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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_119810" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-119810" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-119810 size-full" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-800x533.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-320x213.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/pexels-cottonbro-studio-9654745-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/girl-doing-splits-9654745/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pexels</a></div>If your child is in Primary 6, chances are, the buzz in the early part of the year will be about the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA, or Direct School Admission</a>. This is where students can use their &lsquo;talent areas&rsquo; to apply for a desired secondary school, and many parents view this as an opportunity for their children to access better schools.
From now till May, you and your child can use this time to learn about the different talent areas that schools look for. Begin by browsing secondary schools that are participating in the DSA:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Visit the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SchoolFinder</a> page.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Click on &lsquo;Secondary&rsquo;, look for &lsquo;Admission type&rsquo; in the left navigation bar, and select the DSA checkbox.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">View the different &lsquo;talent&rsquo; categories, or search for a talent area that is relevant to your child.</li>
</ol>
DSA applications will typically open in early May and close by the end of the month, so it&rsquo;s good to start thinking about whether your child should apply, and which schools might be suitable.&nbsp;
Not sure what to do next? Use our questions to guide your DSA decision-making process!
<h2>How many students apply for the DSA, and what&rsquo;s the success rate?</h2>
In 2023, there were <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/8000-direct-school-admission-places-and-4400-students-admitted-in-2023-chan-chun-sing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14,500 students</a> who applied for the DSA, and some of them made multiple applications. This is almost 40 percent of the entire Primary 6 cohort.&nbsp;
Of these applicants, about 4,400 were successful in securing places to secondary schools &mdash; this means there&rsquo;s about a three in 10 chance of success.&nbsp;
For those eying <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/courses/express/integrated-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Programme or IP</a> schools, the chance is even slimmer. Based on <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2022460&amp;sid=0657aef8a326f9cb9e6a7b6e56d4dd8a#p2022460" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous figures</a>, only about 30 percent of successful applicants will gain admission to IP schools. (This translates to about a one in 10 chance of success.)
Keep in mind that these are just the broad acceptance rates for the entire DSA cohort, and may not be an accurate indicator of acceptance rates for individual schools.
<h2>Why are parents so keen on the DSA for IP schools?</h2>
The biggest reason is that IP schools are hard to get into via grades &mdash;&nbsp;one needs a <a href="https://www.aspirertutor.com/psle-cop-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">single-digit PSLE score</a>.&nbsp;
These schools are popular because they&rsquo;re considered established and prestigious, plus they offer six-year courses, allowing students to skip the GCE O-Levels in Year 4 and take either the GCE A-Levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in Year 6.&nbsp;
In terms of the learning experience, the IP was designed for academically strong students, so the project work may be more interesting, or students may spend more time developing skills such as critical thinking and communication.&nbsp;
At the same time, not all students are suited to IP life, and it can take a toll on those who fail to make the grade. If you are applying to these schools, do consider if your child can keep up academically.
<h2>Besides IP schools, are there other DSA schools that are notable?</h2>
Yes, there are four &lsquo;specialised&rsquo; schools that only accept students through the DSA process. These are:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.nushigh.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NUS High School of Mathematics and Science (NUS High)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.sst.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Science and Technology (SST)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of the Arts (SOTA)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.sportsschool.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore Sports School&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>
If your child wishes to pursue their studies in the above schools, please note that they generally can&rsquo;t apply for these schools using their PSLE grades.
Going by procedure, students should apply for NUS High and SST through the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s DSA portal, while SOTA and the Singapore Sports School have their own admissions process and timelines.
