Page 66 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

64 SCHOLAR’S PROFILE
WORK

HARD,

PLAY

Why did you choose to pursue
your course of study at NUS?
I chose NUS Business School mainly because of the
quality and prestige not just in Asia, but also on the
HARD international stage. Besides, NUS Business School
is located in Singapore, a strategic gateway to Asia
and the world that offers endless opportunities for
growth and exposure. As the flagship university of a
multi-cultural society like Singapore, NUS stands out
for its diverse student population on campus. Hence,
I believe that the more diverse the student body, the
Attracted by the vibrant student life, richer the learning experience. Even though I have
only been studying here for one semester, I feel that I
Mabel Tan makes the best of her have become better at articulating my views!
many NUS Scholarship opportunities. Why did you accept the NUS Scholarship?
To be honest, the results on my A-Levels slip came
as a surprise and I never saw myself in this position
of applying for a scholarship. Hence, I was deeply
humbled and honoured to be granted one of the most
prestigious scholarships at NUS, which bestowed in
me a sense of obligation to use this opportunity ef-
fectively. The NUS Scholarship being bond-free is
definitely a major draw, but there are certainly other
attractions like special programmes and overseas
stints. I feel that the NUS Scholarship will put my goal
of a quality university education within reach, while
also provide me with something equally, if not more,
important – the recognition of a job well done.

What was the selection process like?
Truth be told, I was caught off-guard by the interview
process. I expected it to be a classic “getting to know
you better” interview, but it turned out to be a three-
hour-long interview process! There were three sec-
tions to the interview, the first one being a General
Knowledge Quiz where the questions covered a wide
range of current affairs and economics-related topics.
After the quiz, we were each handed a thick stack of
files consisting of a case study about a company, for
which we would propose strategies. In this second
segment, all of us were given time to discuss as a
team on how to respond to the criticisms and propose
improvements, all under the watch of the assessors.
This was the most daunting part of the interview in my
personal opinion, as I felt that every single word and
action of mine was being assessed. I felt that the key
thing to remember throughout the selection process
is not to make yourself shine alone. Personally, I spoke
up quite often during the discussion to provide con-
structive comments and rebuttals, and build on the
ideas that my other teammates had raised.
(This is the NUS Business School scholarship inter-
view process. For most other faculties, scholarship
applicants are required to attend one to two rounds of
panel interviews to determine their suitability for the
NUS Scholarship.)