Thanks for the plug. I have also copied the IGFAS to a user-editable site at igfas.wiki.zoho.com.

This collection wouldn't have been possible without contributions from many others (some anonymous), and any corrections, updates and/or additions are greatly welcomed. Please add your contributions to igfas.wiki.zoho.com or leave a comment on my blog or post on my forum.

All: I think it will be very useful to update Elia Diodati consolidated list if you have the info. Cheers.

I strongly second the suggestion to think twice about taking up a scholarship if you have the money, and even if you don't have the money. While you may think you know what kind of career you want at 19 years old, the fact is the Singapore education system is so narrowly focused, and you have been exposed to so few ideas at that point in your life, that you really shouldn't bank on your interests still being the same four years later (or for males, up to six years later). Think hard about whether you really want to be a civil servant for the rest of your life; about how much you actually know about the working life of a civil servant. Do not think that it is OK just because your teachers and parents say it is --- unless they were scholars themselves.

Hi very informative for those considering a scholarship.

Anybody know what is the going rate for bond breaking? How much does it cost to break a bond? Who are the players out there who are open to footing the bill if one decides to bail out? Any anecdotes from readers?

Void Deck:

How much you pay to break your bond depends on where and how long you study. Generally, UK tends to be less expensive than US, and is only 3 years to boot. If you break your bond on your first day of work, I think it should run to more than $300k for a US 4-yr course and about $120k for a UK 3-yr course. Your mileage may vary.

I would say the odds that you can find an organisation that will pay for your bond to be minimal if your bond is more than S$100k. Job market is hot now, but there is no guarantee that the market will be hot in 4-5 years. It is not uncommon for an organisation to give you a loan, though that may make it difficult for you to leave before you repay it. But you shouldn't count on it.

Siu Tar - 120K SGD for a 3 years UK education bond with 10% LD seems to be too low.

For LSE, the tuition (2004/2005) for an overseas student in LSE is 10,509 pounds per year which is around 30,000 SGD. For Cambridge and oxford, the total annual fees is around 13,000-15,000 (9-11K university + 3-4K college ) pounds per year (Total: 45K SGD a year). The scholarship includes monthly living allowances, airfare, books etc. With living allowances and LD, I think 200-250SGD is more realistic.

LD is 10% COMPOUNDED interest rate, but this is old data. Can someone in a bond verify this?

Yeah, I guess the pound (and tuition) has become more expensive. In my time the disparity with the US was much greater. I know of a couple of scholars who did 3 years in the UK plus one in the US and their bonds came in just over S$200k. But I guess those days are over.

Also, a lot of people scrimp through their US degree in 3 (or even 2.5) years. I'm not a big fan of that, but whatever floats your boat. So in terms of cost it really doesn't matter if you go to the US or UK as much now.

I would like to make a couple of comments on the main article. First, one should treat the scholarship not as a means of funding an education, but as a job offer. The reason why people break their bonds is essentially the same as why people change their jobs. It's just more costly, and not just in a financial sense.

Secondly, I think that for young officers, the Civil Service is quite competitive with non-finance jobs in terms of remuneration. The pay isn't that bad in the right service, and if you impute the cost of your education, your pay is actually quite substantial. So much so that I don't think even consulting pays much more, esp if one is on an Admin Service track.

Of course, some finance jobs do pay much more.

Siu Tar - " The pay isn't that bad in the right service, and if you impute the cost of your education, your pay is actually quite substantial.So much so that I don't think even consulting pays much more, esp if one is on an Admin Service track."

You are correct, except that there is no more direct AOs hires for fresh graduates (even president scholars etc) since 02/03 with the introduction of the MA scheme. Now, the MAs are paid the same with the rest of the graduate officers for their first four years with an additional one or two months for being in the AS. The MAs will be up for absorption as an AO only at their 4th year (or 3 for exceptional cases). I am quite confident of this data.

Before 2002, I fully agree those direct AOs (not dual-career track) with imputed scholarship monies are definitely paid more competitively in the first 4 years as compared to the global consultants, but when the analyst is promoted to an associate level, the consultant will likely to be paid more. However, there are very very few analysts who will be promoted to associate level without an advanced degree (i.e. MBA etc). That said, there are very few direct AOs too (4-8) before 2002/2003 anyways. Most are in dual career track.

Fully agree that some finance jobs pay more, with corresponding significant additional number of hours.

Siu Tar:

"one should treat the scholarship not as a means of funding an education, but as a job offer."

I wonder how many scholars at 18 years old took up the scholarship mainly because it is a job offer rather than a means to fund an education (because the presence of overseas scholarship drys up the overseas loan market due to lack of demand)? What do you think?

