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<?xml encoding="UTF-8"><html><body><div id="attachment_109876" style="width: 710px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-109876" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-109876" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689.jpg 1600w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689-800x533.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689-320x213.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u36736/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689-1536x1023.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/girl-painting-an-artwork-7282689/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pexels</a></div>Does your Primary 6 child have an artistic passion, such as music, dance, or theatre? If so, Singapore&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of the Arts</a>, more commonly known as SOTA, might be a better option for your child than a conventional secondary school.
To hear from SOTA&rsquo;s educators and take a campus tour, you and your child should make time for SOTA&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/whats-on/oh2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Open House</a> event on 1 April 2023. Thereafter, if your child is interested, please note that SOTA does not participate in the Secondary 1 posting process. Instead, students need to apply through its <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions/talent-academy/dsa-sec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talent Academy</a>, and for 2023, applications are open from 31 March till 19 May.
Don&rsquo;t worry if you and your child haven&rsquo;t given much thought to applying for SOTA. Read our Q&amp;A below, so that you can make an informed decision about whether your child should put in an application.
<h2>Does my child need formal training or preparatory classes to get into SOTA?</h2>
Not necessarily.&nbsp;It depends more on whether your child is successful in highlighting their talent during the trial process.
For music, some of SOTA&rsquo;s students haven&rsquo;t had formal training. Instead, they picked up their instrument &mdash; or in some cases, vocal proficiency &mdash; through Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in primary schools, such as the school band, the chinese music ensemble, and the school choir.&nbsp;
The same holds for students who are interested in studying dance and other art forms at SOTA. In fact, there are students who have made it through the auditions with<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/prepping-for-arts-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> skills picked up from YouTube videos</a>!
As long as students have had prior exposure or experience to an artform, SOTA welcomes them to apply through the school&rsquo;s<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Talent Academy</a>. The Talent Academy is SOTA&rsquo;s Direct School Admissions (DSA) platform, where shortlisted applicants are assessed through activities such as auditions, portfolio reviews, and interviews.
To level the playing field, admissions staff are tasked to <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/sota-sees-results-in-bid-to-widen-its-pool-of-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">look out</a> for students who have had no formal training, but display innate ability. They do this by requiring students to improvise on the spot and adapt to unknown scenarios using their creativity.
<h2>How will I know if SOTA is suitable for my child?</h2>
We would suggest that you have a heart-to-heart talk with your child, to find out why they are keen on SOTA in the first place.
There are some reasons for considering SOTA that should trigger alarm bells in your head &mdash;&nbsp;for instance, one shouldn&rsquo;t try for SOTA simply because it looks fun, cool, or easier to get through than a conventional secondary school. If your child is harbouring such thoughts, he or she may be seeking an escape from hard work, rather than looking to hone a passion.
Instead, here are three things for your child to think about, before putting in an application:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Make sure your child selects an artform that they have a sustained interest in</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Find out more about the <a href="https://www.ibo.org/about-the-ib/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IB or International Baccalaureate diploma</a>, and read up on SOTA&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/curriculum/sota-curriculum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">education experience</a> and <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/ib" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IB curriculum</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Your child should choose SOTA because it makes him or her feel excited about learning and growing as a person. (Read <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/is-sota-a-good-school-for-my-child-hear-from-our-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stories</a> from SOTA students here.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Is it hard to get into SOTA?</h2>
Based on a <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/sota-sees-results-in-bid-to-widen-its-pool-of-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017 news report</a>, SOTA receives up to 1,000 applications every year, and admits about 200 in each intake, or 20% of applicants. In comparison, in the <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/dsa-application-for-secondary-school-is-this-the-right-option-for-your-child/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;regular&rsquo; DSA process</a> for secondary schools, about 30% of applicants are accepted.&nbsp;
In other words, what you can be sure of is that the majority of applicants will be rejected, as a child will need to jump through several hoops to enter SOTA. Apart from displaying interest and genuine talent, it helps if a child has received awards in relevant competitions, such as the <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/whats-on/whats-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">art and creative writing competitions</a> run by SOTA. As there will also be an interview component, children who are <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/article/sharing-personal-experience-for-dsa-into-sota-visual-arts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">articulate</a> will definitely have an edge. Being able to cite an artist or performer as a personal hero may also assure admission officers that a child has more than a passing interest in art.
What if your child isn&rsquo;t mature or savvy enough to ace auditions and interviews? It&rsquo;s still useful to go through the application process, because it can help your child to see how much effort it takes to get in. Encourage them to be resilient even if their application falls through, and remind them that SOTA isn&rsquo;t the only avenue available to aspiring artists &mdash;&nbsp;there are other arts courses and schools to consider at a later stage. There&rsquo;s also Singapore&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/new-arts-university-lasalle-nafa-moe-arts-degree-2909291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first arts university</a> to look forward to, which will begin accepting students in 2024.