<h6>Note: NUS High and SST may conduct a Supplementary Intake Exercise at year end, if there are vacancies. Please check directly with these schools for details.</h6>
<h2>Should my child apply for the DSA?</h2>
Your child should only apply if they have a strong interest that they intend to pursue in secondary school.&nbsp;
Wondering if your child has done &lsquo;enough&rsquo; to be considered for a spot? Check with successful DSA applicants who have the same interests, and compare their profile with your child&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
If your child is truly enthusiastic about an activity, but lacks competition exposure or school representation opportunities, you can sign them up for competitions on your own, or encourage them to pursue personal projects to showcase their talent.&nbsp;
You can also focus on schools that are lesser known. These are schools that may welcome your child if they can show a genuine interest in wanting to join the school, and are able to articulate why they&rsquo;re keen on developing their talent area.
Ultimately, all of this requires effort and commitment from your child. If they&rsquo;re half-hearted or not really keen, their time would be better spent preparing for the PSLE.
<h2>When are DSA Open House Events held?</h2>
Not all secondary schools hold DSA open house events. Those that do will have their Open House in April and May.&nbsp;
Look out for announcements, or call your schools of interest to enquire.
<h2>What information do we need for the DSA application?</h2>
You should visit the official <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa/application" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA applications</a> page to view the latest application template.&nbsp;
The good news is that the process is fairly straightforward. The Ministry of Education has information on your child&rsquo;s school-based activities and awards, and they will automatically share this with the schools that your child is applying to.
As such, you will only need to compile information for non-school based activities and awards. Simply provide the name of the activity or award, and a brief description.

Want to discuss DSA 2024 with other parents? Join the conversation on the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&amp;t=104633&amp;start=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KiasuParents forum</a>!
&nbsp;
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DSA Applications in 2024: Is Your Child Ready?

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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_109131" style="width: 1480px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-109131" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-109131 size-full" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/child-playing-tennis.png" alt="" width="1470" height="980" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/child-playing-tennis.png 1470w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/child-playing-tennis-800x533.png 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/child-playing-tennis-320x213.png 320w" sizes="(max-width: 1470px) 100vw, 1470px">Image courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/4R9CcBdQTEg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unsplash</a></div>If you have a child in Primary 6, and are chatting with other parents about secondary school admissions, you may have heard the tip that it&rsquo;s now a &ldquo;must&rdquo; to try the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Direct School Admission or DSA route</a> to secure a place in a desired secondary school.
Should you heed this advice?
The reality is that the DSA is attractive to parents who feel that their kids are better off in &lsquo;good&rsquo; schools, but may not be able to gain entry based on grades alone. However, we would like to encourage parents to have a chat with their children before applications begin &mdash; typically in May &mdash; to find out if the children are equally keen.&nbsp;
One of our KSP members recently broached the topic with her Primary 6 son, and was surprised when her son said he didn&rsquo;t want to apply for the DSA despite being in his school&rsquo;s badminton team. His reason? He felt it would be difficult to keep pace with classmates who were stronger academically, and he preferred to qualify for a school through his PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) score. Furthermore, he wasn&rsquo;t certain that he would want to continue with badminton in secondary school, and he wanted the freedom to try a new sport or activity.&nbsp;
In the above situation, the parents have decided to respect their son&rsquo;s wishes and forgo the DSA application. But we understand that not all kids will feel this way; we&rsquo;ve also heard about students who were not academically strong yet were able to thrive in &lsquo;<a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/big-pond-vs-small-pond-how-does-competition-affect-our-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">big pond</a>&rsquo; environments. Every family will have different views on the DSA and school choice, which is why it&rsquo;s essential to have conversations with your children about this.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s what you should know before starting on the DSA application process:
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none">
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The DSA allows students to gain direct entry to secondary schools based on their talent in sports, CCAs, and specific academic areas.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">If children are admitted to a secondary school through the DSA (also known as DSA-Sec), they are not allowed to submit school choices during the Secondary 1 posting process, or transfer to another secondary school down the road.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Similarly, DSA offers are made to children based on &lsquo;talent areas,&rsquo; and the assumption is that these children are keen to develop their talent throughout the secondary school years. You can think of it as a commitment that a student makes, in exchange for a place at a desired school.</li>
<li>Many parents have their sights set on Integrated Programme (IP) schools, which admit about 30% to 35% of their Secondary 1 IP intake through the DSA.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
For more information, you can browse the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/faq?categoryid=FD36A5CE93E74E11B907D5EB5954E676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA FAQs section</a> on the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s website.&nbsp; 

<h2>Who Should Try the DSA, and Who Shouldn&rsquo;t?</h2>
Let&rsquo;s start with the children who don&rsquo;t really need to consider the DSA &mdash;&nbsp;these will be the academically inclined students who are likely to score AL1 (90 marks and above) or AL2 (85-89) for all their subjects. If they don&rsquo;t have any strong interests, they can simply focus on preparing for the PSLE, and they should be able to qualify for entry into many top schools.
