NTU/NUS/SMU 2018-2019 Intake

[eddief4]

You asked for the rest of the forum to "rate your chances", and you got some aggressive, some rude, but all honest replies. I admire your courage, determination as well as your desire for medicine. That's something we should all learn from.

But what I don't understand is, since you said that you've been through a lot, you should know how cruel and realistic the world is by now? Most of us here on the forum (I assume) have been slapped ruthlessly by reality countless of times, hence we are here to advice you against being slapped from reality. Miracles really do not happen in life. Yes, I believe you that hard work and dedication can bring you to far and amazing places. But you asked us to rate your chance for medicine, and we can all say that it's impossible just based off your poly results alone.

We are no one to judge your academic performance in poly, but you do admit it's not up to par with the requirement needed for medicine, right? You really need to recognise that first, that using your poly results and even your O's will NOT get you into medicine. Like you said, hard work and dedication can bring you to your destination, but not this avenue... Maybe if you redo poly, or take A levels as a private candidate, or take BMAT and go overseas med... these are other avenues that you can consider.

I really admire your positive outlook, as I was once in your position (not for medicine but for another course). I was told "delusional", "silly", "stupid" by many others. And obviously, my application to my desired uni course failed. That was when I received a huge slap from reality (and had to go through the pain of retaking A levels. etc). And I am sure you do not want this to come.

Still, I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. With your never-say-die attitude, I'm sure you can go far in life, really. (-: Ignore the haters, but keep in mind those who are genuinely concerned for you and give you warnings and tips along your journey. All the best!

If his GPA was 3.7+ range, I would tell him the chances are very slim but if he had achievements relevant to his course of study (hospital attachments etc.), that may help him.

2.5 GPA is abysmal. People with 3.4 GPA are fighting to get into "low demand" courses like NTU English and this guy with a 2.5 GPA thinks he can get into the most in demand course in Singapore?

As I mentioned, I myself fugged up my O levels but if I had asked people to rate my chances of entering RJC with 33 points, do you think people would have said "there's a chance?" Hell no. They would have laughed, told me to go into ITE instead.

This scenario is similar to his situation. NUS medicine is RJC and he pretty much has 33 points and trying to enter RJC. What am I supposed to say?

If he truly wanted to enter, there are alternatives. I have made it clear along with others. If die-die want to enter NUS medicine, prepare to slog hard for A levels.

 

[Meatboi96]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

 

[Raxxxxxx]

I hope you do realize Poly and O level is very different. Poly isn’t just solely on studying and able to get good grades. No doubt that academic result isn’t everything but for the university to assess us whether if we are suitable for the course, they could only based it on academic result and probably some non-academic achievements. Nobody here is shading you neither are they trying to be mean, I’m sure everyone here are equally concern and passionate towards the course they have applied for. Totally respect your passionate and determination towards med course, but instead of just pinning your hope fully on just local uni med, it would be advisable to have other alternatives as backup.

Wishing you all the best!

I believe my O level result of 6points is higher than what you had achieved. Therefore me having 2.537 might stand a better chance than you who scored a 3.5X.

 

[1313Opkko]

Allow me to break it down for you.

1) It appears to me from your various posts that you are still hung up over your L1R5 of 6. I am here to remind you that your O'Level results constitute only 20% for your admission, the other is 80% from your GPA.

Your GPA is currently 2.5, whereas we all know Medicine only accepts those with straight A's for A'Levels, and the 10th percentile for poly kids is 3.91.

Therefore, your O'Level results of 6 is NOTHING in comparison to those who have 3.91 for their GPA, and most likely have equally good or if not at least single digit L1R5 scores.

2) Quoting this particular post by you, I am also here to remind you that NUS/NTU is not admitting you based on you being 2nd in your clique, but you are competing against EVERYONE else who applied for a place in the entire Singapore. No one cares how well you do relative to your friends - it is how well you do relative to the entire nation.

3) You insist you have organised many camps and events in polytechnic. You may try to apply under the Exceptional Individual Scheme (EIS) (their form of DA) for NUS if you deem it sufficient enough for you to enter Medicine. Nevertheless, do bear in mind that your service to your school/course is not as valuable as say, someone who chose to volunteer in an area that is related to Medicine. For example, working at the pharmacy, volunteering simple first aid services to the elderly in need/staying alone.

4) Universities does not taking into consideration your past in NS, because JC kids who got in would be training to be medical doctors to serve in NS anyway.