I wonder how many scholars at 18 years old took up the scholarship mainly because it is a job offer rather than a means to fund an education (because the presence of overseas scholarship drys up the overseas loan market due to lack of demand)? What do you think?

Almost none. 18 year olds are in no position to evaluate job offers. Especially not job offers that only come 4-6 years down the road.

Sze Meng:

Yes, LD include 10% compound interest.

twasher - when you state: "Almost none. 18 year olds are in no position to evaluate job offers. Especially not job offers that only come 4-6 years down the road."

Is this based on conversations with a number of scholars or other more concrete data sources? I am curious why you are so confident almost no scholars are evaluating the scholarship as job offers? I am sure a number understand that they have to work in the company for a few years, so it is quite obvious a job offer.

Cheers,

Sze Meng:

Obviously, I know of no concrete data on this, nor do I see how it can be acquired. I mean, even if one gives questionairres to scholars, the fact that a scholar states that he/she chose a scholarship as a career choice doesn't say anything about his/her real motivations. This is especially so if the questionairre is handed out by a scholarship or govt agency, since scholars feel obliged to show enthusiasm for their future careers. So, my statement will have to be based on anecdotes. I base my statement on the fact that the vast majority of scholars and people who applied to scholarships whom I know (and this probably numbers 50-100) applied to a wide range of scholarships, regardless of the prospective jobs offered by the various scholarship agencies. For example, about half the A* scholars I know applied to both PSC and A* (and a few others besides --- essentially any that were looking for undergrads with science/engineering degrees). But PSC and A* clearly offer very different kinds of careers. A typical applicant will "carpet-bomb" the range of scholarships for which his course of study is eligible. And once he/she is offered a scholarship, the social and financial pressure to accept it is huge. I would state their general attitude thus: "I'm not entirely sure what I want to do, but an overseas education and a stable job afterwards sounds cushy enough, so I'll just take it."

While this may not qualify as rigorous evidence that most scholars do not think of scholarships as job offers, I believe any significant frequency of this kind of attitude amongst scholars and scholars-to-be is dangerous and deserves to be highlighted.

twasher - 50-100 scholarship applicants data is a large sample. I appreciate you going into details why you state your point of view.

Going back to my article on SA perspective on 3 questions to answer for interviews, let's hope that the sponsoring organization focuses as much as B ( does the applicant wants to work in the organization and in the position) as A (can the applicant does the job).

Maybe it might be interesting to hear from a fresh scholarship reject. I've known since the start of JC2, last year, that I wanted a civil service career. I wanted some meaning in a career, and such a job would probably allow me to leave my mark on an entire nation and not just one particular organisation - so it felt right. I became extremely interested and even passionate about government issues and, sometimes, politics, and this year I applied to only three scholarships: PSC, MAS and EDB.

I was rejected by all three. It was a great blow to me, and it still is. They would have provided the most promising and life-changing, and perhaps the only, paths into my dream career. That possibility and the prospect of such attractive work were closed to me in the short span of about a month, and I took it pretty badly. PSC had rejected me flat out by email, and I wasn't even granted an interview probably because I had a near-empty secondary school CCA record and didn't have perfect A level scores to make up for it. MAS and EDB: I gave my all and what I thought an impressive performance during the "wayang" rounds (team activities and discussions), but still didn't make it. Very quickly, my self-esteem and self-confidence slipped away, and three months later, I've not felt them coming back. After placing all my hopes, dreams and entire life on the prospect of getting one of these scholarships, the thorough rejection is making the coming years, months and days seem not worth living.

At 19 years old, I feel like my life is basically over. I'm not confident at all of trying my hands at private sector jobs that I'm completely uninterested in, so I am completely clueless about filling up the next fifty years of my life. After being carried for years from one top school to another, I'm feeling as if the world has abandoned me and left me to fend for myself, with nobody else to guide me anymore.

Now I've always loved English and I have a place at NUS Law, and I've been tossing around the possibility of embracing the profession and maybe serve the public later on as an MP if I'm lucky. But for now, nothing I could possibly do later on in my life seems remotely comparable to, or as impactful as, what I could be doing as a permanent secretary if I had done enough to be an overseas merit scholar. I just think that it's the end of the world, even if all my friends insist that it isn't.

jonathan,

Now I've always loved English and I have a place at NUS Law, and I've been tossing around the possibility of embracing the profession and maybe serve the public later on as an MP if I'm lucky.

The KTM has some good news for you. You can apply to join the Legal Service after you graduate. At least two Legal Service Officers transferred and joined the Admin Service in recent times, so you still have one more shot at becoming a Perm Sec. :-)

KTM:

Thanks for the encouragement, but my bet would be that those two were PSC OMS (Legal Service) scholars. it's almost always that way with top government lawyers and counsels.

