Chen Chow: SPM

Showing posts with label SPM. Show all posts

Thursday, March 12, 2009

JPA Scholarships Statistic - Repost

With SPM 2008 exams coming out today, and now a lot of people are starting to prepare for Overseas JPA Scholarships applications, I would like to share some analysis of the chances for each field of studies.

Thanks to chen622 from ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network for the statistic and Sin Chew Jit Poh for the data .

Feel free to reproduce this analysis at your blog/forum etc, but do include a link to quote here.

As a start, we can first look at total applicants, total shortlisted for interview and total scholarships for SPM 2005, 2006 and 2007 batches.

SPM 2005 - 15,357 applicants, 5,946 interviews, 1,500 JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2006 - 12,411 applicants, 6,298 interviews, 1,800 JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2007 - 15,220 applicants, 7,282 interviews, 2,000 JPA Overseas Scholarships

If we look at % wise, then it would be:-
SPM 2005 - 38.72% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA interview
SPM 2006 - 50.75% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA interview
SPM 2007 - 47.84% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA interview

SPM 2005 - 25.23% of those who attend JPA Interview get JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2006 - 28.58% of those who attend JPA Interview get JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2007 - 27.46% of those who attend JPA Interview get JPA Overseas Scholarships

SPM 2005 - 9.77% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2006 - 14.50% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA Overseas Scholarships
SPM 2007 - 13.14% of JPA Scholarships applicants get JPA Overseas Scholarships

For those 10A1s and above and with family income below RM1,500, they are guaranteed JPA Scholarships for SPM 2007 batch. For SPM 2007 batch, 151 students successfully get this scholarships, including 117 Non bumiputera.

For SPM 2007 batch, to look deeper at the academic results of those 7,282 students who are offered JPA Scholarships interview:-
16A1s - 1 Student
15A1s - 5 Students
14A1s - 4 Students
13A1s - 36 Students
12A1s - 186 Students
11A1s - 593 Students
10A1s - 1,210 Students
9A1s - 1,464 Students
8A1s - 1,166 Students
7A1s - 971 Students
6A1s - 724 Students
5A1s - 510 Students
4A1s - 262 Students
3A1s - 120 Students
2A1s - 26 Students
1A1 - 4 Students

And a more useful information would be breakdown analysis for SPM 2007 batch, based on field of studies that the students apply for. It would show total students who apply for JPA Overseas Scholarships for that field of studies, and then total shortlisted for interview and total students who get the scholarships.

The format would be:-
Field of Study - Total Applicants - Total Interviews - Total Scholarships

Medical - 3,187 - 1,838 - 530
Pharmacy - 1,463 - 738 - 120
Dentist - 719 - 351 - 110
Engineering - 4,083 - 2,069 - 620
Accountancy - 1,075 - 380 - 70
Law - 826 - 246 - 70
Biotech - 731 - 387 - 80
Actuarial Science - 577 - 383 - 75
Humanities - 522 - 121 - 50
Science - 411 - 192 - 70
Architecture - 400 - 154 - 60
Business Adminstration - 287 - 57 - 14
Economics - 271 - 145 - 60
IT - 256 - 67 - 20
Veterinary - 139 - 65 - 14
Agricultural - 106 - 25 - 14
Quantity Surveyor - 102 - 47 - 18
City Planning - 65 - 16 - 5

Looking at it, below are the % of JPA Scholarships applicants who manage to get JPA Interview.

Actuarial Science - 66.4%
Medical - 57.7%
Economics - 53.5%
Biotech - 52.9%
Engineering - 50.7%
Pharmacy - 50.4%
Dentistry - 48.8%
Veterinary - 46.8%
Science - 46.7%
Quantity Surveyor - 46.1%
Architecture - 38.5%
Accountancy - 35.3%
Law - 29.8%
IT - 26.2%
City Planning - 24.6%
Agriculture - 23.6%
Humanities - 23.2%
Business Administration - 19.9%

How about the % of those who get the JPA Overseas Scholarships among those who attended the interview?

