DSA 2011

[Tinkerbelle]

Brenda10:

Hi,


Sorry for the late update as we were busy during the last few days.

DD recd an unsuccessful letter from DHS last week!

Have jokingly told her that perhaps there are too many 舞林高手 lah！ :evil:

Therefore she is still a 自由身 that can sign her contract with different tier of school base on her PSLE result!

BTW, we found the DSA process is a great experience and DD had learnt and experience how competitive that she will be facing when she move to Secondary school.

Hi Brenda,
Sorry to hear about it. Don't be too disheartened....Your DD has given her best shot and had a great learning experience. Encourage her not to give up...focus on her PSLE and I'm positive she'll get into her dream sch. Jia you! :ugogirl:

[matadorepy]

Strparent:

tisha:

I also agree that the DSA experience was a great one. The NJC camp and interview was a good exposure for DS.

Even though I've joined the bandwagon of waiting for this NJC letter, I do not have high hopes.
We went thru this DSA with an open mind. Being from main stream I was well aware that the chances are not high. Nevertheless need to give our kids the oppotunities they deserve(so as not to regret later).

Hi Tisha,

actually I feel that the NJC program for DSA is the most comprehensive and FAIR of all the IP schools. They do not give priority to GEP students at all, unlike RI, RGS and HCI, who prefers the GEPpers with above 80%, and even DHS who offer firm spots to GEPpers with 75%.

in fact, they always wait till late to decide the COs, so that those who already got COs from other schs who either drop out of the NJC one or would not be so interested anymore, which they can see during the delayed interview and camp. And the written tests were all more comprehensive and detailed too.

My DS's classmates last yr had COs from NUSH, RI and HCI, but his parents want him to go NJC ( for certain reasons ), but he did not get CO at the end, I suspect he said too much about his other COs during his interview, hahaha.

And I like the boarding school program, which is great for young teens who had been very dependent at home , with the overly protective mums and maids.

So, not true about mainstream getting lesser chance, in fact I suspect it's the other way round, because most GEPpers prefer the more prestigious schools and NJC knows that.

Good luck to all waiting for NJC DSA. :xedfingers:

I beg to differ from your view about NJC awarding CO to GEPers.

From my DD and her GEPers frens' experience last year, most of the GEPers who applied NJC actually got the CO even though the interviewers know that most GEPers may get more than 1 or more CO or WLs from other IP school. A case of my DD classmate who actually got both RGS and NJC COs but chose to go NJC instead. Like it or not, those GEPers who make it thru the Hast test, NJC Camp and the final interview round will somehow still have an edge over mainstreamers. NJC will also want a fair share of the cream even though they might not be the preferred destination of the most GEpers.

[Tinkerbelle]

phankao:

My ds also received unsuccessful letter from DHS. But oh well, actually he didn't really want to go there at all. Then he blamed me that I *encouraged* him to apply for that school. At least he has CO from the school he wants to go to. Just hope he does well for PSLE. 23 days MORE to go!!!!!!

Hi phankao,
Sorry to hear about your DS's DHS outcome. All is not lost...He has a CO from his dream sch, CH and he'll be happy there. All the best to him for his PSLE. :rahrah:

[Brenda10]

Tinkerbelle:

Hi Brenda,

Sorry to hear about it. Don't be too disheartened....Your DD has given her best shot and had a great learning experience. Encourage her not to give up...focus on her PSLE and I'm positive she'll get into her dream sch. Jia you! :ugogirl:

Hi Tinkerbelle,

Thank your for your encouragement and good wishes!

DD is ok and plan to go her classmate house for game after Wednesday class! :evil:

[Tinkerbelle]

Brenda10:

Tinkerbelle:

Hi Brenda,

Sorry to hear about it. Don't be too disheartened....Your DD has given her best shot and had a great learning experience. Encourage her not to give up...focus on her PSLE and I'm positive she'll get into her dream sch. Jia you! :ugogirl:

Hi Tinkerbelle,

Thank your for your encouragement and good wishes!

DD is ok and plan to go her classmate house for game after Wednesday class! :evil:

Hi Brenda,
Great to hear that your DD is coping well.....That's the spirit! :rahrah:
She's lucky to have a supportive mummy like yourself.
Wishing your DD all the best in her PSLE.

[comfy]

jtoh:

comfy:

I will like to ask a question. If a child(GEP) is offered CO, can she opt out of SBGE prog, mean join the rest of the mainstream in the IP prog.

The SBGE programme in some schools is conducted across the entire student population. So everyone is in SBGE, regardless of whether they're in the GEP classes or mainstream classes. So you can't opt out of the SBGE programme. If you're asking if you can ask not to be in the GEP classes, I suppose you could, although I don't know of anyone who has.

