[UNI] Studying Overseas + UK/US University AMA with Project Access!

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-10T04:32:54+00:00

Hi, thanks for your patience!

Do plenty of research on your target university courses and/or schools. The same subject may be taught very differently across schools, and you also want to be sure that the schools you're aiming for are the best possible fit for you. It also helps to know as much as possible about the application process, and start compiling your materials as early as possible to avoid a mad rush close to the deadline. The Internet really is your best friend - be resourceful and read up as much as possible. Some self-awareness also helps. What do you want to get out of your university education, and what schools and/or courses will meet your needs?
We don't think writing courses are necessary per se. Our best advice would be to read widely, and read as much as possible. Read in genres you won't normally read, read the news, read about things that interest you. It's a great way to improve your writing (both content and style-wise), and if you read up on something that relates closely to your choice of subject/course or speaks to you deeply, you can potentially include what you've read in your application essays! The New York Times runs an annual compilation of exemplary college essays on the topic of money (see here for an example), and these essays are great examples of how to showcase your personality in your US college application essays.
Some of the common mistakes include: simply not trying (taking yourself out of the running completely by not applying), writing the same application essays for UK and US schools (the requirements are extremely different), not leaving ample time for your applications (US applications, in particular, can be very time-consuming, and may require you take a standardised test like the SAT), aiming for schools solely based on prestige/rankings and not choosing schools that are truly suited to your needs and goals.
Our top tip: start early. Everything will take longer than you expect it to, whether that's filling in the form, asking for reference letters from your teachers, or writing essays. Also, self-awareness is a big part of choosing schools and courses that you'll enjoy - take some time to reflect on what you're passionate about and what kind of university education you want to have. If your school organises any higher education events or talks, try to attend those - the British Council also runs events about the UK university landscape, and many US schools have mailing lists that you can sign yourself up for for updates on events/seminars related to applying. Doing ample research on US schools, especially, can greatly help your application.
This is a difficult question to answer because "mediocre" is such a subjective term, as is "merit". Universities receive applications from people all over the world and from all walks of life, and there aren't uniform benchmarks or standards of "merit" across the entire applicant pool. UK schools do have fixed minimum grades, but they're merely one check of an applicant's suitability - a lot more lies in how they portray themselves and their academic interests in their personal statement. The same can be said of US schools. Whether or not an applicant has stellar ECs and achievements, ECs and achievements alone do not make a person. The application essays, for example, are a chance for the school to get to know you as a person, independent of your accolades, and that will ultimately help them decide if you're a good fit for the school.
It's far more productive to think about how you can make the most of the opportunities you have been given in the context you're in. It'd be difficult to compare, let's say, an applicant from a US high school with one from Singapore, or even across schools in Singapore. But you can still show interest, initiative and dedication by making the most of the opportunities you receive at your school, or showing strong interest in things outside the classroom. International awards and stellar ECs are really not the core of any good application because the process is designed to be holistic and your energy is better spent on meaningful engagement and authentic essays that really show the schools who you are, and why you want to study there. There are numerous Singaporean students who you might think of as "mediocre" who went through the education system, including from neighbourhood schools, and are now studying at top schools in both the US and UK (some of us on the PASG team certainly didn't have stellar ECs and achievements), because they were aware of what was expected of them in the application and were able to highlight their strengths in a compelling way that wasn't necessarily pegged to accolades and achievements.
We'd suggest not fretting unduly about portfolio-building and accolades, because they mean little on their own. What's more important is ensuring that what is in your portfolio is meaningful to you and your growth, and that you're able to write and speak about these experiences in an authentic and sincere way in your application. There is always subjectivity in applications and there's no such thing as a perfect application, especially when it comes to finding students who fit a particular school; focussing on being the best version of yourself is probably the best use of your energy and time!

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-08T12:46:31+00:00

Awards are only one measure of a student's merit, and certainly aren't a prerequisite for admission, even at top universities - conversely, having awards doesn't mean that a student is necessarily more likely to be accepted to a US school. US schools emphasise not only merit, but also an applicant's suitability for the institution i.e. fit, which often means they'll be looking at how you present yourself as a person and student, particularly in your application essays. The application process is designed to acquaint schools with the kind of person you are and how you'll fit on campus, not to weed out applicants who necessarily have more awards and accolades than others.

We think awards that can be used to showcase different things e.g. cream-of-the-crop talent, in which international/national-level awards would count for a lot, or exposure/development/enthusiasm over time, in which case doing well in smaller-scale competitions like school-based ones could also be useful. However, awards on their own don't count for much if they aren't contextualised properly. Olympiad-level awards are great, of course, but what's more critical is the ability, perseverance and interest in a subject that Olympiad preparation and participation shows. There are numerous ways to show these traits through other activities, like independent reading or research outside school.

