Tricks & secrets to the polytechnic early admissions exercise your peers or parents won’t tell you about

When I was younger, my parents and many older relatives used to say that scoring well on the PSLE and O-levels was important for getting a good tertiary education.

What they didn’t mention was that while grades are important, there are many other equally important things to consider when writing your own “success story”.

That is, to seize the correct opportunity at the right time.

Every year around this time, many 16-year-olds, other than working hard for their O- or N-levels, would be thinking about enrolling for early admissions programmes.

It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a spot for the course in the polytechnic of your choice early.

But is it truly the best choice for yourself? Or is it even your choice and not merely what your peers or parents want you to do?

Mothership asked via Instagram what some of the concerns of young school-going Singaporeans are regarding signing up for an Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) programme.

It’s an important choice you cannot easily back out of

One key concern is whether you can back out of a choice once you have made the decision to accept a placement in EAE.

If you scored better than you expected or have a change of mind to go to another polytechnic or another course, can you still make the change?

The short answer is no.

After you accept the EAE placement, you can withdraw via the EAE portal only within a stipulated window.

Therefore, past this window, as long as you hit the Minimum Entry Requirements, you must go for the course you have signed up for.

Therefore, it is very, very important to make an informed decision

EAE is useful to secure a spot in a course you desire, whether it's for a better career in the future or chasing your passions.

However, there’s no turning back. Therefore, it’s very important to make an informed decision before you apply for your EAE.

One way to do so is to take a little bit of time to thoroughly review each course's details and what people say about them.

Hearing about it firsthand from experts or even the institution itself can also help you manage your expectations.

For example, you can watch Temasek Polytechnic’s (TP) seminar on YouTube, where you can gain invaluable insights from TP's lineup of EAE experts.

Dealing with parental pressure

Another important concern we hear is that some students feel pressured into signing up for what their parents want them to do.

In this aspect, communication with your parents is crucial.

With the right mindset and opportunities, you can be successful in life with any course you choose.

The government’s recent push for Forward Singapore also encourages Singaporeans to not merely chase materialistic successes but to carve a “Singapore Story” for themselves.

Discuss your choices with your parents and hear them out too.

But if they or you are still not convinced, let them hear from the professionals themselves.

TP’s seminar also includes a segment in which a parent and their child share their thoughts and how they communicated about choosing TP with their child on their journey in TP.

For example, this year, you can hear from TP student Joshua and his mother, who supported his decision to go through the EAE process.

How to get into EAE in the first place?

Some youths are also concerned about being able to get placement into the EAE programme in the first place.

While each course has its own minimum requirements, it does not hurt to try to put in an application even if you’re unsure if you’ll meet the requirements — you never know if you don’t try.

But, remember, it must be a course you are prepared to pursue.

One tip we received from an anonymous successful EAE applicant — a tip rarely spoken of — is to prepare your portfolio early, like as soon as you see this.

By starting early, you will have more preparation time to prepare an impressive portfolio. You wouldn’t want to submit last-minute work.

Here are the application dates you should remember and take note of.

• Working adults: Jun. 3, 2024, to Jun. 30, 2024
• ITE students: Jun. 6, 2024 to Jun. 12, 2024
• O-Level students: Jun. 20, 2024 to Jun. 26, 2024

Obtain some tips about preparing a good portfolio through a guide here, which answers an extensive range of questions, such as what to expect for the EAE interview, which courses require an aptitude test and what to include in your EAE portfolio.

There are also some EAE write-up samples here.

If you’re still not convinced about EAE, why not hear from fellow TP students who’ve gone through the process here.

The writer of this sponsored article by Temasek Polytechnic hopes that all young Singaporeans can be successful in pursuing their dreams.

Top images from Temasek Polytechnic and Mothership.