DSA 2012

[RachelSmiley]

vlim:

leeven:

Happy New Year to all . Do we need to include the P4,P5,P6 projects done by the students in DSA Portfolio. Please advise

For my ds , he did not put any of his gep project in his portfolio. He only represented one which was asked to do so during RI interview.

Hi Vlim,
So, for Gep, what are the stuff that we should put into the portfolio that will help the dsa? Read sometime ago that some interviewers did not look at the portfolio file at all. And.....any idea if questions are impromptu or actually needs preparation? Thanks.

[vlim]

RachelSmiley:

Hi Vlim,
So, for Gep, what are the stuff that we should put into the portfolio that will help the dsa? Read sometime ago that some interviewers did not look at the portfolio file at all. And.....any idea if questions are impromptu or actually needs preparation? Thanks.

For RI, their interviewers did not look at the portfolio at all as those info which they needed we would have submitted the photostated copy within a week after the online DSA application. As for HCI, last yr on the DSA interview day, the boys were told to put whatever photocopy tt they want to show the interview later in their folder . Anyway the online DSA application have already requested the kids to key in their p4 to p6 results plus others results like maths olympaid etc.
In regards to the qns ask, please to the earlier posts as the 2010 parents had revealed many DSA asked interview qns ... Some of them can be prepared a bit la .. Like why u choose the school, if all school which u DSA offer co to u which one would u choose .,, if the kid is a prefect, they might ask u qns related to leadership likewise to other activity tt the kid took part and stated in the DSA application form ...

[RachelSmiley]

Thanks Hippo, I mean, Vlim


Maybe as the year progresses, I might have a better idea what to put in. But as of now, I am still scratching my head. Saw all the postings in life after psle. Really envy leh!

[Funx3]

RachelSmiley:

Thanks Hippo, I mean, Vlim


Maybe as the year progresses, I might have a better idea what to put in. But as of now, I am still scratching my head. Saw all the postings in life after psle. Really envy leh!

Don't Worry .... Time Will Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiip Past So Fast,
without U REalising it .... U already Sit in the Same Boat, Real Soon!
Meanwhile, Enjoy the PSLE Journey!

[Kitty]

Hi,


Can someone enlighten me ?
Is there Academic DSA ?

Which are the schools that offered Academic DSA ?

[jtoh]

Kitty:

Hi,


Can someone enlighten me ?
Is there Academic DSA ?

Which are the schools that offered Academic DSA ?

A lot of schools offer DSA via academics. Some ask for academic excellence in a particular subject, eg. English, Math, Science or MT. Others look for overall academic excellence. Just go to the websites of the schools you're interested in and look up their requirements.

[Kitty]

Is it worth the effort to put the kids through the pressure of academic DSA ?


Afterall , if they are good enough for DSA , they should be able to perform as well during psle . May I know what’s the advantage of taking DSA ?

Like to have some opinions from other parents here ! Thanks !!

[verykiasu2010]

Kitty:

Is it worth the effort to put the kids through the pressure of academic DSA ?


Afterall , if they are good enough for DSA , they should be able to perform as well during psle . May I know what's the advantage of taking DSA ?

Like to have some opinions from other parents here ! Thanks !!

good enough for dsa means continuous & consistent performance

PSLE performance can be affected by the following :

1. traffic condition on exam days (bus/car break down, accidents along the way), flood, etc
2. students falling sick
3. students have injury prior to exam days that affect their ability to write and concentrate

with DSA confirmed offer from a desired school will ease the pressure

if the child is expected to perform at PSLE, then DSA process is no pressure at all

[jtoh]

verykiasu2010:

Kitty:

Is it worth the effort to put the kids through the pressure of academic DSA ?


Afterall , if they are good enough for DSA , they should be able to perform as well during psle . May I know what's the advantage of taking DSA ?

Like to have some opinions from other parents here ! Thanks !!

good enough for dsa means continuous & consistent performance

PSLE performance can be affected by the following :

1. traffic condition on exam days (bus/car break down, accidents along the way), flood, etc
2. students falling sick
3. students have injury prior to exam days that affect their ability to write and concentrate

with DSA confirmed offer from a desired school will ease the pressure

if the child is expected to perform at PSLE, then DSA process is no pressure at all

To add on to what vk2010 has written, I think DSA is good for students who are exceptional in one or more subjects but are particularly weak in one subject which may pull down their overall T-score. For eg., a student may be very strong in Math, Science, English but very weak in Chinese. That being the case, the student runs the risk of not making it to a top school because of one subject.

In primary school, MT makes up 1/4 (25%) of total marks. In secondary school, MT makes up 1/7 (14%) of total marks. So not doing well in one subject at PSLE doesn't mean you won't do well in secondary school. And secondary schools recognize this.

Whether DSA is stressful or not depends on the parent and child. If you choose to go for multiple DSAs, yes it is time consuming and possibly stressful. But if you choose to go for 1-2 DSAs, it shouldn't take up that much time. But be realistic. If you are not outstanding in any particular subject, then give it a miss. The time may be better spent revising and boosting up your T-score.

[phankao]

Kitty:

Afterall , if they are good enough for DSA , they should be able to perform as well during psle . May I know what's the advantage of taking DSA ?

I do wonder about how accurately PSLE tests a student? Certainly not their personality or tenacity, their learning style. I have no PSLE high-scorers among my children. In fact, all of them performed below the PSLE non-affiliated score cut-off points for their secondary school. I still don't know how my no.3 will cope with that sec school, but my no.1 managed it alright. And as for my no.2 who is in an IP school, he has interestingly coped well despite his PSLE score being lower than COP, and his GPA is consistently good and better than the students that scored 260+ at PSLE. He is a rather independent learner, mixes well with his peers and works well on projects. But if not for DSA, he would not ever have had the opportunities he has in his current school. You would know your child best, and if he/she will be suitable or pressured by DSA. And if he/she has the learning style/personality to cope with IP.