough, if RI is any guide.

Funny thing is my DS's classmate got DSA-ed into RGS though result was in the lower half of the class throughout P4 - P6 but did well enough in PSLE. She must have done well at the GAT and the subject selection test, plus a good debater

there are lots of people with distinction in UNSW tests

[iWantTogoRI]

verykiasu2010:

iWantTogoRI:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]
it depends on your DSA application is on which domain ? math / science / eng / mother tongue, accordingly

your selection test is based on your domain applied

it is different from other schools' selection test which is not so specialised.

as the name implies, it is selection test for TALENT in the subject area. the questions are out-of-this-world type. they are not testing how good you are with math / science in P6 / Sec 1.....they are looking way beyond that

If I apply under the maths or chinese domain
What will I do at the selection test

if you apply under math, your selection test will be doing math

if chinese, then your test will be under chinese

you can apply under any ONE domain only

don't be mistaken that a less popular subject domain will be easier to get in. RI's test is to look for talent, NOT to fill a vacancy.

this is not to discourage you. just sharing with you the truth of RI DSA....as my son puts it, the truth is grim, be prepared[/quote]
So any ways to prepare for it if I apply under maths domain?

[verykiasu2010]

iWantTogoRI:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"iWantTogoRI\"]

If I apply under the maths or chinese domain
What will I do at the selection test

if you apply under math, your selection test will be doing math

if chinese, then your test will be under chinese

you can apply under any ONE domain only

don't be mistaken that a less popular subject domain will be easier to get in. RI's test is to look for talent, NOT to fill a vacancy.

this is not to discourage you. just sharing with you the truth of RI DSA....as my son puts it, the truth is grim, be prepared

So any ways to prepare for it if I apply under maths domain?[/quote]to put it simply, the questions are much tougher than the RI / HCI / PLK math olympiad final round questions

[iWantTogoRI]

verykiasu2010:

iWantTogoRI:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]
if you apply under math, your selection test will be doing math

if chinese, then your test will be under chinese

you can apply under any ONE domain only

don't be mistaken that a less popular subject domain will be easier to get in. RI's test is to look for talent, NOT to fill a vacancy.

this is not to discourage you. just sharing with you the truth of RI DSA....as my son puts it, the truth is grim, be prepared

So any ways to prepare for it if I apply under maths domain?

to put it simply, the questions are much tougher than the RI / HCI / PLK math olympiad final round questions[/quote]If it is so, how do the non gep pupils succeed if it is that difficult?

[Zann]

What is PLK Math?


How helpful is wining a medal in NSW (ICAS) in RI DSA?

It seems that if you just want RI then it is better not to apply dsa to another school and take it up as back up and later have to resort to going thru supplementary phase even when t-score meet the cut-off, chance is not guaranteed by then…

[naggo-nitemare]

PLK is an annual international math competition held in hong kong for primary school level pupils.


RI’s world primary math contest leads to the selection of the 4 participants to represent s’pore in this plk contest. RI will hold 2 rounds. Top 50 will be selected from round 1 then the top 4 from round 2.

Last year’s team included my DS. On the 4day trip in hk, the 4 had a great time at the contest n were given tours plus disneyland visit. The hotel was nice too. before the trip, RI gave a few free math coaching sessions. Their team did pretty well. DS n the other boys come from 3 different schs but bonded well. Through the experience, DS liked ri even more as the couple of teachers who took care of him left a gd impression on him.

Hwa chOng too will send a team. DS chose to go nwith ri as the selection process seemed more organized.

[Tinkerbelle]

naggo-nitemare:

PLK is an annual international math competition held in hong kong for primary school level pupils.


RI's world primary math contest leads to the selection of the 4 participants to represent s'pore in this plk contest. RI will hold 2 rounds. Top 50 will be selected from round 1 then the top 4 from round 2.

Last year's team included my DS. On the 4day trip in hk, the 4 had a great time at the contest n were given tours plus disneyland visit. The hotel was nice too. before the trip, RI gave a few free math coaching sessions. Their team did pretty well. DS n the other boys come from 3 different schs but bonded well. Through the experience, DS liked ri even more as the couple of teachers who took care of him left a gd impression on him.

Hwa chOng too will send a team. DS chose to go nwith ri as the selection process seemed more organized.

Thanks for sharing....Your DS is impressive!!! Is he in P6 this year?

[Zann]

naggo-nitemare:

PLK is an annual international math competition held in hong kong for primary school level pupils.


RI's world primary math contest leads to the selection of the 4 participants to represent s'pore in this plk contest. RI will hold 2 rounds. Top 50 will be selected from round 1 then the top 4 from round 2.

Last year's team included my DS. On the 4day trip in hk, the 4 had a great time at the contest n were given tours plus disneyland visit. The hotel was nice too. before the trip, RI gave a few free math coaching sessions. Their team did pretty well. DS n the other boys come from 3 different schs but bonded well. Through the experience, DS liked ri even more as the couple of teachers who took care of him left a gd impression on him.

Hwa chOng too will send a team. DS chose to go nwith ri as the selection process seemed more organized.

Wow! your ds must be very good in Maths. Any tips to prepare for RI Maths comp ? Is the online course helpful?

[naggo-nitemare]

My DS was somewhat a late entrant to the Olympiad scene. When in gep P4, he was given a chance in his pri sch to take up math Olympiad enrichment course. As he felt tt he could better learn math on his own without paying for such a course, he did not attend it as he was confident that he would be selected to be part of the advanced math club in p6. So from p4 to p5, he was largely self taught. His passion is math so he loved doing the math olympiad bks tt popular bookstore sells. In p6, as a member of the advanced math club, he had to pay a small amount of money for a few lessons conducted by an external teacher. these lessons prepared him well for apmops n ri’s round 1. His sch teacher prepared him for round 2. And yes, the hey math practice helps too. He loved doing them. Then for plk, ri prepared him with a few lessons.