Is there anything specific to your application (supplements, etc)? If yes, how were they?
No supplements involved.
What did you include your personal statement/essay(s)?
No personal statement for local university applications.
Did you have to take any tests? If so, how did you find the test? How did you prepare for it? In your opinion, what are some of the tips & techniques to get a good score in the tests?
Yes, I had to take the MUET (Malaysian University English Test) and do self-revision with books available in the market. It is a good way to test your level of English as compared to the SPM because this is a totally different system which analyses your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. If your English is good in certain areas of the test but not all, you just have to work on them.
How was the interview session (if any)? What were the questions asked (if you still remember). Was it a group or individual interview? How was the atmosphere? Was it one-sided with the interviewer asking only or was it a discussion? Was it friendly, tense, awkward etc? How did you prepare for the interview?
Yes, there was an interview session. It would be absurd if I can still remember the interview questions at this point of time. It was an individual interview. The atmosphere depends on the interviewee him/herself. Not everyone will experience the same atmosphere, be it excitement, anxiety, suspense or whatever one might feel at that time. The interviewers for my batch were friendly people, that’s all I would say, as there were so many of us having different interviewers for different faculties. There is no particular recipe in preparing for an interview. You just have to keep calm, be yourself, and carry on with the interview – that’s how I felt.
What do you think contributed to the success of your application? What are some of the past experiences/ ECA/ work attachment/ academic achievements that you included in your personal statement/ essays/ interview/ test?
All I can say is that I thank the Senate for accepting me.
What advice would you give to future applicants?
My advice: Just do it. It is the same for a job or anything else that you want to do in the future.
Erique Phang Li-Onn is a commerce student who is heading to Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur to read law under the National Scholarship by JPA. He is an insane otaku who attaches himself very closely to the spiritual world.
There are 4 stages in Gamuda Scholarship application.
Stage 1
Application forms are screened to filter those with poor academic records and weak personal statements.
Stage 2
They won’t inform you about the phone interview, but just call you up without any notifications. I was quite shocked because I was in the midst of something when I received the call. Luckily, the staffs were very friendly and my call lasted for 15-20 minutes. I would say that those who can’t speak fluently, can’t express themselves or can’t answer the questions properly will be eliminated this stage.
Stage 3
This workshop and group assessment emphasised on interpersonal skills, leadership and critical thinking. In the first session, we were asked to answer a set of questions. There were 10 MCQ questions based on world knowledge (ie. what’s the world’s longest waterfall) and 5-7 subjective questions to test our knowledge about Malaysia (ie. Who’s the Sultan of Malaysia (Full name required), who’s the Minister of Transportation). We also had to produce 2 essays, one of them on Gamuda – “What do you know about Gamuda”. We could select the second essay question from the 3 topics given, and I wrote about public transportation in Malaysia.
In the second session, groups were formed and we had to solve a situation. For example, what should I do if all my team members are involved in a plane crash in Antarctica. You will have to make decisions and all your team members must agree with it.
I think you will have a great advantage if you are a leader during the group discussion as the facilitator will notice you. However, be sure that you are packed with skills, or else they will easily notice your disadvantages as well. My group facilitator gave me good comments, which I think helped me to get through to the last stage.
Stage 4
There was an IQ test, which I found pretty simple, as well as an interview session. Unlike the phone interview and group assessment, it was not a session to learn more about me (they did not even ask me to introduce myself).
You will be given a topic to talk about as they would like to gauge your critical thinking abilities. Everyone had different topics, some were asked to compare the education system in Malaysia and the UK, some had the chance to discuss the MRT in Malaysia vs Singapore among other topics.
I think my fluency in expressing my points and my ability to point out critical points helped my application the most. I would advise future Gamuda scholarship applicants to be confident about themselves, study up all the current projects of Gamuda in Malaysia and internationally. Train how to express your points quickly and accurately as long speeches do not mean that they are better. Don’t beat around the bush. I prepared for the scholarship assessments by getting in touch with current affairs and subscribed to news regarding Gamuda one month before the interview.
This student will be pursuing his degree in Mechanical Engineering under the Gamuda Scholarship at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. He’s always packed with intense passion in engineering, and is interested with any non-living object that moves.
This Personal Statement was part of this student’s sucessful application to study Biology in Imperial College London, Natural Sciences in University College London and Durham University as well as Genetics in University of Edinburgh.
What happens if chloroplasts are injected into your bloodstream? How can a human breathe underwater? What happens if you jump into a hole drilled through the earth’s core? These are some of the intriguing questions asked by my younger brother. These are not questions which answers can be found in textbooks so I have to rely on logical reasoning to answer him. Of course, these questions are impractical in reality but I enjoy trying to solve the unsolvable. After a period of intense questioning, I myself developed this peculiar habit of asking why and what. I consider this to be my greatest strength because it allows me to look at science from a different perspective. History shows us that the biggest discoveries are not those with the biggest answers but those with the biggest questions.
Most people will define science by its three main subjects; biology, chemistry and physics. However, my view of science is that there are no rigid boundaries separating the subjects. Learning only one of the subjects is inadequate because those subjects are related in a thousand and one ways. For instance, the chemical composition of purines and pyrimidines is what allows the precise replication of DNA. Even mathematics can be found reappearing in nature as the Golden Ratio. Throughout my studies, it has always been a thrill to be able to apply concepts I learnt from one subject in another. Not only does this enable me to understand the subjects better, it gives me an immense satisfaction of being able to connect them; like same-coloured tiles of a Rubik’s cube coming together.
My particular interest in biology has leaded me to do a hospital attachment. I witnessed a gastroscopy and a biopsy being done to test for H. pylori. One branch of biology which intrigues me more than the others is genetics. Genetics is more than just the study of genes; it explains how one’s phenotype arises from the complex relationship of its genotype with its environment. The idea of nurture vs. nature and which has the upper hand in determining an organism’s characteristics appeals to me. Darwinism and Mendelism complement each other so beautifully and the unification of both theories is something I want to learn to greater detail. Genetics immediately caught my attention when my high-school teacher taught us about DNA replication and transcription. The way free nucleotides which have no sense of order at first, could suddenly line up next to the exposed DNA strands in a precise arrangement is simply elegant; order from chaos. When I read The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean, I stumbled upon transposons. Further research left me in awe because these “jumping genes” further prove that something as inanimate as DNA could do as much as something living, if not more. The way transposons work raises many questions, so I am eager to learn more about it at a higher level. I even requested for an interview with a local geneticist to find out more but I am still waiting for a reply.
During my schooling years, I consistently top my batch in exams and was awarded with numerous top-in-subject awards especially in maths and science subjects. I was also named the Top 50 Best Scorer in Malaysia for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM). I took part in many maths and science competitions to try a different approach in learning these subjects. As a result, I found out that I enjoy the challenges set by the competitions and gained a lot from them. An example of my achievements is I was awarded a High Distinction in the National Malaysian Chemistry Quiz. I also emerged second for the KDU’s Maths and Science Competition. Badminton and squash is my forte and I took part in tournaments. Debating was also a passion of mine in secondary school and it had taught me to think critically and analytically, which are important assets in the science field. I gained leadership experience by being the Assistant Head Prefect and I was also the Vice Captain for my school’s Blue House.
DISCLAIMER: The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. UCAS employs a plagiarism check system that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.
After submitting my application online, I was called for a one-day assessment in 2012 where we had a group interview and two group discussions.
The group interview focused on questions related to policies implemented by the government, such as the Government Transformation Program (GTP) and Economic Transformation Program (ETP). Even if you are not sure about the answer, give it a try instead of being silent as they would want to access your ability to communicate effectively.
Both of the group discussions were conducted in the same way but in different languages – Malay and English. In my Malay group discussion, we were shown a picture which was about “Isu pembuangan kanak-kanak”. We had to discuss among ourselves, note down the points on a piece of Mahjong paper and present it to the interviewers.
In the English session, we were shown a picture of P.Ramlee and the questions were regarding how P. Ramlee could improve the sense of belonging among youth in the country. It was very tough and we ran out of points. Most of us were talking about something else out of the topic but I guess they also judged us based on our ability to talk instead of the content itself. Don’t hesitate to share your ideas during the group discussions as we were evaluated while we were working in the groups.
I think your performance during the interview is more important than your past achievements. Of course having good results and a good curriculum vitae will be an added advantage if they are distinguishing between two students with equal performance during the interview.
I would advise SPM students to put in more effort in their studies (you need six A+ and above for the Korea and Japan program and 8A+ and above for the France and Germany program). They would also request for photocopies of certificates of all the activities that you have participated in. You should also have the mental preparation to learn a whole new language that will be your medium of instruction in your university. Last but not least, learn more about the current policies implemented by the government.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Robert Tieng Shiaw Wee will be pursuing Chemical Engineering in the University of Manchester under the JPA Scholarship although he was also offered the JPA Program Khas Korea Scholarship in 2012. He is a crazy badminton fan and has treated badminton as part of his life, trying to imitate the superb skills from the videos watched but still his skill is just so so. Being born to be a shy person, he may require some time to befriend with strangers and eventually becoming buddies!
The application process to study pharmacy course (MPharm) at University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) includes a personal statement and a reference letter from your referee. An interview will also be held before they give you a conditional/unconditional offer.
I believe that the personal statement is what applicants are always worried about. It is always a devil in the job since it does not only require academic-related content but also non-academic-related content such as what inspires you, why you are interested in pharmacy, and so on. But don’t worry, UNMC’s personal statement only requires applicants to tell them why you have chosen to study the course that you have applied for, what made you choose UNMC and what your future plans are. You only have to answer their questions in essay form with not more than 4000 characters. The personal statement is actually a reflection of yourself, so a simple essay with short, brief sentences will do! The most important thing is for the reader to understand the messages you are trying to convey!
On the other hand, do not worry about your reference letter. All you need to do is give one of your lecturers the reference form, which can be found on the UNMC website, and they’ll do the rest for you. (: Do also take note that your lecturer might need your CV or any relevant documents in order to write the reference letter.
I was notified to attend the interview session 2 months later. They have introduced a new interview system this year. We were given some short briefings regarding the MPharm course and given a campus tour. The 12 of us were then divided equally into 2 groups and were assigned to different sections of the interview. My first session was actually a group activity where we were each given several cards with different information, and all we needed to do was solve a mystery together. It turned out pretty fun and it actually calmed me down. Though they informed us that it’s just a group activity, in my opinion it was to evaluate our soft skills. Thus, do your very best, and that will do!
My next interview session was divided into 6 stations. In the beginning, we were all assigned to different stations. Each station had a time limit of 5 minutes, and we had to move to our next stations when the whistle was blown. The questions asked were not the typical questions such as why you want to study pharmacy, etc. Instead, the questions all revolved around Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and general knowledge regarding the pharmaceutical field. Though what I had prepared for my interview was about the soft skills I had that make me eligible to be a pharmacist, this actually helped me in answering certain questions. The interviewer will eventually lead you to get the answer so always keep calm so that you are able to think well.