You should also be aware that there are three schools that only accept students through the DSA process. These are:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.nushigh.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NUS High School of Mathematics and Science</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.sst.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Science and Technology</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of the Arts</a></li>
</ul>
If your child wishes to pursue his or her studies in the above schools, then it is a must to apply for the DSA.
Are you worried that your child will have trouble qualifying for the Express stream? Do be aware that <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/teachers-students-adapt-to-full-subject-based-banding-say-it-caters-to-diverse-interests-and-strengths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">streaming is being phased out</a> in secondary schools &mdash; two-thirds of our local secondary schools have already done away with streaming, and it will be completely removed next year. So check with your schools of interest if this will have any impact on the DSA entry scores.
Above all, be mindful that the DSA should never be viewed as a way to hack the school system. Its purpose is to facilitate the development of students with interests in the following areas:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Entrepreneurship &amp; Innovation</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Language &amp; Humanities</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Leadership &amp; Uniformed Groups</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Performing Arts</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">STEM or STEAM (click<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-between-stem-and-steam-95713" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> here</a> to find out the difference between these terms)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sports &amp; Games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Visual Arts Design &amp; Media</li>
</ul>
Here&rsquo;s an example to consider: If your child is an excellent communicator who is passionate about global issues, the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme might be a great fit for your child. At the same time, you could be unsure if your child is able to make the cut-off score for the IB programme. If your child is keen, you should go ahead and apply for the IB programme through the DSA.
Similarly, if you have heard good things about a sports development programme in a certain school, and your child is interested in playing for the school, then you should certainly help your child with the application. Even if your child is performing well academically and can enter the desired school via grades, the DSA ensures that your child will have a confirmed spot on the school team. (For children interested in the Singapore Sports School, please note that you can&rsquo;t use the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s DSA portal to apply, and applications begin as early as February &mdash;&nbsp;get details <a href="https://www.sportsschool.edu.sg/admissions/admission-to-secondary-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
<h2>How to Shortlist Secondary Schools by Talent Areas</h2>
Schools may change their list of &lsquo;talent areas&rsquo; every year, so it&rsquo;s best to refer to the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=admission_types_dsa_b%3A%20true&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SchoolFinder</a> or the school website for the latest information. On SchoolFinder, you can click on the &ldquo;Direct School Admission (DSA)&rdquo; checkbox to select areas of interest, and see which schools have related programmes.
We have previously compiled <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/dsa-for-secondary-school-have-you-seen-all-the-talent-areas-that-your-child-can-apply-for/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a list of DSA talent areas</a> that parents may not be aware of, such as forensics, entrepreneurship, and journalism. This list will give you a better idea of the wide range of talents that our local schools are working to promote. However, it&rsquo;s not a complete list, so we highly recommend that you look at all the options on the SchoolFinder page as well.
If your child truly has strong interests and you have shortlisted schools using SchoolFinder, you can assess the schools as you typically would, by comparing factors such as location, gender profile, school reputation and culture, and so on. Visit the school websites, and look out for secondary school open house events in May that you and your child can attend.