Agriculture - 56.0%
Economics - 41.4%
Humanities - 41.3%
Architecture - 39.0%
Quantity Surveyor - 38.3%
Science - 36.5%
Dentistry - 31.3%
City Planning - 31.3%
Engineering - 30.0%
IT - 29.9%
Medical - 28.8%
Law - 28.5%
Business Administrations - 21.6%
Veterinary - 21.5%
Biotech - 20.7%
Actuarial Science - 19.6%
Accountancy - 18.4%
Pharmacy - 16.3%

In overall, what is the chance of someone who apply for a field of study and end up getting JPA Overseas Scholarships?

Economics - 22.1%
Quantity Surveyor - 17.6%
Science - 17.0%
Medical - 16.6%
Dentist - 15.3%
Engineering - 15.2%
Architecture - 15.0%
Agriculture - 13.2%
Actuarial Science - 13.0%
Biotech - 10.9%
Veterinary - 10.1%
Humanities - 9.6%
Law - 8.5%
Pharmacy - 8.2%
IT - 7.8%
City Planning - 7.7%
Accountancy - 6.5%
Business Administration - 4.9%

Hope that this info would be useful to students from SPM 2008 and beyond who are aiming for JPA Overseas Scholarships.

For more scholarships information, go to JobStreet.com Scholarships Listing and ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network .

-----
Chen Chow's Other Posts
Subscribe to Chen Chow's blog

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share

Feel free to quote any post within my blog, as long as you link it back here. Sharing is always a good virtue. :)

Monday, December 08, 2008

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Additional JPA Scholarships for SPM 2007

Thanks to my blog reader for highlighting this to me.

This is regarding JPA Scholarships for SPM Leavers 2007. It has pretty clear criteria. However, I would think that the list of universities for US should include a few other very reputable ones, like MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Berkeley etc, and not just the 8 Ivy League.

The link is quoted from JPA's Website

-----
PENAJAAN TAMBAHAN PELAJAR
LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2007

1. Mulai tahun 2008, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam akan menawarkan penajaan
tambahan untuk pelajar–pelajar yang cemerlang bagi mengikuti pengajian di
dalam dan luar negara. Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada calon-calon
untuk mendapatkan tajaan JPA seperti berikut:

a. Program Luar Negara
i) Pelajar-pelajar yang sedang atau mendapat tawaran untuk mengikuti
pengajian Tahun I peringkat ijazah pertama di universiti-universiti Ivy
League atau setara.

b. Program Dalam Negara
i) Pelajar-pelajar SPM 2007 yang mendapat 9A dan ke atas yang sedang
mengikuti pengajian di Tingkatan 6 di Sekolah Bantuan Penuh Kerajaan,
Pusat Matrikulasi di bawah Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia, Pusat
Asasi Sains Universiti Malaya dan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa atau
Pusat Matrikulasi / Asasi Sains lain di bawah Institusi Pengajian Tinggi
Awam;

ii) Pelajar-pelajar yang sedang atau mendapat tawaran untuk mengikuti
pengajian Tahun I peringkat ijazah pertama yang diiktiraf oleh Kerajaan
Malaysia di kampus cawangan University of Nottingham, Monash
University, Swinburne University dan Curtin University of Technology di
Malaysia;

2. Program dan institusi-institusi yang ditaja adalah seperti berikut:

PROGRAM INSTITUSI

Tingkatan 6 Sekolah-Sekolah Bantuan Penuh Kerajaan
Matrikulasi Pusat-Pusat Matrikulasi di bawah Kementerian
Pelajaran Malaysia

Asasi Sains
i) Pusat Asasi Sains UM (PASUM)
ii) Pusat Asasi Undang-undang UiTM
iii) Pusat Asasi UIA
iv) Pusat Asasi Farmasi UiTM
v) Pusat Asasi Sains UiTM
vi) Pusat Asasi TESL UiTM
vii) Pusat Asasi Sains Pertanian UPM
viii) Pusat Tamhidi USIM

Ijazah Pertama
i) Nottingham University
ii) Monash University
iii) Curtin University of Technology
iv) Swinburne University

Ijazah Pertama
Ivy League Univesities
i) Brown University
ii) Cornell University
iii) Columbia University
iv) Dartmouth University
v) Harvard University
vi) Yale University
vii) Princeton University
viii) University of Pennsylvania

Ijazah Pertama
British Top Universities
i) Cambridge University
ii) Oxford University
iii) Imperial College London
iv) London School of Economics
v) University College London

JPA hanya akan menaja bidang-bidang yang diiktiraf oleh Kerajaan
Malaysia sahaja.