Overall, that’s it for you to get a place in UNMC to take up MPharm. I would like to say that the early bird catches the worm, so apply earlier if you are interested! Also, utilize your free time to plan your personal statement well. Do believe in yourself, and all the best!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Chong Kai Qian is a JPA scholar currently pursuing her pharmacy degree at University of Manchester although she also received an offer from University of Nottingham Malaysia.
The Kijang Scholarship is one of the two overseas scholarships offered by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) (also known as the Central Bank of Malaysia) aimed towards SPM graduates, making it one of the many generous institutions that offer scholarships at this level. Applicants are able to request to be sponsored to study at the UK, USA or Australia at university level to read one of a certain few disciplines – Economics, Actuarial Science, Law, Accounting & Finance and Mathematics. These specific subjects are chosen because BNM is a Central Bank, thereby requiring its human capital to be proficient in these fields in order to regulate the economy effectively.
What is the difference between Kijang and Kijang Emas?
While this article will be on the Kijang Scholarship predominantly, some obvious differences between Kijang Emas and Kijang will be made clear here. In terms of grade requirements, Kijang Emas is exclusively for straight A+ students while 8A/A+ is the requirement for Kijang. The difference in criterion stems from the terms of the scholarships themselves. While the Kijang Scholarship limits itself to the 3 countries and 5 disciplines mentioned earlier, Kijang Emas permits its holders to pursue any discipline in any country. However, applying to Kijang Emas doesn’t guarantee you assessment for the Kijang Emas; if BNM thinks that your application is more suitable for Kijang, you may be shifted. In contrast, I have never heard of the opposite happening thus far.
Is there a bond that comes with the scholarship?
There is a service bond for holders of the Kijang Scholarship – 2 years of work with BNM for every year of sponsorship. This means that getting sponsored for 2 years of A-level plus 3 years in the UK means 10 years of bond. The plus point is that you get job security in a Central Bank. This is, I believe, explicitly stated in the BNM scholarship webpage. In comparison to other scholarship bodies in the financial or governance sector e.g. Maybank, Sime Darby and JPA which all have bonds of between 4-5 years, Kijang Holders have to serve a far longer bond period. Kijang Emas scholarship recipients, however, are not bonded to BNM, though they are called to contribute to Malaysia, also for double the period of the sponsorship.
How is the assessment process?
There are two major stages in which your suitability for the scholarship is assessed.
The first, of course, is the online application. Right when SPM results are released i.e. early March, the BNM website will commence its scholarship applications, of which links can be found on their website. It is imperative that you do not apply to the wrong scholarship given that there are scholarships for undergraduate level and beyond as well, in which you may have proven your lack of competence if you do so. The online application is relatively simple: just key in whichever details they ask for e.g. personal details, SPM grades, co-curricular achievements etc. I have heard that applicants have to write short timed essay at this stage (I did not have to in 2013, but heard that 2014 applicants had to). Whether it is true or not, if you truly know what you want to apply for and why, plus if you are a competent student, you will fare well.
Your co-curricular achievements will definitely help in making you stand out from the myriad of applicants, all of whom have stellar grades. Perhaps by coincidence, but a significant portion of people that make the cut all the way until the end and eventually attain the scholarship itself, are debaters. A more intuitive observation was that people who get shortlisted have at least national-level achievements. I, for one, had an international-level achievement, about two national-level achievements, amidst several state and district-level achievements plus 8A+, 1A in SPM. It is imperative that you excel in co-curricular activities while in secondary school rather than going full bookworm. If you haven’t, you are probably not going to make it, unless your application seems strong even without it.
If you are one of the lucky ones amidst a huge pool of competent applicants all across Malaysia, your second stage would be the 3 day 2 night Kijang Academy which will be held at Lanai Kijang and Sasana Kijang. I have no way of assuring that this will be the length of the Academy at the time this article is read. It is usually at this stage where people realise how sophisticated the Central Bank can be. You will be staying at Lanai Kijang, their residential building while a majority of your assessment will be in Sasana Kijang, the futurist glass building equipped with cutting edge technological gadgets and a huge library. There will be good food for the famished.
So what is this Kijang Academy?
If you have hundreds of equally competent applicants on paper, how do you choose a handful of scholars? The solution would be the usual – interviews, group tasks etc. This is where Kijang Academy occurs. However, the Kijang Academy is designed in such a way that it is impossible to fake it through. Who and what qualities they are looking for are never known explicitly. So my advice at this stage for you prospective applicants would be to be yourself at your best and be a humble person.
Stage 1
The first stage during my year was an essay on the first night of our stay. Questions were generally personal i.e. your qualities, studying attitudes etc. My inference was that this task aims at showcasing your thought process, reasoning, structure and effective communication. It is imperative that one writes concisely; verbosity hinders communication. They want to know more about you rather than to see you show off your flowery, bombastic and glorious language mastery.
For my case, it was done in a relatively short period of time (not exactly short if you reflect on it after a year of A level) in a ballroom sort of hall.
Stage 2
The second stage begins on the following day in Sasana Kijang. Do note that this may be drastically different by the time you are reading this article as scholarship assessment methods change over time at their discretion. This stage consists of several group-based assessments – interviews and tasks. You will be put into groups of approximately 10.
The first portion of the group stage was intuitively an ice-breaking session. I was required to introduce another member of the group while she did the same for me. The setting was designed to make everyone less stressful or tense and know each other more for the remaining of the group stages. So for strategic purposes, get to know everyone in your group well; perhaps knowing their strengths will do.
The second portion of the group stage, if my memory doesn’t fail me or if nothing changes, was an interview done under the disguise of a series of role-play tasks. We were supposed to give talk shows presuming that we are experts of our desired fields of studies. By desired, I mean the disciplines you applied through the system. Essentially, it means that they want to know even more about why you applied for your desired subject of choice under a less pressured situation.
The third portion of the group stage was a obligatory group task as per what other scholarship bodies also do – a group presentation based on a business problem i.e. to come up with a solution for a situation portrayed within 30 minutes of discussion/preparation within your group. The presentation would last approximately 10-15 minutes in extension to Q&A by the assessors. Fret not about your knowledge in business jargons as the questions are designed to be fair to everyone regardless of pre-existing knowledge on business. It aims at exposing how you function as part of a team. Keep in mind that this is not a game for dominance by anyone; your purpose is to contribute towards a working solution as a team. If you, in any way, decide that being “shiok sendiri”, shutting out others or being a dictatorial leader is a good way of working as a team, all the best!
The fourth and final portion of the group stage was a creative group work, in which most will find this part the most memorable, enjoyable and stress-free. You will be using limited resources e.g. limited amount of papers, tapes and sticks to build something within an hour. We were tasked with building a tower. Creativity counts here as well; hence, artistic members of the group will be of great use here. With the creativity cap removed, my group produced a futurist twin tower ultrapolis. My advice for this part is the same as the previous paragraph: you are part of a team striving for a creative solution, so do your part and contribute effectively.
The Break Announcement
At the beginning of the Kijang Academy up until now, there will be about a hundred of applicants per batch. Intuitively, they are not going to interview everyone personally if they can cut down some by this stage, which is exactly what happens. The assessors will be able to identify who may secure the scholarship and who definitely won’t by the end of the group assessments. Only those who may secure the scholarship by the judgment of the second stage stay onto the next stage – the individual interview and presentation. The announcement is done differently in my year than in the following year. However, the main characteristics stay – a list of students will be announced and be told elsewhere that they have been dropped out of the selection process. Either that or those who make the break will be told elsewhere.
Stage 3
The final stage of assessment consists of two parts – the individual presentation and the interview. By this stage, approximately half of the applicants would have been dropped out, leaving every group with on average 4-6 members. There doesn’t seem to be any quotas of participants making it to this stage as some teams have significantly more or less members at this stage.
The first portion of the final stage begins such that you are given 15 minutes to prepare a presentation based on one of the questions from a list. There are general questions similar to SPM-level questions and more external knowledge-based questions. Most interviewees went for the general questions. Do note that while all of the applicants prepare together, not everyone gets interviewed immediately after. This does not mean that you are allowed to make edits after 15 minutes of preparation to your flipchart. When it is your turn, you will be asked to present whatever you have for about 10 minutes plus 5 minutes of Q&A session by the assessors. Effective communication, reasoning and making sense is still the key here.
The second and ultimate portion is of course the interview itself, which may be rather lengthy. Mine, for one, lasted almost about an hour. In practice, your interviewers want to know more about what they have learned about you in the previous stages e.g. why your chosen course, why Bank Negara and of course, showcasing through your ECAs/school life why you are suitable for the scholarship or even working in Bank Negara as a whole. Essentially, they want to be sure that you are suitable for the scholarship. There is no point awarding a scholarship to a student who won’t fit into working at Bank Negara. The criteria of assessment remain difficult to decipher, my advice remains the same – be yourself at your best.
What happens after Kijang Academy?
This is arguably even more stressful than the assessment itself if you make it thus far. You have to wait for almost 3-4 weeks before you get the decision from BNM. There is only so much you can do at this stage, go on with interviews from other scholarship bodies, continue college education or get on with life as usual. If you are awarded the scholarship, you will receive a phone call from BNM telling you the discipline you are sponsored to pursue; you will also be told of the country in which your undergraduate studies will take place, hopefully. There are people who do not attain their first choice, presumably that the assessors think that their second choice suits them more. By words, you can decide to either accept or reject the scholarship through phone.
There will be a day dedicated to briefing you and your parents about the scholarship terms and preparatory colleges (KTJ, KYUEM or Taylor’s), probably about a week after you get the call from BNM. On this day, you will be briefed on the scholarship contract just like how legal firms and banks normally would. Make sure that you get as much clarifications as you can on the terms; your following 1 or 2 years in the prep colleges will be directly affected by them. After which KTJ, KYUEM and Taylor’s will brief you on their schools/colleges.
What to do after being awarded the scholarship?
If you are awarded the scholarship, it means you have attained a privilege to have free overseas education, arguably a dream everyone would have. Don’t let it go to waste. Keep in mind that attaining the scholarship is just a stage but retaining the scholarship is another. The universities which you are allowed to apply to are extremely competitive ones, which is rather intuitive because who would want to sponsor stellar students to average overseas universities on par with local universities. This means that you will have to study even harder to get your places in the overseas universities. In your preparatory colleges/schools, life will be even more hectic than in secondary school with more academic content and co-curricular activities. My ultimate advice would be to prioritise smartly; the Bank sent you to whichever place you end up in to study, not to flunk your grades because of anything.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Suah Jing Lian is currently a Bank Negara Malaysia Kijang Scholar who’s pursuing his A-level at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar and hopefully Economics in the UK. He has a penchant for Baroque music, particularly Bach’s partitas, and debating, which he claims provides sparks to his life. People claim that he looks and speaks in an intimidating way but not really, he’s one of the most eccentric people you will ever meet.
