Is it easier to go University via the Polytechnic Route?
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MdmKS:
If you know any Poly student who has gone on directly to Oxbridge after completing a diploma in Singapore, please share. I would imagine that this is very very rare. Such a student would probably make the news.
Hi Insider,insider:
My daughter will be applying for Imperial College London next year from poly. Though she is likely to qualify for a place in local universities, I still prefer her to have an overseas education (with my sufficient $$$ of course). It will be another exciting chapter of her life journey...
. But is there any in holding back talent wishing to go as high as it can?
Can share what criteria is necessary from local poly or JC to be accepted by Imperial College? How about Cambridge? and how much of $$$ will be sufficient?
Will be following your dd there or someone there with her? How many yrs will be there from poly or Jc entry? Have heard of cases which parents pull back their children from oversea education due to bad influence , eg drug, drinking .... when they are alone,...
Tks. -
Yes, I have heard that the business courses at the Polys are very competitive, in terms of entry requirements.
But surely it cannot be that the average student in say a Business course has a GPA of more than 3.5 - this is an average of A minus?
Unless we are saying that the marking is not on a curve, which logically means that an entire class can get A for a certain subject. -
insider:
Yes, I am aware of this case. Singapore Poly has a webpage called 'From SP to Uni' which showcases their best and brightest students. It is an inspirational page for all Poly students.noobparent:
If you know any Poly student who has gone on directly to Oxbridge after completing a diploma in Singapore, please share. I would imagine that this is very very rare. Such a student would probably make the news.
This one made it to Harvard:
Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100607-220779.html
Get poly students into university
By Amelia Tan
THE difference between junior college (JC) and polytechnic students is now so slight that it may come down to little more than what they wear to school.
Just ask Singapore Polytechnic graduate Kuriakin Zeng, who recently landed himself a spot at Harvard University.
Hope that more Poly students can make it to the top Unis like Harvard. I note that person is the first to make it to Harvard and this is a very recent case. -
insider:
So it looks like the Poly is very careful with their selection. That's good. Need to attach students of high quality or else these top institutions may not be too happy.....
Total number of students in her course is 120 (or 160, cant really remember). About 60 applied for overseas attachments and only 20 were selected for attachments to universities and other institutions to countries in the US, Europe, Korea, India, China, etc. These students go in a pair. Some of those who didn't opt for overseas attachments may have their heart pinned on certain research topics available in Singapore labs or they prefer to be attached to NUS labs to probably stand a higher chance of admission upon graduation.noobparent:
You write of overseas attachments etc. I gather that this would just be for a very select group in the Polytechnics. It is good that the Polys are paying special attention to their high achievers.
Understand that attachments for International Business course students are also of very high quality overseas institutions and that probably also made the course highly attractive.
PS: Just for info of all parents. Her whole 4 months attachment to UK, include air ticket, lodging and food is about S$11,000 (excl the cost of a 2-week tour around Europe that she will be taking with her friends after her attachment period.). I am so glad that I didn't allow her to go for her 10-day Literature Immersion trip to Europe when she was in her sec school for about $3000. This S$11,000 is more 'value for money' comparatively speaking. I am also so glad that pounds are much cheaper now...
Hope that your daughter excels during her attachment. I think the attachment would be pivotal to whether she eventually gets an offer for admission at Imperial. So, go for it!
$11K. Maybe that's why some students didn't apply for overseas attachment. May not be so easy for students from humble backgrounds to afford this. Yes, the pound is so much cheaper now. Used to be nearly 3SGD to 1 pound. -
Hi insider,
My pleasure to offer my 2 cents. -
Though poly students may generally stands a lower chance of entering a local uni compared to their JC peers, the trend is changing. Poly diploma are very well recognised in overseas universities, and often receive many exemptions, as well as advance standings.
Poly students are in no way inferior to their JC peers, and can score equally well in the university education. Many poly students are eligible for JC education as well. In fact, some JC peers might not even qualified to enter certain course, such as International Business in SP and NP per say. It is just a matter of fact that they have different view and preference in their education routes.
Also, if you take a look at the Cut-Off-Points of various local universities, the grade needed to enter uni such as NUS through JC-path is not easy (ie need roughly ABB/B). -
http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/gradeprofile/sprogramme-igp.html
This link is useful for the indicative grades required to enter NUS. -
There had been many reported cases of poly grads going on to top unis overseas, but from what I recall, all of them are from the science / engineering / biomedical. I don’t recall reading about anyone from the business courses going on to top undergraduate business schools, though the business courses (esp Ngee Ann) have some of the lowest COP.
Anyone know of those from the business courses making it to the top business schools straight after their diploma? I know of 2 poly grads who transferred to top private unis in the US (incl an Ivy League uni) after doing their general education at a community college. I hear that both uni didn’t even require their poly transcripts, basing their admission decision mainly on their GPA at the community college. -
rosemummy:
Rosemummy,There had been many reported cases of poly grads going on to top unis overseas, but from what I recall, all of them are from the science / engineering / biomedical. I don't recall reading about anyone from the business courses going on to top undergraduate business schools, though the business courses (esp Ngee Ann) have some of the lowest COP.
Anyone know of those from the business courses making it to the top business schools straight after their diploma? I know of 2 poly grads who transferred to top private unis in the US (incl an Ivy League uni) after doing their general education at a community college. I hear that both uni didn't even require their poly transcripts, basing their admission decision mainly on their GPA at the community college.
can you clarify by giving some examples of a top undergrad business school? -
insider:
I am also puzzled but taking into considerations that the course admitted kids with good COPs to begin with, it maybe possible in a sense. If max COP is 9, meaning there are many 'performers' inside.noobparent:
Yes, I have heard that the business courses at the Polys are very competitive, in terms of entry requirements.
But surely it cannot be that the average student in say a Business course has a GPA of more than 3.5 - this is an average of A minus?
Unless we are saying that the marking is not on a curve, which logically means that an entire class can get A for a certain subject.
For International Business, the class size is only about 40 (again if I remember correctly). Think Ngee Ann may want to really concentrate on this group of kids to make them shine for the school...
Hve a sister who is a lecturer in NP for a number of years. Possible to get the entire cohort bio-medical or international business to score highly as every project team member is a good scorer in 0-level. Marking is never base on bell cureve unlike A-level. Hence lies its advantage in this instance over a jc peep.
Strictly speaking on the cop of the top two polys' most competitive courses, it is well within the ability of the top 2nd tier jcs' students ie L1R4 10-2. Generally, it is not too difficult to assess a student's aptitude /suitability for jc vs poly education. Always i try to encourage 0-level grads within this score range to consider applied education in cases whereby the students needed to work hard the entire year to hit this performance.
As for direct entry to oxbridge after graduation, hve not heard of any succesful placement yet. Feels that over the next 7 yrs it could be the golden era of polys education to tap high ability students as these students also hve access to our unis.
With more IPs coming onstream, fear that the quality of their future top students intake will be affected.
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