3. SYARAT-SYARAT PERMOHONAN
(a) Syarat-syarat Asas
(i) Warganegara Malaysia;
(ii) Umur tidak melebihi 20 tahun pada 31 Disember 2008;
(iii) Mendapat sekurang-kurangnya gred 2A dalam Bahasa
Melayu,Sejarah dan Pendidikan Islam/ Pendidikan Al-Quran
dan As-Sunnah / Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah / Pendidikan
Moral serta mana-mana 6 matapelajaran berikut;
Fizik, Kimia, Biologi, Matematik Tambahan, Bahasa Inggerís,
Matematik, Prinsip Akaun, Perdagangan, Pengajian
Keusahawanan, Ekonomi Asas, EST, Geografi, Teknologi
Maklumat, Bahasa Arab Tinggi, Bahasa Arab Komunikasi,
Tasawur Islam, Pendidikan Seni;
(iii) Mempunyai kesihatan yang baik dan tidak mengidap penyakitpenyakit
kritikal seperti Hepatitis, Aids, HIV dan sebagainya;
(iv) Mendapat tempat ke Tingkatan 6 atau Pusat Matrikulasi di bawah
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia atau Pusat Asasi Universiti
Malaya atau Pusat Matrikulasi / Asasi Sains lain di bawah Institusi
Pengajian Tinggi Awam atau University of Nottingham, Monash
University, Swinburne University dan Curtin University of
Technology di Malaysia atau universiti-universiti Ivy League di
Amerika Syarikat dan universiti-universiti terkemuka di United
Kingdom atau setara;
(b) Syarat Khusus Bagi Permohonan Program Ijazah Pertama di
Nottingham University, Monash University, Curtin University of
Technology dan Swinburne University, Program Ivy League
Universities dan setara
(i) Calon-calon yang menerima tawaran di 4 kampus cawangan di
Malaysia disyaratkan memperolehi keputusan seperti berikut:
Kelayakan Keputusan
A-Level 12 Mata
South Australian Matriculatin (SAM) 90 %
Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) 90 %
International Baccalaureate (IB) 33 mata
4
ii) Calon-calon yang menerima tawaran ke universiti Ivy League
disyaratkan memperolehi keputusan Scholastic Aptitude Test I
(SAT I) sekurang-kurangnya 1,400 mata bagi Critical Reading dan
Matematik, dan markah TOEFL sekurang-kurangnya 105 (Internet
Base Test).
iii) Calon-calon yang menerima tawaran ke universiti terkemuka
United Kingdom disyaratkan memperolehi Gred A dalam
sekurang-kurangnya 3 matapelajaran dalam peperiksaan ALevel,
atau 40 mata dalam peperiksaan International Baccalaureate
(IB), dan markah IELTS sekurang-kurangnya 7.0.

4. BIDANG TAJAAN
BIL. BIDANG CONTOH
1. Perubatan - Perubatan, Pergigian, Farmasi,
Perubatan Veterinar
2. Sains Tulen - Fizik, Kimia, Biologi, Matematik, Sains
Hayat
3. Sains Gunaan - Pertanian, Perhutanan, Bioteknologi/
Sains Makanan, Perikanan/Sains
Samudera, Alam Sekitar, Teknologi
Maklumat
4. Teknologi - Kejuruteraan, Teknologi Industri, Seni
Bina, Ukur Bahan/Tanah, Perancangan
Bandar dan Wilayah
5. Sastera - Sastera Dan Sains Sosial, Pengajian
Islam/Syariah/Usuluddin, Kemanusiaan/
Kemasyarakatan, Komunikasi, Bahasa,
Sains Pembangunan
6. Sastera Ikhtisas - Ekonomi/Perniagaan Tani, Pengurusan
Perniagaan/Pentadbiran Awam,
Perakaunan, Undang-undang,
Pengajian Kuantitatif, Pengurusan,
Sains Perpustakaan dan Maklumat

5
5. CALON-CALON YANG TIDAK LAYAK MEMOHON
(i) Pelajar-pelajar yang tidak memenuhi syarat-syarat kelayakan
asas dan khusus yang ditetapkan.
(ii) Pelajar-pelajar yang telah mendapat penajaan lain untuk melanjutkan
pengajian

6. TEMPOH KONTRAK
Pemohon yang menerima tawaran biasiswa tajaan Jabatan Perkhidmatan
Awam dikehendaki berkhidmat dengan kerajaan dan sekiranya enggan,
tuntutan ganti rugi akan dikenakan. Tempoh berkhidmat dengan Kerajaan
dan amaun tuntutan ganti rugi adalah seperti di bawah:

Tempoh Berkhidmat dengan kerajaan ialah 4 tahun untuk bukan professional dan 6 tahun untuk professional bagi kursus 4 tahun atau kurang. Jika kursus melebihi 4 tahun, tempoh berkhidmat ditambah setahun.