There were 2 stages in the Biasiswa FELDA Global application process.
1st Stage – Written Test
The first stage was held a few weeks after submitting the application. There were many of us – around 50 candidates. Thus, it was very challenging as there were too many competitors.
There were a few sections in the test. The English test tested the candidates’ listening skills. There was also a knowledge test where we were asked to write essays of 1500 words and above about FELDA programs for young generations and our suggestions on what to do to help the future generations.
2nd Stage – Interview
After shortlisting the candidates, only 15 of us made it through to the 2nd stage. For this stage, we had to demonstrate our speaking skills as well as our personality to be accepted for the scholarship.
The interviewers asked us about our family backgrounds and how we could contribute to the country, especially to FELDA once we return from tertiary studies. I was also required to give my opinions about Malaysia during the period of time and about the Malaysian education system. Plus, they asked me about FELDA’s program for younger generations.
It was very challenging because we had to face the Chairman of FELDA with his other assistants and the result was up to the 7 interviewers in the room. The feeling was beyond explanation – sometimes nervous, sometimes excited.
There were some criteria that I had fulfilled to be awarded the scholarship. Firstly, my exam results helped. Secondly, my extra-curricular activities. Although I did not join many activities, I had high achievements in one particular activity. They also looked forward to my participation in FELDA Programs for the younger generations.
To prospective Biasiswa FELDA Global applicants, I would advise them to:
Get the best results possible in SPM (of course),
Be active in school activities (you do not need to join many clubs, instead be active in the club that interest you the most),
Get some basic knowledge about what FELDA is all about, including their programs and achievements. You may gather a lot of information from FELDA’s official website, or receive monthly FELDA news in Utusan Malaysia where you will learn about the activities held by FELDA,
Be mentally and physically prepared for the interview and test,
Portray a great personality to impress the interviewers.
Mohamad Hafiz is a FELDA scholar who had just completed his American Credit Transfer Program at INTEC last June. He pursues his study in Mechanical Engineering at State University of New York, University at Buffalo. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time – Thomas A. Edison.
Hello! I am Chow Foo You from Kampar, Perak. I completed my A-levels at Taylor’s College Subang Jaya. With the aid of the JPA scholarship, I am pursuing Engineering Science at Magdalen College, University of Oxford this October.
For your information, I chose a double Maths combination for my A-level course, and the combination comprises Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. In order to get to know about the university application process, I attended talks organized in my college and surfed through relevant websites.
UCAS
First of all, you must apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for all UK university admissions. One of the sections in UCAS is the Personal Statement, and it plays a vital role in your university application. For this section, I recommend you to take your time in writing it. Do not rush it as you do not rush for your future. It is a piece of essay that is about you. Illustrate your passion towards the subject you choose. How to stand out from others? The answer is simple. Be original! However, you can always refer to lots of personal statements available on the web (or here on CollegeLAH of course!).
After completing your first draft, do ask other people such as friends, lecturers and MABECS staff to proofread for you. This process takes a long time. Therefore, start early for better preparation. You can even start now by jotting down some points on your notepad.
Admissions Test and Interview
From the 5 universities that I applied to (University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, University of Manchester and University of Edinburgh), the only university that asked for admissions test and interview is University of Oxford.
The admissions test I sat for was the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT). You have to register yourself at a centre which provides this test. For my case, I sat for it at Taylor’s College. The test is free of charge but the centre where you sit for this test may charge an administration fee.
I really faced a hard time when sitting for the PAT as my Further Mathematics A-level examination was exactly on the same date. After struggling with the Further Maths paper, I had to deal with my PAT right after that, though there was a 30-minute short break in between.
As for the Oxford interview, there are two options that you can choose from. The first one requires applicants to travel all the way to Oxford to attend the interview. The second one, a Skype interview, would be better either to avoid the hassle or to save money.
I was interviewed by two interviewers and the session lasted 30 minutes. Three questions were thrown to me one after another. The first question was about sketching graph which involved simple calculus. An equation was given and it was obviously a negative exponential graph. However, due to my nervousness, I simply drew an exponential graph without any thinking. The interviewer asked me: “Why do you draw like this? Do you have any proof?” At this point only I realized my stupidity. Immediately I asked myself to calm down and asked for permission to do it again. Finally, I got the correct answer and the interviewers were happy with me. The lesson of the story: do not panic!
The second question was about circular motion and the third was about conservation of energy. These two questions involve real life situations – a rotating marble and a dam. Throughout the interview process, when you are stuck in a situation, you can actually ask for guidance. The interviewers are willingly to guide you. They do not expect you to know everything. They just want to look for your potential. They would like to make sure that you can fit into the tutorial system at Oxford which is basically a discussion-based learning process.
So, here is my story and I hope it does give you a little insight into the UK application process. If you have any inquiry, you can always contact me. This is my email address: fuyoh94@gmail.com. Good luck!
Chow Foo You,the mathematical genius is going to further his Engineering Science in the University of Oxford under the JPA scholarship. He can travel around the Europe with his Adidas. However, with his pair of super minute eyes, we have no idea how would he view all the beautiful sceneries in England later.
FINANCIAL AID PART ONE: JARGONS & CHOOSING UNIVERSITIES
Hello prospective Class of 2019 (and later)! I am Annabelle, a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College. When I applied to American universities, I remember being overwhelmed and frustrated (well… mostly frustrated) by its tedious financial aid application process, a phase I am sure most of you are going through right now. I hope my article does its part in tiding you through the process.
Before we begin, let’s get our terminology straight.
Scholarships (merit-based) versus Financial Aid (need-based)
Merit scholarships are awarded based on merit on the nature of academics/extracurriculars. On many cases merit scholarships alone might not be sufficient to offset the total cost of attendance because they are not tailored to a student’s financial need. However, note that one or more merit scholarships can also be part of a need-based financial aid package.
Need-based financial aid is offered based on your financial need, i.e. the difference between the total cost of attendance of a university and how much your parents/guardians can afford to pay. A typical need-based financial aid package is comprised of one or more of the following: grant, merit scholarship(s), student loan and work-study.
State/public universities generally offer only merit scholarships for international students whereas private research universities and liberal arts colleges usually offer both need-based aid and merit scholarships.
Need-aware versus Need-blind
Universities that offer need-based financial aid are either need-aware or need-blind.
Need-blind universities are universities that do not consider your financial need when deciding your admissibility. In other words, applying for financial aid will not “hurt” your chances of being admitted to these universities. Conversely, universities that are need-aware will take into account the fact that you applied for financial aid when considering you for admission.
**In case you still have trouble differentiating the terms I introduced, keep in mind that the word, “need-based”, describes a financial aid policy, whereas the terms, “need-blind” and “need-aware”, are used in relation to admission.
POP QUIZ!
Drawing from what you read earlier, if you are admitted and offered a need-based financial aid package by a university, you now have the financial means to attend this particular university. Is this true? (You have 5 seconds to scroll back and check if you dozed off reading just now.)
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The answer is no. (“What?! But you said […]”) Okay, to be fair, that was a trick question. Note that not all universities that offer need-based aid promise to meet 100% demonstrated financial need.
Need-based versus Meets Full Need
Some people might have a hard time differentiating between the concepts of need-based and meeting 100% demonstrated need, so I am going to show some calculations below in regard to this.
Say you, an aspiring scarer, applied to Monsters University and got admitted with a need-based financial aid package.
Total cost of attendance for Monsters University: USD 58000 MINUS The amount your parents can afford to pay: USD 9500 EQUALS TO Your financial need: USD 48500 (This is how much financial aid Monsters U should offer you in order for you to attend)
However, Monsters U does not promise to meet full need.
Monsters U adcoms are aware that you need USD 48500-worth of financial aid in order to enroll but unfortunately the university does not have sufficient funding, so you are awarded USD 30000 in financial aid and have until May 1st to decide if you want to enroll.
****** 10-minute water break ******
Choosing universities
The ideal university for a financial aid applicant would, of course, be one that offers need-based aid, is need-blind in terms of admission and promises to meet 100% demonstrated financial aid. Sounds too good to be true? Well, good news for you – they do exist! As of now, there are six need-blind universities in the States that meet full need: Amherst, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Princeton and Yale. (Technically, Amherst is a liberal arts college, but for the sake of consistency I will maintain the usage of the term, “university”, in this article.)
“But… as financial aid applicants, we don’t only have six universities to choose from, do we?”
Of course not! There are many universities in the States that, albeit being need-aware, offer need-based aid and promise to meet full need upon admission. When I applied, I had the fortune of stumbling upon a website that had an almost comprehensive list of need-aware, full-need universities. Set the filters to “100% financial need met” and “financial aid available for international students”, and voilà – some 69 universities miraculously pop up.
There are, however, two shortcomings about this site:
There is a very rigid toggle limit for the %-of-financial-need-a-school-can-meet function. The next percentage down from 100 that you can select is 80. Even schools that meet 99.9% need, only 0.1% down from full need, will be ruled out if you set the filter to 100%. I believe that universities that meet more than 98% of financial need should not be ruled out because, speaking from personal experience, there is always the possibility of appealing/negotiating for more aid upon admission.
Some universities don’t report data on financial aid.
FINANCIAL AID PART TWO: APPLICATION MATERIALS
For international financial aid applicants, you typically submit the CollegeBoard CSS/ Financial Aid PROFILE or the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA). Sometimes the Certificate of Finances (COF) is required along with the ISFAA. In rare cases, some universities, like Bates, Franklin & Marshall, Hamilton and Middlebury, use their own financial aid application forms for international students. In addition to your main financial aid application form, most of the time universities will also ask for certified copies of your parents’ statements of income and tax return forms.
CollegeBoard CSS/ Financial Aid PROFILE (Base fee of USD9 + USD16 per university)
This is an online form and the only form that allows you to fill in amounts using Malaysian Ringgit. If you are applying to universities that use a combination of PROFILE and ISFAA and/or COF, I suggest you start with PROFILE and plug in the numbers using the current exchange rate to other forms later.
CollegeBoard International Student Financial Aid Application and (sometimes) Certification of Finances (free of charge)
These forms come in .pdf format so you can either complete these forms with Adobe or print them out and fill them in manually. Everything in both forms should be completed in USD.
Statement of Income
This would generally be your parents’ monthly pay slips. If they are not in English, translate them into English and have your parents’ employers certify the copies. Companies have these in soft copies – so ask your parents to try to get the soft copies for translation purposes. It does not matter in which currency the amounts are denominated as long as the currency used has been clearly stated. There is no specific requirement as to how many monthly pay slips you should submit, but I submitted three consecutive ones for both parents.
Back when I applied some universities asked for an annual statement of income instead of monthly statements. Neither of my parents’ companies had one of those, so I printed the numbers on my parents’ company letterhead and had my parents’ employers certify them. Below is a template for this in case any of you ever need it.
