Choosing between UK and Australia

Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 12.07.51 PM

UK Universities vs Australian Universities? This wasn’t a very hard question for me. I made up my mind two years ago when I was choosing between scholarship offers from Petronas and KPM Bursary. I chose the UK, because I have been dreaming of studying in the UK since young. Plus, UK universities are more prestigious and reputable in my opinion, and I wish to be one of their students! So, I applied to 5 UK universities for Chemical Engineering last year for the Sept/Oct 2014 intake.

Of course, other than those mentioned above, there are other factors that you have to look into if you are not very sure if you want to go to the UK or Australia! Let’s see!

Criteria and Comparisons

Here are some factors that I considered when making my decision.

  • Application Process

UK universities use an online application system called UCAS. You can apply to up to 4 universities for Medicine/Dentistry, OR 5 choices for other courses. A personal statement is needed. The fee is GBP23.

Australian universities’ applications are paper-based for applicants doing qualifications such as A Levels and IB (students doing SAM or Ausmat use an online application system instead, if I am not mistaken). We have to apply through our college’s Placement Centre by getting the university application forms from them. In other cases, students apply through placement agents such as IDP. Just fill up the simple paper application form and submit it alongside certified true copies of your results (AS, A2, forecast, IB etc.). No personal statement is needed. You have to apply to each university separately and each costs about AUD 100 (application fee varies according to university). However you most likely can get the application fee waived if your results meet the universities’ requirement for application fee waiver. You can apply to as many universities as you like.

So, in comparison, applying to Australian universities is easier than applying to the UK. But as I made up my mind to go to the UK, this didn’t influence my decision much.

  • Interview

UK: Interviews (either face-to-face or virtual through Skype) are involved in the application process for the following courses:

  • All Oxbridge courses
  • Certain courses in Imperial (e.g. Chemical Engineering and Electrical & Electronics Engineering)
  • Medicine (with exception to University of Edinburgh)
  • Dentistry

Australia: Interviews are needed for applicants to Medicine and Dentistry courses only.

It would have been much easier for me to apply for Chemical Engineering to Australian universities. However, this did not influence my decision very much as I was not intimidated by the interview.

  • Admissions Tests

UK: Admissions test are required for application to certain courses (such as Oxbridge courses, Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Mathematics): BMAT, UKCAT, LNAT, CLT, TSA, PAT, STEP, etc. (Challenge: Google to find what they are :P)

Australia: No admissions test is required for courses other than Medicine and Dentistry. For these courses, the test is called International Student Admission Test (ISAT).

So, no admissions test is required for ChemEng application to UK universities (with exception to Oxbridge) and Australian universities. Fair enough! To be on the safe side, remember to check the universities’ websites to see if an admissions test is required.

  • English Language Tests

All UK universities accept IELTS for sure, but some also accept SPM English and English 1119/O-Level English. TOEFL is not encouraged as it has been banned by UK Border Agency for UK Visa application purposes.

Australian universities accept IELTS for sure and most accept TOEFL as well.

However, please check with your university for the exact list of English Language Tests they accept, and the minimum scores they want. To be on the safe side, just take the IELTS.

  • Courses’ Minimum Entry Requirements

Top UK universities have higher entry requirements compared to top Australian universities. Taking A Levels as an example, the minimum entry requirements for the following courses are:

Course UK Australia
Chemical Engineering Imperial College London

A* A* A

 University of Queensland

B B C
Economics London School of Economics

A* A A

 University of Melbourne

A B C

To know the minimum entry requirements, do check the university’s website. If you afraid that you are unable to achieve the high UK universities entry requirements, then why not apply to Australia? I love challenges, so I went for the UK!

  • Difficulty in Getting an Offer

For UK, it’s not guaranteed that you will get an offer even if you achieved the minimum entry requirements, because there are other factors such as your personal statement, admission tests, interviews performance (if applicable) and also the stiff competition from other equally well-qualified applicants!

For Australia, most applicants that meet the minimum entry requirements can get an offer, unless places for the courses are full (with exception to Medicine and Dentistry courses, which are competitive and admissions depends performances on admissions test and interview as well).

  • Rankings

Although many have said that rankings can’t be used to decide which university to attend, rankings are nevertheless the only official statistic that compares how good universities in the world are. This matters most if you are a sponsored student and your sponsor limits your choices to only certain top universities, according to those rankings. The most-used ranking by sponsors is the Times Higher Education University Rankings. However, QS Rankings can also provide you some useful insights.

(THE World University Rankings & QS University Rankings)

UK universities are generally ranked higher than Australian universities (of course, there are some exceptions in certain rankings). Feel free to Google and check out those rankings.

Imperial College London is ranked higher than any of the Australian universities for Engineering, and thus, I opted for Imperial College London (UK).

  • Reputation

On reputation, just ask yourself this: Which universities would you choose if given the following choices?

  • Oxford or Monash for Medicine?
  • Imperial or Queensland for Mechanical Engineering?
  • Cambridge or University of New South Wales (UNSW) for Law?
  • LSE or Melbourne for Economics?
  • UCL or Sydney for Psychology?

If you have chosen UK universities, that’s partly because these UK universities’ reputations are at work. And I chose Imperial (UK) which has a better reputation for ChemEng, for better career opportunities in the future. This is strictly the author’s opinion.

  • Academic Excellence, Education System and Quality

Both UK and Australian education are recognized as among the best and most innovative in the world, so it’s really up to your preferences. And I chose UK.

  • Costs (Tuition Fee and Living Fee)

Many sources have suggested that studying in Australia is more expensive than in the UK, but if you are a sponsored student you may not have to worry too much. However, it still hurts if the living fee is too high because the living allowances given by the sponsor will not be enough then.

And for this, I voted for UK!

(Average annual cost of studying abroad for international students, HSBC)

  • Living, Culture and People

Both UK and Australia are considered as good and safe countries to live in.Their cultures are diverse and food is plenty. They are full of interesting activities all-year-round and have many international students. Do your own readings on the internet and see which country you would like to live in! I opted for UK here!

  • Travel

If you are studying in the UK, you can travel within UK, or around Europe easily with efficient transport systems such as rail.

If you’re studying in the Australia, you can travel within Australia. I guess Australia is large enough to explore? And Australia has Kangaroos and Koalas!!

In this respect, I prefer Europe so I chose UK!

Conclusion/Advice

There are several pros and cons of applying to and studying in UK and Australian universities with regards to the 12 criteria above. I would say applying to Australian universities is generally easier than UK universities (except Medicine and Dentistry Courses which are equally competitive in the UK and Australia).

So follow your preferences and ability according to the 12 criteria above to make the best choice! And I’m glad that I’ve chosen UK. What about you?

Difficulties in making the decision

Generally I did not face any difficulty during my decision process. My parents are fine with me attending any UK or Australian university but not a university in United States (because they are worried that I might die in a gun shooting incident lol). I don’t have to worry about the costs as I am a sponsored student. Most importantly, it was because I had figured out what I really wanted, so I could make the decision easily.

