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Tips for Admission in National University of Singapore
#1
Exclamation 
National University of Singapore (NUS), a government controlled central University of Singapore, is among top universities in the world. According to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (by subjects), NUS is ranked 8th in the world, giving a glimpse of its standards!

Now, without wasting much time on the general facts about the NUS, let's shift to the focal point-"Scope of Biotechnology in NUS". Following are the Schools/Faculties encompassing Biotechnical domain at NUS:

Department of Bioengineering
The key focuses of Bioengineering Department are Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Bionanotechnology, Biosignal Processing, Biosensors, Biomicrofluidics, Computational Biology with application in areas of Tissue Engineering, Therapeutic Delivery Systems, Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation, and Medical Devices.

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
As the name suggests, this department represents a nice amalgum of Chemical Engineering & Molecular Scale Biological Research. In their own words,"the Department provides the critical link between engineering and the sciences, particularly the chemical and life sciences, by bridging the gap between molecular-level, laboratory-scale studies of chemical and biological transformations and the large-scale industrial production operations". The application areas include biomedicine, protein engineering, drug-delivery systems, chemotherapeutic engineering, and smart materials (e.g., for biosensors, molecular and polymer electronics, novel smart membranes for separation processes and novel optoelectronic and photonic materials) etc.

Department of Life Sciences
This department is one of the oldest front-runner in biological research at NUS (since 1949-50). It covers broad aspects in biological field ranging from Plant Growth & Development, Biotechnology, Biodiversity & Ecology, and Structural Biology, Functional Genomics & Proteomics and Fish Biology & Aquaculture.

Where These Departments Stand in World:
These three departments represent the crust & core of Biotechnical scope at NUS. And to give you an estimate of the repute of these departments, I have enlisted their world ranks (QS Ranking):
  • Department of Bioengineering: World Rank 6
  • Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering: World Rank 6
  • Department of Life Sciences: World Rank 17

The US & Europe Paradox:
What I want to highlight here is the fact that most of the students of Biotechnical background (especially in India) follow the long-standing trend of pursuing higher education (PhD/PostDoc) at either US/Europe. For, them it's US/Europe only where biotechnology booms big and bright! And, considering the fact that the percentage of acceptance at US universities is quite low, almost all the budding bio-technologists end up either in Germany (considered the hub of biological research). This according to me is a paradox out of lack of awareness about the international repute of some of the Asian Universities, to which even US students dream of seeking admission! And, considering the rankings of these departments at NUS, the paradox must be broken!

Admission Facts About NUS:
Here I won't share details about the application process for the admission (you may easily find the same at NUS's website. I have shared the link though, below.)
Click here for NUS Admission Process

My focus would rather be on those facts which should make you feel that getting admission in NUS is rather way too easy & beneficial than US/Europe Universities:

1. Preference to Developing Countries:
They prefer students from different cultural backgrounds, especially students from developing countries. They have a special inclination towards Indian talents.

2. Easy Selection Criteria:
Their selection criteria for interview call are very simple:

**They accept GATE Score and GATE Cut-off is 90 percentile (which means even if you manage to qualify GATE just by 1 or 2 marks above the cut-off marks, still you can get a call from NUS!)

**They don't need GRE if you have GATE score!

**If you don't have GATE, you may submit GRE score, whose cut-off is also very nominal: around 320 (verbal & quantitative) and 3.5 (analytical)

3. Low Application Fee:
The application fee including the postage charges is very nominal (barely above Rs 2000/-) which is too less as compared to the grueling application process for US/European countries.

4. Simple Interview Process:
The interview process of NUS is quite general and simple. It starts with a test of English through reading, comprehension and writing, the scores of which count in your final performance score. Followed by the test, a two person panel takes the interview. Through-out the years their questions have been simple as follows:

a. Tell us about yourself.

b. Tell us about your college/university.

c. Why NUS, why not IITs?

d. What if we don't have a project of your interest? Will you still join us?

Your answers to these questions decide your fate. And the confidence with which you answer really counts a lot!