Untuk kursus perubatan dan pergigian, tempoh berkhidmat ialah 10 tahun.

Untuk tuntutan ganti rugi, bagi IPTA, ialah RM110,000 untuk kursus 4 tahun atau kurang. RM130,000 untuk kursus melebihi 4 tahun, dan RM250,000 untuk kursus perubatan dan pergigian.

Untuk IPTS, tuntutan ganti rugi adalah berdasarkan kos sebenar.

-
*Catatan: Kursus profesional meliputi kursus-kursus seperti perubatan,
pergigian, farmasi, perubatan veterinar, kejuruteraan, seni bina,
perakaunan, kejururawatan, undang-undang, penilaian harta,
ukur bahan dan ukur tanah.
6
7. CARA MEMOHON
Permohonan boleh dibuat secara dalam talian (on-line) sahaja.
Permohonan adalah percuma. Cara memohon adalah seperti berikut:
(i) pemohon hendaklah mendaftar untuk mendapatkan kata laluan
percuma melalui talian di http://esila.jpa.gov.my mulai tarikh iklan
dikeluarkan;
(ii) pemohon yang telah berdaftar boleh mengemukakan permohonan
mulai tarikh iklan dikeluarkan. Untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut,
sila layari http://esila.jpa.gov.my atau http://www.jpa.gov.my.;
(iii) pemohon dibenarkan menghantar satu permohonan sahaja tetapi
dibenarkan mengakses untuk mengemaskini atau meminda sebelum
tarikh tutup permohonan. Hanya permohonan yang terkini sahaja
diambil kira sebagai penerimaan permohonan;
(iv) borang permohonan dalam talian yang dimuat turun, dicetak dan
dihantar melalui pos tidak akan diproses;
(v) permohonan secara dalam talian tidak memerlukan penghantaran
salinan sijil-sijil, kecuali dinyatakan dalam “Slip Pemohonan Penajaan
Tambahan SPM 2007”;
vi) pemohon hendaklah memastikan proses permohonan telah sempurna
dengan mencetak “Slip Pemohonan Penajaan Tambahan SPM 2007”
sebagai bukti permohonan telah dibuat;
(vii) pertanyaan mengenai masalah teknikal semasa mengisi borang
permohonan dalam talian boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi talian 03-
8885 3550. Talian ini dibuka setiap hari dari jam 8.00 pagi hingga 5.00
petang (Isnin – Jumaat); dan
(viii) pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan boleh dibuat dengan
menghubungi talian 03-8885 3049 (10 talian) pada setiap hari bekerja
mulai jam 8.00 pagi hingga 5.00 petang atau e-mel di alamat
esila@jpa.gov.my.
8. TARIKH TUTUP PERMOHONAN
Tarikh tutup permohonan ialah pada 14 Jun 2008. Permohonan yang
diterima selepas tarikh tersebut tidak akan dilayan.
TAMAT

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Friday, May 30, 2008

3,000 appeal for this year's JPA Scholarships

Thanks to my blog reader for this article.

This is quoted from NST

-----
3,000 to know PSD outcome next month
By : Deborah Loh

PUTRAJAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) has received 3,000 appeals from post Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students who failed to get scholarships for studies abroad.

The decisions on the appeals will be made next month, PSD director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam said yesterday.

Most of those rejected scored low marks in the interview and had less active co-curricular records.

"They were bright academically but many could not carry themselves with confidence during the interview.

"So many students are getting straight As now that academic performance is taken for granted, so the tipping point lies in the confidence a student displays," he said.

More than 6,000 SPM students last year scored 9As or more.

"Students who get rejected look at their string of As and wonder why they didn't get the scholarship.

"But the fact is, there are so many others like them who are top scorers," Ismail said.

