Choosing a University

Hi all! So maybe you're reading this because at this period in time you've graduated from JC or Poly and looking to apply for a university placing. And maybe your interest would be in the design area. I don't know. However, I'm writing this for those who are interested in studying Architecture. For me, during the time when I was searching up on Architecture courses in Singapore, I couldn't find much information or personal experiences from the students themselves. Most of what I found online were what you'd probably already know. Entry requirements, the length of the course, the pros and cons of each university, so on and so forth. I write this post to help those who were in my position and I hope to help you prepare for what lies ahead of you.

So firstly, a bit of history. I entered into Raffles Junior College as a DSA student, meaning that my academics are not that good compared to the others. I'm always below average. When my teachers asked me what I wanted to study, and I said Architecture, they would be doubtful and say, "It will be tough for you to get in." Of course I know that. Architecture in Singapore is considered a prestigious course to study, following behind Medicine, Law and Dentistry. My A'level grades are also below average in my school. For my H1s, I got A for GP and PW, D for Chinese. For my H2s, C for Physics and B for Chemistry, Math and Econs. So in total, my UAS score without my Chinese, would be 80. According to NUS' website, the bottom 10th percentile for those who studied Achitecture, is AAB/C, and of course, top percentile is straight As. Judging by my lack of H2 As, it is definitely much harder for me to even secure an interview. But in the end, I managed to secure two interviews with the two universities in Singapore that offer Architecture; NUS and SUTD.

NUS Archi vs SUTD (ASD)

So, if you're interested in Architecture, you'd probably already researched on both schools, and weighed the pros and cons. What I offer is my personal experience in going for both interviews. 

NUS

For NUS, if you've secured an interview, it means you also need to go for an aptitude test before that. You'd be sent a list of things you need to bring and then report wherever at NUS for the test. In previous years, the test was 3 hours long, consisting of drawing, writing an explanation and modeling. In my year (2014), the test was only 1 hour long, only consisting of modeling. After which, during your interview, you would need to explain to the interviewers your thought process behind the model you've built. There is really nothing you can prepare for. The question itself is very unpredictable. My question was on polyphasic sleep (google that) and how it would affect the architecture of a residence, neighbourhood or city. Like whaaaaaat? I know. So, the most you can do as preparation is simple modelling with pieces of paper. Make sure your model is able to stand and to cut allowances so you can stick it to your base and such. 

For the interview, I prepared an A4 sized portfolio which was just a simple file with all my anime drawings and some models of my rabbit house and conceptual buildings. It was really simple. I kind of prepared the building drawings a few days before. Compared to the other people who brought super huge professional looking portfolios, and even a girl who brought her laptop, mine really pale in comparison. I don't have any artistic history. All that I've learnt, I was self-taught, and I guess that was my selling point. The interview was pretty relaxed but that depends on your interviewers. I just explained my portfolio to them, how I started drawing when I was introduced to anime etc etc. It was really relaxed because the interviewers were thinking up questions on the spot. Questions included, "Have you been overseas before?", "Oh so what did you like about that country?", "What do you like about machines? (when I expressed my interest for robots)" so on and so forth. But, one advice for you would be to research architects in Singapore, and what buildings in Singapore that were designed by them. Also, remember to prepare for generic questions such as "Why do you want to study architecture?" and "Why this university?".

SUTD

Moving on to SUTD, if you've secured an interview, someone will contact you and ask you when you are available for interview. There is no aptitude test. Reason being, the first year is a common year and students could change their mind about what course they want to study. So you might end up doing engineering. Anyway, my interview was in the morning and I was asked to bring my documents to verify the pdfs that I've sent in during my application process. After waiting and so on, I was sent in to the interviewing room, with another person. I heard SUTD exercises group interviews up to 3 people but I'm not so sure about that. It is however, very unlikely you'll go in alone. The interviewers were two caucasian professors and it was a pretty serious one compared to my NUS' interview. Questions they asked were "You wrote this in your personal statement, how does that translate to leadership?", "Is there any weakness in teamwork?", "Why did you choose SUTD?" and so on. The questions seemed pretty standard. During this interview, I didn't bring my portfolio but the other guy did bring his prototype bags for when he went to Cambodia. The woman interviewer kept pressing him about his prototypes and I felt like he was going to explode. So remember to be clear and concise when explaining your portfolios and such. Another thing was that the woman interviewer also asked me how am I going to cope seeing as to my physics got a C grade. I explained and she moved on to ask me what part of physics I liked and at this point, I completely forgot about everything I've learnt the past decade. So another piece of advice, read up on a bit of physics, I heard the interviewers can ask you physics questions as well. Also remember to speak up. During the interview, when we were asked a question, we had to decide who to speak first. Both of us would look at each other and then I would speak up. I always spoke up first. So that's something you can do to impress the interviewers. But don't fight to speak up or cut off the other person.

So which university did I go to?

In the end, I was offered a place in both SUTD and NUS. I accepted SUTD first because NUS replies around end April-May, but when I heard I was accepted into NUS, I withdrew from SUTD and accepted NUS. Withdrawal is easy, just make a phone call to the student centre. My reasons for choosing NUS over SUTD is not because of "this uni is better than this uni". Honestly don't care about what school I went to as long as I could study Architecture. But, SUTD which is currently in Dover, will be moving to Changi by Dec 2014 and that is really too far for me. Of course I could opt for hostel stay but that is also extra costs and something I don't want to burden my family with. Moreover, my sister is also studying in NUS engineering which is close to my faculty so we can go to the campus together so to speak. Also, NUS gives me more avenue to continue fencing, which is my sport, and this is greatly appreciated because I know NUS can sponsor some competitions. SUTD? Not so sure as it is a very new university.

Ultimately, the decision is yours and yours alone. You know the pros and cons of each university and I've given you my personal experience for applying to both these universities. All I can tell you is that anything is possible. Even with my inferior grades compared to the stellar students and students with actual art background, I still managed to clinch not one, but two placings in two universities. So work hard and believe you can do it. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you!