[fuyumi]

A RISE in number of university applications this year, partly due to the Dragon year cohort, has resulted in those scoring average grades being squeezed out of a varsity spot.

Dragon years, being particularly auspicious in the Chinese calendar, are usually associated with a spike in the birth rate.

A parent, Mr See Chee Wee, who wrote in to The Straits Times Forum page on Monday said his daughter had been rejected by all three local universities despite scoring grades of A, B, E and a C for General Paper.

But the three universities said the sheer number of applicants coupled with an overall increase in quality have left those with average grades out in the cold.

Said a Singapore Management University(SMU) spokesman: 'It is likely that, depending on which degree programmes this particular applicant has applied, she does not meet our admissions requirements on an overall holistic assessment.'

SMU assesses its applicants based on their academic credentials, co-curricular activity records and performance during an interview.

At SMU, 39 per cent of A level applicants scored A,B,B or better in their results compared to 30 per cent last year. At the Nanyang Technological University(NTU), 35 per cent more applicants had at least three As this year than last year.

The increase in quality has meant universities were more selective in choosing applicants. For instance, the National University of Singapore law faculty considered only those with three As for its interview and test.

NUS received a total of about 34,000 applications for around 6,600 places; Nanyang Technological university has 35,000 applications for 5,850 places; while SMU has about 12,900 applications for 1,485 places.

At NUS, 15,700 A level school leavers from the Dragon year cohort applied, an increase of about 2,200 from 13,500 in 2006.

[zel]

so stress to be born in year 1988, dragon year....
always have to "fight" with each other for places
how i wish i was born 1 year later...

[Fool]

Originally Posted by fuyumi

A parent, Mr See Chee Wee, who wrote in to The Straits Times Forum page on Monday said his daughter had been rejected by all three local universities despite scoring grades of A, B, E and a C for General Paper.

that E grade killed her

anyway its kind of unlucky to be born in that year, but face it this is life la. if you're born under unfavourable conditions, u just have to work harder.

[silencedreamer]

last time when i was in JC, my teacher once told us: "don't think u can afford to fail during yr1 n just get retained. u'll be fighting with even more ppl born in the dragon yr for a place in uni."
i was quite lucky lahz, to be accepted into uni..

[huitingsmile]

ya lor.. dragon yr is the most babies lor.. everything oso have to snatch de.. LOL.. poor us..