5. A-STAR Application Needs No GATE/GRE/Any Test!
The most wonderful thing about Singapore govt.'s policy is A-Star Scholarship, through which students around the globe can apply at NUS/NTU Singapore, based on their brilliant profile (they may apply even without the need of GRE/GATE!). So, if your academic and co-curricular profile has been brilliant and, some how you couldn't/can't give GRE/GATE, feel free to apply at NUS through Singapore govt.'s A-Star Scholarship scheme. There is no application fee for this mode of application!! Following is the link to A-STAR details:
A-STAR GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP


So, I hope, this piece of information might have en-lighted you all up in some way, to motivate you about the scope of Biotechnology in Asia itself! NUS is indeed a World Class University and a sure way to a successful career in Biotechnology!

Sometimes, it's the road which is less travelled by, holds the key to success!
Sunil Nagpal
MS(Research) Scholar, IIT Delhi (Alumnus)
Advisor for the Biotech Students portal (BiotechStudents.com)
Computational Researcher in BioSciences at a leading MNC


Suggested Reads:
Top Biotech Companies | Top places to work
Indian Biotech Companies and Job Openings
Aiming a PhD in Top Grad School? | These are the Important Points to Consider
Careers in Biotechnology | A list of various Options
Biotechnology Competitive Exams in India
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#2
Hi Sunil,
I had a query regarding NUS graduate admissions in PhD. I did my B.tech from college of technology Pantnagar, (Uttarakhand) in 2008 and M.tech from IIT kanpur in 2010 . My specialization is fluid and thermal science. Currently I am working in Siemens as software developer. In 2008 my gate percentile was 98.93. This year (2013) my gate percentile is 95.5. I dont have GRE/TOEFL. What is the probability for me getting the full time scholarship. B.tech 2008 72% M.Tech 2010 8.5/10 No publication Working as software developer in CAE domain. My M.Tech thesis was based on Bio Fluid Mechanics and applied in the BioTech Dept. in NUS.
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#3
(10-21-2013, 04:38 PM)rahulmishra.iitk Wrote: Hi Sunil,
I had a query regarding NUS graduate admissions in PhD. I did my B.tech from college of technology Pantnagar, (Uttarakhand) in 2008 and M.tech from IIT kanpur in 2010 . My specialization is fluid and thermal science. Currently I am working in Siemens as software developer. In 2008 my gate percentile was 98.93. This year (2013) my gate percentile is 95.5. I dont have GRE/TOEFL. What is the probability for me getting the full time scholarship. B.tech 2008 72% M.Tech 2010 8.5/10 No publication Working as software developer in CAE domain. My M.Tech thesis was based on Bio Fluid Mechanics and applied in the BioTech Dept. in NUS.

Hi Rahul!

Don't worry about being eligible for Full-time scholarship, you are eligible for the same. In fact every applicant with a GATE percentile of above 90 is eligible to apply and hence is eligible for scholarship as well.

You just need to crack the interview (you will get the interview call soon). The process is indeed very simple, just be true to them regarding what you know, and avoid pretending about knowledge/idea of something you lack.

They look more for the attitude and aptitude of the person while they talk to you during interview than your core technical knowledge.

Hope it helps.

All the best!

Sunil
Sunil Nagpal
MS(Research) Scholar, IIT Delhi (Alumnus)
Advisor for the Biotech Students portal (BiotechStudents.com)
Computational Researcher in BioSciences at a leading MNC


Suggested Reads:
Top Biotech Companies | Top places to work
Indian Biotech Companies and Job Openings
Aiming a PhD in Top Grad School? | These are the Important Points to Consider
Careers in Biotechnology | A list of various Options
Biotechnology Competitive Exams in India
Like Post Reply
#4
Hii Sunil,

I have given my GATE CS in 2012 and my percentile was 98.14. I had taken M.Tech admission on basis of that. However, the score card is valid no more because its valid for only 2 years (upto 14th march,2014). So, will NUS will consider my GATE score??
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#5
--- Question from Neha -----

I am third year student doing Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology i want to study MS In Biotechnlogy from National University of Singapore after completing my graduation. I will join GRE and Toefil shortly. Pls give me details about this University like fees, etc.


