THE trick to being accepted into an American university can be summed up in one word: preparation.

“In a way, you should start preparing as soon as you enter secondary school,” says Jay Getz, a volunteer with the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE).

He recently spoke to parents and students at MACEE about how to put together a solid application for United States universities in conjunction with the organisation and the US Embassy’s International Education Week.

Aside from your grade point average (GPA), university admissions officers would also be looking at standardised test scores (such as the SAT or ACT tests) as well as your commitment to extracurricular activities and your essay.

The essay, he adds, is the chance for you to sell yourself and to show admissions officers what you can offer the university.

Click here for the full article in NST Online.

SHORTAGE of certified actuaries in Malaysia has spurred the demand for Actuarial Science graduates.

“There are not enough certified actuaries to certify all insurance plans and consequently, there is a huge demand for Actuarial Science graduates,” says Khor Kheng Leik, dean of the Center for American Education at the INTI Education Group (INTI).

“The Actuarial Society Malaysia (ASM) has indicated this and that’s why the Malaysian government is sponsoring for overseas, many Actuarial Science students overseas,” she adds.

Bank Negara Malaysia had been sponsoring Actuarial Science students overseas every year.

The course for Actuarial Science has been available only in UKM Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia under the Mathematics department.

“So, there isn’t enough pathway locally.” There are of course many other routes, such as to Australia and to the UKUnited Kingdom.

Macquarie University is the top school for Actuarial Science in Australia and in the UK it is at the University of London’s London School of Economics. “What we provide is the United States route but we do have students on this programme transferring to the ANU, The University of Melbourne and to Macquarie University,” she says. The INTI Education Group is offering, in Malaysia, its first 3+1 Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science in collaboration with the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in the US.

Under the INTI’s American Degree Transfer Programme, Malaysian students may can now have access to a cost-effective US Actuarial Science programmecourse.

“It allows the student to do more credit hours here instead of a 2+2 arrangement.

READ MORE HERE: http://nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20091121161336/Article/index_html

The history of UKEC actually had a precedent which stretches all the way back to the early 1960’s. Back then the official body for the coalition of the Malaysian Students Societies in UK was the MPPM UK, which was the Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar Malaysia di United Kingdom. MPPM as a coalition ended by mid 1980’s. After almost 10 years of silence, a new coalition was revived under the UKEC name, and the rest, as they say, was history.

For details visit UKECOnline.

Irrespective of your PMR result what next ? Of course for those obtained good result will have wider options to choose from.  In this post, I would like to share few things that you can do after PMR :

• For those obtained result you might want to try  MRSM/Sekolah Berasrama Penuh. Get new experience, new friend and new challenges here.
• For those more into technical courses, SM Teknik will best suit you.
• Not many excellent students want to choose  SM Vokasional, but if you think vocational courses is the best for you, don’t turn back just proceed.
• Remain in your present school. Remember the best SPM students  Azali Azlan &  Nur Amalina came from normal school too.

Please note that the application for Sekolah Teknik is now open, you can view it here http://www.moe.gov.my
Science, technical or Art Stream?

What course to choose? Where to go? For me this will highly depend on your interest, your result your capability and of course with some luck.

During my time, we used to have only maximum of 10 subjects, but now you can have as many as 20 subjects for SPM. For me this is ridiculous, don’t try to follow excellent students like Amalina and Azali. Take 10-12 is just enough  !

Co-curriculum is important

If you are non-active students before PMR, try to change. Be active in any school activities, build up your leadership skills here. And guess what ? Your Co-curriculum activities involvement will be be one of the criteria for your future plan (i.e applying for matriculation, college, universities, scholarship, loan). So start now ! please.

Anyway, just to remind you all on the important dates on public universities application will e closed on March 25,2 weeks after the SPM out. Please remember this date so that you will not miss out the opportunity.

PETALING JAYA: The closing date for applications from post-SPM students for a place in public universities is March 25. The SPM results will be out on March 12.

In a statement, the Higher Education Ministry has advised students to update their application forms online early.

Students can make up to three changes to their initial application until the closing date.

Beginning this year, it has been made compulsory for all students to apply for a place in university online through the ministry’s website at www.mohe.gov.my.

For enquiries, call 03-8883 5858 (10 lines), 03-8883 5848, 03-8883 5801/5802 or e-mail upu@mohe.gov.my.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Tell me about your self
2. What do you know about our organisation/company
3. Why do you choose this programme
4. Why do you choose this university/college
5. Tell me about your activities in university
6. How can you contribute to Company if we sponsor you ?
7. Share with us you success story

I am now 25 years old and was graduated from UiTM with a Bachelor in IT in early 2005 and currently work with one of the subsidiary of Synergy Drive, the Company who sponsored my studies.