To Whom It May Concern,
Verification of Annual Income and Taxes Paid in Year 201X
I hereby verify the details of my employee, XXXXXXX as followed: a) Total Amount of Income Received in Year 201X: RM XXXXX b) Total Taxes Paid in Year 201X: RM XXXX
Yours faithfully, XXXXXXX
Tax Return Form
For parents who work in private sectors in Malaysia, this would be the EA form. If you have to translate this form, an English version is readily available in .pdf online. Again, your parents’ employers need to certify these.
FINANCIAL AID PART THREE: MINIMIZING APPLICATION COSTS & OTHER TIPS
The financial cost of applying to American universities can add up, and it doesn’t help that we have to multiply everything by 3.20 or so. Here’s how to not break your (parents’) bank on your way to ‘Murica:
1. Have your college application fee waived (You save:USD 60-80 per school)
Have your school counselor write an application fee waiver request on your behalf, attesting to how the application fee is going to put a strain on your family’s finances. Support with evidence like your annual household income, number of dependants in your family, the total cost of application you have to pay and the current exchange rate. Alternatively, you can write it yourself and have your counselor certify it.
How to submit your college application fee waiver request:
Most colleges want you to mail it physically. However postage can be costly (not as costly as the application fee, but still.) so I asked my counselor to scan and attach the waiver request within her online recommendation letter. For schools that specify they need to receive a fee waiver request before you apply, you can always try sending them a scanned copy of the fee waiver request, explain how posting it will strain your family’s finances, ask if they can accept the scanned copy for now and promise that you will have your counselor send it online along with the rec letter.
How to submit Common App with a fee waiver:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.2. Have your test scores sent through counselor (You save: RM100 for IELTS per school and USD11.25 for SATs per school; not sure about TOEFL)
In order to do this, you need to write to individual schools and ask in advance, or schools will deem your application incomplete. You don’t need a formal letter like the fee waiver request; just shoot them an email stating how sending scores via CollegeBoard/ETS/IDP will strain your finances and ask if it’s possible to send them via your counselor instead.
Which score report to submit:
CollegeBoard doesn’t provide you with a physical copy of your SAT test score report unless you request and pay for it. Instead of doing this I downloaded the Online Student Score Report that is available free-of-charge to everyone who has taken the SAT and had my counselor submit the first page of both my SAT I & SAT II reports. There will be a watermark that says “NOT AN OFFICIAL SCORE REPORT” embedded somewhere highly visible on your online report, but fear not – this report will be considered official by most schools once your counselor stamp and certify it.
Where your counselor should attach your test scores:
If you have all your scores ready by the time your counselor submits the Mid-Year Report, have him/her attach them in the Mid-Year Report. Otherwise, wait till all your scores are in and have your counselor submit an Optional Report. I would suggest that you consolidate all test scores and submit them in the same report, i.e. either the Mid-Year Report or the Optional Report. Submitting them separately can be very confusing for the adcoms, and they are already doing you a favor by accepting these score reports via your counselor (this means the extra workload of entering your scores into the system manually), so be considerate!
3. Have your PROFILE fee waived (You save: Base fee of USD9 & USD16 per school)
You do this in two ways:
Ask for a PROFILE fee payment code by explaining your financial hardship
For reference, schools that provided me with a code were Amherst, Colorado, Cornell, Duke, Lafayette, Mount Holyoke, NYU and Skidmore. Not all schools offer a fee payment code, though. And if they don’t, go for option b.
Ask if they accept the ISFAA and COF in lieu of the PROFILE
Schools that I applied to had varied responses to this. Some agreed to it; some didn’t but agreed to hold off my PROFILE requirement until (if) I receive an admission offer; others sent me their own financial aid application form that they reserve for only students who cannot afford the PROFILE.
4. Have your financial documents (e.g. parents’ statements of income and tax return forms) sent electronically (You save: Whatever postage costs)
Additional Notes:
The bulk of what I wrote above applies only to those with lower/mid-level household income. If you do not fall under this category and attempt to abuse these fee waivers by misrepresenting your application, know that in life what goes around ultimately comes around.
When approaching the schools for waivers, be polite but persistent and assertive. You will be surprised at what you can get simply by asking.
Financial aid applicants should also consider the availability of funding for unpaid summer internships and study abroad programs in a particular university before applying. This might not seem as important at the moment, but – trust me – it will be highly relevant in a year or two.
Annabelle Ooi is a neuroscience major in Mount Holyoke College. She is probably one of the few unartistic left-handers in this world who can’t draw and is tone-deaf. Feel free to email her with questions on financial aid, NeXXt scholar program, liberal arts colleges and life in an all-women’s college.
Muhammad Azzam bin Mohd Yani is currently studying at the London School of Economics (2013-2016) under sponsorship from the Securities Commission. This Economics personal statement got him the opportunity to pursue Economics at other universities besides LSE including: University College London, University of Warwick, University of York and University of Exeter.
Reading “Economics at crossroads” by Matt Bishop fuelled my curiosity and efforts to understand more about economics. The US government still have not managed to reduce unemployment significantly despite countless measures. This implies that more effort is needed to fully explain such economic behaviour and there are many instances economists failed to agree on a common solution to an economic problem. I hope to be able to offer my own ideas and perspective in the field of economics. I am grateful that the Securities Commission of Malaysia had awarded me a fully funded scholarship to pursue an Economics degree in the United Kingdom. This scholarship will help me to achieve my distant dream to be a renowned economist.
Being passionate about world issues and current affairs, I have engaged in numerous forums and discourses. I went to a Model United Nations Conference last year as a delegate of the United States to discuss about the current developments in the US and also Eurozone. We discussed in detail of the US implementation of the Wall Street Reform and stressed on the importance of restoring public confidence in the financial sector. In addition to that, we analysed deeper into quantitative easing used by the US and other countries to weigh the risks and advantages of this measure. My participation in intellectual discourses has tremendously improved my knowledge of world politics and economics. Not only that, the conferences also prompted me to explore different contexts of economies and learn more about international relations.
My favourite subjects in A-Level which are Further Mathematics and Statistics illuminated me on how hypothesis testing is being done which will be of great help in making conclusions about the relationship between variables in economics. Studying Mathematics and also Further Mathematics in A-level have given me a solid foundation to embark on econometrics. Professor Dipak Basu’s book on “Economic theories, models and application” illustrated the importance of mathematics in economics through various applications in real life such as determining inflation and interest rate targets. I have also leveraged the use of social media such as Twitter and YouTube as a new learning platform where I can access to introductions of Game Theory, Coase Theorem and other economic ideas.
It is quite intriguing to learn about the different schools of thought such as the neo-classical and Austrian economics. The nature of this field which welcomes room for debates and dissenting views excites me. I have participated in many debate competitions including two major debate events, the Australasian Intervarsity and Asian Universities Debating Championship. Participating in economic debates is always exhilarating and trains me to do extensive researches, polish my persuasion skills, and sharpen my critical thinking. It is imperative for me to understand the complexity of important economic issues such as keeping debt-ridden countries afloat within the EU and many more. My fondest memory of debating is being able to win an economics debate against a team from Monash University, Australia which had won numerous world and regional debating championships. Debating also gives me the opportunity to socialize with fellow debaters from all over the world.
Another hobby of mine which is to spend long hours on chess games enhanced my strategic decision making and problem solving skill. I was once ranked 19th place at national level. I had also participated in the University Of New South Wales International Competition for Mathematics. I was grateful to be awarded the best student in my school and also the “Additional Mathematics Award” for two consecutive years. I took part in the “World Food Day” program in my college to pack and distribute food packages to the needy in developing nations. During my pastime, I enjoy swimming and ice skating.
Hence, I am highly motivated to perform at my best in the United Kingdom.
DISCLAIMER: The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. UCAS employs a plagiarism check system that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.
1. What was included in the application process to IMU?
Apply online thru www.imu.edu.my. No personal statement is required although we need to sit for the IELTS.
2. What are some of the activities that you participated that you think helped your application?
I was a member of the Pre-Medical Society in Taylor’s College Subang Jaya. Participating in activities organized by the society gave me a chance to be exposed to people who are less fortunate. I was also a member of the St John Ambulance of Malaysia. I learned a lot on handling emergency cases, and had the chance to talk to medical personnels.
3. How was the interview session?
The interview session was quite tense and awkward because the interviewers kept on looking at each other when I answered their questions. Be prepared to be bombarded with a lot of questions on why you want to be a doctor. The last question is usually on your critical thinking.
The question I got was:
“Will you accept gifts (eg: BMW car) from your patient’s family member as a token of gratitude?” Don’t be surprised when your interviewers ask you, “what about a small card or a fruit basket? ”I nearly fainted trying to tell them my points.
4. What do you think contributed to the success of your application?
ECAs should be able to help you a lot on answering the questions. Do well academically (at least AAB for A Levels) if you’re planning to apply for the PMS (Partner Medical School) programme.
5. What advice would you give to future applicants?
Good luck and have fun! You may find examples of the critical thinking questions online. My friend who is a final year Medical student told me that IMU seldom change their critical thinking questions. All the best!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Melanie Hew is a joyful girl who enjoys bringing happiness to people. She will be pursuing Bachelor of Biomedicine in the University of Melbourne. She hopes to be a paediatric cardiologist in the future.
I’m Ying Hong. I go to Stanford University, and I’m a sophomore. A large part of my life has revolved around science and math. The culmination of this is my representing Malaysia in the annual International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) several times in secondary school. I make bad puns and am not ashamed of them. I have the uncanny ability to draw very round circles and have recently translated that skill into drawing and sketching. I can write words in very uniform straight lines on blank, unlined paper.
2. What was included in the application process to your university?
There was the CommonApp, and Stanford had plenty of shorter essay questions meant to probe my personality, among those that I have record of are “a letter to your future roommate” and “reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development”.
3. How did you approach your essays?
I talked about my experience at the last IMO I participated in. I did not focus on the competition itself, but more on my experience as a leader, being the most experienced (read ‘oldest’) in the team. The gist of it was that overall, the team did not do as well as hoped, including myself. I am not a natural leader, and telling others to accept failure and move on (the competition wasn’t over yet) would just sound contrived. But having been through many such disappointments I knew how they felt and was able to talk them through it.
How did I write it? My writing style is very economical. I do not add flowery language and fluff to distract the reader. The point I want to convey here is my personal growth through this sequence of events I am chronicling. 500 words is very little. Spend them wisely.
Did you perform any attachments/ internships (if any)? Where was the attachment? How did you select where to do the attachment?
Not really, but I did work as a camp facilitator several times at Olympiad math camps with Ardent Educational Consultants (run by our IMO trainer Mr. Suhaimi). These camps run for several days. I also taught and trained my secondary school (SMJK Katholik) math team.
Besides the attachment, what are some of the activities that you participated that you think helped your application (ie. ECA, voluntary etc)?
I played chess, and represent my secondary school and district (Petaling Utama) to MSSD and MSSS.
I was concertmaster in the school symphony (playing violin).