<h2>Do SOTA students fare well academically?</h2>
SOTA publicises the results for its graduating cohorts every year, so you can read the updates and decide for yourself.&nbsp;
In 2022, 164 SOTA students sat for the IB examinations, with a 100% pass rate in both the <a href="https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/what-is-the-dp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)</a> and <a href="https://www.ibo.org/programmes/career-related-programme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme)</a>. SOTA&rsquo;s IBDP students obtained an average score of 39.7 points, with more than 50% scoring 40 points and above. (<a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/ib-results-singapore-excels-with-nearly-half-of-perfect-scorers-worldwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See how this compares</a> to other IB schools in Singapore.)
Objectively, what is <a href="https://www.crimsoneducation.org/sg/blog/test-prep/ib-scores/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a good IB score</a>? If one is eying top universities worldwide, then a score over 40 is what many students aim for. It&rsquo;s possible to enter sought-after universities with scores less than 40, but typically, such students have a stellar extracurricular record.
<h2>Are SOTA&rsquo;s graduates limited in their future study and career choices?</h2>
This is really down to the individual&rsquo;s drive and determination, but based on past cohorts, the sky&rsquo;s the limit. In fact, SOTA&rsquo;s graduates have gone on to pursue courses at <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/docs/default-source/succeeding-beyond-sota/university-acceptance-of-sota-graduates_april-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prestigious schools</a> such as Berklee College of Music, Yale, and Stanford in the US, and the Oxbridge universities in the UK, just to name a few.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s a statistic that may surprise you: After SOTA, some students have pursued arts degrees, but <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/more-sota-students-go-on-to-pursue-non-arts-related-fields" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 70 percent of its graduates</a> have chosen non-arts courses such as engineering and political science. (Get details <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/succeeding-beyond-sota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.) You can <a href="https://thesmartlocal.com/read/science-career-in-singapore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read about</a> a SOTA pianist who opted to switch gears to become a software engineer &mdash;&nbsp;this was partly due to her stage fright struggles, as well as her discovery while at SOTA that she had a knack for science subjects.
For your child, such examples illustrate that our paths are not set in stone. We may make decisions based on certain factors now, but it&rsquo;s perfectly alright to decide that something else is a better fit, even years down the road. If one does not pursue an arts career after leaving SOTA, there should be no regrets, as it&rsquo;s all about the memories, friendships, and lessons learned.

Want to talk to other parents about SOTA? <a href="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&amp;t=3922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Join the conversation here</a>!
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SOTA Singapore: Should You Choose an Arts Secondary School for Your Child?

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&ldquo;SOTA? Do you just do arts 24/7?&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s what I will commonly hear about my secondary school. Many people expect School of the Arts (SOTA) to churn out students who will go on to do &ldquo;arts&rdquo;-related degrees and pursue careers in the arts.
That is not the case. In SOTA, arts and academics share the same stage. SOTA&rsquo;s vision is to produce &ldquo;Creative Citizens for the Future&rdquo;. SOTA graduates are not expected to pursue art careers, but to bring about a positive impact through creativity in whatever profession they choose to pursue.
Before SOTA
Before joining SOTA, I too, had my worries. Thoughts like &ldquo;would it be too stressful&rdquo; or &ldquo;will there be very strong competition&rdquo; raced through my mind as I confirmed my application for the Theatre programme. Personally, it was a big step, turning a simple passion into an integral part of my life. However, I can proudly say that I never regretted joining SOTA.
Adapting to SOTA life
My first few months in SOTA were spent getting used to the environment. Like any other secondary school, the additional subjects, mainly humanities and literature, brought about more stress. We had to learn the fundamentals of the subjects and distribute adequate revision time to each. Some school days ended as late as 5.45pm. However, with appropriate time management skills, I was able to cope well and even enjoyed the lessons.
The teachers always found ways to make lessons fun and interesting. They would create Kahoot quizzes, where a class would compete and answer questions through the online platform. Small prizes were given. This created a competitive yet engaging learning environment for us. I was able to gain a better understanding of the subjects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Specialised artforms were also incorporated into our schedule. Despite doing what I enjoyed, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the due dates and showcases. Luckily, the projects were spaced out in the term, which allowed us to focus on one project at a time. Overcoming the initial fear before a showcase was tough, but once I stepped onto the stage, I felt at ease and was genuinely happy as I was doing what I love.
Examinations in SOTA
In SOTA, examinations and projects made up our overall grade, most of which comprises the mid-year and end-of-year examination results. Compared to primary school, there was much more material to be memorized, especially for the Humanities. I started memorization early for the Humanities and learnt to rewrite important concepts and points at least 4 weeks before the exams.