------- Answer from Sunil Nagpal ---

Hi Neha,

I haven't heard of a specific MS course in Biotechnology, but I do know about MS in Biological Sciences at NUS. Following are the details on the same:

Biological Sciences Department has three main focus areas including Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology; Ecology, Biodiversity and Environmental Biology; and Biophysical Sciences, Computational and Structural Biology.

They accept GRE (minimal requirements: verbal and quantitative abilities between the range of 310 and 320, analytical writing: 3.5) or Graduate Aptitude in Engineering (GATE) minimum 90 percentile. Applicants who do not have their earlier education in the English language need to provide Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) test of scores of minimum 85 for internet-based test or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test of scores of minimum 6.

Online application fee S$20 per application. Paper based requires S$40.


Deadlines: For August intake, 15 November of Previous year

For Jan intake, 15 May of Previous year


Fees: Annual (Non-subsidised : S$36, 300) and Annual (Subsidised: S$23,500). If you are selected by the department, you'll be recommended for MOE subsidy, so most probably you'll have to pay S$23,500 only.

Now my words of advice:

If you have a good academic record, do apply for PhD (which has high chances of fully scholarship based selection). Infact MS also has the provision for Scholarship based selection. Just mention in the application form the Scholarships you would like to apply for (with the expression that you would still like to be considered even if you are not eligible for any scholarship, as you are comfortable with self finance I guess.)

Going through the following link might help you further:

http://www.nus.edu.sg/admissions/graduat...ements.php

If there's anything else you need some help on, do let me know. ( Please post the question on this thread instead of messaging personally)

Best wishes,

Sunil
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#6
hi sir,
i have completed the my Btech in 2011 in mechanical engineering with 70.28.
have scored rank in gate 2014 9000 among total candidates 185568 ie 95 percentile
have no research paper yet

want to pursue in nus/ntu..please tell the formalities and procedure?esp jan 2015 intake
what is employment prospect in universities?i want to do either in mechanical/scm/industrial and system engg
also please tell the difference between course-work prog and research prog?i have heard indian students only get scholarship in research prog..is it true?
also tell about the all scholarships we can attain?
do i have to give toefl/ielts?read somewhere that people studied the english as major in grad or till plus 2,need not to apply toefl/ielts...but the scholarship form for phd is showing it as mandatory..please clarify?

with regards
rishabh
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#7
Dear Rishabh,

Though my experience pertains more to biotechnology, NUS has a similar criteria for all branches of science/engineering. So, if we go by their eligibility criteria, your GATE percentile is well above their expectations. But I see a minor hiccup in your B.tech percentage which is below their conventional expectation of 80% (they usually look for 2nd class upper, so if you passed with such a grade even at 71%, then you are safe). But, it shouldn't worry you much as your GATE percentile should grab their attention, so do give an attempt to the application even if you dont fall in the 2nd class upper band.

But, personally I would recommend that you should make your profile strong through some internship (in the area of your interest) or go for GRE (subjective, in the subject of your interest). This would help in letting your profile reach out, compared to the competing candidates (which I expect would come with similar/better profiles, as of now).

Applications for January 2015 intake will start from 23 Jul 2014 and will close on 27 Aug 2014 (For course work based).

For Research based program, it's actually going to close on 15th of May (i.e in 3-4 days only).

And, yes, they usually prefer international candidates for Research based programs (which enable the scientists there to carry on their "project specific" research through dedicated research based students). Course work students are expected to attend formal classes, seminars, laboratories and written examinations. Some programmes may also require the writing of a dissertation based on a project the candidate has undertaken. So, it kinds of diverts the research thrust. So, you should apply for Research based program only for strong candidature.

And, about scholarship, you shouldn't worry much about what scholarship to apply for. Almost every candidate who gets shortlisted for interview is by default considered for TAship (S$2000-2500 per month). It's in rare case that you need to apply for other scholarships (which often pay less). Still for your info, please refer SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

And, if your medium of study in 12th was English, you need not to appear for TOEFL/GRE. But as I said, appear for GRE(subjective) to make your case strong. But again, I guess, you are having very limited time to apply for Jan 2015 intake, so better apply asap without much a do.