To jonathan:

Thanks for sharing your experience and feelings. It is very good to hear from someone who desire to serve the public through the civil service. My advise is to do very well in your Law degree, and get involved in the university activities (because you learn as much from non-academic stuff than academic stuff).

There are a small number of DS and PS that are NOT scholars and only absorbed into the admin service when they become DS and PS, so it is entirely possible for you to be a PS without being a scholar. Is it easy - of course not, but is it possible - yes.

If you get at least a second upper honor, you can interview for the MAP scheme, and then prove yourself to be absorb into the Admin Service 4 years from you join. The MAP scheme has a fair number of non-scholars for sure, others can easily verify this. All PSC OMS have to enter the MAP scheme too and only be absorbed into the Admin Service 4 years when they graduate. You will be on the same track as them if you are in the MAP scheme. Of course it is not easy to get into the MAP scheme.

Therefore, your next entrance point is when you graduate from NUS Law with at least a second upper, shown leadership abilities and potential and apply to the MAP scheme.

Don't give up. Singapore needs individuals like you who want to serve the public.

Feel free to email me personally if you want more details.

Jonathan,

I'm a recipient of a scholarship from one of the three agencies you mentioned. My advice is similar to Sze meng's. If you're still interested in working for the civil service after you graduate, you can apply for entry to the MAP, MAS or EDB then.

Contrary to the public perception, the civil service is meritocratic with respect to appraisal and promotion. If you are on the MAP, or an officer with the MAS or EDB, you will given the same opportunities as scholars and promoted based on merit. There are a number of leading public sector figures who are not scholars (the most prominent being Tharman and Ravi Menon).

In addition, not getting a scholarship may be a blessing in disguise. You may find it difficult to believe now, but I know a number of people who, like you, felt bitter and crushed by rejection, but now feel that this was a blessing in disguise, as their interests changed during university. And they had the ability to explore different paths in life, which scholars did not.

I think the important thing is to use the scholarship process as feedback and learn from it, and then excel in university and in whatever you choose to do next. Don't feel discouraged and give in to despair, because that will inevitably be self-fulfilling.

btw, many top schools offer free tuition.

For example, at Yale, "If a student's family has a yearly income of (USD) $45,000 or less, his or her parents will not be expected to make any financial contribution toward the cost of Yale." (See Link Here)

Furthermore, many summer jobs will pay for your day to day expenses.

If anybody still cares, I know of someone who has a bond worth S$600K. Not too sure why so much more than the rest, but may be due to the fact that he is a PSC scholar, and during the deferred 2 years of NS, the compound interest already started to kick in. Not to mention, he is also a teaching scholar, so NIE fees are also part of the bond worth.

Also, even though many US universities claim to be "need blind", I have heard of cases where Singaporeans have been turned down for financial assistance, on the basis that there is already a substantial number of fully sponsored scholars coming from Singapore to these schools. Perhaps someone familiar with Yale can comment on the school's "need blind" policy?

Fearfully Opinionated,

Note the difference between "need-blind" admission and "need-based" financial aid.

Do read (and the related links):
http://www.yale.edu/admit/freshmen/financial_aid/index.html

[This is mostly addressed to people who are keen on or open to the idea of going to grad school]

Alternatively, people could just consider doing their undergrad work in Singapore and then doing grad school abroad. Our local schools are recognised and aren't all that bad. An A+ from a recognised school is still an A+ on a college transcript.

I really don't see why some people can't just hold out a little longer for the bigger oppourtunity rather than barter a kingdom for a bathtub the minute they got the chance. Sure, nothing beats the Harvard or Oxford college experiance, but as part of a larger life plan isn't it just *sad* to intellectually peak at undergrad and then go downhill thereafter?

I recieved government scholarship invitationals but chose to get my degree at a local U instead because I wasn't ready to commit to a bond I feared I might regret. True, I envied my Oxford and Harvard counterparts, but now I'm a grad student at an equally illustrious uni. Performing well and doing research at my local U has secured me a cocktail of research assistantships, subsidised classes and allotments of a one free class per semester, which pays for my grad degree and rent. Meanwhile, my friends on government scholarships are bemoaning their exit from the intellectual hothouses of the world into the staid civil service.

I'm glad I held out and waited. If you're considering a government scholarship and open to pursuing grad studies, I entreat you to seriously think about this.

Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Princeton are all need-blind to international applicants, i.e. a declaration for financial assistance from the school does not adversely affect admission chances. They also pledge to provide financial aid for admitted students who genuinely need them. The rubric for determining need varies from school to school, but is strictly related to the applicant's familial assets and income.