He also said the PSD would consider stating the reasons for rejection in future applications.

A common complaint by rejected students is that no reasons were given for their failure to obtain the scholarship.

Of the 2,000 successful recipients, 151 of them were put on the "fast lane", or given priority because of their academic record and economic background.

"We immediately shortlisted them because they got 10 1As and were from poor families earning below RM1,500 a month.

"Of the 151, 117 were non-Bumiputeras and 34 were Bumiputeras.

"We accepted it as that and we did not try to adjust anything," he said at a briefing on the PSD's foreign and local scholarships programme.

The cost of funding these 2,000 students overseas for the next five years is RM1.7 billion.

Ismail also explained why the government could not offer more overseas scholarships.

"We are constrained by the quota that foreign universities have for international students.

"Also, medical degrees from certain countries like the United States and Japan are not recognised here.

"So, we are limited in the number of places we can secure overseas," he said. It's not the end of the road or of the world for dejected applicants, Ismail added.

"The PSD has other avenues for local scholarships and for going abroad.

"But students have to work hard."

They are:

- scholarships for those who secure places in Ivy League universities;

- 10,000 scholarships available for SPM 2007 school-leavers to study in local universities;

- scholarships up to the completion of a first degree for those with a minimum of 9As in SPM, who enter Form Six or matriculation. Their Form Six or matriculation fees will be waived and a monthly allowance will be provided.

- scholarships for those completing their A-Levels in private colleges this year, who secured places (in critical fields only) in local branch campuses of Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University.

More information and online applications through the PSD's website would be provided next month.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

JPA Scholarships

Thanks to my loyal blog reader for sharing this.

This is quoted fully from NST

-----

NAZRI: Fairer distributiion of scholarships for studies abroad from this year
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, WED:

There is fairer distribution of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships for all races for degree studies abroad from this year, with 1,100 going to Bumiputeras and 900 to non-Bumiputeras.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the breakdown was 55 percent and 45 percent respectively, compared with only 10 percent for non-Bumiputera students previously.

He said from the 15,220 applicants for scholarships under the programme, 7,282 were called for interviews and only those who could meet the criteria were selected for the scholarships.

The criteria is academic achievement (70 percent), co-curricular involvement (10), family background (10) and interview (10).

Nazri disclosed this when winding up the debate at the committee level on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2008 (2007) in the Dewan Rakyat here today.

— MORE PARLIAMENT-WINDING-UP (PSD) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

He said the PSD sponsorship was for students who had obtained places at Ivy League universities and other institutions of the same level abroad or students doing first degree programmes at foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia, such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University and Swinburne University.

From this year too, those who obtained 9A’s and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, would receive PSD scholarships to do Form Six at government schools, or matriculation or basic science course at public higher learning institutions, he added.

Nazri said at the moment, the government had no intention of increasing the number of the scholarships as the scheme depended on the government’s financial capacity.

He said the graduands abroad who chose to work there would indirectly help lessen the unemployment problem in Malaysia.

"They would also have the advantage of gaining experience and enhancing their skills by the time they return home,” he added.

The Dewan Rakyat then passed the Supplementary Bill for the PSD involving an allocation of RM60 million.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Monday, May 19, 2008

JPA Scholarships - Interview with Tan Sri Ismail Adam

Thanks to my blog reader for submitting this.

This is an article that helps clear everyone's mind on JPA Scholarships, from the Director General, Tan Sri Ismail Adam himself.

This is quoted from NST

-----
Brilliant school-leavers: there's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is, 9 A1s may not be enough to get you a Public Service Department scholarship to study overseas. The competition is stiff and the application is over-subscribed by over 700 per cent. The good news is, you can still apply for a scholarship to study locally, and it's quite easy to get. ANIZA DAMIS speaks to Public Service director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam.

Q: Can you explain the PSD scholarship offer to all students who get 9As?

A: Sometimes, the press provides a certain perspective that can be misunderstood by honest people, like on May 2 when the chief secretary issued a statement which says, among others, that students who got 9As in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia exam will be offered scholarships, from Form Six until the first degree, locally.

Q: Locally?

A: That was the statement.

The PSD offers two kinds of scholarships. One is for the overseas degree programme and the other is for the local degree programme.

On May 11, we published on our website the results of people who have succeeded in getting the overseas scholarship.