Curious about the success rates of DSA applicants? Here are some <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2022460&amp;sid=0657aef8a326f9cb9e6a7b6e56d4dd8a#p2022460" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statistics from 2020</a> that you can use as a guide:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">1 in 4 P6 students applied for the DSA in 2020</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">3,600 were successful in their DSA applications (30% of 11,900 applicants)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">About 33% were admitted to Integrated Programme schools</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">About 67% were admitted to non-Integrated Programme schools</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">40% of admissions were via sports and games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">20% of admissions were via performing arts</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">20% of admissions were via STEM</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Nearly 10% of admissions were via leadership skills and uniformed groups</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">About 10% of admissions were across these talent areas:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">entrepreneurship and innovation</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">languages and humanities&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">visual arts, design, and media</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
At the moment, there doesn&rsquo;t seem to be much information available about DSA 2022, but <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/parliamentary-replies/20221128-direct-school-admission-for-secondary-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here&rsquo;s what we know</a>: In 2022, around 3,900 students or 10% of the 2022 Primary 6 cohort received DSA offers. The Ministry of Education has also said that it has no plans to expand the number of DSA places for now.
Although many students will not succeed in their DSA applications, it never hurts to give it a shot &mdash; for the right reasons. The important thing is that you and your child are able to manage your expectations, and can view the application process as a positive learning journey, regardless of the outcome.

Want to chat with other parents about the DSA? Join the conversation on our <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&amp;t=102315" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA 2023</a> thread!
</body></html>

DSA Application for Secondary School: Is This the Right Option for Your Child?

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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_101951" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-101951" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-101951" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-800x600.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-800x600.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-320x240.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/etienne-girardet-ktUX4KHlU8-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@etiennegirardet?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Etienne Girardet</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unsplash</a></div>Thinking about secondary school choices after the Primary School Leaving Examination?
The much-discussed PSLE Achievement Levels scoring system made its debut last year, and now that the dust has settled, some parents feel that the DSA or Direct School Admission is the only way to go, if you want more control over school choice.
Why is this so? Well, the advantage of getting a DSA Confirmed Offer from a secondary school is clear &mdash; DSA students do not need to meet the school&rsquo;s PSLE cut-off point for admission. Whether they have applied via the DSA to join the Express or Integrated Programme stream, they will only need to qualify for Express to gain entry, with an AL score of 20.
By the way, do note that students who receive a score of 21 or 22 are offered an option between the Express course and the Normal (Academic) course &mdash; you should enquire with individual schools if scores of 21 or 22 would still allow one to accept a Confirmed Offer.
If your child is currently scoring either AL1 (90 and above) or AL2 (85-89) for all subjects, school options will be less of a concern for your family. In fact, you might not want to bog your child down with DSA preparations, and let him or her focus on studying instead!
For most children, however, their grades will not be as stellar. Yet many of them will have strong interests or talents that set them apart from others, and schools are eager to receive such students as well.
How would you know if the DSA is right for your child?
Let&rsquo;s say you are eying the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme for your daughter, which is only available at Methodist Girls&rsquo; School, and you know that the programme&rsquo;s cut-off point in 2021 was 7 points. If your daughter is a brilliant communicator who is passionate about current affairs and social issues, and prefers learning independently without a prescribed structure, you might feel that the IB programme is very suitable for her. In this instance, your daughter should go ahead to apply for the course through the DSA, especially if you can foresee that scoring 7 points in the PSLE would be challenging for her.
You should also be aware that the following schools only accept students through the DSA-Sec process:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.nushigh.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NUS High School of Mathematics and Science</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="http://www.sst.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Science and Technology</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"><a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of the Arts</a></li>
</ul>
But what if your child&rsquo;s interests and talents are less obvious? Luckily, you still have time on your side. Although the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key dates</a> for DSA 2022 have not been announced, the Ministry of Education recommends that parents of Primary 6 children use the early part of the year to explore school choices.