These are the only universities in the US that practise need-blind admissions and provide need-based aid for internationals. Williams and Middlesbury have similar policies, but they are liberal arts colleges. I don't believe any of these six colleges will turn down any admitted Singaporean who seeks financial assistance and qualifies for it, and most certainly not on the tenuous basis that "there is already a substantial number of fully sponsored scholars coming from Singapore."

Other schools may not be so generous though. For instance, Cornell is need-blind to internationals, but admitted international students are extremely unlikely to receive any aid even if they have demonstrated financial need.

Intelligent Design,

You are absolutely right, and I still think many potential scholars are unaware that postgraduate studies, even in the "illustrious" schools, are not that difficult to finance, given various bond-free scholarships, research assistantships, TA-ships, Fellowships, Grants and stipends. Which leads me to wonder if those on PhD scholarships (like A*star scholars) are aware of this.

It is also important to note that, if you have postgraduate aspirations, grad school is more important than undergrad. E.g.

BA(NUS) + PhD(Harvard) > BA(Harvard) + PhD(NUS)

[No offense to PhD NUS folks]

Therefore, I think it makes very much career and financial sense indeed to do your Bachelors in a local U, and then apply for a graduate position in a more illustrious U.

yhmp,

Thank you for clarifying the matter for me. The school I was referring to was, in fact, Cornell. However, if what you say is true then ONLY these 6 schools are both "need blind" and offer "need-based" financial aid (to borrow Yale's terminology). How many Singaporeans are admitted to these universities?

I don't know about Williams and Middlesbury (and maybe more Singaporeans SHOULD look into these two), but my own estimate [correct me if I'm wrong] is that only about 20 Singaporeans altogether are admitted to Yale, Harvard, Princeton and MIT per year. [Compare this to the number of Singaporeans who are admitted to Cornell, UMichigan, UPenn, Stanford, UCBerkeley, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, UIllinois, CALtech, etc., as well as the UK universities.] So it appears that the advice we provide here only applies to the top 20 students of each cohort. [I wonder, by highlighting this, I am adding to the already high levels of stress and competitiveness among the A Level students, not to mention, promoting elitism =P]

I believe that usually among these 20 admitted students, most of them are scholars who have already signed a bonded scholarship. I also suspect majority of these students are not poor enough to be eligible for the assistance anyway.

It is important to provide hope: If you cannot afford an overseas education, but you are bright enough to be among the nation's top 20 or so, by all means, apply to Yale, Harvard, Princeton and MIT. DO NOT be ignorant about this option.

But we cannot expect more than a handful of students, if any at all, to take this route due to the sheer difficulty involved.

FO,

There are certainly more than 20 Singaporeans who find financial aid in the US, and I believe there are many other opportunities going begging due to the brainwashing of JC students into thinking that scholarships are the best option. There are many liberal arts colleges that have less competitive admissions than the likes of Harvard. Even though most of them do not have need-blind admissions, a good Singaporean student has a significant chance of gaining admission even if he/she applies for aid. This is because the students with the best CVs tend to be snapped up by scholarship agencies. Thus I know several people with not particularly outstanding CVs who nevertheless got financial aid at good liberal arts colleges. I feel that these colleges are underappreciated by brand name-seeking Singaporeans. Most don't even bother applying to any of them. So I suspect there is actually more 'capacity' for financial aid for Singaporeans (at least in the US) that goes unused. Many Americans would consider an undergraduate education at a good liberal arts college like Williams, Reed or Swarthmore as better than one at a large research university like Harvard. Reed graduates, for example, disproportionately populate the ranks of Americans who end up with PhDs. So there are more opportunities to get financial aid and a good undergraduate education in the US.

I would agree with many here not to be hung up over which university to study at. I only received a scholarship in my last year of NSF, about 2 months before ORD. I was fully prepared to go to NUS. At 21, does it matter? The world is still your oyster.

In fact, I didn't necessarily choose the most "prestigious/selective" university I was admitted to but chose to go to the West Coast because the weather there was better. (my scholarship organisation tried to encourage me to go elsewhere because they already had many scholars at my university but such is life)

If I had gone to NUS, I would likely have gone on to do a PhD and become an academic somewhere. Or maybe I would have ended up at a hedge fund. But the point is that people are often too hung-up over what they assume to be life-changing events. You are what you make of yourself. No matter what hand you are dealt at age 21, the SAS motto still applies: "Who Dares Win".

ps. The Singapore SOF motto is also good: "We Dare"

Siu Taur's estimation of the liquidated damages for scholarship bonds is too low. SG organizations offering scholarships typically ask for 10-15% compound interest on top of the total value of the bond.

