Despite the economic recession and the scarcity of jobs in Singapore, studies show that young Singaporeans are still eager to get into college, especially now that the admission process is done online.

In the report done early this month by The Straits Times, six local Universities said that there has been an increase in applications this year for the 17,000 open slots opened for the school year.

Admission, Interviews and Open House are conducted online

Around 25,000 Singaporeans have sent their applications to apply for a slot and these numbers include polytechnic and A-level graduates. Admissions are now done online, as well as interviews, open houses and other assessments.

Most of these Singaporeans have signed up for IT-related courses, computing and data analytics thanks to the popularity and the high salaries of the industry. Medicine, accounting and law courses are also popular, as well as professional degree courses.

Medicine, in particular, has gotten a lot of attention according to the Singapore Institute of Technology.

They said that the applications have shot up to 9% this year as compared to last year’s numbers. The university says that people may have been inspired to enrol in healthcare-related courses after seeing its importance during the ongoing pandemic.

Business courses, like those offered by the Singapore Management University, are still popular. However, they said that their computer science offerings are oversubscribed by applicants.

Here is an article to help you choose a degree course that you will not regret.

Student Admission Considerations

When asked about how they choose students, these universities say that they are also considering a student’s aptitude when choosing who can get a slot aside from checking their grades.

Singapore University of Social Sciences, in particular, shares that they are committed to checking student aptitude for admission for its courses. While utilising online mediums is extra work, they have adapted to the system.

The university said that they find it easier to speak to prospective students since they are more candid online and are now looking for ways to apply online mediums to distribute information and others.

Both the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have also expressed that they are looking into the student’s aptitude to see if they meet their credentials.

NUS shared that their applicant count based on aptitude has increased for the year. NTU shared that they too, see an increase in freshmen for this school year.

Offers to students have been sent by these universities since last month and continue to do so this month.

For those who wish to study overseas but have to cancel due to the pandemic, they can reach out to the country’s  local universities for a slot. Modular courses are also offered for students who are already in the middle of their semester overseas. They may also enrol for one semester until the pandemic is over.

Should you still opt for overseas studies during pandemic?

With the pandemic affecting international travel, it is unclear whether it will be safe for students to enrol in an overseas studies program. While there is a benefit to overseas studies, it is important to take note that they too will be affected by the pandemic.

If you are considering pushing through with it, you should look into the current guidelines in both Singapore and the destination country your chosen university is located.

Here are also some of the things you need to know about overseas studies and how COVID-19 affected it:

1) Immigration restrictions

Most countries worldwide have restricted all travelers in entering any one of their borders to prevent the spread of the virus. Only permanent residents, those with work visas and nationals are permitted to return and will be subjected to quarantine.

Special provisions may be applied if you have an urgent reason to fly back to the country. There is still no clear guideline released for student visa holders at the present time if they will be allowed to return to the country for study.

If there is still ongoing pandemic or if a second wave hits any country, there may be another round of lockdown or protocols like these.

2) No face-to-face teaching or exams

Universities have stopped all on-campus activities for students to prevent the spread of the virus. These activities include lectures, seminars and extracurricular activities. Many of activities will be home based learning like the ones we are having in Singapore.

All classes are to be conducted online as much as possible. For thesis defence and examinations, they will be postponed or done through online means. However, this will mean that degrees will be awarded late because of the crisis.

3) Admission procedures and application deadlines

School administration is also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will affect how they screen applicants and when they can assist students with their paperwork for their visas and other related paperwork.

It is likely that these universities will be revising their admissions setup and change the deadline for applications and semester openings.

Check with your chosen university for updates regarding their admissions procedures and deadlines for international students.

4) Changes to Admission Eligibility

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are now delayed in awarding degrees or high school diplomas, which is a major requirement for university or college admissions.

Without the high school diploma or other degree papers, students won’t be able to apply for a slot in your chosen institution. Some universities and colleges may adapt with this issue and delay requiring students to submit their high school credentials or require alternatives.

This may cause delay in admission and you may end up waiting for a few months for the course to begin.

Conclusion

COVID-19 continues to spread uncertainty to many fields and education is not safe from its effects. However, this should not be a reason for you not to look into alternatives, especially now that you will be taking your education to the next level.

Look into the offerings of the universities you wish to apply for and contact them if you wish to pursue your studies overseas after the pandemic. These institutions will definitely help you out and answer your inquiries.

You can check your local universities regarding their offerings during this pandemic so that your education won’t stop. If you find yourself taking a gap year, do consider taking an online course to keep on learning and challenging yourself during this period.

For the latest Singapore news on education, here are some articles:

Students from Graduating Cohorts are Allowed to Go Back to School from May 19
National Exams to Continue: How are Our Students Going to Cope without Teachers in Classrooms?