Game Plan and Back-Up

Initially, I thought of applying to as many universities as possible, including UK, US, Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysian universities.

However, less than 2 months after I sent my UCAS application, the University of Manchester made me a conditional offer with achievable grades. Although Manchester isn’t my first-choice university, studying in the UK is my priority. So, I decided not to apply to Australian, HK and Malaysian universities since I already had an offer from a UK university (Manchester) as back-up. After that, I received offers from the University of Birmingham and University College London as well before finally getting an offer from Imperial College London.

To enhance my admissions chances, I did my best to write a good personal statement, achieve good results and prepare for the interview. To learn more about this, do read another article written by me. 😀

Right University?

I can proudly say that I have chosen the right university! Imperial College London FTW! No regrets!!

Kian Woon copy

Chen Kian Woon is a high achiever who will be pursuing his Chemical Engineering degree at Imperial College London, UK under the Public Service Department(JPA) Scholarship. He loves travelling and now he can’t wait to travel around the beautiful Europe in the next 4 years!  One of the most insane things he did in life was not taking the Petronas Scholarship offer to study in Australia, and hence, he is writing this article for you guys today!

Veterinary Medicine Application

So… Veterinary medicine eh? Welcome! Welcome! Speaking from experience, I know how hard it is to find advice for veterinary medicine applicants in Malaysia. This is still a relatively new field in our country and many people remain unfamiliar with it. So to all you animal lovers out there, thank you for choosing this profession and I hope that more and more people will join us in the future. *bows deeply*

Now let’s get started!

Step 1: UCAS and Personal Statement

First off, register for a UCAS account. Next, fill up the form. Now, after a couple of minutes/hours of trying to recall your past, you’ve finally reached the tricky part, i.e. THE PERSONAL STATEMENT. (It will be referred to as PS henceforth.)

My first paragraph is about why I choose to study Veterinary Medicine. I wrote about my childhood passion for animals and how I used to wonder at the beauty of Mother Nature. Try not to be too generic and try to make your story stand out. Think back and find the little things that make you want to be a veterinarian in the first place.

This is followed by a passage on my attributes. (Essentially, a self-praise paragraph!) I believe that this helps to show the university admissions tutor that you have what it takes to become a veterinarian. However, this is optional and maybe you can come up with something better!

The next two paragraphs are about my work experiences. I included two cases that I saw at the vet: A dog involved in an accident and a dog with bladder stones. I also wrote a little about my volunteering experiences at the zoo and the shelter. I think the most important thing for you to mention here is what you feel during your work experiences. For example, your volunteering may have opened your eyes to animal welfare issues hence inspire you to do something about it. This is the MOST important part of your PS and about 60-70% of your PS should be dedicated to it.

Next comes your academic/non-academic achievements. Always link them back to veterinary medicine and how these activities will help you as a veterinary student. As for me, I mentioned that I was a member of the Red Crescent Society and how that led me to learn about taking care of patients.

A word of advice: start your PS early. It took me about a month of editing and polishing until I was finally satisfied with it. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your lecturers for help at this point. (Beg them if you have to!) Their experience and advice will really help you A LOT.

Step 2: COPA and SAQ

This is only for those applying to Cambridge. More forms for you guys to fill in! Yippee!!

Step 3: The Interview

With the exception of the University of Edinburgh, most UK universities will require you to attend interviews.

University of Cambridge

Cambridge’s interview was very different from the other interviews so I’m going to talk (well, write) specifically about it first.

I was interviewed by Dr Richard Barnes, the Director of Studies in Medical and Veterinary Sciences. He began the interview with a few casual questions, such as “Where do you live?” and “Why do you want to read veterinary medicine?”

He then asked me to express my thoughts on two ethical issues, i.e. the use of laboratory animals and heart transplants in cats. After that, I was given a question on the effectiveness of a test, where I was asked to calculate the number of false positives produced by the test. I was quite amazed to find out that despite the high success rate of the test, the number of false positives is still quite significant, hence rendering the test ineffective.

Next, I was asked to interpret a graph. It took me quite a while to answer this question. However, Dr Richard Barnes guided me through the question and I was able to figure out the answer in the end.

Generally, the interviewer was very friendly and it seemed more like a tutorial than an interview to me. So don’t worry about it too much and just be yourself!

University of Glasgow and University of Bristol

The former took place at Singapore whilst the latter was conducted over the phone.

Glasgow’s interview was rather laid back and comfortable. There were two interviewers: Miss Joyce Wason and Professor Neil Evans. They started off with a few personal questions such as “How are you going to adapt to the cultural differences between UK and Malaysia?” This was followed by discussions on one or two moral issues and some questions regarding my work experience at the vet.

Bristol’s interview was straight to the point and the interviewer fired off a series of questions without much preamble.  The questions were mainly about controversial topics such as animal testing. The entire interview lasted for less than 15 minutes and it was done before I knew it.

Step 4: BMAT

Again, this is only required by Cambridge. BMAT is divided into three parts: aptitude and skills, scientific knowledge and applications, and writing task. My tip is: Do all the past year papers available, read up on some sample essays and hope for the best. If you still haven’t started A-Levels, consider taking up thinking skills as it really helps you with section 1 and 3. (Plus, learning it is rather fun!)

Work Experiences

Different universities have different requirements for work experience so you should check out their websites early on and make sure you satisfy their requirements. For example, University of Liverpool requires a minimum of 6 weeks of working experience. (Don’t freak out, most universities don’t require quite as much! I’m just using this as an example to scare you. Muahahahaha.) Good places to start are: SPCA, PAWS and Zoo Negara. Try to have at least one week of job shadowing at your local vet as this can really help you during your application.  Work experience with farm animals are normally not necessary but if you can get your hands on some, all the better!

All in all, good luck and all the best!

Links which you might find useful:

  1. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Writing_A_Personal_Statement_For_Veterinary_Medicine

Jie Yi

Ng Jie Yi is JPA scholar who will be pursuing her Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Cambridge. She is a book lover and avid gamer who likes to spend her time playing with her two furry kiddos.

MARA Scholarship Application

MARA: this is an acronym that will definitely crop up when you’re hunting for scholarships in Malaysia, especially when you’re an SPM leaver (like me). Standing for Majlis Amanah Rakyat, it is an agency under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. It has been facilitating socio-economic development since 1966.

Teaming up with JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam), they have been offering a joint sponsorship programme this year under Program Khas Lepasan SPM 2013 (MARA-JPA). This sponsorship is open to Bumiputra applicants who wish to further their studies in one of a vast selection of courses: engineering, medicine, architecture, law, economics, and plenty more!

Hence, if you are a soon-to-be Bumiputra SPM candidate hoping to study overseas, I hope my experience will be a foretaste of what is to come for you. Note that you will not be bonded to MARA after graduation, but you will have to repay a part of the sponsored amount, the percentage of which depending on how well you do. The repayment rates vary according to the field of study, but it is roughly 10-20% of the sponsored amount, depending on your performance. However, it quickly becomes 50% if you need to repeat and 100% if you drop out.