This works out to more than $500k for a 4-year undergrad/grad programme in a private U.S. university (6-yr bond), more than $100k for a 4-year undergraduate programme in a local uni (4-yr bond), and more than $40k for a 2-year mid-term scholarship (2-yr bond).

Some organizations also have more difficulty retaining their scholars after the initial bond period than others, or have a high drop-out rate of scholars before their bond period is over. Hence twasher's advice against carpet-bombing scholarship applications is particularly useful.

Also, if the sponsoring organization is going to offer a massive 1-time payout, don't use it to buy a car. Some clowns have done this before; it does make you wonder whether they are even the slightest bit scholarly to begin with.

Lastly to jonathan, it's way too early to write yourself off. If you love the civil service so much, there are a million and one ways to get in. Look at it this way - since you are not on any bond, you can apply to practically any govt organization once you graduate. How can you be sure that you want to work in EDB or MAS and not say MTI, MOF, Temasek, GIC, or IRAS? Don't assume that you know what you want 4, or 6 including NS, years down the road.

Fearfully Opinionated,

You seem to be familar with the financial situations for PhD in the US. From what I know, a lot of universities in the US paid for their PhD candidates' tutition and even give a living wage allowance (low but can survive). In return, the grad students will have to be TA after their 1st or 2nd year for the rest of their Phd studies.

In this case, what is the incentive for someone to take up a PhD scholarship from a Singapore organization if the university is already willing to pay for it?

I am sure things are more complicated than what I painted, but it will be interesting to know.

Siu Taur - You are right in the sense who dares win. But sometime whether you dare or not may be significantly influenced by your undergraduate or graduate studies experience.

Cheers,

Sze-Meng
Cheers,

From my understanding of say, the A*STAR PhD scholarship, there are several benefits over a TA-ship, which I shall list below.

1) No TA duties. TA duties can be time-consuming, and the time spent can arguably be more constructively spent preparing for the quals or working on the thesis.
2) A higher standard of living (TA wages are barely sufficient to cover room, board and insurance; the A*STAR scholarship not only provides for a substantial sustenance allowance, but also a monthly salary on top of that.)
3) Increased probability of gaining acceptance to top graduate programs? - Most universities have limited funding for TA-ships, fellowships, etc. and probably won't say so no to competent and free labour for their labs.

Ultimately, a prospective applicant to a local PhD scholarship has to ask himself whether the sum total of the above takes precedence over freedom. I hesitate to self-righteously advocate the less cushy route, because everyone has different priorities in life.

@twasher:
Most students who do not qualify for brand-name universities and/or financial aid for these schools end up enrolling in NUS Medicine or Law, i.e. the most prestigious courses available locally. It makes sense from a practical perspective, because even elite LACs like Williams are severely underrated by the general Singaporean public and presumably potential employers, and it's the rare individual who can be utterly impervious to the opinions of their loved ones, or the trends of the job market. If they have strong passions that are in neither medicine or law, then it is indeed a pity.

Unfortunately, this practicality comes with the territory of being a Singaporean...

I have a friend who's entering William's this year. She's brilliant and is on an almost-full financial aid. She's given USD 50K a year to cover sch fees, lodging, one air ticket, expenses etc. Holly! Sounds way better than a scholarship!

If all you want is an overseas education/ US education,which I suspect is at least half the reason for everyone who wants to go abroad, do it her way: apply only to schools that give liberal aid. And study hard!

Having worked in a corporate environment for some time within this 6 months, now that i'm waiting for uni to start, I get the sense that the school name isn't as important as what you can offer as an employee in the workforce. They're not gonna care if you get straight As. If you can't DO the job, your A plusplus in Physics doesn't matter a wee bit.

As one of my ex bosses said to me, " I don't really care about your A in school. If I get some random guy to sit down and study for a long enough time, he's gonna get an A too." His point to me was that knowing how to work around/with people was more important in Business.

So the earnest, positive guy from XYZ school who is at least up to the job seems like a better pick than the poor attitude smart aleck from Good Name School. Good Name Schools are more important only if you're into academia, it seems.

I do have friends who are evaluating scholarship offers as job prospects. I'm not sure that they do a very good job of evaluation though, given that we all lack that 'workplace maturity' to understand what goes on...and sometimes I sense that some are psycho-ing themselves into wanting to be in public service by ennobling Public Service, or finding some logical justification for their signing on. I'm not the kind who can be bonded, for sure. But if any of my applications had gone through successful, I would have been in the same dilemma. Scholarships are, to me, like free money...why waste it? I'm not averse to public service, but rigid government service doesn't feel right for me. Still...the money, so that I can have it easy financially....

