KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

So the story goes: I got accepted into both RGS and SOTA via DSA. (Visual Arts and Academic respectively.) However, I have no idea which one to pick!

1) I have a keen interest in art but I am also interested in pursuing my academics.
2) I'm worried if RGS has a... not so friendly environment.
3) Not sure if IB is a 'safe' curriculum to take on.
4) RGS has a good track record as well as other CCAs i'm interested in like Debate,but SOTA has better facilities for art.

Any opinions/suggestions?

Hi,

Personally, if I were you, I would go with RGS. But first, ask yourself, have you decided what you want to be and are you really keen/interested in art as a career?

Choose SOTA only if you are really keen and interested in art as a career. If you are not so sure, it is better to not go with SOTA. Besides, if you find out that you really really really like art and want to do it for a living in the future, it is not too late to actually go and learn in-depth about it.

I am not from RGS myself but I think that the environment is okay and is not unfriendly or anything. I'm not so sure on what you mean by whether IB is a ' safe ' curriculum to take on, but there really isn't much difference in terms of how well you are going to do, what you can do in the future etc. between IB and A levels.

Hope this helps, thank you! ^^

Hi,

Personally, if I were you, I would go with RGS. But first, ask yourself, have you decided what you want to be and are you really keen/interested in art as a career?

Choose SOTA only if you are really keen and interested in art as a career. If you are not so sure, it is better to not go with SOTA. Besides, if you find out that you really really really like art and want to do it for a living in the future, it is not too late to actually go and learn in-depth about it.

I am not from RGS myself but I think that the environment is okay and is not unfriendly or anything. I'm not so sure on what you mean by whether IB is a ' safe ' curriculum to take on, but there really isn't much difference in terms of how well you are going to do, what you can do in the future etc. between IB and A levels.

Hope this helps, thank you! ^^

Hi there! I personally believe in SOTA as the IB is as internationally recognized as the A Levels, so it's not exactly risky. I'm also twelve and received a CO from SOTA. Apparently SOTA does have a balance between Art and Academics and there are 3 students who had a perfect score for their IB. RGS and the "branded" schools tend to be VERY pressurizing, imagine how would you feel if you got 4 A*s yet you are the last of the class!

I think that you should take your time to think about it after PSLE, and decide which school is the best for you. After all, they say that being in a school that you like can make you feel more motivated to do better in your studies. Gambatte, Scribbler! And good luck!

Hi Scribbler, it's been two years since you posted this. Did you end up in SOTA or RGS? My daughter is taking her PSLE this year and also trying to decide between RGS and SOTA, so any update from you would be appreciated.

Growing.Pains wrote:Hi Scribbler, it's been two years since you posted this. Did you end up in SOTA or RGS? My daughter is taking her PSLE this year and also trying to decide between RGS and SOTA, so any update from you would be appreciated.

Sorry I meant "...it's been three years..."

Hi Growing.Pains,

Pls allow me to kaypoh here. My girl is currently in RGS and she is enjoying every min of her school life. The programme is rigorous but the environment is certainly NOT unfriendly. The girls are very close to one another, including the seniors. The sisterhood spirit is very strong. They help each other with school work (at least the vast majority of them do coz I can't deny we get black sheep everywhere) and personal life. Please do not get me wrong, while I say RGS is good, I'm not saying SOTA is bad. It could be as good too! I'm just sharing my girl's experience at RGS. That's all. Hope this helps

FireflyMom wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:40 pm

Hi Growing.Pains,

Pls allow me to kaypoh here. My girl is currently in RGS and she is enjoying every min of her school life. The programme is rigorous but the environment is certainly NOT unfriendly. The girls are very close to one another, including the seniors. The sisterhood spirit is very strong. They help each other with school work (at least the vast majority of them do coz I can't deny we get black sheep everywhere) and personal life. Please do not get me wrong, while I say RGS is good, I'm not saying SOTA is bad. It could be as good too! I'm just sharing my girl's experience at RGS. That's all. Hope this helps

Thanks for sharing about your daughter's experience at RGS. It's really helpful to get insights from parents. I actually came across an interesting article about being the "black sheep" in families https://www.pinchofattitude.com/signs-y ... ur-family/ and it made me think - even in close-knit school environments, some girls may feel like outsiders too if they don't conform or get along with the majority.

While schools aim to promote togetherness, it's good to remember every student's experience can be different.

Diversity is important to celebrate too. Thanks again for your input!