Let me know if you need assistance on any other thing.

Best wishes

Sunil



(05-08-2014, 05:07 PM)acdc.rockz Wrote: hi sir,
i have completed the my Btech in 2011 in mechanical engineering with 70.28.
have scored rank in gate 2014 9000 among total candidates 185568 ie 95 percentile
have no research paper yet

want to pursue in nus/ntu..please tell the formalities and procedure?esp jan 2015 intake
what is employment prospect in universities?i want to do either in mechanical/scm/industrial and system engg
also please tell the difference between course-work prog and research prog?i have heard indian students only get scholarship in research prog..is it true?
also tell about the all scholarships we can attain?
do i have to give toefl/ielts?read somewhere that people studied the english as major in grad or till plus 2,need not to apply toefl/ielts...but the scholarship form for phd is showing it as mandatory..please clarify?

with regards
rishabh
Sunil Nagpal
MS(Research) Scholar, IIT Delhi (Alumnus)
Advisor for the Biotech Students portal (BiotechStudents.com)
Computational Researcher in BioSciences at a leading MNC


Suggested Reads:
Top Biotech Companies | Top places to work
Indian Biotech Companies and Job Openings
Aiming a PhD in Top Grad School? | These are the Important Points to Consider
Careers in Biotechnology | A list of various Options
Biotechnology Competitive Exams in India
Like Post Reply
#8
hi sir ,
My GATE percentile is 96.44 in Electrical Engineering in 2014 . I want to do masters in NUS . What r my chances and how to apply for it ?
Please clear my query .
I shall be higly obliged

With regards
Barun Dash
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#9
(05-14-2014, 01:24 AM)BARUN Wrote: hi sir ,
My GATE percentile is 96.44 in Electrical Engineering in 2014 . I want to do masters in NUS . What r my chances and how to apply for it ?
Please clear my query .
I shall be higly obliged

With regards
Barun Dash

Hi Barun,

When you opt for Masters, the chances of getting scholarship are scarce. It's not difficult to get admission in masters course without scholarship (Scholarship in coursework programs is offered only to ASEAN countries). All you have to do is choose your coursework program of interest from NUS Masters Programs and apply before deadline. Your percentile is really good, so I'll recommend PhD program for you, as NUS prefers PhD candidates and the chances of getting scholarship in research based programs is much higher.

Please refer Link Here to get to application form page and other necessary details.

Let me know if any other query is there.

Regards

Sunil
Sunil Nagpal
MS(Research) Scholar, IIT Delhi (Alumnus)
Advisor for the Biotech Students portal (BiotechStudents.com)
Computational Researcher in BioSciences at a leading MNC


Suggested Reads:
Top Biotech Companies | Top places to work
Indian Biotech Companies and Job Openings
Aiming a PhD in Top Grad School? | These are the Important Points to Consider
Careers in Biotechnology | A list of various Options
Biotechnology Competitive Exams in India
Like Post Reply
#10
(05-14-2014, 04:29 AM)SunilNagpal Wrote:
(05-14-2014, 01:24 AM)BARUN Wrote: hi sir ,
My GATE percentile is 96.44 in Electrical Engineering in 2014 . I want to do masters in NUS . What r my chances and how to apply for it ?
Please clear my query .
I shall be higly obliged

With regards
Barun Dash

Hi Barun,

When you opt for Masters, the chances of getting scholarship are scarce. It's not difficult to get admission in masters course without scholarship (Scholarship in coursework programs is offered only to ASEAN countries). All you have to do is choose your coursework program of interest from NUS Masters Programs and apply before deadline. Your percentile is really good, so I'll recommend PhD program for you, as NUS prefers PhD candidates and the chances of getting scholarship in research based programs is much higher.

Please refer Link Here to get to application form page and other necessary details.

Let me know if any other query is there.

Regards

Sunil

Dear Sir .
Are they accepting PhD applications through GATE ?
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