I also volunteered at a local Tzu Chi recycling centre (probably not very helpful in application but what the heck
6. Did you have to take any tests? If so, how did you find the test? How did you prepare for it? In your opinion, what are some of the tips & techniques to get a good score in the tests?
SAT – The essay has to be written in a specific format. For the vocab section you just have to memorize lots of words (SAT vocab books are a great resource) and the passages portion is rather tricky. I attend the Princeton Review course, but honestly once you know the tricks, they are pretty easy to nail down. I think the books are good enough. And lots of practice. As for the math portion… well…
SAT II (subject tests) – I took physics, chemistry and math. The A-Levels should be more than sufficient to master these, but even if you’re planning to take them before you complete your A-Levels, they are not very hard, because they do not go too deep into the concepts. Again the books are good resources, and do lots of practice.
7. How was the interview session (if any)? What were the questions asked (if you still remember). Was it a group or individual interview? How was the atmosphere? Was it one-sided with the interviewer asking only or was it a discussion? Was it friendly, tense, awkward etc? How did you prepare for the interview?
There was no interview for Stanford. But I did have an interview for MIT (where I got waitlisted the first time I applied). It really depends on the interviewer. They are Malaysian alumni, so in general they want to help you. Mine was very ‘chill’, and I just talked very naturally. He got me to talk about what I was passionate about, and the interesting things I do outside of school. I talked about the crazy random projects I built and some cool origami and how they were in fact very mathematical creatures (you can construct the cube root of 2 and trisect an angle with origami. Not doable with straight edge and compasses).
8. What do you think contributed to the success of your application? What are some of the past experiences/ ECA/ work attachment/ academic achievements that you included in your personal statement/ essays/ interview/ test?
I think my IMO credentials (silver medal) weighed in heavily. But I also think that wrapping it up in a cocoon of fuzzy personality stuff and showing that I am not a robot who just does math and programming all day (although sometimes I do that) helped me distinguish myself from just another nerd. Then again, Stanford IS nerd nation. Anyhow, they certainly want students of a certain calibre, but once you get past that point, there are a lot of randomness and variables that can affect your application, from the lack of coffee to the excellent Californian weather.
9. What advice would you give to future applicants? What are some of the useful resources you used?
START EARLY. Really. Again, START EARLY.
Stress over it, have nightmares about it, fuss and cry about it, but if you really want to get into the school, it is worth it.
Don’t just apply to schools you want to go to, because most probably everyone else is applying there too. Apply to some of the lesser-known schools as well. You may have to explain to your future job interviewer where in the world it is, but the experience of living in the US or any foreign land is priceless.
START EARLY. Can’t repeat this often enough.
Ask friends or teachers or strangers to read your essays. Get honest feedback. Read them out loud (to yourself). If you don’t feel comfortable then you’re not earnest about it and they can sense fear…
US-specific Questions
1. Does your college require you to submit any supplements? If yes, how were they?
I don’t fully recall… There were some short essay questions as mentioned above, and I’m pretty sure there were short questions like what your favourite books are and favourite music and even movies… Don’t sweat it.
2. Did you apply via Regular Decision, Early Decision, or Early Action? What impacted your choice?
Regular. MIT was my top choice, but early action (or decision? I’m honestly still confused about the two) was only available for Americans. So I waited…
3. We know that the US places a focus on ECAs too. If a student wasn’t too involved in secondary school, is it too late to start during Pre-U, and where would be the best place to start?
I’d say it’s not too late, but you’ll certainly be at a slight disadvantage, given others have probably already accumulated years of experience and held many leadership positions. But as long as you show the initiative to learn and grow as a human being, and not just a certificate collector, then you should be good. Also, ECAs most certainly do not have to be ‘president of the marching band’ or ‘head prefect’. I’m sure if you weren’t too involved in those things, you must have done other things that may have profoundly impacted your life. Dig deep and find what truly drives you.
4. Any advice on how to ask for recommendations from your teachers/lecturers?
Ask. No way around it. Make eye contact. Don’t shake and convulse at the sight of your math teacher.
Get someone who knows you best as a person and not just about your academic achievements. The recommendations are there to fill in that outsider’s perspective of you as a human being, and your grades should be reflected on your side of the application.
Ying Hong Tham is pursuing a Computer Science degree at Stanford University under Astro scholarship. You can find him sneaking into lecture halls at night to use the chalkboards for math scratch work and random doodling.
1.5 years ago, I would never had imagined myself studying in the States. I was set about to pursue Medicine locally or Economics/Engineering abroad. Then came Liberal Arts which captured my heart so hard and so fast. I chose to study Liberal Arts because I wanted a fresh and holistic approach towards education. There was freedom to explore subjects I have never come across before, and an opportunity to discover my direction. The thing is, not many people have heard of Liberal Arts. Aunties and Uncles say “Sorry girl, can repeat ah?” whenever I mention what I am studying. I guess it has a lot to do with the U.S. being so far away (I was one of the people who travelled the furthest in my class). Most people never go beyond the “Aiyah, so far so expensive better study here!” stage. However, I did and I am glad I took the effort to demystify the U.S. system through research and consultation, because I am extremely satisfied with my choice. I hope you will do the same.
So hello there! My name is Tan Cai May and I am a freshmen of Soka University of America (SUA)’s class of 2018. I am in my dorm room enjoying the Southern California breeze as I type this. Prior to applying, I studied A Level at Taylor’s College Subang Jaya, where I took 3 Science subjects, Math and Thinking Skills. As of now, I am deciding to concentrate in Environmental Studies or International Studies or both. A year ago, I attended the USAPPS two-day workshop in Klang Valley. It was extremely informative and helpful for prospective students. Of all the things I remembered, it was a facilitator’s advice to apply to a range of schools that stuck with me: apply to the top guns, middle range ones where you would stand a fair chance and the safety schools. That is what drove me to send in applications to 10 private liberal arts institutions. I was lucky enough to get into 9 of them, including Macalester, Mount Holyoke, Smith and Grinnell all with scholarship grants.
I ended up choosing Soka University of America because: 1) SUA has an intimate setting, with a student body smaller than most liberal arts colleges’. This ultimately translates to more interactions with faculty and more available opportunities. 2) Every student is required to take up a new language. We also get to study abroad in a country that speaks the language! 3) SUA’s mission is to foster a steady stream of global citizens. This captured me because I wanted to be in a place that could nurture true humanistic leaders, who concentrated more on character building and self-development than grades. This is a place where I can build a solid self, consolidate correct virtues of life and develop a skill set that would give me the right platform to step off into the post-degree world. 4) SUA offered me a generous amount of financial aid. I came here on a full ride scholarship (Merit Scholarship and Soka Opportunity Scholarship), which is a complete plus that I am extremely grateful for.
For all 10 colleges, I used the Common Application (CommonApp) for my application. The application process was tedious, but not as complicated as we make it up to be. I got to know that some institutions had different application requirements. For example, SUA required applicants to convert their academic records into CGPA format. For that I had to submit my original certificates (IGCSE and A Levels) 3 months prior to the deadline to a company specializing in these conversions so that my documents will reach on time. With CommonApp, applicants had to go to their teachers for recommendation letters and have a school counsellor for verification purposes. Some of my peers went back to their high schools and asked help from their guru kaunseling. I was lucky enough to have free counselling service in my college and they took care of that particular area. Most colleges require a minimum of 2 recommendations from teachers. I approached my Economics teacher from high school and Chemistry teacher from college. I made this choice as I believed they know me well enough, in terms of personal characteristic, work ethic and performance throughout the courses. The other motive was that I wanted the admissions panel to get to know my experience and flexibility of both arts and sciences. I thought it was an important point to make especially when applying for the Liberal Arts program.
The CommonApp also requires a submission of academic records and has a section for Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs). It will be beneficial if you are an active member in a club that interests you greatly or have a leadership role. It is definitely a plus if you have an ECA record of some sort when applying to the States. ECAs are not limited to college activities. It could be volunteering experiences, community organizations or programs. For me, I had a strong leadership experience in my religious community. I believed that helped me a lot in my application. However, bear in mind, it is never too late to start. Feel free to start whenever you can. Do not put it off, thinking you cannot. But, do not force something just because you want something on your resume. Personally, I feel ECAs are a way to express yourself and gain more exposure. It adds color to life and it certainly adds some color to your application. So go out there and have some fun.
All the colleges that I applied to only require the SAT 1 test. I started preparing approximately 2 months prior to my first test date, which was an absolute rush. Mind you, I was not even studying at that time frame. It requires consistent practice. My friend said as long as you finished up all 10 practice tests (The Official SAT Study Guide by CollegeBoard) and the online test, all will be fine. I heeded the advice and it turned out okay. The test is not like your standard IELTS or TOEFL test, as it requires you to master a wide range of vocabulary and have broad grammatical knowledge. Going through the practice tests, I identified my weaknesses and spent time on them, seeking out free online resources to improve myself. I took the test twice, but I personally think once is enough as there was minimal improvement on the second test. Two of my friends had the same experience. However, it depends on each person and whether you ACTUALLY studied *grins*.
And of course, essays. And of course, I will use this hackneyed cliché: The correct approach to essays, especially U.S. essays, is to be honest about yourself and your passions. When choosing a college, you have to find the correct FIT. Fit here means that you find yourself nodding to the goals/missions of the school or particular lifestyle or approach to education of the school. So research prior to applying is important. Do not apply just because. Personal essays require a lot of self-reflection. I spent day after day writing my essays after a prolonged period of brainstorming. I found critical questions helped me get to the point: What message do I want to get across? Is this what I want to say, honestly? So what? Talk about what you know and what you feel, honestly. Demonstrate your thought process on paper, especially if you are writing about a personal experience; demonstrate your knowledge if you are writing about something technical. This is you on a piece of paper and you have to make it good, clear and clean. Of course, the key is to do your essays early. Nothing wrong with coming up with a surface-level-deep first draft. If you work hard on revising it, you will have a solid one to submit at the end of the process. I did let my peers read my essays and I took their comments into consideration. It will be beneficial to have a couple of strangers to go through your main essays if you want an unbiased first impression. I also chose to write the optional essay questions for my application because I would be able to show more of myself on paper. In turn, the admissions panel would get to know me better. If you choose to do this, just be sure that it is not a 2.0 version of your main and personal essays.
I believe a good academic track record and engagement in social activities are strong points in an application. I made sure that the diversity of experiences and what I learned from the experiences were shown in my application. On the flipside, it is the personality that matters in some cases. Some seniors have regarded that it was their personality that saw them through to the colleges they wanted. It is always good to demonstrate your attitude towards college and learning in general. You must know your strong cards and play them right.