You asked for people to rate your chances, and just because many rated it as very low or even impossible, you call people a wet blanket. If anything, you ought to know that prospective Medicine students have to go through 8 rounds of interview (last heard from a year 3 med student herself) to get in, each testing for different values in you. You are not showing me that you are able to take constructive feedback and given the competitiveness of the places for Medicine, you would most likely have failed the interview, if you even get called up.

I hope you see that your chances are as good as impossible, simply because anyone with a GPA of below 3 would NOT stand a chance for ANY courses in ANY local university. Universities admit based on grades, that's why they have a IGP, and very little on your CCA. Heck, even the Ivy League universities who are considerably more open with their admissions policies still have a minimum baseline for SAT results.

Do update us in time to come when you have received a decision from the universities.

Well Said Geeniee!
Totally spot on the equally good L1R5.

Meatboi96

Just My 2 Cents:
I would like to tell you good luck but sometimes its good to take a step back and absorb all the comments in the forums. I don't think that they're trying to be a 'wet blanket' to pull you down but trying to process some thoughts.

From your comments you seemed like a confident person but maybe a little hung onto your past, you may have scored well during O lvls for L1R4 but maybe things happen which caused you to not do well. However consoling yourself that you're the second of your clique doesn't seem to me as a good mindset as you're just limiting yourself. (Staying in your comfort zone.)

Maybe you can try studying for SATs and A lvls for next year or maybe for when you ORD like little by little during the weekends or something.
It could be helpful

And you don't have to challenge me about my grades i scored 2.1 G.P.A during poly hahaha

Honestly wish you the best for your application

 

[geeniee]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

Still being so passive aggressive.

Why do you have to keep pointing out that your L1R5 is higher than most of the users here? So what if you are higher than me when my GPA is way higher than yours?

Allow me to repeat myself: Your GPA has a 80% weightage and your O'Level results is only 20%.

For that, I can also look down on your for having such a lousy GPA, but I wouldn't because I don't have to.

I would not know whether you will definitely fail, in fact I would dare say until a decision is made, you always stand a chance. However, you first come into this forum asking people to rate your chances, so here's how many of us rated: impossible. If you are here to seek for comfort and encouragement, you are at the wrong place.

To even get a chance at an interview, you must be shortlisted in the first place. Again, many of us do not think that your GPA is enough to get called up for an interview. Your "hard work and sheer determination" would not be able to get NUS Medicine to shortlist you for an interview, because that decision is beyond your control.

Besides, you are in no position to judge for yourself whether your answers are solid or not, just like your grades. It is up to Medicine. #justsaying

Again, would your pharmacist friends get you into NUS Medicine? No.

Dude, even if your Dad is Lee Hsien Loong, he may not even be able to guarantee you a spot in Medicine, because that would be abusing his power.

Given that you are so optimistic, I understand that it may be hard for you to take such hard truths in a day. However, I hope it gets to you that your GPA is really abysmal even for the less popular courses in the local universities, and prepare alternative routes for yourself, such as going overseas for Medicine, or taking A'Levels as a private candidate.

Edit: Just to add, I am already an undergraduate at NTU, so no I am not competing against you for a place. If you deem anyone who did not get L1R5 of 8 or below as worthy of talking to you, kindly just seek for advice/encouragement/self-affirmation elsewhere. Thank you.

 

[No use for a Name]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

Lol. You're just a troll.
Good job.

 

[Pesantkie]

Still being so passive aggressive.

Why do you have to keep pointing you that your L1R5 is higher than most of the users here? So what if you are higher than me when my GPA is way higher than yours?

Allow me to repeat myself: Your GPA has a 80% weightage and your O'Level results is only 20%.

For that, I can also look down on your for having such a lousy GPA, but I wouldn't because I don't have to.

I would not know whether you will definitely fail, in fact I would dare say until a decision is made, you always stand a chance. However, you first come into this forum asking people to rate your chances, so here's how many of us rated: impossible. If you are here to seek for comfort and encouragement, you are at the wrong place.

To even get a chance at an interview, you must be shortlisted in the first place. Again, many of us do not think that your GPA is enough to get called up for an interview. Your "hard work and sheer determination" would not be able to get NUS Medicine to shortlist you for an interview, because that decision is beyond your control.

Besides, you are in no position to judge for yourself whether your answers are solid or not, just like your grades. It is up to Medicine. #justsaying

Again, would your pharmacist friends get you into NUS Medicine? No.

