S'poreans preferred over other Asians at U.S. universities due to their unique traits

According to a U.S. college admissions expert.

Kayla Wong | December 02, 2017, 01:48 PM

Singaporean students have always been known to be one of the top performers in the world when it comes to global standardised tests such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

And when it comes to applications for universities in the United States, you might be pleased to know that Singaporean candidates actually have an edge over others in Asia.

At least, that's according to Arun Ponnusamy, a college counsellor and self-proclaimed 'admissions expert' in an interview with Business Insider published on Dec. 1.

According to the article, Ponnusamy, who happens to be in Singapore at the moment for a symposium, has some pretty legit credentials to back up his claim.

He is currently the chief academic officer of Collegewise, the largest college counselling company in the U.S..

On top of that, he has also worked at the University of Chicago, California Institute of Technology and the University of California, and has read about 20,000 college essays, and evaluated the files of over 7,500 high school seniors.

So, what does he think is so special about Singaporeans?

According to Ponnusamy, Singapore candidates have stood out above the rest because they know how to interact with people, which is a highly valued skill in the U.S. and Canada.

They also don't just hang out with their own countrymen at U.S. colleges.

Ponnusamy finds this a pretty unique trait in Singaporeans, as he further elaborates:

"Singapore candidates are ones who, yes, live on an island, but that’s not where their mind lives.

They have a clearer sense of Singapore with respect to the world. They have a broader vision of going to a university and it’s not just to get a degree for the prestige, but for a transformative experience."

Part of this mindset, according to him, is attributed to Singapore's polytechnic education system, which provides students with real-life opportunities even before they apply for a university.

"A Singapore kid from a polytechnic can say they’ve interned at this media production company or spent last summer shooting a bunch of shorts. That isn’t something you will find in the States."

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Look beyond those few U.S. universities

Despite their global mindset and ability to socialise, however, Ponnusamy does think that Singaporeans who aspire to study in the U.S. should find out more about what the American education system is like.

For example, he says that Singaporean families are only aware of about 50 or so universities in the U.S., despite the country having about 2,000 universities.

And many seem to head only to places like New York University, which has the largest number of Singapore students in the U.S..

It is in relation to this point that Ponnusamy has some valuable advice to aspiring Singaporeans looking to further their studies in the U.S.:

"You're likely to get into the ones that don't have a lot of Singapore kids".

 

Top image via Getty Images.