DSA 2023

[Zeal mummy]

Kittenprincess\" post_id=\"2075048\" time=\"1658128689\" user_id=\"69025:

Hi all, i'll like to ask for personal experiences. My child is considering DSA to RGS under academic (not decided which subject yet). However, she does not have a school CCA for various reasons . Being P5 late in the year now, it's a little too late to join one. I know the RGS website clearly states that one of their criteria for DSA English / Math is \"sustain active participation in the curriculum and co-curriculum...\".

But does anyone have personal stories to share of girls who made it in without CCA participation?

As an aside, she has some piano and ballet competition awards under her belt (not sure if that will count as \"co-curriculum\")

Many thanks in advance for any responses. Just trying to set expectations for next year - if it's a lost cause we may not even try.

Someone shared this profile of her daughter’s application for DSA English. (Disclaimer: not my kid’s) Looks like your child is not the only one without a CCA.

- got Gold in The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2018 and 2019
- won The World Wildlife Fund Young Reporters for the Environment National Competition
- won the PSDO ( Primary School Debate Open) 2018
- A* for English since P5 (band 1 for English since P1)
- got Gold in Math Olympiad
- got Distinction for Higher Chinese since P5
- got Gold in Singapore National Figure Skating Competition 2019
- ABRSM Piano grade 8 with distinction
- won the International Ballet Grand Prix in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- GEP student at RGPS

Having a fantastic CcA is not necessary for academic domains, but you’ll have to showcase your child’s passion, love and interest in that particular domain. All the best and hope it helps!

[floppy]

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2075110\" time=\"1658192215\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2075110 time=1658192215 user_id=58173]
Someone shared this profile of her daughter’s application for DSA English. (Disclaimer: not my kid’s) Looks like your child is not the only one without a CCA.

- got Gold in The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2018 and 2019
- won The World Wildlife Fund Young Reporters for the Environment National Competition
- won the PSDO ( Primary School Debate Open) 2018
- A* for English since P5 (band 1 for English since P1)
- got Gold in Math Olympiad
- got Distinction for Higher Chinese since P5
- got Gold in Singapore National Figure Skating Competition 2019
- ABRSM Piano grade 8 with distinction
- won the International Ballet Grand Prix in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- GEP student at RGPS

Having a fantastic CcA is not necessary for academic domains, but you’ll have to showcase your child’s passion, love and interest in that particular domain. All the best and hope it helps![/quote]

I think for DSA English, the items in blue will be important. The rest of the items are to fill up space.

[Zeal mummy]

floppy\" post_id=\"2075111\" time=\"1658192389\" user_id=\"97579:

I think for DSA English, the items in blue will be important. The rest of the items are to fill up space.

If you’re thinking of Rgs.. it will definitely be a plus to include the rest of her varied achievements to display what this child is also capable of ..independently managing her studies (doing well in math/higher Chinese) despite her heavy commitment towards skating, piano and ballet.

[floppy]

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2075114\" time=\"1658193040\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2075114 time=1658193040 user_id=58173]
If you’re thinking of Rgs.. it will definitely be a plus to include the rest of her varied achievements to display what this child is also capable of ..independently managing her studies (doing well in math/higher Chinese) despite her heavy commitment towards skating, piano and ballet.[/quote]

Yes, no doubt, but it will also throw up additional spanners:

If you have to decide representing the school in an English competition, or attending a national figure skating competition happening on the same day, which would you choose?

or

The commitments from our DSA students are high. You will be required to attend 3x extra CCA / lessons after school. It may mean that you have to sacrifice your figure skating or ballet. How would you decide?

At the end of the day, DSA commitments is contractual. Students are expected to go through with it. Managing to do well with 4 subjects isn't necessary the same as doing well with 8 subjects. If the student can address those concerns and be clear in her plans, no problem. Just need to prep for it. Otherwise, it may not go down well with the selectors. Less, is sometimes, more (but nothing is nothing :evil: ).

[Zeal mummy]

floppy\" post_id=\"2075116\" time=\"1658193714\" user_id=\"97579:

Yes, no doubt, but it will also throw up additional spanners:

If you have to decide representing the school in an English competition, or attending a national figure skating competition happening on the same day, which would you choose?

or

The commitments from our DSA students are high. You will be required to attend 3x extra CCA / lessons after school. It may mean that you have to sacrifice your figure skating or ballet. How would you decide?

