Competing At The Interview

THE

RULES

It’s time for the application!

Once you’ve decided to embark upon the postgraduate journey, you will need to pass the admissions stage for the course at a university of your choice. Here are the things you need to prepare when applying for a postgraduate course.

Most of the admission information and application forms are available on the university’s website or will be provided upon request.

Entry requirements

Always check for a programme’s entry requirements as these vary between courses and universities. Different courses may have different selection criteria; for instance, some courses may emphasise on academics and research while others on working experience and extracurricular accomplishments.

Entry requirements

Forms and documents

You can apply through the university’s web application system or by filling up an e-document and submitting it online. This takes away the hassle of printing and compiling a sheaf of papers, but any supporting documents will have to be scanned and attached to your online application in the appropriate format.

List of supporting documents commonly requested for the application process: • Academic transcripts and degree scrolls of all university-level studies • Copy of applicant’s NRIC or passport • Certificates of achievement or extracurricular activities • Proof of English language proficiency (if necessary) • Academic referral letter from previous mentor and/or head of school to attest your academic capabilities.

Personal statement

You will probably be asked to write a personal statement to support your application as a chance for you to convince the institution in writing why you should be given admission. You should convey to the reader a sense of your identity and motivation for your A personal application. statement should

be straightforward and honest. To stand out from the crowd, relate each points to the course you wish to study, and avoid generic and impersonal phrases.

A good personal statement should cover the following: • Your academic achievements • Your non-academic skills and extracurricular activities • Evidence and knowledgeable interest in your intended subject of study • Why this particular course and university would benefit you and vice versa?

For research programmes

For a research-based postgraduate course, you may need to choose and make contact with your potential supervisor as well as prepare a research proposal as part of your application process. Both choices of supervisor and proposal must be accepted before you can be admitted into your postgraduate course. This is more common in PhD programmes but may also form the basis of application for some research-based Master’s courses.

Interview

Some postgraduate courses invite applicants to an interview as part of the selection process. You should expect to cover the same points mentioned above in the section about personal statements, as the purpose of the interview would be to uncover whether your experiences, achievements and interests make you a good candidate for the course.

International students

If you are applying for a course in a country different from your country of origin, you will be considered an international student.

The application process may take a longer time and thus have an earlier deadline than for local students.

research

Treat the admission interview as you would treat an interview for a job. Act and dress professionally, come prepared and make sure you speak clearly, knowledgeably and enthusiastically.

Factors you need to be aware of when making an application as an international student: • Visa requirements • Institutional support • Financial considerations (differences in fees and availability of scholarships for international students).