IB school
As an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, we had more projects incorporated into our curriculum and grades. I found this good as the overall grades are not fully dependent on examination results. It also gave us a chance to foster good relationships with peers through projects.
Subject changes
English was replaced with ELCT (English Language and Critical Thinking). In ELCT, we no longer did grammar and vocabulary exercises. Instead, we were made to brainstorm issues in our society, analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives. We were able to communicate our views and opinions through essays. I enjoyed ELCT the most as I became more aware of social issues and learnt to develop opinions on them.
Integrated Arts
Besides doing our artform, we are also given opportunities to try out other &nbsp;artforms through Integrated Arts (IA). For example, in Visual Arts IA, we were made to contour draw our friends without looking at the paper. Our pencils were not supposed to leave the paper and we had to keep looking at our friends while drawing out their features. When I looked down at my drawing, I was surprised it was not as bad as I expected it to be! This was an eye-opener for me. &nbsp;We were later given a glimpse of what visual arts students did in their art form.
We also brainstormed ways to connect different artforms together. For example, dance could be used in physical theatre, where meaning was expressed through movements in an ensemble. For our theatre piece in Term two, we had to perform a physical theatre piece &ldquo;Jabberwocky&rdquo; in an ensemble. We incorporated what we learnt in Dance IA and found different ways to use space dynamically. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Through Integrated Arts, I was able to appreciate all forms of art and find ways to bring together different artforms. We were also given chances to watch a variety of art showcases &ndash; from dance showcases to visual art exhibitions. &nbsp;We were often brought to public performances to observe professionals at work. Dance and theatre classes were brought to watch performances at the Esplanade, while visual arts and literary arts classes were brought to art exhibitions and bookshops. As a cohort, we were sometimes brought together to watch shows at the Esplanade.
In a nutshell, I had a very fulfilling and enriching first year at SOTA. I feel incredibly privileged to be given a chance by my parents to pursue my passion for the arts and will work hard in the arts and academics.

MORE ABOUT SOTA
For those who are keen, here are some commonly asked questions about SOTA:
What is the cut-off point to enter SOTA?
Once your DSA application to SOTA has been accepted, you need to qualify for the express stream (&ge;200) to enter.
Where can our children pursue 3rd languages in SOTA? Is it done in the campus or do they have to go to MOE campus.
Mother tongue languages (Chinese, Malay, Hindi, Tamil) are required to be taken up by all students in SOTA. If you choose to opt for additional optional languages like Japanese, French, German and Spanish, you have to go on MOE language centers after school on Thursdays to study the languages. You will be given a list of additional languages to choose from depending on your PSLE score. This is not a compulsory subject to take up, but there will be tests and examinations for the language.
Are there prefects in SOTA?
No, we do not have prefects in SOTA. Instead, we have these committees to maintain order in the school and strengthen the school spirit:
Class Management Committee Council 
(CMC Council)
Leadership Studies Committee 
(LSC)
Communications Committee 
(Comms)
In all the years, we have the CMCs, who are essentially the class monitors of each class. At the start of the year, the class would elect 4 candidates who are deemed fit to lead the class. LSC and Comms are for Year 4s and above. Students who apply for LSC and Comms are interviewed and go through a selection process. Students in Comms organise school events and students in LSC are trained to lead groups and to further their leadership skills. Find out more about SOTA&rsquo;s leadership programme in the link here:<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/student-development/leadership-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/student-development/leadership-development</a>
Is there CCA in SOTA?
No, there isn&rsquo;t. Instead, we have CAS groups run by Year 5 selected students. CAS stand for creativity, activity and service. Some CAS groups include Badminton, Tchoukball, Netball and Debate. There are many CAS groups and there will be presentations during morning assemblies about CAS groups for students to better understand the CAS groups they are planning to join. LCD records are like the VIA records in Primary school. They will be included in the report book if you join certain CAS groups.
Can I DSA to SOTA through a particular subject?
No, DSA to SOTA is only available through Dance, Theatre, Music, Literary Arts, Visual Arts and Film (for Year 5 and 6s). More information about DSA to SOTA can be found here: 
<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions/how-to-apply-to-sota/dsa-secondary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions/how-to-apply-to-sota/dsa-secondary</a>
Do refer to the link below for more FAQs: 
<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/about-us/faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.sota.edu.sg/about-us/faqs</a>
This article is contributed by a first-year SOTA student. KSP parents: we welcome contributions from your children, especially if they are studying in a secondary school or a tertiary institution and would like to share a story about their school life. To find out more, email <a href="mailto:irene@covocal.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">irene@covocal.com</a>.
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