I just want to share some experience when I first look for scholarship. Unlike the current generation, during my time the process of getting info scholarship is merely rely on newpaper advertisement. We don’t have website like Malaysia-scholarship.net etc to refer to.

But the obstacle never stop me from searching for scholarship as we know, the ads will normally appear in the newspaper sometime in Feb/March and always in the STAR (Saturday) and Mingguan Malaysia (Sunday), so I will make sure not to miss to buy these 2 newspaper.

I end up by sending 3 applications to Golden Hope and another 2 companies which I can’t recall…. I was called for Golden Hope interview and this will be my first interview in my life.

So what I did is to find out more details about the Company, about the programme of study and also practice in front of the mirror. During the interview, I felt so nervous, the office environment, the panel make me worst. But luckily, I can answer all questions they asked. TQ for my early preparation and of cause my father guidance too.

2 weeks later I receive their offer letter and was called for briefing. They briefed me about my responsibilities, the scholarship and also my scholarship bond. Every semester I have to submit my result and for pratical training it was made compulsory to have it in the Group. After 3 years of studies, I finally graduated and was offered a permanent job there and I still here serving my bond and I am basically happy with what I am doin now.

Thank you again to Synergy Drive .

There’s a lot of advice out there about the best way to apply for scholarships—how your child should “package” himself in his essay, which extracurricular activities to emphasize, and what color paper to use for his resume. The truth is, much of this advice can vary widely, depending on the author—and what works for one applicant may not necessarily work for another.

Your child will discover that most of the scholarship secrets simply boil down to using common sense and following directions carefully.
Application Tips

Here are some tips your child can use to create solid applications and avoid common scholarship mistakes:

1. Start Researching Scholarships Early
The more time your child can put into a scholarship search, the more options there’ll be. Your child will need time to research scholarships, request information and application materials, and complete applications—plus, some scholarships have deadlines early in the fall of the senior year. Your child can use our online Scholarship Search to get started.

2. Read Eligibility Requirements Carefully
If your child has a question about eligibility for a particular scholarship, contact the scholarship sponsors immediately.

3. Organize All Scholarship Materials
Your child should create a separate file for each scholarship and file by application date. Keep a calendar of application deadlines and follow-up appointments.

Many scholarships require your child to provide some combination of the following:

* Transcript
* Standardized test scores
* Financial aid forms, such as the FAFSA or PROFILE
* Parent’s financial information, including tax returns
* One or more essays
* One or more letters of recommendation
* Proof of eligibility (e.g. membership credentials)

Your child may also need to prepare for a personal interview. For students competing for talent-based scholarships, an audition, performance, or portfolio may be required.

4. Proofread Applications Carefully
Your child can use the computer’s spelling and grammar check features to scan for any careless mistakes, however, it’s also a good idea to ask others—you, a teacher, or a friend—to read the essays and share thoughts and ideas.
5. Don’t Leave Items Blank
Blank items will slow down the processing of your child’s application. Your child should contact scholarship sponsors with questions on how to fill out any part of the application.

6. Follow Instructions to the Letter
Make sure your child does not go over the length limit for the essay. Another application don’t: sending supporting materials that are not requested in the application.
7. Make Sure the Application is Legible
Type or print application forms and essays.
8. Make Copies of Everything

If application materials are lost, having copies on hand will make it much easier to resend the application quickly.
9. Double-Check the Application
If your child is reusing material (such as a cover letter or essay) from another scholarship application, be especially careful he hasn’t left in any incorrect names or blank fields. He should not forget to sign and date his application.

10. Get Your Applications in Early
Missing deadlines means missing out. Consider using certified mail and/or return receipt.
Scholarships Might Affect the Financial Aid Package

Private scholarships can actually reduce parts of your child’s financial aid package. How? Colleges must consider outside scholarships as a student’s financial resource, available to pay for education costs. If a college financial aid office meets your child’s full financial need, government regulations specify that any scholarship money won lowers the need figure on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

What should matter to you and your child is which types of aid are reduced or eliminated—self-help aid (loans or work-study) or need-based grants. Colleges, following federal regulations, can adjust aid packages in a variety of ways—some will subtract the value of unmet need first, others will reduce self-help aid before reducing grants, still others will use scholarship funds only to replace grant money. Some colleges even give the option of using scholarships to reduce the expected family contribution.

It’s a good idea to contact the financial aid office of colleges that interest your child and inquire about their policies regarding outside scholarships.