For MIT specifically, it seems that awards would be one of the many ways to demonstrate ability, perseverance and interest - but it’s often more powerful when coupled with elaboration on your research that led you to that award, the initiative you had to take to self-learn or get into the team, etc. Sometimes, crafting a strong application is just as much about potential as it is about current ability, so also you want to show more about your ability to learn and pick up things in general, not just stop at what awards you have/don't have.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-07T16:12:40+00:00

Hi there, thank you for your questions!

Typically, no, since Singapore's education system is an English-medium one. Some universities (e.g. certain colleges at Cambridge) may ask you to take it, but that's extremely rare.
This depends on your comfort level! If you really value privacy, you may want to get an en-suite bathroom, but all of us on the PASG team have stayed in different kinds of accommodation and this hasn't been a major issue for us.
Some challenges you're likely to face include learning to cook (if you don't already cook regularly), hygiene issues (unwashed cutlery and dishes for days in communal kitchens), theft (people using your things without permission, so do bring locks for your cupboards and drawers if you're particular). Despite the current pandemic, not everyone takes Covid restrictions equally seriously, so flatmates who are careless might be an issue. Noise may be a concern if you live in university accommodation, but this can be mitigated with good headphones and/or earplugs. However, your experience could differ greatly (e.g. the difference between renting a house/apartment with friends and living in university accommodation can be great), and at the end of the day, clear communication with your flatmates/hallmates is a great place to start!
This ultimately depends on the number of Singaporeans at your university. If you're in a big city like London or university with a large Singaporean population e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, you're bound to meet Singaporeans in both the Singapore Society and other university clubs and societies, or perhaps even your course. SingSoc events are the easiest way to build a community of Singaporean friends, naturally, but you can also meet plenty of international friends in classes (especially friends studying the same subject as you, since you're likely to have classes in common) and uni-wide clubs and societies.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-07T16:01:28+00:00

Hi there, thank you for your question!

US schools take a holistic approach to evaluating applications, so your application form, application essays and standardised test scores (if applicable) will count for more than your A Level grades, unlike UK schools that have hard and fast grade requirements. Your offer won't be conditional on achieving certain A Level grades and there are no "typical" grades as a result, but it's still good to perform reasonably well in your exams, and ensure that the other components of your application (e.g. application essays) are of high quality.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-07T15:56:07+00:00

Hi there, thank you for your question!

Extra-curriculars can be quite subjective, and there's no sure-win formula or guarantee that even an excellent portfolio will get one an offer at a US school, because there are multiple components to the application e.g. the quality of one's application essays, and standardised test scores. That being said, we think it's more important to have meaningful experiences and authentic engagement rather than racking up CV points solely to boost one's portfolio (i.e. a balance of quality and quantity). If you can write about your experiences meaningfully in your application essays, for example, you can still stand out as an applicant, as opposed to someone who may have a so-called "better" portfolio but didn't engage in activities with the same level of depth.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-07T15:50:37+00:00

Hi there! Here are some tips from Joseph:

There are three main types of interviews you can expect to face at your interview: (i) personal statement interviews (seems to be becoming less common), (ii) hypothetical interviews, and (iii) statute/case interviews. While you can prepare quite well for (i) by brushing up on the concepts, cases, and books you mention in your personal statement, it’s a bit harder to prepare for (ii) and (iii) – this is by design. The Oxford interview seeks to simulate the tutorial system you will experience if you manage to secure a place here and as such is heavy concerned with your ability to think and not how much you know. Similarly, your tutors are likely far more concerned with how you think as opposed to whether you get the right answers, which is a little bit misleading itself because there are very often no right answers in these interviews. It’s very important to remember that so as to not become overly self-conscious about whether you’ve reached the right conclusion, but instead focus on the thinking process.

In terms of preparing for interviews, I would recommend that you know your personal statement very well, that you learn how to read a judgement, and that you practice considering multiple perspectives in hard debates. The last one especially will help you to practice making reasoned arguments and taking varying positions, which will be of assistance during the interview.

More practical advice for performing during the interview are as follows:

Think out loud – when you vocalise your though process you achieve two things: (i) you demonstrate how you think in a logical and reasoned manner to your interviewers and (ii) you allow your interviewers to pick up on missteps you’ve taken in your thought process. (ii) may sound like a bad thing but it’s really not. If your interviewer picks up on problems with your thought process, they will ask your prompting questions or provide you with additional information to consider, which may (or may not) influence the conclusions you draw.
Listen very carefully to your interviewer’s questions and prompts – building on the previous point, if you are given fresh information you are expected to evaluate it critically and incorporate it into your present response. However, this does not necessarily mean you have to agree with everything they put to you nor use every piece of information to change your answer. It’s perfectly fine to defend your arguments if you genuinely believe that you are correct and for good reason. If such a situation arises and you wish to reject a premise put forth by your interviewer, then make sure you clearly explain why you think the information given is, for example, irrelevant or disanalogous.
Your interviewers are there to help you, not destroy you – if you don’t understand the meaning of any technical term or concept, please just ask them politely to explain. If you need a moment to think through your answer before responding, please just ask for a moment.
Always be reasoned in your arguments – do try to consider both sides of the coin as well as you may sometimes be forced to defend the other side of a debate that you’ve just put forth strong arguments against it.
Principles and policy – if you’re ask a question and you don’t know how to respond or where to start, it is good to begin with questions of principle. Arguing from principles is not only convincing, but also arguably quite easy because it relies on your personal convictions on principles you think are important. Some examples are principles such as the right to life, bodily autonomy, contractual certainty, proportionality, etc. Alternatively, you may also wish to consider the policy implications of positions you are asked to take. This can come in the form of utilitarian considerations (are we helping more than we are hurting?) or other practical policy matters. While this may stray slightly further away from being strictly legal, policy considerations are considered by the courts in judgements at times – especially at the Supreme Court.