Broadly, the talent areas for DSA are grouped into these categories:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Entrepreneurship &amp; Innovation</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Language &amp; Humanities</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Leadership &amp; Uniformed Groups</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Performing Arts</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">STEM or STEAM (click <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-between-stem-and-steam-95713" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to find out the difference between these terms)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Sports &amp; Games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Visual Arts Design &amp; Media</li>
</ul>
If your child is performing well in a CCA and representing the school, this would be the most obvious DSA focus for your child, and you can consider secondary schools that offer the same CCA. Or perhaps your child is a prefect, or has been given other growth responsibilities in school &mdash; you can then apply for the DSA via Leadership.
To search for DSA opportunities for your child, use either of these approaches:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Shortlist schools that you and your child like, visit their websites, and look at their DSA offerings.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Use the Ministry of Education&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=admission_types_dsa_b%3A%20true&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SchoolFinder</a> to narrow down DSA options by main categories, or search by specific talent areas.</li>
</ul>
For many parents, if you have not looked carefully at DSA talent areas before, you may be surprised by the diversity of options. For instance, did you know that your child can apply for the DSA via Forensics? Or Sustainable Development?
Below, we highlight some lesser-known DSA talent areas that were offered in 2021, so that you can see if anything suits your child. For the full list of DSA options, please refer to the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/?journey=Secondary%20school&amp;q=*&amp;fq=school_journey_ss%3A%22Secondary%20school%22&amp;fq=admission_types_dsa_b%3A%20true&amp;sort=slug_s%20asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MOE SchoolFinder</a>, or check with your schools of interest directly.
<h4>DSA Talent Areas that You May Not Know About</h4>
A
Aerospace (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Applied Sciences &ndash; Forensics (Girls &amp; Boys)
B
Bilingualism (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Bilingualism (Girls &amp; Boys IP) 
Bilingualism (Boys IP) 
Bilingualism (Girls IP)
C
Chemical &amp; Applied Sciences &ndash; Fragrance (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Coding (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Coding (Girls &amp; Boys IP) 
Community Youth Leadership (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Community Youth Leadership (Girls) 
Community Youth Leadership (Girls IP) 
Communication (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Computational Thinking Skills (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Critical Social Inquiry &amp; Media Literacy (Girls &amp; Boys)
D
Debate &amp; Theatre (Boys) 
Debate &amp; Theatre (Boys IP) 
Debate &amp; Theatre (Girls) 
Debating &amp; Public Speaking (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Debating &amp; Public Speaking (Girls) 
Design &amp; Technology Innovation (Girls &amp; Boys IP) 
Design, Technology &amp; Engineering (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Digital Media (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Digital Media (Boys)
E
Electronics (Girls &amp; Boys) 
English Literary &ndash; Debate &amp; Scrabble 
Entrepreneurship (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Environmental Science (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Environmental Science (Girls &amp; Boys IP)
F
Food Science &amp; Technology (Girls &amp; Boys)
H
Health Science (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Humanities (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Humanities (Boys IP)
I
Infocomm (Boys IP) 
Innovation (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Innovation (Boys) 
Innovation (Boys IP) 
Innovation (Girls IP)
J
Journalism (Girls &amp; Boys)
L
Leadership &amp; Character (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Leadership &amp; Character (Boys IP) 
Leadership &amp; Character (Girls IP)
M
Mechatronics, Aeronautics &amp; Robotics (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Media (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Media Arts/Film/Photography (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Media Arts/Film/Photography (Boys) 
Media/Journalism (Girls &amp; Boys)
P
Photography/Videography (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Programming &amp; 3D Modelling (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Public Speaking (Girls &amp; Boys)
R
Research &amp; Presentation Skills (Girls)
S
Science &amp; Technology (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Science for Sustainable Development (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Scientific Investigation (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Scientific Investigation (Girls &amp; Boys IP) 
Social Innovation (Girls &amp; Boys) 
Social Innovation (Girls) 
Social Innovation (Girls IP) 
STEAM (Girls &amp; Boys) 
STEAM (Girls &amp; Boys IP) 
STEM &ndash; Aeronautics (Girls &amp; Boys) 
STEM &ndash; Aerospace &amp; Aviation (Girls &amp; Boys) 
STEM &ndash; Creative Engineering &amp; Modelling (Girls &amp; Boys)
Want to chat with other parents about the DSA? Join the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&amp;t=101834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA 2022</a> conversation on our KSP forum, and check out our <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&amp;t=97013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA 2021</a> chat for more useful insights!