The reason why I ask is I wonder where they are grouped as. Will they be put in a GEP prog. like in Pri school. or some specialised group that the expectation is higher that other classes from mainstream. I simply will not want to have to stress myself and will like my dd to develop at her own pace not super pace like now. I also don't want to send her for tuition hence thought of finding out more this time round. I read from another mother who didn't know that her dd is still monitor as a GEP in IP school and the expectation like exam result is marked higher that other students.

[Tinkerbelle]

Interested:

Can understand how Blur dad feeling and thanks Daddydaddy for writing how I feel. My DS is in the same or even worst situation then Blur Dad, ds got less then 75% and got rejected by all 3 sch, not even CO/WL. I understand this year (or maybe I'm not aware of prev yrs) <80% got CO the rest got WL or Rej. If this is the case why told us in the beginning that 70% is safe in GEP ?? If less then 75% mark geppers got rej then this year Geppers without CO is more the 20% rite ?? Not all applied for more then 3 sch and if got rejected mean they fall inside the no CO group. I really confuse now, if <70% but less the 75% got no CO then it should be more the 20% w/o any sch thru DSA rite ?? I'm really confuse now....

Hi Interested,
Sorry to hear about your DS's rejection. Don't lose hope....focus on PSLE now and I'm sure your DS will get into his dream sch eventually.
All the best to your DS! :rahrah:

[ngbrdad]

matadorepy:

I beg to differ from your view about NJC awarding CO to GEPers.

From my DD and her GEPers frens' experience last year, most of the GEPers who applied NJC actually got the CO even though the interviewers know that most GEPers may get more than 1 or more CO or WLs from other IP school. A case of my DD classmate who actually got both RGS and NJC COs but chose to go NJC instead. Like it or not, those GEPers who make it thru the Hast test, NJC Camp and the final interview round will somehow still have an edge over mainstreamers. NJC will also want a fair share of the cream even though they might not be the preferred destination of the most GEpers.

Actually NJC never ask in the online form whether the kid is from GEP or not.
They can only know if it's indicated in the P5/P6 results submitted.
Some school like my DS's did not indicated their GEP status in the P6 results for SA1.

So NJC may not even know that the kid is from GEP.

[Strparent]

matadorepy:

I beg to differ from your view about NJC awarding CO to GEPers.

From my DD and her GEPers frens' experience last year, most of the GEPers who applied NJC actually got the CO even though the interviewers know that most GEPers may get more than 1 or more CO or WLs from other IP school. A case of my DD classmate who actually got both RGS and NJC COs but chose to go NJC instead. Like it or not, those GEPers who make it thru the Hast test, NJC Camp and the final interview round will somehow still have an edge over mainstreamers. NJC will also want a fair share of the cream even though they might not be the preferred destination of the most GEpers.

Hi Matadorepy,

I am not saying NJC do not want GEPpers, of course. It's just that their process schedule allows for those who ARE no longer interested in NJC after getting COs from elsewhere, to drop their pursuit of DSA into NJC. Therefore, they have a better idea on who will come and who will not, if given COs. But I do feel the mainstream students have more or less an equal chance at NJC DSA rather than say, HCI or RI/RGS.

My DS also had CO from NJC last year, also GEPper, and I know him. He is very friendly , sociable so he normally do very well in interviews, but not focused enough on studies ( less than 80% SA1 ) to get CO from his dream RI, he was given Waitlist. But he wanted to be with his friends, so we went in via the Supplementary Intake after the PSLE.

I agree with DaddyDaddy though. Not all are necessarily better than those not on GEP. All students are equal once they cross the Sec1 level.

DaddyDaddy:

Let me put it this way.
I do not think my 2 kids who went through GEP programme necessarily any more intelligent nor any more deserving to go to the TOP IP schools than the kids from mainstream. The only difference is that for some reason ( which till today I also do not fully understand ) they were somehow selected for the GEP programme…

ngbrdad,

precisely what I mean by NJC DSA being the most fair for all students applying.

ngbrdad:

Actually NJC never ask in the online form whether the kid is from GEP or not.
So NJC may not even know that the kid is from GEP.

[comfy]

ngbrdad:

comfy:

I will like to ask a question. If a child(GEP) is offered CO, can she opt out of SBGE prog, mean join the rest of the mainstream in the IP prog.

You do know that for GEP to continue SBGE in independent IP secondary school, the kid is entitled to the $200 monthly GE grant right ?

I have not gone into detail about $$$$ yet but was more concerned about the academic aspect. As I know that tuition fee is more $$$$ than school fee. Don't whether any IP students attend tuition, just assuming there are some.