First Stage: Online Application

Similar to other scholarship and sponsorship applications, this is where you fill in your details. Usually, it will be open within a short period of time after your SPM results are released, so you better get filling fast! You can check on the main MARA website (www.mara.gov.my), to see whether the application website is already online. On their application website, they will upload a list of programmes for you to choose from. The following will be listed:

  • Field of study
  • Programme code
  • Type of pre-university study (A-Levels, International Baccalaureate, etc.)
  • Preparatory college for pre-university studies
  • Country to further studies in
  • Duration of studies
  • Conditions to study overseas
  • Programme requirements

Though it is a joint programme between MARA and JPA, they offer their individual programmes. The programme code distinguishes the sponsoring body, with those beginning with JPA sponsored by JPA (no-brainer), and LN (overseas) and DN (local) by MARA.

Choose carefully, and note the requirements of the programme you want to do. This is so as different fields of study could have different pre-university studies, different study durations, different countries to fly to, and different conditions! For example, LN0207 and LN1001 are both engineering programmes bound overseas, but LN0207 will offer you A-Levels and ship you to the UK, US or Australia, whilst LN1001 offers Korean pre-university studies and sends students to Korea!

At this point, it is best to have your career option, study style and university in mind, because this will allow you to select the best programme for you.

On the online application form, you will be allowed to choose two programmes. However, both those programmes must be from the same sponsoring body, so you can’t pick JPA001 and LN0101 if you intend on doing medicine, for example.

After you have submitted your application (submit early!), you will be given a slip to be printed, stating that you have completed your application. Note the website address you can check your application results on, and make sure you check it EVERY DAY!

Second Stage: Psychometric Test

When the first stage of your application is successful, you will be notified on their website within a month. From there, you will be given a date and time for your psychometric test. This test will be done online, and has four sections: IQ, Personality, General Knowledge, and Morality. Make sure you sit for the test on time, and that your computer and Internet connection is up and running. Don’t fret, as it is quite simple – but be sure to manage your time wisely and check that you have answered all the questions. At the end, print the completion slip as proof that you took the test.

Third Stage: Interview

Next, after you take the psychometric test, you will be told your interview time and venue by phone and through the same website 2-3 weeks after sitting the psychometric test. It will be in the form of an interview slip, which you must print out. Alongside the previously-mentioned slips, the following must be prepared and brought to the interview:

  • Certified true copies of your identity card as well as your parents’
  • Certified true copies of your birth certificate as well as your parents’
  • Certified true copies of your parents’ death certificate (if applicable)

The interview experience varies according to programme, from what I have read from past applicants online. For me, a hopeful engineering student, it was at Kolej MARA Seremban on a Saturday afternoon. Nervous, I took the train from KL Sentral to Seremban and a taxi from the station to the college, where there was a huge batch of hopeful applicants. At 2:00 PM, we were seated in a hall, where we were separated into groups of 10. After sorting out the paperwork, we were led to the interview rooms.

Firstly, our group of 10 was separated into 2 groups of 5. We were given ribbons, and were told to design 3 types of ketupat casings (since Hari Raya was 2 months away) and present those designs to the interviewers. With virtually no experience in weaving ketupats, it may seem like an impossible task, but what they want to see is the team-work amongst group members and how well we can adapt to something we most probably will have no experience in doing whatsoever. Besides that, the presentation provided a way for us to articulate our ideas clearly and show our creative and innovative side.

Then, we were asked questions on current issues. Mine was on my stance on abortion, and I articulated my opinion clearly as well as justified my stance on the topic. The questions are fully in English, and you will be expected to answer completely in English. However, for those who have not answered the questions, the interviewers asked the questions in Malay, but they must answer in English. What the interviewers wanted is for us to be able to articulate and communicate well in English as well as maturity in thought and awareness of what is happening throughout the world.

After that, we were told to form one group to discuss 3-4 case studies and come to a conclusion within a set period of time. At this point, we would have to demonstrate our ability to discuss and reason in a mature manner, to listen to everyone’s opinions and to ensure that everyone in the group agrees to our resolution on the matter. At this time, it is best not to out-talk the rest of the group, but rather engage every group member and let them all participate actively in the discourse.

At the end, we were asked to grade our group members, and then the interview was done. For me, it was a tiring yet fulfilling day.

Fourth Stage: Acceptance, and paperwork filling…

Interview results should be out within a month, through the given website address. I checked mine late one night, a few days before I flew back to my hometown of Kuching, and I was elated that I was offered a place. Quietly, I accepted the offer, and printed the slip – not telling my parents about it until the day before we left for Kuching! My father was happy for me, but my mother (who also has been anxiously checking the website as well) chided me for not telling her that very night I accepted the offer, claiming that she almost got a heart attack when I told her!

By this time, I was reading about my preparatory college, Kolej MARA Seremban, from blogs written by alumni, to know what to expect when I register in July. At this time as well, you will have to fill in online forms for the college registration as well as print permission letters – all through the individual college’s website. Around that time as well, you will have to fill in yet more online forms (so be prepared with all the information you will need!), and print out yet more forms.

For me, that part was a major headache, and took up most of my holidays. Be prepared to read your terms and conditions of your sponsorship, as well as to run around chasing after signatures and stamps, especially with your agreement contract. You will also need two guarantors. Only ONE parent (either your mother or your father but NOT both) can be your guarantor, so you will need to find another person to fill the gap. It can be any working adult below 50 earning above a stipulated amount of money and is not bankrupt.

Organise your papers so they won’t get lost or jumbled up, and when in doubt, call your preparatory college to ask for clarifications on filling up your paperwork. Also, this will be the time for you to get all your supplies you need before you register at your college.

Digression: the novelty of boarding life

Okay, this is aimed to all you non-boarders out there. Being in an ordinary secondary school for 5 years, I’ve always been the one who cherish the comforts of home, what with the privacy, hot showers, and air-conditioning. However, when I finally went to Kolej MARA Seremban, I didn’t have those three things in my dormitory. Hence, every morning starts with a mini-heart-attack-inducing cold shower, a hot trek under the sun after class, and 2 other guys who know that you embarrassingly sing along to One Direction when you study in your room.

Even so, after a month at Kolej MARA Seremban, I could safely say that life as a boarder is quite fun, what with the midnight strolls to the cafeteria, camping out in the library, and exploring every probably-haunted corner of campus! Also, you will share a closer bond with friends, with all those midnight stories they tell that make every night more interesting.

Yes, it might feel all Spartan at first, but it is an interesting way of preparing to live alone abroad, far from the delights of home – and perhaps take the chance to ponder on the future that is to come.