The overseas programme is very competitive. The criteria is 70 points for academic excellence, 10 points for interview, 10 points for family economic background and 10 points for co-curricular activities.

But after the announcement, you see in another English daily a lot of people complaining the government promised that those with 9As can get scholarship. Nine 9As is for local studies. Not foreign.

For the foreign degree programme, you may get 11 A1s. This means you get 70 marks for academic excellence. But you may lose out in the other 30 points.

You may lose out if your father earns RM50,000 a month — you’ll probably get two points out of 10.

If you get 11 A1s and your father is earning RM3,000 a month and you want to do engineering or medicine, probably you’ll get it.

So, academic excellence alone does not guarantee a scholarship.

That newspaper said students with 12 A1s and 11 A1s are not getting the scholarship. But that 11 A1s only qualifies you for 70 per cent (of the evaluation score).

Q: Just how competitive is it?

A: For the overseas degree programme, we have 2,000 places.

Q: And how many applicants did you get for the 2,000 scholarships?

A: More than 15,000. And of this, half — 7,500 — made the cut.

Q: How did you filter them?

A: If you want to do medicine, you must have at least A2 for biology. If you get B3, you’re out. You should refer to our website for some details. That’s how they get screened out.

The 7,500 who are fighting for the 2,000 places get full marks for academic excellence.

For co-curricular activities, if you are just a member (of a society), it’s not enough. Other students represent the country, so surely they will get 10 points. Being a school prefect may get you five points.

And then, the interview. Sometimes, an academically good student may not perform well in an interview. We ask questions to assess their level of general knowledge. Let’s say, “What is your opinion of the development of sports in Malaysia?” If you don’t read the newspaper, you won’t know that our football team is number 140-whatever in the world ranking.

They will get two or three students to discuss the issues (in front of the interviewers) and we will observe. We are going to spend a lot of money on these students. So, they are our investment.

If we don’t get good students (it will be a waste). Even then, out of the 2,000, there will be some failures; as with any other investment.

Q: How do we get these students to come back after they’ve completed their studies?

A: We have a contract and (if they don’t come back) they have to pay.

Before 2003, if you broke your bond, you or your guarantor had to pay. The amount was less than what was spent on you. But now, the penalty is the actual cost (of what was spent on the student).

So, before this, if you were doing medicine, you had to pay RM160,000, which is less than a year’s scholarship. We spend RM1.2 million for each medical student.

But over 90 per cent of our students come back. The ones who don’t come back are mostly medical students. If they don’t come back, we get their guarantors.

Q: How many students have applied for local scholarships?

A: We will only open the applications in June. For local studies, we don’t have much of a problem. We offer 10,000 scholarships. And it’s not that popular. This is a trend we have noticed.

Local education is highly subsidised, unless you do medicine.

If you do economics or law, it’s not that expensive. But if you take a government scholarship, you’ve got to serve the government for five years.

So, some of these students get their fathers to pay. Then they don’t have to serve the government. That’s why it’s easier to get (the scholarship) because it’s not so competitive.

The requirement for a local scholarship is 80 points for academic excellence and 20 points for parents’ economic background. That’s all. And you must have secured a place in a local university.

It must be a critical subject. We don’t give scholarships for every subject. It’s medicine, engineering, dentistry, economics, law, psychology and so on.

Q: What about the case of K. Kamine Devi from Sitiawan, who had 10 A1s and who had applied for a scholarship to study medicine overseas, and didn’t get a scholarship? And she did not get a place for matriculation in a local university. So, what does a person have to do to get a PSD scholarship?

A: There are also others besides PSD. There’s Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Mara, Petronas and other companies that a student can apply to.

The foreign degree programme has 2,000 places, as mentioned earlier. This is for critical areas like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, biotechnology and selective social sciences. And the criteria is 70,10,10,10.

Then we have local scholarships. Beginning this year, those who have 9As and are in Form Six or matriculation are eligible for sponsorship right through their first degree. If they don’t get into university, that’s it. It ends at Form Six or matriculation.

There is another avenue, but it is a longer road. From this year, any Malaysian who gets into an Ivy League university (in the United States) or Oxford and Cambridge (in Britain) or the Group of Eight in Australia, will be sponsored by the government, but again, in specified fields of study.