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DSA for Secondary School: Have You Seen All the Talent Areas that Your Child Can Apply For?

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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_98608" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-98608" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-98608 size-medium" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-800x600.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-800x600.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-320x240.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/andrei-shiptenko-FzYbSqjzmqM-unsplash-scaled.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bro_andy?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrei Shiptenko</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unsplash</a></div>In a perfect world, receiving a Direct School Admission (DSA) offer for a secondary school would be cause for celebration, as it provides certainty for the immediate future. Yet, the reality is that many students who have participated in the DSA-Sec exercise still find themselves agonising over choices that may be less than ideal.
One typical scenario, as shared by KSP member <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2037529#p2037529" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popkorn</a>, involves getting a Confirmed Offer or CO for a school that is less desired &mdash; reasons for this can differ &mdash; and at the same time, getting a Wait List or WL offer from a top school:
<blockquote>
My daughter has a CO for the School of the Arts (visual arts), and a WL for Raffles Girls&rsquo; School (visual arts)&hellip; We are thinking whether to put RGS as a first choice, noting that we may not get it. Her overall Achievement Level score is 5 for the prelims, and she is passionate about doing art in secondary school and beyond.
</blockquote>
This parent listed several considerations, namely, choosing between:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">the Integrated Programme (IP) stream leading to the A-Levels and the IP leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">a single-sex school and a co-ed school</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">a school that is known for academic excellence, and a school that accepts students that are more varied in terms of academic performance</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">a school with a special art programme, versus a specialised arts school</li>
</ul>
If your child is in a similar bind, you might be wondering how to make a sound decision while giving your child a sense of agency.
The first thing you should know is that this is a common scenario, which the Ministry of Education (MOE) has addressed on its <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAQs page</a>:
<blockquote>
My child has received two offers &mdash; a Wait List (WL) Offer from School A (my preferred school) and a Confirmed Offer (CO) from School B.
Would putting School A as my first choice and School B as my second choice affect my chances with School B should my child not be allocated School A? Should I put School B as my first choice, since my child is guaranteed a place there?
</blockquote>
To be absolutely sure, you might want to clarify this directly with the MOE. However, if you read their <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946&amp;Mesid=5644217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official response</a> to the above questions, it appears that taking a chance with a WL offer will not cause one to lose the safety net of a CO. Assuming that your child is eligible for an academic course in both Schools A and B, this is what happens when School A (WL) is listed as the first choice, and School B (CO) as a second choice:
<blockquote>
If School A has enough remaining Direct School Admission-Secondary (DSA-Sec) places to admit your child after the other students given CO have made their choices, your child will be allocated School A. If School A does not have enough DSA-Sec places to admit your child, your child will be allocated School B since your child has a CO from School B.
</blockquote>
In its other FAQ responses, the MOE has also said the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">When deciding between two applicants with WL offers, the applicant who is <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946&amp;Mesid=5647170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked higher</a> in the school&rsquo;s WL will be allocated first. The choice order of the applicant does not affect the allocation.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">According to past years&rsquo; data, <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946&amp;Mesid=5645000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an average of 50%</a> of those who opted for the schools who gave them a WL offer were successfully allocated a place in the school.</li>
</ul>
If, however, School B is listed as the first choice, your child will immediately be posted there, as he or she already has a CO.