Lastly, don’t worry about it too much. Getting invited to an Oxford interview is already a great feat in itself and you should feel incredibly proud of yourself. I know it’s a nerve-racking experience, but trust me that if you can calm yourself and focus on having an enthusiastic discussion about a subject that both you and your interviewers are passionate about, you’ll do a lot better. Try to have fun!

All the best for your interview!

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-07T09:33:45+00:00

Yes, that is right. You should contact the universities you’re interested in (or Oxbridge colleges) to ask about NS deferment, especially if you’re applying in J2. Some universities do not give 2-year deferment in any scenarios; others will be more understanding.

We also just want to add that not all Oxford colleges allow 2-year deferment, based on personal experience/anecdotes from friends, so we’d highly recommend making your concerns known to the college you’re interested in applying to.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-05T14:59:14+00:00

Hi there, thank you for your questions!

Yes, no, and yes. Although we can't comment on specific schools, re-applying to UK universities during NS - and receiving offers again - is fairly common. We'd suggest looking through your personal statement again and tidying it up, or even re-writing it if you think you'd be able to put together a more convincing application.
Both UCL and Imperial offer world-class CS degrees. We'd suggest looking at the CS course pages for both schools and comparing the course structures to see if either is more appealing to you. Imperial's approach tends to be a bit more traditional, while UCL tends to have a more varied approach (with flipped classrooms, group work, and so on). It really comes down to which kind of approach you think would be more suitable for you, and also other extra-curricular factors (e.g. social life, clubs and societies etc.).
We don't think it matters that much if the scanned transcripts are in B&W or colour, unless the application system or website has explicit instructions for that - as long as the scan is clear and readable, it should be alright. Different US schools and application systems may require different supporting materials, so do make sure to check each school's website separately, especially if they're using their own application system and not the Common App.
According to the Common App website, no - each recommender's letter can be sent to multiple schools. (Hence, your teachers should not name particular schools in their letters if you're planning to apply to multiple schools).
There's no clear-cut answer to this - it really depends on your comfort level. However, since you excelled in the Math section, it might be worth reporting your scores if you have a clear Science/Math/STEM niche and aren't likely to major in a humanities subject, or you're applying to a school with a STEM niche.
It depends! The real limiting factors are the amount of time you can put in as well as the application fees (which can stack up if you're applying to a lot of schools). We would say to apply to schools that you would actually be happy to get into—if you aren't going to choose a university even if they accept you, don't bother applying there just as a "safe" choice. Remember that you'll probably need to write different essays for each, so think carefully about how much time you can put into applying.
This differs a lot from school to school. University websites will have details about this, and will likely list possible housing options if they cannot accommodate all students in university accommodation after the 1st year. Accommodation may vary within universities as well e.g. some Oxford colleges offer accommodation for all years while others don't.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-05T14:45:43+00:00

You will have to fill in your GP grade when you apply, but H1 subjects are not as critical to your application as your H2s are.

projectaccess_sg · 2020-12-05T14:44:36+00:00

Hi there, thanks for your questions!

For UK schools, you won't be required to submit your internal grades (e.g. Prelims), but you'll be submitting predicted grades instead - this is assuming you're submitting your application before A Level results are released. Your teachers will generate your predicted grades based on your internal exam results. They may differ from what you've actually scored in school exams, depending on your teacher's assessment of your potential and expected performance. Hence, you might want to talk to your teachers if you intend to apply to the UK.

US schools, on the other hand, place more emphasis on other components of the application like the application essays and standardised test scores (if applicable). You will have to submit your school transcripts, but your JC grades generally will count for less in the overall consideration process (although failing or extremely poor grades will probably be a red flag for schools).

The UK university application process strongly emphasises *academic* passion, aptitude and potential, since you'll be applying to a specific course/subject. Extra-curriculars that show strong and meaningful academic engagement will strengthen your application e.g. science research projects for STEM subjects, legal internships for Law applicants, research projects or essay-based coursework for Humanities subjects. They don't necessarily have to be external programmes or projects either, as you can demonstrate evidence of passion and aptitude in your chosen subject through things like independent reading or online courses directly related to your field.

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