I perceive of my peers a neutrality to public service. Everyone of us want to live up to great ideals of doing something meaningful for the good of others, so theoretically, we all figure that public service fits the bill. It's not the only way to serve our society, but it' definitely one way to.

I guess some things can't be taught. It's only through experience (and time) that we will learn and mature. Only in future, when we come out to work, can we see for ourselves...and then we might finally fully understand.

It makes sense from a practical perspective, because even elite LACs like Williams are severely underrated by the general Singaporean public and presumably potential employers

Most people I know who paid for an overseas undergraduate degree on their own do not return to Sg to work. Those LACs are certainly not underrated or unknown in the US, so if you do well at one of them you will have no trouble getting a job in the US that pays at least 3x what you'd get for the same job in Sg.

Ultimately, a prospective applicant to a local PhD scholarship has to ask himself whether the sum total of the above takes precedence over freedom.

It's not just freedom. The 'compensation' consisting of a salary over and above allowance and tuition during the PhD period is dwarfed by the difference in the salaries of local scientists and overseas scientists of similar rank (with the exception of big 'whales' like David Lane). But yeah, it's still 'cushy' because you don't have to bother to compete with other people for post-doc positions after you graduate.

I would suggest that if material/physical cushiness is your priority then you should think hard about whether a career in research is your cup of tea. (This is not directed to yhmp, but scholarship applicants in general)

Sze Meng,

I think for someone who is quite certain that he/she wants to be a researcher, and be a researcher IN SINGAPORE, for proximity to family (or out of sheer love for this country =P), then an A-Star scholarship isn't really that bad a deal. As we know, research positions in Singapore are not that plenty (test-tube washers anyone?), and signing the A-Star contract at least guarantees you a job.

A-Star scholars usually go to a different college for their postgraduate studies, so that means that over their academic studies, they have had the opportunity to work with two top notch faculties, one when they were undergrad, and one postgrad. Again, no offense to local faculty =X

I think when one is fresh out of JC, one is more inclined to think "I want to work in Singapore and stay close with my family after I graduate". However, after actually experiencing life and studies overseas (and also realizing that working overseas pays much more), many Singaporeans soon find that actually they don't mind being away from their families so much after all. I think this also adds to the disillusionment-with-scholarships factor.

That said, I am still of the impression that many potential scholars are just plain ignorant of the fact that it is not difficult to finance postgraduate studies. If they knew about the different (bond free) financial avenues available, I believe that many individuals would have chosen differently.

I also think that it is quite dangerous to be that certain about being a researcher when you are only 18. At one point in my life, I wanted to be a research Physicist. However, upon entering university, I found that university Physics is quite radically different from A Level Physics, and I actually ended up hating Physics so much that I never wanted to see another triple integral again in my life. If I were a bonded A-Star scholar at that point in time, my life would have been very difficult indeed, since I would be contracted to pursue Physics to PhD level.

FO

1. I agree it will be much better for the sponsoring organization that the offered candidates know the other alternatives such as bond-free financial aidsand job opportunities and then choose to STILL take the scholarship. However, there is really no incentive for any organizations (except for individuals who seen scholars who don't like what they are doing or ex-scholars themselves) who provide the information from the other side of the coin. Classic problem of asymmetrical information faced by an 18-years old applying for scholarship in Singapore. Hopefully this article plays a (very) small role in correcting that, but I do think the list of bond-free financial aid opportunities collated by Elia Diodati should be better publicized - maybe be members of blogsphere?

2. About living overseas. I agree with you. It is not as though somone must live the rest of his or her life overseas once they decide to work overseas after graduating. =) I do think many Singaporean work overseas for 2-4 years and then return to Singapore to work for another few years, and move around. It is not that absolute. In the age of global travel, taking a plane home for one week, even from the US and Europe is not that far-fetched or infeasible.

3. About knowing what exactly you do before you enter uni. For example, I have no idea what is management/strategy consulting when I went to university. Now, I have been a management consultant for three years, and still doing so after my MBA. No one really know for sure how the uni experience will shape you....

Hey everyone,

Wow, this is quite amazing - returning a week later to see so many replies and words of encouragement! I've read them all, and I must say that many of the comments left here have had some effect on my perception of what kind of future I might want to pursue. I'm probably gonna apply to the 6 need-blind universities at the end of this year, and I'll spend much more time on my application and essays this time. Last year was a bit of a rush in the midst of the A levels. I know my chances are still close to zero anyway, but I'm willing to give it a shot, just for the experience of living overseas and the academic rigour at those universities.