So my two cents: If you are sure of it, go for it. Do not underestimate yourself, do not overestimate, be intermediate and be confident. Sometimes luck may be on your side, but you will never lose by trying. I took the application as a learning process and learned to persevere through it. Going through application frustrations will shed light on a lot of things and you may figure things out (think life epiphany moments) along the way. I am a believer of non-elitism, free education and meritocracy, so what I said was based on my view points. I hope it is relevant to what you are looking for. Please do not use this as rule of thumb, but rather one of the windows you happened to peek into. All in all, good luck and have fun building your own journey!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Tan Cai May is a Liberal Arts student at Soka University of America, Class of 2018, who has yet to decide on her concentration. She is an avid fan of fashion (yay instagram), non-hit chart music, deep dialogues and good books. With her years in SUA, she wishes to find her true direction, break personal boundaries and do the best of her ability. She is also extremely grateful to SUA and SUA’s donors for her full scholarship.
I’m studying Engineering in the University of Cambridge under the JPA scholarship. In my free time I play the guitar (as an amateur), read, and help out with my school’s Christian Fellowship. I have no pet dragon.
What was included in the application process to your university?
The main things I had to do were
1) decide to apply to Cambridge,
2) fill in a (quite tedious) online form called the COPA,
3) sit for an interview and
4) do some written tests – the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) and a short essay on Engineering.
What did you include in your personal statement?
My personal statement consisted of a brief introduction explaining why I wanted to study Engineering, followed by a few paragraphs on some loosely Engineering-related things that I did, and lastly a bit about my extracurricular activities in school.
When I wrote my personal statement, I had really done very little that was directly related to Engineering, so I had to find some rather creative ways to link the things that I had done to the subject. Nothing I did was really spectacular, so I mainly tried to show (and kindle!) my inward enthusiasm for the subject.
I wrote 80% of my personal statement in one 1-hour sitting, to get it over and done with, like ripping off a band-aid. The rest consisted of minor tweaks here and there. My lecturer was unsatisfied with it, but in the end I submitted it anyway, thinking that any rewrite would probably not be much better (I have friends who rewrote the entire thing several times). I read my personal statement recently, and I think my lecturer was right – it wasn’t very good, so I think it would be best not to enclose it. It’s a good thing Cambridge also has your interview to go on!
Did you have to take any tests outside your normal course for your application?
The only test I did besides A-Levels was IELTS. Cambridge asked for a relatively high grade, an average band score of 7.5 with all of the individual components having a score of 7.0 or higher. English is my first language. I didn’t go for any classes, but I did go online and find out the format of the test, as well as borrow some example questions from friends who did go for classes. I ended up getting an average of 8.0, with the writing section dangerously close to forcing me to redo the paper at 7.0.
The interview was by far the most interesting part of my application, and also the most distressing. The questions were fairly simple maths and physics ones, and the interviewer mainly wanted to test my understanding of basic concepts (which was sometimes lacking, but he was nice about it). The room had only me and a lone interviewer in it. The interviewer was quite friendly, though he dived almost immediately into the interview questions. He drew diagrams and equations on sheets of paper, then asked me questions based on them.
If I answered correctly, he would probe deeper into my understanding (“Why do you say that? What makes you think this way?”). If I answered wrongly (which happened more often than not!), he would guide me to the correct answer and see if I could follow. After 30 minutes of being corrected, I left the interview room more or less certain I wouldn’t be getting through (which goes to show sometimes you’re mistaken about your mistakes!). The only preparation I did was go to this website: http://i-want-to-study-engineering.org/. It’s set up by the Cambridge University Engineering Department, so there’s no better place to go.
What do you think contributed to your success of your application?
I must say I am not sure what it could have been. As I have already indicated, my personal statement was nothing special (and devoid of any work experience or special projects) and my interview certainly could have gone much better, even considering the fact that they are not looking for first-time right answers. My answer to the written test that I did was similarly average. One thing I can say is that Cambridge asked for the UMS scores of my first few exam modules, and I had done very well.
What advice do you have for future applicants?
I suppose if there’s one thing to be learned from my experience, it’s this: you may not think you are a spectacular student, and you may not have done much related to your subject. It’s fine. If you want to go for it, just try; you may be surprised (as I certainly was!). Be warned though, while the application process itself is not really stressful, it becomes stressful once you invest yourself in it and put in the time and effort. When I decided to apply to Cambridge, I was quite nonchalant about it, but as time went by I got more and more invested, and more and more worked up, until the interview became a kind of shadow looming over the year. Try not to let it get to that. Getting into Oxbridge is not everything.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Andrew Foong is a JPA scholar pursuing Engineering in the University of Cambridge. He has a profound love for cookies, especially chocolate ones.
I am an Australian Permanent Resident and I took A Levels instead of Australian Year 12. I’m going to pursue Bachelor of Biomedicine in University of Melbourne, Australia.
It wasn’t until April this year that I found out that my university application was a completely different procedure compared to other students and the placement center in my college couldn’t assist me in my application. My reaction was like “Oh My Gosh, how I wish someone told me earlier so I wouldn’t have to go through this hassle!”
And yes, I shall tell you how to overcome this and not create a (sort of) mess like I did.
Step 1: check if your parents/you are Permanent Residents of Australia.
If you are an Australian PR, congratulations! (Please proceed to Step 3)
If you are not an Australian PR, congratulations! (Please proceed to Step 2)
Step 2: International students
International students with overseas qualifications (A Levels, CIMP, CPU, STPM, Malaysian Matriculation)
International students can apply directly to universities or through education centers like IDP or AUG. You may get your application fee waived.
Prepare your certificates and forecast results. Do bear in mind that you’ll have to certify your photocopied certificates.
Go onto university websites/education centers to get the application form.
Fill up the application form CORRECTLY.
Most of the universities will give you three choices, just fill in accordingly.
Hand in your application form!
International students with Australian qualifications (SAM, AUSMAT)
Some universities accept direct application but some requires online application. Do check your status ASAP to avoid hesitation.
Important:
Students who want to apply to Medicine, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Veterinary Medicine will have to apply earlier (January).
Students who wish to apply to Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine MUST sit for the International Students Admissions Test (ISAT) from February to October. You may choose the date and time to sit for the test. You must register 6 weeks before the date of examination, and the fee is 300 USD (as of 2014).
Step 3: Permanent Residents
Australian Year 12 students
You do not need to certify any documents. To lodge your university application, go onto the admission websites listed below
www.satac.edu.au (South Australia ;eg: University of Adelaide, Flinders University)
www.uac.edu.au ( New South Wales and Australia Capital Territory; eg: UNSW, University of Sydney)
www.vtac.edu.au (Victoria; eg: Monash University, University of Melbourne, RMIT)
www.tisc.edu.au (Western Australia; eg: Curtin University, University of Western Australia)
You may login to/register your account in August for the Fall intake (February of the following year). The closing date for on time application falls on the end of September.
Non Year 12 students
This is going to be scary and intimidating but don’t worry you’ll be fine.
Register yourself on the admission websites.
Choose your course preferences.
Certify your documents.*
Send your documents to Australia
You’ll have to provide certified true copies of your IELTS, SPM and Pre-U results.
My advice is to go to the Australian High Commission Kuala Lumpur (Jalan Yap Kwan Seng) to get it certified. There is a cost applied (AUD 30 as of 2014)
Students applying for Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine will have to sit for the Undergraduate Medicine Admissions Test (UMAT) around end of July. The nearest test center is in Singapore. The website to this is www.umat.acer.edu.au
**Non Year 12 students are NOT eligible to apply for the Chancellor Scholars Program for University of Melbourne**
UMAT Experience
My advice is to register earlier and do more practice questions within the time frame. For UMAT, time is your biggest challenge. The questions are similar to the practice questions, but critical thinking is very important. Don’t get distracted and read the questions properly!
Additional
Here are some of the example questions:
Why do you want to pursue Medicine?
Tell us about your work experience/voluntary work.
Characteristics you think a doctor should have.
UNSW Medicine requires their applicants to fill up a Medical Application Form. It is similar to a personal statement but it is guided and more structured.
I was a member of the St John’s Ambulance Malaysia in SMK Seafield as well as a member of the Pre-Medicine Society in Taylor’s College Subang Jaya. This allowed me to have exposure to volunteer work. This helped me a lot in completing the application form and also in strengthening my points.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Melanie Hew is a joyful girl who enjoys bringing happiness to people. She will be pursuing Bachelor of Biomedicine in the University of Melbourne. She hopes to be a paediatric cardiologist in the future.
Hey everyone! I’m Esther Ng and I will be reading Economics and Management (E&M) in Oxford University this October.
I applied to read pure economics at Warwick, LSE, Bristol and UCL. However, as Oxford did not offer a pure economics course, I chose E&M instead. (UCAS only allows you to apply to a maximum of 5 universities). Moreover, E&M appealed to me as it combines my interest in the management of business with my passion for economics, and is also less mathematical than a pure economics course in say, LSE or Cambridge.
Personal statement (PS)
Next, the dreaded PS which you would spend centuries redrafting. A personal statement is your opportunity to write about your achievements, passion in the subject and differentiate your application from the others.
I only had 3 weeks to draft and submit my personal statement so, I would really recommend you to start your PS as early as possible to allow yourself ample time to redraft and perfect it.
As you are limited to 4,000 characters (about 1 A4 page), it is vital that you focus your PS on your achievements and experiences that reflect your passion and interest in the course you are applying for. Below is how I structured my personal statement:
Introduction. Why economics? What sparked the interest? Instead of merely mentioning my involvement in community service and mission trips, I’ve linked this to how it initiated my desire to study economics – i.e. “to explore economic policies which would reduce chronic destitution and poverty”
Books I read which supplemented my interest and articles which I found thought provoking. i.e. The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier, Paul Krugman’s End this Depression Now!
My achievements which linked to economics (i.e. UKMT math challenge competition), and the transferrable skills I gained from the subjects I took in A levels (Further Maths and History) and how they further propelled my desire to study economics.
Interest in management. i.e. Link to the practicality of economics/ any experience you have in business management (Enterprise CCA)
UCAS only allows you to submit 1 personal statement so if you’re applying for E&M to all 5 universities, then you may want to give equal weighting to both subjects. However, since I applied for slightly different courses (E&M and pure economics), I only had a small section on management to acknowledge and show interest in it, as I did not want it to affect my pure-economics application to the other 4 universities.
Conclude
TSA Test
The Thinking Skills Assessment is a pre-interview test held in early-November, with the intention to test applicants on their critical thinking and problem solving skills. This is only applicable to certain courses and universities, so do check if you need to take it!
The admission test consists of 2 sections.
Section 1: 50 MCQ in 90 minutes
Section 2: Answer 1 essay from a choice of 4 in 30 minutes which would be reviewed by the admissions tutor of your chosen Oxford college
It’s useful to gain an insight to the structure and time constraints of the paper by looking at specimen/ past papers.
Interview
If you’re shortlisted for the interview, you can decide to fly to the UK or hold a Skype interview.
You are expected to be reasonably well-prepared for your interview.
practise answering typical questions like “Why Economics and Management”
ensure that you are able to discuss anything you mentioned in your personal statement
read about your subject, like current affairs/ latest happenings
have mock interviews with your teachers/ subject specialists (if you think it will help you, I found this useful!) My economics teacher held a mock interview with me which I recorded to see which areas I could improve on.
