Disclaimer:
KH is a polytechnic graduate who is currently studying Liberal Arts at Yale-NUS College. She would like to add that the information presented is solely based on her personal experience and research. All advice given is in no way representative of the views of any institutions.
This article was taken from the introduction of the Yale-NUS College Application Guide. For more exclusive content, download the full guide here.
TLDR: Be yourself and show how you are unique through the skills, experiences and perspectives that you can bring to the YNC community!
Yale-NUS College is a liberal arts and sciences college that draws on both Asian and Western aspects for an interdisciplinary education. It is a collaboration between Yale University and the National University of Singapore. Students graduate the four year programme with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree or a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in one of the 14 majors of their choice.
Application
The college application is independent and separate from NUS, but it can be submitted jointly with a Yale University application. There are two application windows. Polytechnic students usually apply in the later window. There is no discretionary admission as all applicants are considered on equal footing. You will also need at least two teacher recommendations who have each taught you at least one module. It is similar to US college applications.
The application calls for a list of up to ten co-curricular activities, 500 characters on Why Yale-NUS, two essays and five short answer questions. It wants to know more about your interests, the way you think and your ambitions. In my opinion, Yale-NUS is the only local school that seriously cares about your character just as much as your grades. You will not get into the school with just a 4.0!
You should start at least a month in advance because the essays can get hard to write. Let’s say you want to be a research scientist and your entire essay is about your passion for the sciences. Bad idea!! 🙁 Again, this school really cares for who you are as a person, so instead of throwing in the chemical equations and talking about why you love science, write instead about how science shapes you into the person you are. All applicants are also automatically considered for merit scholarships, so treat it like a scholarship application too.
Interview
Your long wait and nights of relentless prayers begin once you hit submit. All applicants require an interview to be considered for admission. I received my interview two weeks after the deadline, which I believe is the general timeframe. You will be interviewed by a senior, who then writes more than he/she asks during the interview. He/she will do up a summary and pass it on to the admissions team where they will collectively review each applicant and decide in or out.
The interview can get scary. It’s unlike any interview because of how chill it is. It’s really like talking to a friend, except you’re praying that this friend is impressed by you. LOL. I heard that many interviewers like to zoom in on particular points of the submitted application and ask for elaborations. So study your application! For me, my interviewer asked more general questions.
Questions I got:
- Why Yale-NUS? (this question comes up for sure no matter your interviewer)
- What was your favourite extra curricular?
- Tell me about how polytechnic was like for you.
- What was your favourite subject in polytechnic?
- Why did you choose your major (insert intended major)?
- What is something you want to tick off your bucket list?
- Do you have Any questions for me? (YES, ask good questions)
Financial Aid
2 words: JUST APPLY! It does not matter how rich or poor you think you are because this school takes financial aid differently. They will know if you genuinely require financial aid even if your income tax document doesn’t seem to say so. They will surprise you! The application opens for you once you get an interview invite.