In conclusion

(Note: these things may sound cheesy and clichéd, but they are cheesy and clichéd because they are undeniably true.) I truly feel blessed to have been offered a sponsorship from MARA, because it has been my dream to study overseas in the United Kingdom. This sponsorship has not only eased the financial burden on my parents, but also given me a new pair of lenses to see the world through; so now, I see the world as a vast basket of opportunities waiting to unlock my hidden potentials, propelling me towards success. In this I hope, and I hope as well that you, dear reader, will see the world like that too. All the best, never give up, and keep moving forward!

 

Kiwan Richard 1Kiwan Richard is a Bidayuh MARA scholar from Kuching, who is now doing A-Levels at Kolej MARA Seremban towards the field of Engineering. He hopes to be accepted into the University of Cambridge, but the University of Oxford too holds a dear place in his heart. A keen lover of books, he also loves writing in his free time when he is not playing the piano (and rendering everyone else tone deaf with his compositions). With Rene Descartes’s ‘Cogito ergo sum’ is his maxim; he sees thought as the liquid gold that lines every facet of existence, and urges everyone to look deeper than the surface – to truly understand what it means to truly be.

Applying to Medicine in the UK

Edinburgh Medical School receives 10 applications for every place available
Edinburgh receives 10 applications for every place available

Image Source

Hello! I’m Jane Fang, a National Scholar who did my A-levels in KYUEM. I applied to University of Edinburgh, King’s College London, University of Cardiff and University of Cambridge for Medicine, and to University College London for Biological Sciences. I am very grateful to say that I got offers from all of the universities except Cambridge.

I am going to share a bit of my experience and advice about UCAS medical application. However, do keep in mind that my advice is more towards NON-Oxbridge universities application.

My dream university and first choice has always been the University of Edinburgh. Even my personal statement is specially tailored to suit Edinburgh’s selection criteria. (This is not advisable though)

There are a few ‘checkpoints’ in the medicine application process. Here they are.

  1. Be 100% sure that you want to study medicine. Don’t be influenced by others. Once you have made up your mind, brace yourself for the future challenges!
  2. Medical attachments
  3. Personal Statement
  4. UKCAT
  5. Choosing your universities. You have very important decisions to make.
  6. UCAS Application
  7. BMAT (only applies to Oxbridge, UCL or Imperial applicants)
  8. Interviews
  9. The most torturing part – waiting for application results. You get heart palpitations every time your email notification rings. (I set my alarm at 1am every night for almost 2 weeks just to refresh the university application portal.)

I will elaborate on these points below. This is my first time writing an article. I’m not very good at writing, so I’m just gonna keep it simple and straight to the point!

MEDICAL ATTACHMENTS, ECA & VOLUNTARY WORK

Medical attachment

I managed to secure a one-week placement at Pantai Hospital Melaka (private) and another week at the Melaka General Hospital (government).

I’ve heard stories where students can’t get attachment opportunities in big hospitals and ended up in small GP clinics. Don’t worry about this. It is perfectly fine and acceptable. What is more important is the experience you gain from these visits and remember to express them in the right context in your personal statement.

ECA

It is very true that you need to have an impressive list of ECA if you hope to be admitted into super competitive medical universities like Manchester, Edinburgh, King’s, Imperial and others. Less competitive medical schools look at ECA too. I am very active in music activities and a bit of sports. Some juniors have expressed their worries to me before about not having music as their ECA. Music is just an example of good ECA. You can always be actively involved in other activities like sports, debate, public speaking, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, dance, art, etc. As I have mentioned above, what is more important is the skills that you gain from them and how you express them in your personal statement.

Voluntary work

It is better to have a regular commitment. During interviews, you might be asked about your visits and experiences. Doing just one project like a pathetic visit to the Soup Kitchen is insufficient. You can always start now, it’s not too late. For example, you can do weekly visits to old folks home for a duration of three months or join a charity club.

PERSONAL STATEMENT (PS)

This will probably be the most important document you will have to produce. It’s a piece of writing to ‘sell’ yourself. For Edinburgh applicants, there will be no interview stage. So, your personal statement is really the only way to communicate with the university about yourself. Avoid using bombastic words, especially words that are never used in daily conversations. It makes your PS sound very unnatural and awkward. Make sure that your sentences are not too complicated or flowery. You are not applying to be a poet. And trust me, the admission officers will not be impressed by your ‘amazing’ English.

The most basic and effective structure of a PS is

  • Introduction – include reason(s) why you chose medicine
  • Academic – show your initiative to gain more knowledge about the medical world, e.g. getting medical attachments, reading related books, journals and magazines, etc.
  • ECA and voluntary activities – explain what skills you’ve developed from these activities that will be useful in your career as a doctor
  • Very short conclusion

This is just a rough guide, to help you start off with your PS. Be careful not to use up too much word quota in your conclusion or intro. They are not really necessary, just a short opening and closure to make your PS attractive and different.

Absolutely no plagiarism will be tolerated. Do not produce ‘copy-paste’ writings because universities have high-tech programmes to detect any form of plagiarism. It is not wrong though to get advice from lecturers or friends. However, try not to share your PS with too many people. Everyone has different opinions and you might end up in a huge mess.

In my opinion, the most important key to writing a good personal statement is to make it as personal as possible.

Have fun writing!

ADMISSIONS TEST

UKCAT

It is a medical applicant’s nightmare. You only get one chance, do it right and you get interviews, if not, be realistic and say goodbye to top universities.

This is what I know from my year’s application (2013-2014). The cut-off score for Manchester is 730 and the average score for those who got interviews from King’s is about 730-740. There is a new section in the UKCAT test – the Situational Judgement Test (SJT). Edinburgh assesses your scores in each section, not just the average, and SJT is very important for Edinburgh applicants. You should aim for Band 1 or 2. Luckily for me, I managed to get an average of 745, and Band 1 in SJT. If you are not aiming for top-notch universities, try to aim for at least 700 in your average UKCAT scores.

So how do your score in UKCAT? Practice, and more practice, of course! It’s not something that you can learn and memorise by heart. Go and get UKCAT books or dig out websites which provide free mock practices.

It is not necessary to sign up for overpriced online courses. Free resources are more than enough. When your exam date approaches, log in to the official UKCAT website for their timed mock test. Fret not if you can’t complete some sections within the time limit. These sections are usually Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. There is sufficient time for Abstract Reasoning and more than enough for Decision Analysis and SJT. For Verbal Reasoning, try not to read the passages word by word. If you do it that way, you can only complete at most 3 out of 8 or 9 passages within the time limit! Try to focus and answer as many questions as possible. Familiarise yourself with the on-screen calculator for Quantitative Reasoning. Btw, I find the calculator very annoying and time-consuming to use, it is faster to calculate using paper and pen or just mental arithmetic.

For Abstract Reasoning, it will look totally alien to you at first glance. However after lots of practice, it will eventually make sense.

Goodluck for your UKCAT!

BMAT

This test is relevant to Oxbridge, UCL and Imperial applicants. I did my BMAT for Cambridge. Honestly, it was the most difficult test ever for me. However I am truly surprised when I got my results. 6.5, 6.9, 4A.  Totally unexpected but it’s a waste anyway. My other university choices didn’t consider BMAT.

