Thank you, breezy. Yours was more like 20 cents' worth.


Only ex-Express students find Language Arts from Year 3 onwards challenging? IP-from-Year-1 students find it a breeze?

And all the demanding requirements that you mentioned, are you saying that they apply from Year 3?

autolycus:

SoBlessed:

autolycus,


Some time ago, you mentioned that \"the ACS(I) pre-IB programme is designed to teach IB-style thinking and useful skills, and it starts at Year 1.\"

Questions:
How disadvantaged, then, are Express students who qualify for and cross over to IB in Year 3?
As far as I know, only the literature books and grading system are different for Express vs. IB Year 1 students.

Any advice for Express students who wish to qualify for IB in Year 3?
I'm aware of the \"official\" requirements: Years 1 & 2 exam results, selection test (HAST?) and interview.

Thanks in advance for your ex-insider insight and/or advice.

Advice from any parent(s) with DS who crossed over to IB in Year 3 will also be much appreciated.

Express students aren't particularly disadvantaged in practice. This is because they have good enough coverage, and frankly most IP lower secondary students don't take advantage of their potentially more powerful curriculum. The original twin-track system was designed to allow for relatively easy lateral transfer, so the S2Exp to S3IP transition isn't difficult.

For Express students who wish to qualify for the IP at Y3 leading to IB, the one piece of invaluable advice is: READ A LOT. Books like Ha-Joon Chang's 'Economics: The User's Guide' and various short world histories, science magazines, National Geographic, etc... these provide a good stockpile of raw materials for future success. It's not that you will need all of it, or that you won't do well without it, but developing the capacity to devour many pages of non-fiction at one sitting is essential for many interesting career options later on.

As always, prompt and precise. Thank you so much, autolycus.

BTW, when I said \"IB\", I meant \"IP (IB)\". I'm aware that IB only begins in Year 5.

The hunger for useful, non-fiction knowledge is something we're trying develop in our DS. Selected newspaper articles, Time magazines, and Nat Geo's The Knowledge Book and The Science of Everything are some of his current resources. He's more into fiction and Math/IQ books, of which he has quite a collection.

autolycus,


Some time ago, you mentioned that \"the ACS(I) pre-IB programme is designed to teach IB-style thinking and useful skills, and it starts at Year 1.\"

Questions:
How disadvantaged, then, are Express students who qualify for and cross over to IB in Year 3?
As far as I know, only the literature books and grading system are different for Express vs. IB Year 1 students.

Any advice for Express students who wish to qualify for IB in Year 3?
I'm aware of the \"official\" requirements: Years 1 & 2 exam results, selection test (HAST?) and interview.

Thanks in advance for your ex-insider insight and/or advice.

Advice from any parent(s) with DS who crossed over to IB in Year 3 will also be much appreciated.

25HMOM:

\"When I called too someone said, to wait till Friday, after that they will prepare rejection letter and post it. Realistically, if no call till tomorrow latest, can move on quickly\"


I share your view, Positive Energy. Maximum 1 day of waiting for schools that give out < 60 COs. 2 days for schools with < 100. If no news, can give up and move on.
That was my experience.

Yup, I've also set the end of today (Thu) to stop hoping for ACS(I) CO/WL.

But FYI, ACS(I) has 80 DSA(IP) and about 50 DSA(Express) places.
So that's about 130 COs if they're going to fill up all the places. Then there are those on WL.

BeContented:

SoBlessed:

[quote=\"Not KS\"]No call from acsi. True, have to take no call as no CO.

Did anyone call ACS(I) to ask whether all successful DSA applicants have been notified already? They have 80 DSA (IP) applicants to call and it seems like they just started calling this morning.

Dun lose hope yet. It'll take time to call all. During DS time (2 years ago), he received the call on the 2nd day. We thot no chance also....
Good luck to all.

And congrats to those who already received CO/WL.[/quote]Thanks for the reassurance, BeContented.

Yup, I just managed to get through on their line. Lady said that they're still calling and that we should wait until Friday before we conclude that it's time to move on.

Not KS:

No call from acsi. True, have to take no call as no CO.

Did anyone call ACS(I) to ask whether all successful DSA applicants have been notified already? They have 80 DSA (IP) applicants to call and it seems like they just started calling this morning.

tck:

Very sorry for coming across aggressively. Agree not helpful. I think I have been doing too many rebuttals cos find there to be too many false allegations and insinuations.

Moral of the story: as far as possible, our points should be substantiated and verifiable. Otherwise, just say, \"I suspect ...\" or something to that effect lah. And our conclusions should have a basis of a significant sample size. 1 or 2 examples do not a fact or trend make. Generalisations won't do much good either. The last thing we want in this forum is to mislead or misguide parents, many of whom are here to gather info or seek advice.

Misty Rain:

SoBlessed:

[quote=\"whitecarrotcake\"]Back to main topic...confirmed offers should be given out from this week. Do most schools call or email?

I assume that most schools will notify via email and I know of only ACS(I) that will call first, then follow up with an email.
I'm expecting notifications (CO, WL, \"We regret to inform you ...\") to start coming from next week onwards.

Can we expect ASC(I) results to be out this week?

Looking out for results from St Nicks and Crescent Girls too.

Please give a holler here if you do. [/quote]Possible, but probably next week, earliest.

You mean you have a DS and a DD going through DSA?

whitecarrotcake:

Back to main topic...confirmed offers should be given out from this week. Do most schools call or email?

I assume that most schools will notify via email and I know of only ACS(I) that will call first, then follow up with an email.
I'm expecting notifications (CO, WL, \"We regret to inform you ...\") to start coming from next week onwards.

whitecarrotcake:

Actually I think getting in through dsa is a \"respectable\" way. The child has to prove he is worthy by producing 3 years (from p4 to p6 for some schools) of good academic results. He has to take a GAT (hast in some cases) which my DD said \" are killing to the brain cells\". This is followed by Selection tests for some schools and then the nerve-wrecking experience of one student facing a panel of interviewers in some cases. At the end of it all, there's no guarantee of a confirmed spot and the child must be mature enough to continue to work hard in case nothing materialises.

No question about it, DSA is certainly a respectable way because it demands a lot from the DCs. That's why I'm very proud of them, especially those who come out of the process as if it was just another school day.
It's just that, PSLE, being a common, national exam seems to be a fairer benchmark, without the subjective factors and variables of the DSA process, especially in the sports/arts domain.