Dude, even if your Dad is Lee Hsien Loong, he may not even be able to guarantee you a spot in Medicine, because that would be abusing his power.

Given that you are so optimistic, I understand that it may be hard for you to take such hard truths in a day. However, I hope it gets to you that your GPA is really abysmal even for the less popular courses in the local universities, and prepare alternative routes for yourself, such as going overseas for Medicine, or taking A'Levels as a private candidate.

Edit: Just to add, I am already an undergraduate at NTU, so no I am not competing against you for a place. If you deem anyone who did not get L1R5 of 8 or below as worthy of talking to you, kindly just seek for advice/encouragement/self-affirmation elsewhere. Thank you.

Yes to add on to what you have said even if your father is a doctor doesn't guarantee you a spot in NUS Medicine.

The interview is so strict that you have to be assessed by another invigilator doctor if you know the previous doctor (before you are transferred to other circuit) to ensure fairness to all students.

 

[Vestigestorm]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

No point comparing L1R4/ O level exam. It's only a minor step towards your university application. I got friends who scored way lower than your L1R4/R5 but got into Oxford so ... chill.

 

[nekomon]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

Oh dear, seems like you still do not get all of our points. Okay you've been preparing hard for the interview, but the main point here is, no matter how harsh it might sound, you will NOT secure an interview with medicine. Singapore works like this, no grades, no say.

My friend scored all A's for her A levels except for an unfortunate B in her KI. She applied for NUS medicine but did NOT manage to secure an interview, although she had an excellent portfolio (with leadership + exco). Do you see how hard and competitive it is to get into medicine??

After today's fiasco, there's still no conclusion. Most people would know by now that no chance means no chance at all. Similarly like what the people above had said, if your GPA was at least a 3.5 and above, we might say that you stand a small chance. I take back my words about your 'positivity', I genuinely doubt it now... I can only conclude that you are delusional and unrealistic and refuse to admit that you are not going to make it into medicine.

Honestly, what's the point now by mentioning and being bitter about your O level results? Does that result slip make your chances into medicine slightly easier, by chance...? It's just like how an A level student with 60RP but argues, "But I scored a 280 for my PSLE! And I was from an IP school!". The only thing that matters for uni admission is A level results or poly GPA results.

The world is harsh and realistic. You either admit defeat and grow and learn from it, or refuse to move on. It's up to you.

 

[wiingx]

Hello all!

I’m a poly student graduating this year, applied for NUS Life Sciences and NTU Biological Sciences, already got offer for both but in a torturous dilemma of not knowing which to accept.

Some pros and cons I’ve been thinking about based on what I read:
NUS pros:
- better reputation (or so people say/think)
- a lot more interesting modules

NUS cons:
- scary bidding system
- competitive?
- Advanced placement credits tests for additional 20 MCs exemption
- tests is $50 per module applied for!
- highly focus on theory rather than lab skills?

NTU pros:
- Direct entry to second year!
- more focused on application and skills? (Not too sure how true this is..)
- newer facilities?
- less stressful and competitive compared to NUS?

NTU cons:
- So far! (And parents object to hall life )
- less modules to select from
- less reputable compared to nus?

Is there any seniors from either of the above mentioned program who can share their experiences and opinions on which to choose? Any other pros and cons would be greatly appreciated too!

Thanks so much!

Hi any opinions would be appreciated! Please

 

[Origen]

Hi everybody, can anyone rate my chances ??
I’m from NYP, currently in another university (SIT).
I’m trying to apply to NTU for a change, my cgpa for all 6 sems is 3.59.
1st choice: sociology (3.58 Cop)
2nd choice: social policies & global affairs (3.63)
3rd choice; multi linguistics (3.++)

My current modules in Uni is similar to soci, and for past two exams I scored 62% (my sch is an Ou, counts by honors not gpa)
62% is an upper second class.

What are my chances??

Hi! Just putting it up again to see if anyone can help ^^

 

[sookavitch]

Hi any opinions would be appreciated! Please

Hi bro applying for the same course here, but no news yet.
Looks like NUS is a better bet for you for the sole reason of the travel time since parents dont allow hall life. I mean 40-50 mins difference between NUS and NTU may not sound much but personally i want to get back to rest ASAP after a long day. So NUS maybe

 

[eddief4]

Hi any opinions would be appreciated! Please

You could flip a coin and not go wrong.