Do <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946" target="_blank" rel="noopener">browse the MOE&rsquo;s FAQs page</a> as it addresses many of the common queries that students and parents would have, such as whether a child can opt <a href="https://va.ecitizen.gov.sg/cfp/customerPages/moe/explorefaq.aspx?Category=15946&amp;Mesid=5643658" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not to select</a> either the CO or WL schools &mdash; this is certainly possible. For those who have participated in the 2021 DSA-Sec exercise, they will have <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">till 29 October 2021</a> to decide on their preferred schools. If they do not submit their school preferences, they will be deemed to have withdrawn from the DSA-Sec exercise, and they will then be eligible to participate in the centralised Secondary 1 Posting exercise.
For the most accurate and updated information, please direct your questions to the MOE or your child&rsquo;s desired schools. Of course, you can turn to parenting forums for advice as well, but as one of our KSP members has <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2037530#p2037530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wisely said</a>: &ldquo;My choice will not be the same as your [child&rsquo;s], because we are not your [child].&rdquo;
<h4>Making The Best DSA Decision With Your Child</h4>
This may be the first major decision that your child makes, so don&rsquo;t miss the chance to use it as a teachable moment!
At the same time, do remember that the children facing these decisions are only 12 years old &mdash; letting them drive the decision process may not be prudent, as they can get caught up in short-term preoccupations, such as wanting to be in the same school as friends, or being drawn to the prestige of a sought-after school without knowing much about the school culture or what it takes to thrive.
Some parents are choosing to leave the DSA discussions till after the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). This is especially valid if your child is facing this scenario: he or she has received a CO for a school&rsquo;s O-Level track, but is keen on the IP.
In such an instance, accepting the CO provides security while imposing its own limits, as your child would not be able to consider IP options if he or she does well in the PSLE. By discussing the possibilities after the PSLE, you will be able to factor in your child&rsquo;s feedback on the papers. If your child is fairly confident about the exams and keen on the IP &mdash; with a track record of accurately gauging one&rsquo;s performance &mdash; forgoing the CO is a viable option although it carries its own risk.
As there will still be about three weeks to spare after the PSLE, before a final DSA decision needs to be made, parents can use the time to familiarise themselves with decision-making techniques. If you are not sure where to begin, you can visit the popular learning blog Farnam Street, which has plenty of advice on <a href="https://fs.blog/2009/07/an-introduction-to-decision-making/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making better decisions</a>. Some considerations to discuss with your child include:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Identifying the objectives: What are the goals that you hope to achieve with your decision, and is each goal equally important in the grand scheme of things? If they are not, you should devise a way to quantify each goal, such as by assigning each goal a score of importance from 1&ndash;5.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Identifying the choices, and determining how well each choice serves the goals: A simple decision-making system would involve tallying up all the points for each choice, and seeing which choice has the highest &lsquo;score.&rsquo; There may also be risks associated with each choice &mdash; for instance, if you give up a CO and your child doesn&rsquo;t do as well as anticipated in the PSLE, you could be left with a set of school choices that are less attractive than your current options. You would want to factor this into your scoring system as well.</li>
</ul>
A meaningful lesson for your child is that there are trade-offs to any decision, and in life, there will always be some element of uncertainty involved. Each person&rsquo;s risk tolerance will also be different, as this corresponds to our personal levels of resilience and adaptability.
Whatever decision you and your child arrive at, go in with your eyes open, and be ready to deal with consequences that may be less than optimal. Bear in mind that the best opportunities sometimes arise from not getting exactly what you want, and as long as one cultivates a growth mindset, there will always be a way forward.
Need DSA advice from experienced parents? Connect with our KSP community on our <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&amp;t=97013&amp;sid=bee773f241ebb3f9eb83671fc84e30b3&amp;start=2610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA 2021</a> discussion thread!
&nbsp;
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