For my interview, I decided to fly to UK so that I would be able to visit the campus and my college. I applied to Trinity College and had 1 interview there with 3 interviewees and a 2nd interview at Keble college. Both interviews were starkly different, with my 2nd interview being much more math-based.
Example of parts of my E&M interview:
Simple math equation which I had to sketch and questions relating to it. I was not really expecting math questions (I don’t know what I was thinking :/)
Interviewer asked me about the Keynesian stance which I mentioned in my personal statement
‘What would I say about a government that keeps using fiscal stimulus however, there is no improvement?’
Summarise some articles (mine was on employment) which they allowed me to read before the interview
I was nervous for both interviews and felt like I performed terribly especially for the math questions. However, the interviewers were very friendly and would guide me along the math problems whenever I was stuck.
What are the tutors looking for?
Confidence and clarity in expressing and discussing ideas
Interest and passion in subject
Flexibility and ability to construct and assess arguments
Teachability
I almost considered not applying to Oxford due to the limited time I had to prepare my personal statement, and the “certainty” that I would be rejected. What stirred me on was the belief that ‘I know I’ve tried’, so regardless of the outcome, apply to your dream course and university. #noregrets
Esther Ng Kah Wei is delighted to be reading Economics and Management in the University of Oxford. ‘All Glory to God!’, she says. She’s a huge fan of chocolate crepes and loves travelling around the world!
Hello readers. This short piece is to give some insight into the whole selection process for the Astro scholarship. Just to start off, I would like to say that having been in your shoes I can understand any nervousness, anxiety, worry, butterflies in your stomach, etc. As a Christian, my first advice would be to take a deep breath and say a prayer. Remember that if you do your best and leave the rest to God, you have already done the best that you can do. So it becomes pointless to stress over things beyond our control.
How many stages were there in your scholarship assessment?
There are about 4 stages after the submission process.
1st stage – The online assessment
Say you have submitted your resume and are now asked to take the online assessment. This part is done online at your own convenient time. However, you are required to submit your answers before a certain date.
The online assessment is divided into two parts.
The first part is an English/Maths questionnaire where you will be tested on mostly your logic and IQ. It resembles the A-levels Thinking Skills questions (if you are familiar with them). Most people find this part fairly easy so don’t stress too hard over this.
The second part of the online assessment includes writing an essay. You are given two questions and are required to choose one to write an essay on. My question was something along the lines of “Astro is primarily a media broadcasting company. Propose a few ideas to expand the company.” Hopefully you can tell that I am paraphrasing the question.
2nd stage – The Interview
So 1st stage is done and dusted, thank God. Now comes the second stage where you will be invited to an interview at the Astro centre. Here you will be given a time slot to come and attend the interview. Come early as it gives you time to prepare mentally and just to calm down a little. The environment was really pleasant and exciting.
The interviewer was the Vice-President of Human Resources. She was very friendly and hopefully this will put you at ease. The questions were fairly standard like “Tell me about yourself?” “What would you say are some of your weaknesses?” “Tell me about something you did that shows your creativity?” and “How can you contribute to Astro if we select you for our scholarship programme?”
Try to put a little more thought in your answers. Remember, the interviewer will be having interviews that can stretch across a few days. Having the same responses to the questions as most other people will not be very favourable. Also, remember to be honest and polite. Give a proper greeting when you enter the room. Try to remember the interviewer’s name to address him/her properly. Be pleasant. Also, show serious interest in working for the company if you plan to be their scholar.
3rd stage – Group Assessment
Phew. Congratulations if you have made it this far. *Wipe imaginary sweat*
For this stage, Astro will use outside examiners to assess the candidates with a few of their own personnel overseeing the activities. During my time, the people from Leaderonomics were invited to assess the candidates. It was really exciting and the facilitators from Leaderonomics were very outgoing and vibrant people.
You will initially begin with a few ice-breaking activities to ease the tension and loosen up our tongues. Then, the facilitators will start dividing the batch into a few groups. There were about 4 groups, if I am not mistaken, with each group having around 7-8 people. A leader was chosen from each group randomly. My advice would be not to sweat over this. You will not be in anyway handicapped if you do not happen to be a leader of a group. Instead, try showing that you can also be an efficient follower.
After being split into groups, we were given a few tasks to do as a group. Almost all the activities given were fun and resembled high school camping activities.
For example, we were given a bunch of materials and told to create the most innovative Astro centre we could come up with. Also, we were given chocolate bars and mineral water to sell to raise funds for our “Astro centre.” The funds allowed us to buy more material for our project. Selling the chocolate bars and mineral water wasn’t easy though as we had to sell them at a fixed price to either the facilitators from Leaderonomics or Astro. Also, you were competing with other teams to sell the exact same item. I managed to sell the bottle of water by including my own home-packed bottle of water for a buy-1, free-1 deal. Let’s just say some sweet talking was also required.
After a certain amount of time, we were required to give a presentation of our Astro centre and this was when all sorts of ideas were presented. There was even one where the team built missiles as a defence for the centre. Again, this is about creativity and the ability to present rather than what is plausible. Ability in public speaking came in handy here. Other teams were allowed to question your design to test your ability to defend your ideas. Remember that your attitude is being watched throughout the process. Many people here tried asking questions just for the sake of it, which did not impress the judges. Ask only genuine and intelligent questions. Try answering a few as well as the facilitators notice this.
There were many other modules that tested our ability to think on our feet, things that you normally find in a leadership camp activity.
My time spent in Red Crescent camps really paid off here, thank God. My advice would be to get involved in all of the team’s decision making. Voice out your ideas and concerns. Once your voice is heard early (especially if it is beneficial), it makes it easier to state your points throughout the day. Also, remember to take an interest in your teammates’ ideas as most of the people there are intelligent and capable individuals. Be a team player, take up the challenge to lead if appropriate, and try thinking of ideas that are out of the box. Use the opportunity to make some friends as well. Most of the friends that I made ended up getting the scholarship as well.
This stage was the most fun I had in all the scholarship stages I had been in.
4th stage – The Final Interview
Finally, this is the stage before the scholars are selected. You are given a slot to come in for the interview. The interviewer panel on my day consisted of 3 senior Astro employees. There was Mr Alex, the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Andrew, the head of human capital and a lady interviewer (whose name I can’t quite recall), who was the Chief Information Officer. The questions in the interview ranged from “What are some of your interests?” to “Why is the piano an interest of yours?” even up to “What are your favourite periods in music and why?” I guess my point here is they get really thorough in their examination and see how we react to unconventional questions under scrutiny.
It’s not all about music though as they also asked me to defend my choice to study in London as opposed to studying somewhere in the States. Their argument was that the United Kingdom was seeing a decline in terms of competitiveness compared to areas such as China and the United States. Chinese universities are on the rise and the U.S. had traditionally “stronger” universities and was the number one destination worldwide in terms of higher education. Also, universities thrive on government grants which depended on the GDP. With the economic power shifting toward China and the U.S being the powerhouse it has been, British universities are expected to slowly decline.
My advice in this stage would be to pray beforehand, and remain firm with your choice with proper reasons to back your decision. Do not be rude or ignorant however as they are not the same as being firm. Remember that a scholarship is a blessing and the company does not owe you anything.
There are no set number of scholars chosen each year at this stage. 15 were selected for the final interview with 7 finally chosen as Astro scholars. The number was 5 the previous year. It comes down to how many applicants are deemed suitable for the scholarship by the interviewers.
Old man’s ramblings
I sincerely hope this article was some sort of help to you guys. Most of this happened nearly 18 months ago, so most of the details are rather unclear. The Astro scholarship is slightly different from say Khazanah or Shell scholarship. Each scholarship has certain expectations from its candidates and so different people fare differently in each scholarship. Since most of the people that are shortlisted after the first 2 rounds are generally bright, Astro chooses to focus more on individuals who are great at fitting into a business team environment. Sort of like a prefects selection process in some ways.
Also, don’t be afraid to apply if you are studying something that does not seem like a direct fit for the company. I chose to study Geophysics and still managed by God’s grace to get the scholarship. I knew of another applicant who studied gaming design who got shortlisted to the 3rd stage (although he eventually did not manage to get the scholarship).
Finally, it’s not the end of the world if you are not chosen for the Astro scholarship. There are plenty of other scholarship providers. Also, getting a scholarship is not the end all and be all of your life. If you do not manage to get any scholarships, fret not. Life goes on so long as you do the best that you can do. It’s not necessarily the place you study or the scholarship you win. Life should not be a rat race.
There, I got it off my chest. So I wish the very best to all would-be applicants and remember…
THE TIPS AND RECRUITERS’ P.O.V. ARE MY PERSONAL OPINION AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE COMPANY’S STAND.
New Jo-Shua is a devoted Christian who reads Geophysics in Imperial College London under an Astro Scholarship.
This Personal Statement was part of this student’s sucessful application to study Engineering Science at University of Oxford, Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, University College London, University of Manchester and University of Edinburgh
Semi-autonomous wheelchair, a smart breakthrough by the innovative engineers, benefits people who suffer from severe and multiple handicaps. With my boundless enthusiasm towards Mathematics and Physics, I intend to pursue Mechanical Engineering as it has a direct relationship with the real life applications from the typical automobile industry to the production of renewable energy like windmill system. Undoubtedly, most of the industries involve the usage of numerous mechanical machines and devices, it is certain that Mechanical Engineering will continue to be a pioneer of the technologies applied in it.
Among all of the Physics topics that I have learnt, Electromagnetism is definitely one of my favourite topics. This particular topic has broadened my knowledge on how electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy in an electric motor which gives mankind the ease in transportation and construction, just to name a few. Having an inquisitive nature, I had read the book “Industrial Motor Control” by Stephen Herman. This book gave me a better understanding how motors are designed for different industry purposes. One of the interesting aspects that attracted me the most is that DC motors are usually used in applications where speed control is crucial. For instance, the loads carried by cranes must be started slowly and accelerated quickly. Moreover, I also refer to other sources to quench my raging thirst towards Physics knowledge such as signing up Physics-related courses from the Internet.
In secondary school, I had participated in a Solar Car Designing Competition with my schoolmate. Through this competition, I realized the importance of teamwork and time management as we had to invent a solar car within a severe constraint of time. Hands-on skills are of utmost importance and this is where I apply my theoretical knowledge about Mathematics and Physics on practical works. Namely, aerodynamics designs to reduce air resistance acting on the car and the function of a “spoiler” to stabilize a fast-moving car. This had made me even more devoted to this competition as it linked closely to my desired course.
Needless to say, to excel in Mechanical Engineering entails a strong foundation in Mathematics. Apart from having Mathematics and Further Mathematics as my subjects in A-Level, I often take part in Mathematics quizzes such as Australian Mathematics Competition and Euclid Mathematics Contest. These quizzes are not only challenging but also require critical thinking and enterprising attitude in solving the problems.