It's cool to be featured on the KTM's blog, albeit as a negative example. Yeah, I shouldn't have raised my expectations so high knowing that my credentials were badly outshined by many of my peers. I became more active in CCAs in JC, even taking on leadership positions, but they were confined to my interests in clubs and societies still, which probably didn't make up for much. Still, I only joined the clubs I was interested in and even helped to found one, instead of pursuing the standard scholar profile - councilor, sportsmen and whatnot. I had hoped that PSC would recognise the leadership, interest and involvement despite my lack of sports or student council, but I guess why choose me over those who had consistently shone in all aspects?

I have always been confident in my academics since primary school, but I'm quite ashamed that I somehow got complacent in JC2. In the pursuit of PSC, my first choice, it didn't help that, with tales of President Scholars getting less than 4As, I got the idea that PSC valued CCAs much more than academics, when 1) they did so only for people with very outstanding CCA and 2) that made me lose my motivation to study properly. In the end, my gamble didn't pay off - my CCA ultimately wasn't outstanding enough for them and I didn't fully develop my strength in academics.

In retrospect, I should have been more focused and true to myself. Ironically, if I hadn't been hit by the scholarship frenzy, I might have kept my motivation to study, attained perfect scores alongside a good CCA record in my clubs, and had a better chance instead. I'd advise all my juniors to stick to their strengths and interests and do it well. Don't abandon your strengths just because old wives' tales (or in this case, old seniors' tales) tell you that your they're not valued by scholarships. You'd otherwise lose your advantage and your opportunity to stand out - and most importantly, you'd lose your identity and sense of accomplishment.

to add on: Yep, getting a scholarship doesn't mean you're set for life. far from it. It's not the end of the road to success; it's only the beginning of yet another relentless round of selection, appraisal and ultimately, elimination. Within scholars, there're just as much competition, politics and stratification as anywhere else. Not all PSC scholars make it into the Administrative Service; not all AOs make it to the top. It's basically the same rat race, but those who're not suited to the job end up being bonded in a six year-long losing battle.

Jonathan,

It's cool to be featured on the KTM's blog, albeit as a negative example.

No lah, not negative example lah. More like you've raised a point of concern and some question marks. In any case, the KTM spouts nonsense all the time, so please don't take him too seriously. :-)

From reading what you have just written, it seems that you have sorted out your thoughts and you're ready to give it another shot. Good luck. :-P

Anyone knows why A=STAR only support AGS scholars up to 4 years (phd) while NSS(Phd) scholars are supported up to 5 years?

Do you have similar advice for ASTAR scholarships? I think it will help... it looks like an emerging "PSC-type" elite scholarship class

Mike,

"Anyone knows why A=STAR only support AGS scholars up to 4 years (phd) while NSS(Phd) scholars are supported up to 5 years?"

Sounds like a very reasonable question. Why don't you just write to A-STAR and ask them directly? Even if some online kay poh comes along and gives you an answer, you also dunno whether to believe or not. :-)

I am an ex OMS scholar, changed that to EDB when they refused to let me finish my NS before going overseas and not defer. In my second year of army I found some bond-free scholarships, applied to those, and was fortunate enough to get a full bond-free scholarship to Wesleyan University. I had to pay both PSC and EDB $1000 each to drop their scholarships.

Few Comments:
1. The world is much larger than 18 years in Singapore has led you (and me when I was 18) to believe.
2. If you don't allow yourself to get a B or C in University you haven't challenged yourself enough by trying something you're not good at. Unfortunately the scholarship boards won't allow you to either.
3. Always be grateful for an opportunity which you would not have had otherwise.

Good Luck with your searches.

PSC is certainly very discerning when it comes to awarding stipends and scholarships. They have to be.

Maybe our whining fren would be better off, if he or she tried for a NLB scholarship?

I have under the best authority even Xiaxue passed with flying colors!

No harm trying.

PSC's league. btw what do we all have even when we manage to graduate from an ivy league institution / our thumb drivers and memory banks are usually nil / so how great can we be? besides we all know that doesnt stop people like Darkness and gang shouting at us at the top of their voice, how many ****ing patents do you have?????

When the question is so direct, how to take cover?

When you really come out of work, you will be amazed how level it really is. If I were do to it all over again, I would work at least 10 good years in Europe than way when I return home, I can really contribute, as it is, all that happens is getting shouted down at

Go and work 10 years first and aspire to a position of at least a VP in America or a European company, then and only then can you claim to have any marketable skill, otherwise you are not fooling anyone here.

No one!

You will just hollered down by ppl like darkness, they will take you to task, trust me, they will, because they know you have no iron in your back bone. So they will go after you.

Life is like that a scholarship is only 10%, we all know that, there is the other 90% which is what you do with it.