There are three sections:

  1. Aptitude Skills
  2. Scientific Knowledge
  3. Writing Task

Section 2 is something that you can study and prepare for. The questions asked are mainly from the syllabus covered in SPM/O-levels and AS levels.

For Sections 1 and 3, again, do more practice. Choose a topic that you are comfortable with for section 3 and do some related reading and research. Collect and write down certain examples, cases or points that may be useful in your writing.

INTERVIEWS

If you have made it to the interview stage, congratulations! I attended Cambridge and Cardiff interviews in Malaysia and King’s interview in London.

University of Cambridge

100% academic. You most probably won’t get questions like ‘why do you want to be a doctor’ or ‘tell me about your work attachment’. The questions are all an extension of your current A-level syllabus, and contain a mixture of Chemistry, Biology and general knowledge. Don’t worry if you can’t get the answers directly. The interviewers will guide you through and they are more interested in your approach to the questions given rather than your final answers.

King’s College London and Cardiff University 

Slightly more personal. Questions are based on your personal statement and some on current health science issues. If you have mentioned a book or a journal in your PS, you might get questions about it. So, don’t invite trouble; make sure that you are familiar with the reading materials before putting them into your personal statement.

***

To ace your interviews, I recommend you to check out the university websites about their interview criteria. For example, Kings listed out how they assess you during the interview. Read up about their course structure and also try to make some notes about why you chose that university. It is also a good idea to read up about NHS and UK’s medical system.

Also, mock practices help a lot! Find your lecturers who are willing to have mock sessions with you. Bug them until they agree to have a 10-minute session with you! I had a few sessions with different lecturers and I could see myself improving over time. If you can’t get lecturers to help you, mock session with your friends will be good enough!

***

Finally, its time to wait for offers (or rejections). Remember this, the biggest challenge to be a doctor is to get a place in a good medical school. So, do not be too disappointed if you do not get any offers at all. You might still have a chance if you get excellent A2 results.

Overall, the medical application is a very challenging process. It takes time and you should not rush through it. Record and make notes on any non-academic activities that you’ve done or will be doing over the course of your A-levels. Write them in a notebook, diary or any personal gadgets, you will find this very helpful when writing your personal statement.

I hope that you will find this useful. All the best in your application!

Links which you may find useful:

  1. Medicine @ King’s: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/medicine/applying
  2. Medicine @ Edinburgh: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/medicine-vet-medicine/undergraduate/medicine
  3. Medicine @ Cardiff: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/undergraduate/applying/admissions-criteria/medicine/entry-requirements.html
  4. Medicine @ UCL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/undergraduate/mbbs-admissions/application-process
  5. Medicine @ Cambridge: http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/medicine/
  6. NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx
  7. Free UKCAT resources thread on The Student Room UK: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=621992

Jane FangFoo Jane Fang will be pursuing her medicine degree at the University of Edinburgh under the JPA National Scholarship. She is a big fan of Harry Potter and you might spot her playing Quidditch in Edinburgh.

Genting Malaysia Scholarship

banner_scholarship2014

The Genting Malaysia Scholarship application has 3 stages and the process is pretty straight forward. First of all, check if you are eligible to apply for the scholarship. The details are all up in their website. You can also get additional information from  www.afterschool.my (that was where I got to know about the Genting Malaysia Scholarship.  As for fields of study, they cover almost everything ranging from Economics to Civil Engineering.

As we all know, Genting Malaysia is a profit driven organization which diversifies into many branches of entertainment and therefore, this scholarship programme is merely a CSR project. Also, what I realised about this scholarship programme is the fact that the organization will determine if you are worth their investment, and they will gauge if you will be able to help them earn additional income in the near future. Therefore, there is a very distinct difference between the Genting Malaysia scholarship and other more social-oriented scholarships like the Bank Negara Scholarship and the JPA scholarships.

MAIN ADVICE: If your course is ridiculously expensive, your chances are very, very slim. (London/Melbourne/other high-cost city universities)  So, getting them to sponsor you a much cheaper university can most likely score you a scholarship by them.

The First Stage

The first stage is an online application form provided by the corporation itself. In March or April, the online applications should be open, and you are required to fill in your details and answer a few questions. Nothing much. Just a very generic application form to understand more about your qualifications.

The Second Stage

This is when they email you stating that they have received your application and that you will be notified. When you obtain another email telling you about an online assessment, that means you have already gotten Genting’s attention with your results and qualifications. The online assessment has two separate assessments. One is to test your intelligence (IQ) and another is to test your personality.

THE FIRST ASSESSMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT. The scores of this online assessment will be brought forward to the final assessment in Genting.  So make sure you do well in that assessment.

The Third Stage

This is where all the fun starts. Most applicants are rejected at this point, leaving about 4-10% of the best applicants left. (That was what I was told by one of the Genting HR members). You will now get another email, inviting you to actually GO TO GENTING HIGHLANDS and attend a full-day assessment. It sounds really intimidating at first, but you will be fine.

The assessment varies each year, but during my year, there are many assessments that will be carried out (mainly aptitude tests) throughout the whole day. There are written assessments, oral assessments, group case studies, general activities, interviews and other agendas. It is not THAT difficult to get through all these assessments.

As for the interview, the interviewers are very very nice people. Just be fairly confident about yourself and try to shine from the crowd. Convince them that you will be able to reap more benefits for the organization compared to the others. Four interviews will commence at a time, making the interview session very quick and stress-free. Once you’re done, you are excused and permitted to leave the place and proceed to the casino.

***

Towards the end, you will be notified by email or phone about the updates of your application. They will take about a month or so to get back to the applicants and therefore, be patient about it.

Remember, the success of obtaining this scholarship isn’t all about your academic or co-curricular excellence, nor is it about your performance in the full-day assessment. The cost of your studies is one of the main factors to your success in scoring the scholarship. The cheaper, the better. Therefore, if you are aspiring to study Chemical Engineering in a university like Imperial College London, you might need to go the extra mile to win the hearts of your interviewer.

Good luck in your application. You guys can do it.

DISCLAIMER: This article is written based on James’ own experiences, opinions and reflections and all claims about the scholarship are based on his own reasoning and observation. 

Jam

James Chong Sheng Han will be pursuing Economics in University College London under the JPA scholarship although he was also awarded the Genting Malaysia Scholarship. Beware. His jokes can be very dangerous. Victims are found rolling on the floor laughing hysterically

CommonApp Essay – To Dare

The essay below, which was required by The Common Application, successfully got Lim Sheau Yun admitted into Yale University, Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Brown University, University of Chicago, Duke University, Barnard College and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. 

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. Share your story.

To Dare

“Chinese girls don’t shave their hair.”

Or at least, that’s what my grandfather, traditional man and Feng Shui enthusiast, told me.

“The only people who willingly shave their heads are true believers in Buddha. Others are being punished or are psychotic. You are none of the above.”

“And to top it all off, you’re a girl.”