I had volunteered to join the mentor-mentee programme in my secondary school as well because I enjoyed sharing knowledge with others. It is not only about teaching but at the same time, strengthening my knowledge. In addition, I was the President of Environmental Club. By organizing various activities such as 3R Campaign helps to boost up my leadership skill. Realising that the energy crisis is the main global issue nowadays, I emphasize on recycling as it is energy efficient on a large scale basis. For example, the production of a brand new aluminium can requires the same amount of energy as the remanufacturing of twenty cans from the recycled. On the other hand, having the work experience as a salesperson in Genting Highlands and a branded shoe outlet, I have learnt the techniques in promoting the products to the customers in the shortest time possible, where this requires intense communication skill.
In conclusion, pursuing Mechanical Engineering is one thing that I relish and I would like to contribute towards the efforts in leading mankind to a new era of independent mobility, renewable energy and a more conducive lifestyle.
DISCLAIMER: The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. UCAS employs a plagiarism check system that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.
Hi there! My name is Roumen Guha, and I am an 18-year-old Malaysian studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My intended major is electrical engineering, but mechanical and biomedical engineering are both fields that I am interested in as well. My graduating class will be the class of 2018, although I am trying to finish my course in 3 years instead of 4.
I was jointly awarded the 2014 AMCHAM-MACEE Scholarship by the American-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and the Malaysian American Commission on Educational Exchange. It is a partial scholarship worth $5000 annually, lasting for 4 years of study. To maintain the scholarship, I am expected to maintain at least a 3.25 Grade Point Average, and required to send MACEE a copy of my transcripts every semester. I intend to intern with engineering companies during my summers here, while also taking summer courses. I also plan on pursuing undergraduate research opportunities as they come up.
The first stage of the scholarship application, in my mind, was finding out about it. I only became aware of its existence through a friend of mine who was also applying. I also only found it about 2 weeks before the deadline for the application form. THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TIME.
And so it started, the race against my own laziness. It didn’t help that the scholarship form was a Word document. I resorted to converting the entire document after it was filled out to PDF and then writing the 2 essays in separate Word files. The application also required two letters of recommendation; one from a teacher that had previously taught me and another from a mentor in a community organization that I was a member of. These letters of reference had to be both emailed and posted to MACEE, and because I was already so close to the application deadline of May 30th, I had to request that the letters be completed as quickly as possible. Be aware, they also ask for the income tax and annual salary statements for working parents in the application.
Another challenge I faced was submitting the application, which had to be done via email and via post. However, because I had been working on finalizing my essays till the early morning hours of the 30th of May, I had to submit my application in person. And I didn’t have a working printer at home either. I had to submit it before the MACEE office closed at 16:30. My parents were supposed to have come home from work with the documents printed, but they got stuck in a traffic jam and so couldn’t make it in time. I quickly rushed to a taxi stand and asked the driver to take me to Menara Yayasan Tun Razak, where the MACEE office was. I called MACEE ahead of reaching there to ask if they had a printer I could use in their offices, and I was in luck!
About 3 days after submission I got an email and then a call informing me that I was a finalist, and I was asked to schedule a date and time for the interview, 15:30 on Friday the 13th of June. Talk about bad omens. The week of the interview, I was busy with trying to learn the basics about cars with a mechanic, and so didn’t have time to prepare till the day before. So on Thursday afternoon, I arranged my documents, such as certificates and accomplishments and other things of the sort inside a folder to take with me. The next morning, I researched the commonly asked questions by scholarship interviewers and went through about 30 questions, trying to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
At the interview, it looked like I was overdressed, with a tie.
It was a one-on-four interview, with me being the one. It was intimidating; they all had their eyes on me. I was uncomfortable in a tie. I was overthinking. I got terrible stage fright. I could hear the tremor in my voice as I spoke. They could definitely hear it too. I even apologized for this. But the interviewers were nice, compassionate people. They had a tough job ahead of them too. They could only pick one person for the scholarship. They could only say one person was deserving enough for it, which isn’t true! But it was their job to pick.
They asked why I chose electrical engineering. I told them it seemed challenging and that it was so diverse that I couldn’t imagine there wasn’t more to be done in it. I also told them that I wasn’t sure, and that I might change to another form of engineering after I had started classes. Also, engineers serve. I want to be helpful. They asked why the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I told them that it was the only one of two universities which accepted me, it was the university my dad went to, and that it was a university ranked for many, many subjects compared to the other university, which had a stronger electrical engineering program. I told them this was because I wanted to learn a lot. I love music, and I intend to take music classes. I want to try dance classes as well. Debate classes. I want to try everything this university has to offer, and it has A LOT to offer. They asked why the US, and I told them it was because only the US system gives students the ability to sit in on classes and not technically be a part of them, so it wouldn’t count in their exams, giving me the opportunity to learn instead of cram.
They asked about any leadership qualities I have; I told them about my experience as a Leo of the Leo Club of Metro Methodist College Kuala Lumpur, about being a leader and about being of service to people. (Service is also one of the main themes of the University of Wisconsin – Madison.)
They asked where I saw myself 10 years from now. I answered that I’d like to be working with UNOPS, which is the United Nations Office for Project Services. It is a peace-keeping organization that is renowned for being politically neutral and only helping people, and that it was also allowed into countries to help even when the UN itself was not. I also told them that I think prosthetics is a great, curious field to get into, and since I fully intend on continuing into graduate studies, I might choose to go into biomechanical engineering. I told them of the recent articles I’d read from Duke University and Rice University about wires made of nerves so that the body would build them up and heal them itself, instead of needing to be replaced. I feel like there is a lot more to be found there.
The most challenging one was one was asked last. It asked why I, specifically me, would be more deserving of the scholarship. I had no answer, and I told the interviewers this. I told them that I’d struggled with this question too. There are 7 billion people on Earth, and I could not be the most deserving one. I told them that I’d try to change the fact that their job is so difficult. I want to make education easier to attain, and I told them this too.
They also gave me the opportunity to ask them questions, and I took it to ask how many finalists there were. 5 finalists.
I don’t think that this scholarship changed my views, but I think it made them clearer. It gave me something to shoot for, and the understanding that there were others relying on me to succeed. I am deeply grateful for simply being considered.
During the interview, I added simple jokes. Like the fact that my dad went to the same university seemed like a disadvantage for the university than an advantage. I was honest. I think that that’s the best advice you can get. To be honest, and prepare for everything. They want to know that you can succeed, so don’t give them a reason to think otherwise.
Roumen Guha is currently studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to graduate as an Electrical Engineer. He likes music and stories, and is like a moth to a flame with drumsets
In 2013, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Sunway Group Joint Scholarship consisted of 4 stages in total. Upon submission of your application form, you will need to go through the following stages:
Phone interview
Individual interview and aptitude assessment
Group assessment
Final interview
As this scholarship was offered for the first time in 2013, there are various opportunities for amendments in scholarship assessment method in the years to come. Hence, this can only be served as a reference.
Application form:
In 2013, the form could be accessed in the official website of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. It was an extensive 4-page-long (longer) form as compared to most other scholarship applications. I was required to attach my curriculum vitae (CV) as well. The deadline for submission was in late May in 2013.
Phone interview:
I didn’t even know that this was an interview until the person-in-charge told me so after I was awarded the scholarship! The questions asked were mostly your personal information, such as family, education background, co-curriculum activities and choice of university and courses, and was conducted by a Human Resource Assistant Manager. No specific preparation is needed as the questions are only at the personal level. Be honest, articulate, and elaborative in your answer.
Individual interview:
I was invited to Sunway headquarters for my first face-to-face interview, conducted by 2 interviewers: the same person who did the phone interview, and a representative from Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. Common interview questions were asked: Tell me about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses (an interview trick: I didn’t just stop after explaining my weakness, but to continue to explain how I tried my best to overcome it), leadership experience etc. Nothing too daunting as the interviewers were very friendly! (Even if they are not, don’t be discouraged! It is part of the assessment!)
Aptitude test:
Right after the individual interview, I was brought to a room for a computerized aptitude test. The aptitude test I took contained 3 multiple-choice sections: information abstraction (abstract information from graphs, tables or paragraphs), critical reading (very similar to SAT critical reading section) and geometric deduction (3 to 4 consecutive shapes/geometrical alignments are given and I was asked to deduce the next possible one). I personally found the test harder than the Khazanah Stage 1 test due to the extremely short time allocated for the harder test questions. Don’t worry if you find the test hard as well: I almost failed my test, but still was able to proceed to the next stage.
Group assessment:
I was given a stack of information and a proposal: I was then required to decide whether the proposal was a good one based on the information provided. In a team, we had to draft a complete report on this. (Not all information given was necessary: some was redundant.)
After that, I was brought to a room for an individual interview. Two interviewers questioned our proposal.
Finally, we were required to further modify the proposal based on another set of information given. A group presentation was given to convince the interviewers that this new proposal was good.
Tips: It is essential to evaluate both sides of the argument before a decision is made. The interviewers were seeking for candidates who could draw comparisons between pros and cons. Also, when tons of information are given to you, keep calm and be ready to filter the unnecessary information.
Final interview:
My final interview was an interesting one: the panel of interviewers consisted of 3 Sunway CEOs (all Tan Sris) and the Head of the Group Human Resource. Common interview questions were asked as well as some personal-specific questions: ‘Tell me about yourself’, ‘How did you prepare yourself for exam and activities’, ‘What is your biggest challenge/hardship’, ‘How did you prepare yourself for the transition from a Chinese school to English-speaking college’, etc. Surprisingly, the interview was casual enough that I could speak comfortably and frankly, which was probably the reason I got the scholarship. I strongly encourage interviewees to be honest with your answers as it is plain hard to ‘make stories’ or ‘cheat’ or ‘exaggerate’ due to the interviewers’ experience.
What do I think helped my application the most. Of course, consistent excellence in academic (school and competition) results helped me in convincing the panel of interviewers that I had the sufficient aptitude to tackle problems in work. Therefore, even if I almost failed my aptitude test, I was still able to secure the scholarship.
However, the panel (particularly the final stage interviewers) was actually looking for people who were honest, critical and humble. Therefore, it was vital for the candidates to have a positive attitude during all stages.
Some ECA activities, particularly leadership activities, also helped in the interviews.
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I did not prepare for it as it was the first time they had this scholarship, and so I did not know what to prepare for. However, I would encourage students to prepare for the aptitude test; there are online sample questions on several websites. Also, it is advisable to ask yourself some ordinary interview questions before the actual interviews such as, “Tell me about yourself”. This allows you to understand yourself better so that you are better prepared for the actual one. However, there is a fine line between being well-prepared and over-rehearsed. Be careful so that you won’t sound too artificial.
Liew Ziqing is always the lucky one in terms of his education journey. Formally a Chong Hwa Independent High School and Sunway College A levels student, he is now an engineering student in University of Cambridge. He is the first student to be joint sponsored by Sunway Group and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation to study in Cambridge. He likes karaoke, but doesn’t want to be a singer.
