NUS High School of Mathematics and Science (Diploma)
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happymum8:
Yes, it's an MOE policy. Doesn't matter which school you're in.
All students take mother tongue like the rest of the school though the emphasis is on maths and science.blur-daddy:
Hi parents,
My DS1 is interested in maths and science but totally petrified of mother tongue.
From what I read, I know the focus will be on Maths and Science. I understand that NUSH issued diploma by end of 6 yr. Can share how's mother tongue like in this school? Does kids stop taking mother tongue after yr 4, or must continue till yr 6? Is mother tongue tested at O level or AO level?
DS took HCL and after getting an A1 for HCL taken at Year 4, she does not need to take chinese lesson anymore. This should be the same throughout most schools in Singapore. -
Hi joth and happymum8,
thanks for your clarification. Ok, I got the picture.
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you’re welcome blur daddy.
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Hi Mummies and Daddies out there,
A friend and I were chatting about NUSH DSA for her GEP kid. I know that NUS High focus on Maths and Science, and it is most useful for those who wants to go into research work in the Maths and Science area. Need to clarify the following:
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma?
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.). Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks -
blur-daddy:
You are welcome!Hi joth and happymum8,
thanks for your clarification. Ok, I got the picture. -
Pen88n:
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma? ==> Yes they can do so. A number of the graduates already in Medicine.Hi Mummies and Daddies out there,
A friend and I were chatting about NUSH DSA for her GEP kid. I know that NUS High focus on Maths and Science, and it is most useful for those who wants to go into research work in the Maths and Science area. Need to clarify the following:
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma?
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.). Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.) ==> A few doing law, liberal arts at top uni overseas.
- Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results? ==> Do not think so. In fact Nus High students given very positive comments as they are very focus in the course of their studies. -
happymum8:
Thanks so much, HappyMum8. Appreciate your help in clarifying.
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma? ==> Yes they can do so. A number of the graduates already in Medicine.Pen88n:
Hi Mummies and Daddies out there,
A friend and I were chatting about NUSH DSA for her GEP kid. I know that NUS High focus on Maths and Science, and it is most useful for those who wants to go into research work in the Maths and Science area. Need to clarify the following:
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma?
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.). Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.) ==> A few doing law, liberal arts at top uni overseas.
- Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results? ==> Do not think so. In fact Nus High students given very positive comments as they are very focus in the course of their studies. -
Hi Pen88n, you are welcome!
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NUSHS
INTRO
The National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science is a specialized independent high school in Singapore offering a six-year Integrated Programme (IP) leading to the NUS High School Diploma, which is recognized by the National University of Singapore (NUS) (its parent institution), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and top overseas universities like the Ivy League, Oxbridge, and others.
The school offers an accelerated mathematics and science curriculum integrated with language, humanities, arts, sports, co-curricular activities, in a modular system.
Academic curriculum
Though NUS High School is an Integrated Programme school, which means students bypass the O-levels, it does not offer A-level or International Baccalaureate programmes, unlike other Integrated Programme schools in Singapore. Instead, it offers an NUS High School Diploma, which is recognized by all universities in Singapore, as well as top universities worldwide; its academic rigour is comparable to the above-mentioned qualifications. Graduating students are not limited to attending the parent university, the National University of Singapore; many of the school's alumni choose to attend university in the US, UK and Australia, with a small minority in non-English-speaking countries such as Japan and Switzerland.
The diploma's curriculum is built on a 2-2-2 structure, with the first two years being the Foundation Stage, the second two the Advancement Stage, and the final two the Specialization Stage. Studies are based on a modular system similar to NUS, where core modules are compulsory, elective modules help deepen the student's knowledge and may be compulsory for a major in a particular subject, and enrichment modules are purely for the student's interests. The school uses the cumulative average point (CAP) system; a 5-point system similar to the US grade point average.
Most notably, the school's mathematics and science curriculum is accelerated. Topics are usually covered earlier than normal; for example, the mole concept is introduced in Year 1 rather than in Year 3, kinematics in Year 3 instead of Year 5, and molecular biology and genetics in Year 4 instead of Year 6. Examples of accelerated curriculum on mathematics include sections on solutions of equations in Year 1 rather than in Year 3, three-dimensional vectors and matrices in Years 3 and 4 instead of Year 5.
The school also offers honours courses in the Advancement Stage for mathematical and scientific disciplines, to further stretch the abilities of able students beyond the already-accelerated curriculum. The curriculum in these honours courses usually covers university material, such as linear algebra in mathematics, calculus-based electromagnetism in physics, van Deemter's equation for column chromatography in chemistry, and proteomics in biology.
Students are also exposed to humanities and the arts, where the flexible modular system allows for a sampling across this discipline. Mother tongue is compulsory in the school, and complies with the Ministry of Education's guidelines and curriculum, and the English curriculum teaches students practical skills such as reading, writing, and public speaking effectively.