So imagine his expression on the 22nd of May 2010, when this eighth grade girl went bald. To him, it didn’t matter if it was to raise money for a local cancer hospital in need of repaying a loan.

Understandably, my grandfather felt betrayed. Years ago, he and his father fled Mao’s China, choosing to preserve their Confucian legacy in Malaysia. My actions were against everything he fought to maintain: tradition, order and filial piety.

Chinese culture is a difficult environment to dare in. The primary school I used to attend had a strict rule: your hair had to be between three and five centimetres below your ear. Not one, not two, but between three and five, to be measured every two weeks or so. I was one of those in-betweeners caught between the paralysing boundaries of a ruler: a statistic, a short-haired bob in the midst of other girls who were taught to look and act the same. Feminine, but not too feminine. Intelligent, but not too bold, not too original. We were taught to be bright, but not to have a spark.

I don’t dwell too much on the why I shaved. It was mostly a blur of forms and raising money. What I do remember is that I cried a total of five times after. I was an outsider in my own home, at the mercy of my grandfather’s disapproval. After all, I was an absurd sight to see with my buzz cut, and my chin held so far high you couldn’t see the tears in my eyes.

But what I didn’t expect was the eventual respect my grandfather had for me. The ridicule stopped, and he started taking an interest in my academic and extracurricular pursuits. I think he had to begrudgingly acknowledge the courage it took to dare. As my mother once said: “If it’s one thing Chinese admire more than anything else, it’s strength.”

In some sense, it took a drastic act of rejection of tradition for my grandfather to realise that I was beyond a child, beyond another granddaughter he could safely protect in his anachronistic bubble which forbade risks. Certainly, my head shaving wasn’t the only event that spawned his change in perspective, but I like to think it helped.

The day I shaved my head was the day I discovered that a ruler could not define me and tradition would not hold me back. Fear used to be my breakfast, lunch, dinner. Fear of consequences, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of losing family, friends. I feared to venture outside the age-old path traipsed by countless Chinese women before me. But I did. And my grandfather’s mindset for his remaining two years on Earth also diverged from a path I once thought was concrete: he came to respect me not only as his granddaughter, but also as an independent woman who was free to make her own choices.

And I continue that legacy today. I’m certainly not fearless yet, but with each day, I grow a little bolder and a little more willing to dare, changing perspectives and destroying boundaries like the twenty-first century hybrid I am.

DISCLAIMER: The essays on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful essays look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good essays. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. Plagiarism can have serious consequences so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.

Essays for Applications to University of California

The essays below, which are required by the University of California (UC) application system, successfully got him admitted into UC San Diego, UC Los Angeles, and wait-listed at UC Berkeley.

All identifying names have been removed as the owner would prefer to be anonymous

Prompt #1

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

A crowd slowly gathered beneath me as I mounted the last few steps. Despite their shouts, I’ve made up my mind clearly. Next thing I knew, I was free falling from this towering height.

***

When I was 5, my dad gave me a dull, aged coin. I would grip that magical metal in my tiny hands wherever I went, even to the washroom. Once, sitting on the toilet bowl, I stretched out my fingers to once again admire its glimmer. Suddenly, it slipped through my hand – “Ploop”. It sank to the bottom of the toilet bowl. Although it was just a 1 Ringgit Malaysia coin, I remembered how dad still insisted on fishing it out.

Since young, my dad has taught me to appreciate every cent the universe offers. He sent me to various financial management courses and trainings that only adults would join. Because of this, I was exposed to quite a bit of financial knowledge relatively earlier than my peers. There, I made friends who are even older than my dad. I learned my basics in stocks trading and multi level marketing through them. They gave me encouragement when I felt unconfident and would give me advice before I proposed my business ideas to my college societies.

Under their guidance and influence, I began to realize my dream for the future.

***

Jumping down from the tree house was an activity in one of the financial management camps. I was instructed to declare my financial goal to the universe before the jump.

As my feet left the platform, I knew exactly what I was going to say.
“I, [NAME], will be financially free in 17 years, 2035”

Prompt #2

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

“Can I do this?” I asked myself. It was already challenging for the 16 year-old me to talk to strangers, but now, I have to bargain prices and close deals!

I started my own business when I was 16; it was named by extracting the first and the last 2 letters from my name – [COMPANY NAME].

Business Guru’s advice 1: Make obstacles into opportunities. (CHECK)
After receiving instructions from my experienced venture partner, I spent countless nights staring at the computer screen to produce a webpage. Back then, I didn’t know what Photoshop was, so most of the graphics were designed and edited using my childhood-doodling program – Paint. It took me one whole week to complete all the tasks that my venture partner had assigned. However, she told me that due to her overwhelming schedule, she wanted to quit. With little knowledge of the tricks and trades of doing a business and with no prior experience, I was left with nothing but a short sorry note and a 10-digit supplier’s phone number. I trembled during my first call to the supplier. Somehow, out of sheer luck, I manage to get a good price. Soon before I realized, I became friends with the supplier. The following deals were never had been easier.

Business Guru’s advice 2: Take one step at a time. (CHECK)
I learned the ways to attract customers through shadowing other competitor’s blog pages – the font they use, the system, and the psychology behind every detail. In one month, the RM22 Malaysian Ringgit bill from my first sale lied comfortably on my hand. Before this, I would not have believed that a high school student could generate money by starting his or her own business. Although RM22 is not a generous amount of money, it certainly has boosted my confidence and fueled the momentum for the second, third, more future sales.

Business Guru’s advice 3: Complete what you have started. (                )
[COMPANY NAME] Blogshop grew from bringing me a few ringgit to a few hundred in 5 months. It became a routine for me to constantly check my messages. Sometimes, I would even withstand my mother’s nagging and skip meals just to reply the emails and confirm the delivery statuses. The time I spent with [COMPANY NAME] was so ample to the extent that my younger brother was getting a little bit jealous. [COMPANY NAME] became the main focus in my life. From time to time, I would proudly share my happiness with my best friend, telling him stories behind [COMPANY NAME]’s “success”.

However, the “success” did not last long. With my parents demanding me to prioritize my studies and friends around me starting to revise intensely for high school examination (SPM), I chose to give up on [COMPANY NAME]. I thought that I could always go back to [COMPANY NAME] whenever I choose to, but it’d been 2 years now, and I haven’t.

[COMPANY NAME] was more like a friend than a business that I owned. Through knowing him, I learned to reflect on my mistakes – there were times when customers were not satisfied with my product, but [COMPANY NAME] taught me to respect every customer’s feedback and make every possible amendment that I can. Besides, through knowing him, I became a better negotiator, a better marketer and certainty, a better businessman. He taught me interpersonal values that were far greater than any of the business guru’s advices.

Even leaving him made me more conscious of my choices. I realize how inconsistent I was in handling matters in my life. He would still be here if I had say “one more step..” when I was on the verge of giving up. No matter what, I’ll make this an anecdote that I hold close and dear to when I start a new business in the future. Giving up is no longer an option. Till then, allow me to leave Business Guru’s advice 3 unchecked.

