<p>Do they? Some, but not all, maybe. But I heard they can’t get consistent 4.0s either.</p>
<p>Just look at those ST ads. There’s a fair number of them who do =S</p>
<p>Hey! Anyone gone for the visa interview yet? How long does it usually take? I know they ask you to show up at a certain time but my understanding is that it’s the time you start queueing, not the time of your interview…</p>
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<p>Smarts + picking the right courses and professors.</p>
<p>double post.</p>
<p>Frank, I don’t quite understand how students have leeway to pick courses and professors especially in a rather narrow major like, say, civil engineering. In my understanding, civil engineering would have a pretty fixed sequence of courses throughout all 4 years. Hardly room for electives or choices, am I right? I imagine the dept of professors is rather small too?</p>
<p>This would be unlike, say, Psychology, where the requirement might be something like: pick any 3 courses from the following: 301, 307, 306, 308, 311, 313, 324, 333, 334, 339…</p>
<p>Pls enlighten me :)</p>
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<p>The sequence might not necessarily be fixed. For instance, MATH 51, which is intro multivariable calculus in Stanford, reputedly has an easier curve for Winter and Spring quarters compared to the Fall quarter due to different instructors and less smart freshmen (who have already taken multi-var calc during high school) taking it.</p>
<p>I’ve also looked up the requirements for the Civil Engineering major in Stanford and you have some flexibility in choosing your courses even within the CE major. Of the 68 units required for the CE specialty, only 37 must come from a list of CE courses - the other units can be taken from other departments in the School of Engineering. There is flexibility even within the 37 units from the CE major as well.</p>
<p>Thanks Frank. Good idea, to take a class when there’re less smart students in it, so the grading curve will be in your favour. But this advice must be followed intelligently. It’d be nuts to take Calc 2 during freshman year, then calc 1 during sophomore for example.</p>
<p>Spell out your Math 51 example for me please? So it is ‘harder’ in the fall (very 1st quarter) because… all thesmart high-schoolers who already studied it are doing Math 51 to get it out of their way? I thought the smart kids who’ve done it are exempted from the course by means of AP credits?</p>
<p>Thanks for looking up my example of CE. But as I understand it, generally, engineering classes are tightly jammed pack with required classes in other colleges though. :?</p>
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<p>AP Calculus AB and BC only exempts you/places you out from single-variable calculus. Some smart high school students took Linear Algebra and Multi-variable Calculus - which isn’t covered by AP placement.</p>
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<p>Not as jam-packed as you would think though.</p>
<p>we are singaporean citizen working overseas for the past 7 years. my son will apply universities in USA next year. my questions:-</p>
<p>1) if he is accepted by a University in US, would it be possible to finish University first, then go back to Singapore for the national service?</p>
<p>2) if he is accepted by a US university, and has to do his NS first, would that University keep his place for him so that he could attend the university after 2 years of NS?</p>
<p>thank you for any info</p>
<p>1) No.
2) Possibly. The UCs don’t, most privates do.</p>
<p>kli, regarding question 1, best that you call MINDEF to ask. there might be a way, though I heard it might involve some large deposit payment to MINDEF. not very sure, just ask.</p>
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<p>No, unless he is below 18 when he matriculates (and, if I remember correctly, has been overseas since he was 13).</p>
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<p>As far as I know, the Ivies + Stanford + MIT = Yes. UC system = No. I think you have to email/call and check with the admissions department of other universities yourself.</p>
<p>How long does it take to receive the TOEFL iBT paper score report?</p>
<p>hm anyone knows if GCE O levels chinese will affect admission chances? I’m stuck with a B3 for that and D7 for higher chinese. Not sure if I want to retake or take A levels… D:</p>
<p>^ if i’m not wrong, those aren’t cambridge subjects ? don’t think it’ll matter then.</p>
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<p>I think if it appears on the report it does matter. You did take the subject and you did get examined on it - just because the paper is marked in Singapore shouldn’t matter.</p>
<p>ahh crap. D: Then I’ll just retake next year. :</p>
<p>^ They matter, but the degree to which they do is debatable. However, if you are hookless, like most of us here, it’s best to aim for a perfect academic record.</p>
<p>Ah. D; That’s going to be horrid for me. I screwed up my entire of sec 1. Both semesters I got an average of D+ I think, though I did receive the good progress award the next year cos my grades increased. :S would they scrutinise year 1?</p>