After you have applied and appeared for tests like SAT, ACT, IELTS and TOEFL (if required), you will need to apply to the university/college you wish to join. This is a very important step as the ‘application’ you create now will be used by the college authorities to determine whether you should be provided with an admission offer or not.
There is no common application form in Singapore and you will have to apply to each university separately. Also, there is no limit to the number of universities you can apply to. However, before applying for a particular program at a university, it is advisable to go through its ‘pre – requisites’ or academic requirements to confirm your eligibility.
How to apply?
Almost all universities and colleges in Singapore use online applications. To apply to a particular college/university, you will have to visit its website and fill in the online application form.
Most universities allow an applicant to apply for up to 4 – 5 different programs through one application form. You will also be required to mention whether you wish to be considered for financial aids or not.
A typical application form will require you to fill in your personal information and mention your educational qualifications, past work experience, co – curricular achievements etc. Many universities would also require you to write personal essays and attach recommendation letters. Additionally, you would be required to upload or send your documents by post (academic transcripts, co – curricular certificates, portfolio, resume, test results etc.) along with your application.
You can also apply to a university/college in Singapore through an ‘overseas agent’ of the university who is present in India. They will help simplify the application process for you. Go through the website of the university you wish to join to know about its overseas agents.
Before you apply to a university/college in Singapore, consider the following factors:
Deadlines
Each university follows its own deadlines that you will have to adhere to while applying. Generally, the new session in Singapore starts in the months of August, September or October and there is only one intake. Most universities start accepting applications approximately a year before the start of the new session. So for a session starting in October 2015, a university will start accepting applications from October 2014 (some will start from January 2015).
A majority of the universities do not accept new applications beyond March. So, to apply to a program starting in October 2015 at a university in Singapore, you will have to fill in and submit the application form from anywhere between October 2014 to March 2015. Most students receive their application decisions by May or June.
Students who do not expect to receive their final Class 12th results by the end of March (most Indian students who are applying in the same year as their 12th board exams) can apply using their Class 11th marks, predicted grades and Class 12th mid – year reports. They will have to submit their final results later, mostly by June or July. They will generally receive their application decisions by July.
However, it is important to keep in mind that students who receive their Class 12th final results beyond March are deemed ineligible for certain programs such as Medicine at most universities. Additionally, certain institutions like the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) do not accept applicants who do not have their final results by the 1st of April of the year of admission.
Documents
While applying to a college/university in Singapore, you will have to send/upload several documents along with your application form. The most important of these documents will be your Class 11th and Class 12th academic transcripts.
You might have to send your predicted grades or mid – year reports for Class 12th if you do not possess the final results at the time of applying. In such scenarios, your Class 12th final mark sheets would have to be sent to the college/university separately as and when you receive them.
Apart from your academic transcripts, you might also be asked or allowed to send additional documents that can boost the strength of your application such as Co – curricular certificates (Olympiads, sports, arts etc.), Portfolios, and Resume etc.
You would generally be asked to upload scanned copies of these documents online although some colleges might require applicants to send certified copies by post. All your documents are generally verified at a later stage.
Personal Essays
Many universities and colleges in Singapore require students to write ‘Personal Statements’ as a part of their application. Personal Statements are basically essays that help you communicate with the college authorities in a descriptive manner. They are crucial for the success your application and can often prove to be the difference between you being offered admission or not.
Applicants use the personal essay to persuade the college authorities to provide you with an admission offer. You should talk about what sets you apart from other applicants, your future goals, academic background and other interests or achievements that will help convince the college authorities of your suitability for the program.
Apart from a detailed personal essay, certain universities also require applicants to answer specific questions through smaller essays. These can include explaining your interest in the program or specifying your extra – curricular achievements and so on.
As the Personal Essays and Other Essays are a part of the application form, most applicants write them separately and then copy – paste them into the space provided in the form.
Reference Letters
A number of universities in Singapore require international students to submit one or even two ‘Reference Letters’ as a part of your application. These Reference Letters help the college authorities decide whether you’ll be a good fit for the program or not.
A Reference Letters or a Letter of Recommendation is supposed to be written by a teacher or an individual who knows you well academically and personally. The purpose of a Reference Letter is to provide the college/university with an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. It is meant to show the college authorities why they should provide you with an admission offer.
For most universities, you will have to send your Reference Letter along with your application form (online or through post).
Test Results
Before you submit your application, you might need to attach test reports of tests like SAT, ACT, IELTS or TOEFL along with your application form. Most of these test reports are sent automatically to the colleges/universities you had selected while applying for these tests.
You can also choose to send these reports to additional colleges by logging on to your profile on the websites of these tests and making the additional payment for the extra test report.
As an Indian applicant, you might also want to submit your test scores of entrance exams like JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced) etc. provided they are high enough to strengthen your application.
Most universities would require you to send them your test scores online; some might require test reports to be sent through post. Check the website of the university you wish to apply to as different universities have different deadlines after which they do not accept test scores.
Submitting Forms
After you’ve completed the application form and attached necessary documents, you will need to make the application fee payment and submit the application form. Most universities accept online payments.
The typical application fee for universities in Singapore is around 10000000 Singapore Dollars.
You will generally receive a confirmation from the university upon successful submission of the application and payment.
Interviews, Auditions and Admission Tests
After you submit your application, you might be asked to appear for an Interview, Audition or an Admission Test if your program or university requires it.
Some universities/colleges in Singapore use interview, auditions and/or additional admission tests as assessment tools during the application process. Do keep in mind that only a select number of shortlisted applicants are asked to appear for these interviews/auditions or tests.
These Interviews, Auditions and Tests are conducted for certain programs only for a select few applicants. Your performance in them normally has a significant impact upon the fate of your application, especially in the case of auditions being held for arts based courses.
Depending upon the university, these auditions, tests and interviews may be conducted in India, in Singapore or even online through Skype.