I would ask myself again. “Can I do this?”

Yes. Yes I can.

Links which you might find useful:

  1. More about University of California essays here

DISCLAIMER: The essays on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful essays look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good essays. COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND. Plagiarism can have serious consequences so please DO NOT PLAGIARISE.

Applying to Pharmacy in the UK

1. How did you write your personal statement?  

Instead of trying to emphasise on WHAT I have that will allow me to cope with studying Pharmacy, I wrote more on WHY I want to study that particular programme. I think that made my personal statement stand out compared with the rest of the applicants, and gave me a boost.

I am really lucky to have taken up multiple extra-curricular activities back when I was in secondary school.  They linked well with what I was applying for. Also, before starting the personal statement, I read up many of other successful applicants’ personal statements (TBH I felt really intimidated because I have no work experience), and really explored the programme to its core.

CollegeLAH UK Personal Statements Section can be found at: https://collegelah.com/category/personal-statements/

I included in my personal statement how I developed my interest in Pharmacy through studying Chemistry and my extra-curricular activities (mostly based in Leo and Interact). To further strengthen it, I wrote down my future career plans (after graduation) that I had in mind.

I was really worried about not having sufficient work experiences and past achievements to support my personal statement other than one or two state championship awards. I am not sure whether I got my offers based on my personal statement or forecast grades though.

2. What do you think contributed to your success of your application?

I tried to portray myself as a balanced student, and not leaning too far towards the academic region. I felt that Pharmacy requires more than just academic excellence, as pharmacists are required to communicate with and understand people. Therefore, I sort of linked my past ECA involvement to Pharmacy:

Leo and Interact made me aware that many people out there do not have access to simple medication, or even fresh water. They have also allowed me to taste the fruit of helping others. Self-satisfaction experienced.

Model United Nations gave me the chance to discuss some of the serious issues in a semi-professional environment. It will help me in the future when I am involved in policy setting on national healthcare.

Again, I really think that it is important to write on WHY we want to join the programme; instead of WHAT achievements we have and what kind of academic background we come from that enable us to complete the course.

3. Did you have to attend any interview sessions?

I was asked to attend interview sessions by only 2 out of the 6 universities I applied to.

University of Nottingham, UK Campus:

The interview was actually a full test. It revolved around knowledge of pharmacy, Mathematics, Chemistry and moral. I was not notified that we would be given a test. I was only told that the multiple-mini-stations-interview technique would be adopted for the 1st time by Nottingham for the interview.

I prepared by reading up on pharmacy, certain essential drugs and their functions, going through the background of some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies but they all ended up unused. I was really unprepared for a test.

The test had 6 stations in total, conducted by the same academic staff. I finished my test pretty quickly (I skipped some because I didn’t know the answer), so I had a talk with the academic staff. She’s a pharmaceutical chemistry researcher in the university.

University of Nottingham, MY Campus:

Because I attended Nottingham UK’s interview prior to Malaysia’s interview, I had better mental preparations. In fact, they asked almost the same questions as the ones asked in UK’s interview. The differences were:

  1. Instead of having 1 academic staff for all 6 stations, we were required to switch seats and approach 6 different academic staffs for different stations.
  2. There are some additional questions.
  3. A group activity is organized, where applicants interact with each other and made decisions together. The atmosphere was very lively.

4. What advice would you give to future applicants?

Be confident, and plan your personal statement well.

Links which you may find useful: 

  1. UK Nottingham School of Pharmacy – How to Apply

Zhen YuanLiew Zhen Yuan Gary received offers from University College London, King’s College London, University of Manchester, but he has decided to pursue his Masters in Pharmacy in University of Nottingham (2+2 programme).

To Stuff or not to Stuff that in?

That is the Question.

Pack light like Mike!
Pack light like Mike!

Image Source

Packing can be a long and arduous process and — I’ll admit — even infuriating at times, especially if you’re going abroad. This means that once you’ve forgotten to pack that favorite poster you need to look at before going to bed every day, you will not be sleeping for weeks, until you get used to not having it. We wouldn’t want to trouble our parents to mail us expensive parcels now do we?

Pack early.

Or at least think about what to pack at least 2 weeks prior to your departure date. When you finally get down to business, you’ll realize that there’re far more things to pack than you had initially thought of.

Essentials first!

The most important things are your documents — passport, visa, health records, flight ticket, and other documents without which you will be barred from boarding the flight or enrolling into university. Bring also sufficient cash to last until you open a bank account. Christians, pack your bibles!

Don’t bring your stuffed animal!

Just kidding, but only if it fits, and only if you’ve sworn to never part with Teddy (or Hippo). Or else do consider this option. It’ll save you a whole lot more space in that luggage.

Forget (some) electronics.

Apart from laptops, cellphones and their adapters and chargers, do not attempt to bring appliances such as an iron or a toaster or a hair dryer. The type of voltage differs from country to country, and you’re better off without all that weight anyway. If you need to be more convinced of the hassle involved, here.

I know you’ll miss your local food…

But don’t. Well all right, you can bring a few pieces of Teluk Intan heong peah if you’d like but ONLY A FEW.

Medical needs

Health care could cost a lot more in the UK and USA than in Malaysia. Do make sure you have a working health insurance plan throughout your course of study. Stow items (e.g. medicine) critical to your health in your carry-on bag and NOT your checked bag.

Winter clothing

Many experienced folks have said that it’s advisable to buy them when you’re there. Winter clothing sold overseas is much cheaper and apparently trendier than the ones here. When you’re overseas, also look out for garage sales where people sell off things they no longer need at really low prices.

Number of checked baggage allowed

In my case, we were only allowed one checked baggage per passenger. You are strongly advised to check with the airlines you will be flying with before packing.

Deciding what to put in the checked bag and the carry-on bag.

Some items are prohibited in one but allowed in the other; some items will not be allowed on board at all. Please do refer to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) webpage for a detailed list of prohibited items. Link here.

Your carry-on bag should contain the most important things i.e. passport, travel documents, money, jewellery, other irreplaceable expensive items, laptops and other electronics. You might want to bring an extra set of clothes and underwear just in case there happens to be a delay with retrieving your checked bag.

Check the current temperature of the place you’re bound for.

Dress appropriately for the climate. Bring along an extra jacket in your carry-on bag so that the weather does not take you by surprise.

No lithium in the checked bag.

Temperature or pressure changes on the plane may cause leaks or fires. To quote the American Airlines webpage, “Spare lithium, lithium-ion batteries of any kind are not allowed in checked baggage. Spare lithium, lithium-ion batteries for devices such as laptops, cell phones and cameras must be packed in carry-on baggage with the terminals covered/insulated.”

Ensure that your laptops, cellphones, iPads and tablets have sufficient charge before leaving for the airport.

US-bound passengers will be required to switch on their electronics before boarding. Failure to power your devices up will result in confiscation. This precaution was imposed in response to possible threats of terrorism. More details here.