In a board meeting, the question will crop up, how many patents do you have? If you have none then you have none, and you are just looking directly at a man who will take you limb to limb, bc everyone in the conference room will consider him an ace fighter who has cut his bones in the front, you are just nothing, you are dispensable and as for your scholarship that counts for zero. No one cares abt that when you work, they just want to know whether you have the kill flags on the side of your fuselage, the rest is not important, trust me!

Go get your VP position in microsoft or HP, that will be good, the rest is just bs.

I am not "y," I am scholar boy. Pls do not insult me. I am giving you good advice. As it's tragic to see someone trading on 3 years of what he does with his life to try to explain the rest of his life. Truth remains a scholarship doesn't guarantee you anything in this day and age, it used too, but these days, it just doesn't cut it, don't believe me go and check it out, there are alot of duds out there, even presidential scholars included.

If you really want to make something out of your life, it's best if you just sit down somewhere and go figure out: how life actually works, no one is jealous of you, you have to be crazy to believe that and it's the same reason why organized crime doesn't care abt two drunks fighting over a bowl of peanuts - its just so irrelevant that it cannot be taken seriously.

Once you come out to work, results are the only thing that matters to your bosses, subordinates and everyone in between. The rest is negotiable.

10 years working abroad will do you well, at least you will have something to draw on when you called to deliver.

You mean to say, you actually go thru the whole run of the mill 4 years!!!!!!!!! Can't be much of a scholar then?

I skipped a whole year!

10 years work experience abroad will do quite nicely to round you off.

btw how many patents do you have? Aha! OK, I understand, that puts it all into perspective.

You actually mean to say, you slogged thru the whole 4 years! You're not serious right? Remember only two things matter when you come out to work,(1)number of patents and (2) number of refereed articles published / your family, who you are. Your daddy or who your grand dad is. Your alma mater. Your scholarship whether it is AS, PSC or even British Council. What you did or didnt do in NS. All this you can put into one box and slip it under your bed.

Remember 10 years of foreign work experience is good, 15 years is even better. "Y" is absolutely right, thumb drive is always zero when one graduates.

"are you more successful than the PM?"

You can't be much of a scholar if you consider that the gold standard?

You're kidding me right?

"they study 4 yrs and got direct bachelor's and master's lah"

I don't realy believe you know what's the difference betwen a M SC and a basic degree.

The latter provisions for fast tracking ONLY bc one usually has 12 months to fill in the blanks by coursing thru the hols period - but where is the provision for fast tracking in a M SC?

Do you even have any idea what is the difference between a degree, M SC and Phd?

I seriously doubt it - I know why you are here making comparisons.

"Those scholars get their Bsc/BEng AND their Msc/MEng in a total of 4 years."

I don't think you know what u r talking abt.

As for the patents. I agree only, if the vocation values it. I am a linguist so papers are important.

Thx scholar boy for your worldly advise.

"Their 4 year bachelor's degree is done fast tracked in 3 years and their master's is fast tracked in 1 year"

Oh hold on again I thought you said, it was four years?

See here!

"Teacher:
Insecure moron, besides telling me what is "presidential scholar" which none of us has heard of, it's 4 yrs, not 3 yrs lah! Ignoramus! And no one is saying that scholars are better than everyone in the private sector. Why are you so insecure wah lau?!!!

We were comparing 2 scholarships when SOMEONE answered ANOTHER PERSON's question between Astar and PSC. No one said that PSC scholars are Gods that the fools like you or geniuses like Jackson Tai in the private sector have to bow down to.

We were discussing and exchanging pointers of what we know to help people who are interested in applying and wondering what's right for them. And then you butt in uninvited and unsolicited with your arsenal of insecurity, going on and on and talking bs in your bad stinky English, making a big FOOL of yourself.

Seems like all that time in the private sector didn't make you any smarter.

Posted by Teacher | March 13, 2008 10:02 PM "

So which one is it? 3 or 4 years? Oh dear, I just remembered, you r not a scholar r u.....that explains many things.

Actually how can it be 3 + 1 years? Do you have any idea how tough it is for example to even get a master's of science seat in places like IC london or Bristol U?

You are the mad one, no wonder you still dressed up with no one to blow, the brotherhood guy is spot on!

You don't add very well do you? If it is 3 + 1, then you have exceeded the count by 2 yrs dumb dumb, as it should be 4 + 2 and in certain cases even 4 + 2.5 with work placement included + thesis , it is not usual for the U to even insist on at least 5 yrs work experience, if management features in the Master's.

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABT SHUT UP!

There has been some 23 different comments posted within a space of 3 days from the same IP address under some 13 different names, often in quick succession, and giving the impression of a conversation between the different 'names'. A further 5 under 3 names have also appeared from a second very similar IP address. All comments from these two IP addresses will be unpublished. Sock puppetry of such magnitude is not encouraged on my post.

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