KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi all

DO non-GEP students who are otherwise bright and doing well have any chance of getting in top schools thru DSA?? My son is not eligible to apply thru sports quota as well.

help
nsmom

If your child has taken part in Maths Olympiad and score a platinum, it's very likely any schools will accept him. Or if his ICAS-NSW has high distinction.

Very interestingly at the dsa talk for parents I attended, an ex-student shared the fact that there were only 3 students (applied thru' Eng) who were called up for interview but there were 20-30 who applied thru Maths.

So if your son is linguistically/musically inclined, he could apply thru that route as well.

There's a new school School of Science and Tech that's open for DSA. do check that out!

nsmom wrote:Hi all

DO non-GEP students who are otherwise bright and doing well have any chance of getting in top schools thru DSA?? My son is not eligible to apply thru sports quota as well.

help
nsmom

Depend on which school. For Duman, RV, NJC and NUSH, so long as you apply and pay, they will let you take the entry test and if you do very well they will take you. For RI, I think only GEP students are welcome for DSA.

MdmKS wrote:For RI, I think only GEP students are welcome for DSA.

Hi Mdmks,
Is this heresay or you've some stats?

MdmKS wrote:
For RI, I think only GEP students are welcome for DSA.

Hi Mdmks,
Is this heresay or you've some stats

It is NOT TRUE. My son's classmate who is from a neighbourhood school got into RI via DSA. For your info, he is in the best class for the level but his examination results placed him at almost the bottom position of the class.
BUT, his keen interest in Math & Science (no outstanding Science and Maths results though) and some other X-factor he has ,helped him beat some other bright sparks in the same class to get a place in RI via DSA. His PSLE score is 248.

Parents can refer to RI website for accurate DSA details.

Hi, to share my experience. My son is not a top student in his primary school. He only have a Honourable Mention in NUSH Maths competition. He went thru the DSA exercise and was offered places in NJC, Dunman High and RI.

We thought his standard will only make it to Dunman High but he has proven us wrong. It is all up to the child. If they want it, they will try all his best to go the school.

kiasuson wrote:Hi, to share my experience. My son is not a top student in his primary school. He only have a Honourable Mention in NUSH Maths competition. He went thru the DSA exercise and was offered places in NJC, Dunman High and RI.

We thought his standard will only make it to Dunman High but he has proven us wrong. It is all up to the child. If they want it, they will try all his best to go the school.

Well done! That disproves most people's thought that GEP is the gate way to top school DSA. Then again, do GEP students have a higher chance to get a confirm offer DSA at RI? or ACI? Understand they go direct to interview? Are they given "priority to certain extend?

MdmKS wrote: For RI, I think only GEP students are welcome for DSA.

Not true. They cannot be so "obvious" even though GEP students make up quite a big percentage of their Sec 1 intake.

If it is still the same as last year, RI will shortlist everyone at the same stage. HCI splitted the DSA exercise into Stage 1 and 2. Those non GEP, non sports, non Maths Olympiad winners go to 2nd stage. But that doesn't mean this group stands a lower chance. After stage 1, only those "rejected" will be informed. After the 2 stages, they will inform the rest if they are "confirmed" or "waiting list" or "rejected.

What I have observed for DSA is that the boys stand a higher chance of success than the girls. I am referring to RI/HCI vs RGS/NYGH

I know that RI /HCI takes in about 50% of their Sec 1 intake through DSA. But I hear very few girls are successful in their DSA to RGS /NYGH. I don't have the statistics though.

Hi All,

Let me share my past experience . :

Not true. They cannot be so "obvious"

It is true. But their priority doesn't affect the entry chances of the non-GEP ?
But I would say that the GEP students really learnt much more than those non-GEP as I did frequently check up on the different things that my two kids learned at different stages (comparing P5 to P5 GEP syllablus and so on). What the GEP learnt is like two years ahead of the main stream. Actually they are quite poor thing and that is why not much play time for them.

I had a girl who was in the main stream in a neighbourhood school and she gained DSA to Nanyang Girls. However, I transfered her into Raffles Girls after her PSLE result of 283. She is currently in RGS GEP (although she was not in GEP in primary school).

We had to pay $70 to Nanyang (her choice school) and she set for 3 papers - English, Chinese and Maths. She got in first round and was asked for interview (2nd round) on the night before her Science prelim paper. (tiring and stressful right). After which we were informed that she had gained entry to Nanyang .

However, my boy is in GEP and he is P6 this year. MOE cum the school told us that they will not need to pay for any fees or sit for any tests except an interview with their portfolio. The school told us that last year 100 % of their GEP students got into their choice school through DSA.

My suggestion is please do not register for too many DSA. They will tax on your pocket and stress on your poor girl / boy.

Zann wrote:

kiasuson wrote:Hi, to share my experience. My son is not a top student in his primary school. He only have a Honourable Mention in NUSH Maths competition. He went thru the DSA exercise and was offered places in NJC, Dunman High and RI.

We thought his standard will only make it to Dunman High but he has proven us wrong. It is all up to the child. If they want it, they will try all his best to go the school.

Well done! That disproves most people's thought that GEP is the gate way to top school DSA. Then again, do GEP students have a higher chance to get a confirm offer DSA at RI? or ACI? Understand they go direct to interview? Are they given "priority to certain extend?

Generally, yes GEP students do only go for Interview if they neet the average grades set by the schools. For RI, mainstream students need to do well in your GAT and Selection Test to be offer a place. No further interview. I believe RGS will require to attend an interview.

Some of the interviews are done in groups of 2 or 3. This interviews are not easy as compare to individual interviews.