Google for college checklists.

You might already have a checklist of items to pack but college checklists on the net could still be a great help to remind you of things that might have slipped your mind. Most of them, though, are extensive, and include things that are unnecessary or impractical for an international student to stuff them all into a TINY 28-inch luggage. Nevertheless, use it as a GUIDE. Here’s one.

Travel arrangements

Make sure you plan an itinerary before leaving your home country. This includes your temporary accommodation and the means of transport to commute from one place to another. There are many options when it comes to accommodation. I would suggest that you ask a few upperclassmen if you could stay at one of their places because this is likely to be cheaper. Else, you can opt for student youth hostels at a lower price than hotels. I was told that hotels around the university might double, triple or even quadruple their rates at peak seasons like this but if all else fails, it is still a viable last resort.

Rule of thumb: pack light! Toss out things you can afford to live without or learn to live without them. Leave some items to be bought after you arrive. Keep repacking to narrow down your list of things until the most essential ones fit snugly into your bag.

In the end you’re bound to have something you just wish you could bring. You might even go as far as attempting to use the Undetectable Extension Charm on your bag. Here’s where learning economics might make you feel better, or worse, — depending on how you see it — but either way, you will definitely be more accepting of the situation: you will concede to the economic reality of opportunity costs, that human wants are disproportionately greater than available resources to satisfy those wants.

Good luck!

Jacqueline Wong

Jacqueline Wong

Jacqueline Wong Huey Yean never (erm, rarely) gets tired of ice-cream, Hong Kong dramas, green tea, doodling and theology. She majors in economics at the University of California, Berkeley, though she secretly wants to be a graphic designer one day. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever is the chief end of this wretched sinner, saved by amazing grace.

4 Stages of the Yayasan Khazanah Global Scholarship Selection Process

Yayasan Khazanah has several scholarships up for application: the Global, Watan, Asia, Cambridge and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Merdeka Scholarships. I am a Yayasan Khazanah (YK) Global Scholar, sponsored for both my Pre-U and Undergraduate studies. The process has not changed much since I went through the 4 stages (2 years ago). In the following I shall run you through how my interviews & tests went and make notes of how they have changed. Here goes:

Online Application:

The online application is pretty straightforward with the usual submission of information like name, DOB, interested field of study, extra-curriculars, etc. Applicants were also required to write an essay, “Why the Khazanah Scholarship is for you and how would you contribute to the good governance practices and leadership development of Malaysia”. From what I gather, the essay question has not changed. It is also in my opinion the most difficult part of the application. Also, I applied for the scholarship right after my SPM results came out. Take note of the deadlines. I submitted mine just before it closed. (That wasn’t a particularly good move)

Stage 1: Aptitude/IQ Test

A few weeks after the application, I was notified via email that I made it to Stage 1. When I arrived at the test venue, there were hundreds of others in attendance as well. This was a series of 4 timed tests, which tested us on skills ranging from math to spatial. This took an hour or two for completion. Tip: The test looks to assess your skills. Do not feel bad if you failed to complete every question from each section. I did not complete 2 sections too. When we were talking to our scholarship manager, she mentioned that each one of the scholars was better at some sections than others. Personally, it isn’t something you can fully prepare for. Being calm and confident is key. Since then, YK has changed this to an online test where all successful applicants would be given a link to follow and a deadline to complete the test.

Stage 2: More Written Tests, Group Interviews and Individual Interviews

The wait from Stage 1 to Stage 2 was an agonizing one. I remember hearing of people making it to Stage 2 and thinking I had failed. Lo behold, at 4 am one morning, I received the email telling me I made it. (YK people do work LATE into the night) During my time, it was a full jam-packed one-day Assessment. Now, it has been made into a 3-day Assessment Camp. 1. Group Presentation/Case Study: The Stage 2 attendees were split into 2 groups. Each group were asked to prepare a presentation ‘Should formal or informal language on social media be used by corporate companies to communicate with their customers’. One team was pro formal language and the other vice versa. During the presentation, actively answer and ask questions. Tip: Note that the assessors will be watching you during the discussion sessions too. Do not be afraid to voice your opinions and hear out the others. Take charge. After the group presentation the 2 teams were led to separate rooms. Essentially, both teams did the same thing albeit in a different order. 2. Group Discussion: In my team, we were broken down into smaller teams of 5. With a panel of 2, each of us in the team was given a different topic to think about. We did not know others’ topics. Tip: While the others are being asked on their topic, you’re given a chance to think about yours. However, do take note of what the others are talking about because the panel might choose to ask you what you think of what another person said instead of asking you about your topic. The aim is to catch you when you least expect it. Multitasking is important. 3. Written Test/Questionnaire: We were required to answer a few questions based on a questionnaire (A-G). Some were straightforward whilst some required thinking and writing short paragraphs. Tip: Read through the questionnaire (A-G) and the questions given. Think before you write but also be aware of the time. There is no right or wrong, just your opinion. Remember to justify your answers. 4. Individual Interview: This was done with one interviewee to 2 interviewers. They’ll ask basic questions like: what do you want to do, how do you see yourself in 10 years, explain one of your extra-curricular activities, etc. Tip: Carry yourself well (don’t be over-confident or too nervous), answer the questions honestly, do not be afraid to tell them you are unsure. If you NEED TIME TO THINK tell them to give you a minute and THINK BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING. Also, talking to the other people did help ease the nervousness. Be social, talking to others is good practice before an interview.  Once you’ve made it past the Assessment – be it in one day or 3 – give yourself a pat on the back and treat yourself. Kudos!

Stage 3: Interview

Stage 3 is a one-to-one interview with the Director of YK. In this stage, someone will give you a question to prepare. Once in the interview room, you will talk about yourself (based on the given question) within a time frame. The interviewer will not ask you any questions. You are permitted to ask a few questions about the scholarship. Tip: This session is largely about first impression and how you carry yourself. Since all the Director has heard and seen of you up to this point is based on your assessments (in a file), it is NOW time to convince him YES I AM THE ONE! Again be confident and remember first impressions DO MATTER.

Stage 4: One Last Interview

Rejoice! You’re almost there. This brief session is a casual conversation with the Board of Directors. Here, there is no fixed set of questions. The BOD will already have seen your previous assessment results. Now, they would like to know more about you. My conversation with them diverted to talking about Astro. Tip: Again, first impressions DO MATTER. Don’t be too put off by unexpected questions. Take your time to think. After Stage 4, you may breathe a sigh of relief and pray for the last email. An approximate break down of the number of people that made it past each stage in my year goes a bit like this: 1000+ applicants -> 1000 -> 400 -> 50-100 -> 8 -> 4 pre-u + 3 undergrad GOOD LUCK!

Valerie Ngow Valerie Ngow has just completed her A-Levels at KYUEM last July. She’s headed to University College London this  September to pursue Mechanical Engineering under the Yayasan Khazanah Global Scholarship Programme. She may be small but do not be fooled for she’s a little cili-padi. 🙂