Can't speak for NTU but I want to clear up misconceptions

Cors system: Honestly, bidding isn't as scary as it seems. It's hard to put it into words but after 2 semesters, CORS bidding is really straight forward and unless you are competing for a very popular module, you will tend to get your module for 1 point.

Competitiveness: Both unis are competitive. It depends on what you are aiming for. If you are aiming for pass degree or 3rd class, then don't need stress so much. Just get B- enough. if aiming for higher honours, then need to work hard.

 

[eddief4]

Hi! Just putting it up again to see if anyone can help ^^

Soci probably can but you may have to wait a while until mid April - May for a response.

Very borderline though so a chance you may get rejected.

 

[Origen]

Soci probably can but you may have to wait a while until mid April - May for a response.

Very borderline though so a chance you may get rejected.

Hi! Thanks for the response. Can I just ask if why it’s borderline? not to sound demoralised or anything just want to understand too haha.
From what I know, my gpa has hit the 10th percentile for both sociology & multi Linguistics courses. But I’m not too sure about transferring from one uni to another.

 

[wiingx]

@geeniee Correction L1R4 6points and my L1R5 is 8points (which is probably higher than you) Btw are you a MEDICAL student? how you know I will fail if I haven’t try it yet. I have been preparing for the medical interview intensively and I believe my answers are really solid. Forgot to mention that I actually work as a sales assistant in Watson and made two pharmacist friends there.

Well, to add on to what everyone has been telling you, it’s really not quite possible to get into medicine with your GPA, I have friends who applied for medicine with 3.9 but still hasn’t received any update since. If you’re really so keen and passionate about being a doctor, maybe you can consider joining SIT allied healthcare programmes to work towards being an Allied Healthcare Professional? From what I know, SIT doesn’t have a fixed GPA minimum percentile so maybe you might have better chances there. And it’s probably the next closest thing to being a doctor given your situation.

 

[wiingx]

Hi bro applying for the same course here, but no news yet.
Looks like NUS is a better bet for you for the sole reason of the travel time since parents dont allow hall life. I mean 40-50 mins difference between NUS and NTU may not sound much but personally i want to get back to rest ASAP after a long day. So NUS maybe

Hello! Thanks for the reply! Can I know if the unis are still some distance away from train stations? Cause I haven’t really been to any of the campuses so Im not sure how far it is from stations and didn’t think Kent ridge to Pioneer is 40-50 mins apart haha.
Anyways, hope you get your offers soon maybe we might even be potential classmates haha! If you don’t mind me asking, do you think your chances are good to get either course?

 

[wiingx]

You could flip a coin and not go wrong.

Can't speak for NTU but I want to clear up misconceptions

Cors system: Honestly, bidding isn't as scary as it seems. It's hard to put it into words but after 2 semesters, CORS bidding is really straight forward and unless you are competing for a very popular module, you will tend to get your module for 1 point.

Competitiveness: Both unis are competitive. It depends on what you are aiming for. If you are aiming for pass degree or 3rd class, then don't need stress so much. Just get B- enough. if aiming for higher honours, then need to work hard.

Hello! Thanks for replying as well! I’m actually aiming for higher honours as I’m planning to go on towards graduate school. From the way you speak, are you also from NUS?

 

[nyarlathotepia]

Hello! Thanks for replying as well! I’m actually aiming for higher honours as I’m planning to go on towards graduate school. From the way you speak, are you also from NUS?

I assume you are keen on research. At an undergraduate level it's often said that NTU has better and new teaching labs. However, NUS has better research facilities.

I'm not sure about NUS but for NTU, you have to take a bus to campus. The science buildings are a little bit inside. There's a free shuttle bus to and fro; I took it once and found it terribly cramped.

 

[tt32003]

Hello! Thanks for the reply! Can I know if the unis are still some distance away from train stations? Cause I haven’t really been to any of the campuses so Im not sure how far it is from stations and didn’t think Kent ridge to Pioneer is 40-50 mins apart haha.
Anyways, hope you get your offers soon maybe we might even be potential classmates haha! If you don’t mind me asking, do you think your chances are good to get either course?

NUS has Kent Ridge station

Walking distance to science faculty but about 10-15 min walk

Or else nearest stations is either Clementi or Buona Vista and need to take bus

Not that familiar with NTU but nearest station should be Boon Lay/ Pioneer