To graduate with the NUS High School diploma, students must take English, Mathematics and at least two science subjects at the major (basic) level in the Advancement Stage. Students may also choose to take a fourth subject from any subject group (languages, mathematics/sciences, humanities & the arts), and take any math/science subject at the honours level. In addition, students must complete an Advanced Research Project under the school's Da Vinci Research Programme. Finally, students must have a CAP above 2.5 (C+). Students are also encouraged to take Advanced Placement and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) examinations in their senior years for credits for admission into foreign universities, though these are not necessary for graduation.
For its most able students, curriculum acceleration in mathematics and science is permitted, where students may skip a module of their level and take up a higher level module instead. Older students also read NUS modules from certain faculties if they have the foundation knowledge, allowing these students exemption from these modules if they enter NUS in the future, or course credit at overseas universities.
Non-academic curriculum
Like other secondary institutions in Singapore, students also take up a co-curricular activity (CCA). CCAs include performing arts, uniform groups, sports and games, and clubs and societies. The school also places every student in one of four houses named after an outstanding person in the fields of mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry: Fibonacci, Faraday, Fleming and Nobel. An affective and character education programme also seeks to develop the character of students and instill moral values, while a physical education programme maintains fitness in the student population and prepares them for the yearly NAPFA, Singapore's compulsory fitness tests.
Da Vinci Research Programme
The school also emphasizes research, represented in the Da Vinci Research Programme, which all students are required to go through. The programme is planned and managed by the Office of Research, Innovation and Enterprise.
In Years 1 and 2, students participate in activities that stimulate creative thinking.
In Years 3 and 4, students take part in Independent Research Studies, which are structured to give students flexibility in conducting research. Students are required to complete a Research Methodology module and are encouraged to work on a research project under the guidance of a teacher-mentor. Outstanding students may be offered the chance to participate in prestigious external research programmes such as the Science Mentorship Programme (NUS), Nanyang Research Programme (NTU/NIE), Young Defence Scientists' Programme (DSTA), National Weather Study Project, Moot Parliament Programme and the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Programme (NUS).
In Years 5 and 6, students must embark on an Advanced Research Project in an area of math and science. This research project is the culmination of the entire Da Vinci programme and is a graduation requirement. Typically, a graduation research project will take nine to eighteen months to complete, depending on the research topic, and it usually comprises at least two weeks of full-time research. Research projects are generally mentored by professors, researchers and other full-time academics at leading research institutions, universities or polytechnics, though a small number are mentored by school teachers with advanced degrees in their field of expertise. All students showcase their research at the school's annual Research Congress held in March, where they receive grades of Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.
Older students are usually encouraged to present their projects outside school. This can range from local presentations such as the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair and the Singapore International Science Conference, to international research congresses in countries all over the world. A small number of students have also published papers in renowned scientific journals.
Boarding Programme
Students are required to live in the boarding school for their duration of their Year 5 academic study if they are not already living there, to promote independence. Since the bulk of graduation research is done in Year 5, living in the boarding school also cuts travelling time and costs, as students spend long hours in science laboratories. This scheme also increases accessibility for students taking modules at the National University of Singapore in the year. NUS High School Residence (Boarding School) boarding fees are subsidized for NUS High School Year 5 students by the Ministry of Education.
From Wikipedia -
Pen88n:
From ex NUSHS student:Hi Mummies and Daddies out there,
A friend and I were chatting about NUSH DSA for her GEP kid. I know that NUS High focus on Maths and Science, and it is most useful for those who wants to go into research work in the Maths and Science area. Need to clarify the following:
- What about for kids who wants to go into Medicine / Dentistry? Will they be able to do so with the NUS High Diploma?
- For kids who want to go into more language-based faculty (eg. business admin, law, arts, etc.). Will they be at a disadvantage with the NUS High Diploma vs A Level results?
Appreciate any advice. Thanks
1. Yes - plenty apply, perhaps even more than the numbers who apply for research-related scholarships. The cutoff for medicine/dentistry this year is roughly 4.0 - 4.1, which means that about half the cohort qualifies for shortlisting - comparable to top JCs. This year about 20+ people (out of 173) are shortlisted for medicine and a smaller number (~10) for dentistry. The school doesn't have a fantastic record of medicine admittances though - for the first batch there were 4 and the second batch there were 3. For dentistry the second batch had 1.
2. Not really if the student has an inclination towards that subject already. The cutoff for business is around 4.0 though (at least for NUS) which is quite high.
3. One thing to note about NUSHS Diploma is that it takes into account all your grades from Y3 - Y6 (Y1 - Y6 for the first few batches). This means that if you slack off initially, no matter how hard you work in your later years you will fail to meet the cutoff for competitive courses. So do be warned.
4. Separate note: from this year's admission statistics, to make a competitive application to Oxbridge/Ivy League level schools, a CAP of about 4.5 and above is needed. Which is abit high considering that most people who get above 4.0 can probably get 4 As in a JC. But that's the cost of the school's diploma not being that well known overseas I suppose.
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