At the end of the day, DSA commitments is contractual. Students are expected to go through with it. Managing to do well with 4 subjects isn't necessary the same as doing well with 8 subjects. If the student can address those concerns and be clear in her plans, no problem. Just need to prep for it. Otherwise, it may not go down well with the selectors. Less, is sometimes, more (but nothing is nothing :evil: ).

We can agree to disagree. I would not input less just so that the child may seem less capable and thus have more time for the selected domain. I also do not think the interviewer would mind my child being more outstanding than the other student. On the other hand, it shows excellent time management and the exposure, varied activities that is invaluable.

[Kittenprincess]

Hi, @Zeal Mummy, @Floppy, thank you for weighing in! sorry for the radio silence - i was meaning to check back to this forum and then work blew up :lightrod: ...


Also, apologies I didnt mean to drip feed, but I didn't mention in original post she had won EL writing + debating awards and participated in the moe creative writing prog. Also consistently AL1 for GEP subjects except chinese. For other subjects, she has some olympiad medals and masterclass participation ... I just assumed people who DSA academic would have such acheivements anyway, so i thot it was irrelevant. Sorry to be misleading!

I was just wondering how strict MOE/Schools would be about adhering to the \"Co-curricular acheivements\" requirement for DSA. But looks like that phrase could be parsed as \"piano/dance/skating\" and not just school CCA?

Oh well, never know unless she tries. Yes, as Floppy mentions, given DSA statistics, chances are we'd be going into a secondary school via psle route.

[floppy]

Kittenprincess\" post_id=\"2075617\" time=\"1658446794\" user_id=\"69025:

Hi, @Zeal Mummy, @Floppy, thank you for weighing in! sorry for the radio silence - i was meaning to check back to this forum and then work blew up :lightrod: ...

Also, apologies I didnt mean to drip feed, but I didn't mention in original post she had won EL writing + debating awards and participated in the moe creative writing prog. Also consistently AL1 for GEP subjects except chinese. For other subjects, she has some olympiad medals and masterclass participation ... I just assumed people who DSA academic would have such acheivements anyway, so i thot it was irrelevant. Sorry to be misleading!

I was just wondering how strict MOE/Schools would be about adhering to the \"Co-curricular acheivements\" requirement for DSA. But looks like that phrase could be parsed as \"piano/dance/skating\" and not just school CCA?

Oh well, never know unless she tries. Yes, as Floppy mentions, given DSA statistics, chances are we'd be going into a secondary school via psle route.

:faint:

Alamak, then your case isn’t the same as “having no CCA”. As I said, “achievements and CCA participation in the relevant subject matter. It could be things like involvement in plays, storytelling competition, 书法比赛, Olympiads, etc”. They are all categorized as “CCA”.

Thus, your EL writing + debating awards, MOE creative writing prog, olympiad medals and masterclass participation would all have been recorded as “CCA” of sorts. In any case, these info would have been the first two level of filters (academic results, domain achievements) that the selectors would consider first.

[zac's mum]

In other words, if there is another candidate with similar credentials as you, but has a sleeping participation in (example) computer club CCA in school, that person’s 1x a week CCA attendance is not going to place her ranking above you.

[Kittenprincess]

floppy\" post_id=\"2075631\" time=\"1658456134\" user_id=\"97579:

:faint:

Alamak, then your case isn’t the same as “having no CCA”. As I said, “achievements and CCA participation in the relevant subject matter. It could be things like involvement in plays, storytelling competition, 书法比赛, Olympiads, etc”. They are all categorized as “CCA”.

Thus, your EL writing + debating awards, MOE creative writing prog, olympiad medals and masterclass participation would all have been recorded as “CCA” of sorts. In any case, these info would have been the first two level of filters (academic results, domain achievements) that the selectors would consider first.

:thankyou:

[Kittenprincess]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2075641\" time=\"1658458350\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2075641 time=1658458350 user_id=53606]
In other words, if there is another candidate with similar credentials as you, but has a sleeping participation in (example) computer club CCA in school, that person’s 1x a week CCA attendance is not going to place her ranking above you.[/quote]

ah ok... yes mine was a question more about filters. You know how sticky to procedures moe could be - i was worried that all DSA applicants (even academic dsa) need to have an official school CCA, before RGS (or whatever sec school) would even consider their application. So that's why was canvassing for personal experiences

thanx for weighing in !