If you didn’t do well in SPM, you still have a chance. Do A-Levels and work your butt off and get into Harvard, and a scholarship will be waiting for you.

There’s another package. If you get into a local foreign university (a foreign university that has a Malaysian campus) — Nottingham, Monash, Curtin and Swinburne — you are also eligible for a PSD scholarship.

So, there are a lot of avenues.

Of course, the “jewel” is the foreign degree programme.

I was told by the Education Ministry that 6,262 students scored straight As last year. The competition is great.

A mother emailed me that the son did well but didn’t get a PSD scholarship. So I called her. I found out that her son is a pure science student but wants to do accountancy. He didn’t do accounting in Form Five.

I told her to check with her son whether he would consider doing engineering. But he refused. So, since he is doing his A-Levels, I told him to do it very well and go to an Ivy League university, and we will sponsor him. So, that is what he is targeting now.

The alternatives are there, as never before.

Q: What about post-graduate studies? The PSD only offers scholarships for post-graduate studies to graduates who are first degree PSD scholars.

A: I know. Somebody complained. We have an excellence programme for PSD scholars who do well (first-class) in areas that the government requires.

But we also have the Agong’s Scholarship for a dozen people.

This is for the crème de la crème. We get special people to do the selecting. It’s for Malaysians studying locally or abroad.

First-class is the basic requirement. They can go anywhere in the world. They get double the allowance.

One day, a deputy minister called me: “Please help me. My daughter applied for the Agong’s Scholarship. She’s first-class.”

I said: “YB, everybody (applying) is first-class.”

If they are successful, they get a letter from the king. They have an audience with the king. If you look at them, you know they are brilliant. Not everybody can talk to the king without stammering.

The selection process is very tough. And when they come back, they don’t have to work for the government. But they have to work for the country.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Details of JPA Scholarships

Article in The Star today on JPA Scholarships:-

Full article quoted from The Star

Number of students who get JPA for Overseas Scholarships:-
2000 - 748
2001 - 761
2002 - 1249
2003 - 1643
2004 - 1484
2005 - 1300
2006 - 1500
2007 - 1800
2008 - 2000

Number of students who get JPA for Local Scholarships
2000 - 3763
2001 - 9692
2002 - 7266
2003 - 4747
2004 - 4424
2005 - 5286
2006 - 5753
2007 - 7855
2008 - 10000

-----
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government cannot afford to offer all high-achievers a scholarship for overseas studies, said the Public Services Department (PSD).

“The most common misunderstanding is that academic excellence will guarantee them scholarship. However, the fact is that many excellent students have to compete for a limited number of scholarships and those awarded will be the 'cream of the crop',” said PSD Director-General Tan Sri Ismail Adam in an e-mail interview with Sunday Star.

This past week saw many disgruntled high achievers who had their application for PSD scholarships under its Foreign Degree Programme rejected.

Only 2,000 scholarships were available for studies abroad but a total of 15,217 applications were received, out of which 7,253 were called for interview.

PSD advised those who had failed there to apply for a scholarship under its local programme. A total of 10,000 scholarships for local programmes will be on offer online next month, but many students, especially the non-Malays, are worried about their chances.

On Friday, MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said all students who score 10A1s and above in the SPM examination should automatically be offered PSD scholarships after some 140 top students who failed to clinch a scholarship under the Foreign Degree Programme approached him for support.

Ismail, however, stressed that scholarships are a privilege provided by the government rather than a right, highlighting how the growing number of students obtaining straight As in their SPMover the years has made it tougher for the Government to select deserving recipients for PSD scholarships.

According to a PSD source, the trend of students doing more than 12 subjects for their SPM has also pushed the academic criteria up.

This year, for example, although the criteria set was lower, in the selection process, the committee had to push their academic criteria to a minimum of 13A1 in their selection process.

Subramaniam, who is also Human Resources Minister, said the lack of transparency in the awarding of scholarships was a problem, as some students alleged bias towards bumiputra students.

PSD denied the allegations saying 1,100 scholarships for overseas study went to bumiputras and 900 to non-bumiputras this year.

Ismail also said that students who obtained 9As in the 2007 SPM examination were eligible for an automatic local scholarship to pursue Form 6 right up to a degree at a local university or institution of higher learning.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Survey Report on 2008 JPA Scholarship [Accepted Scholars]

Thanks to runninghorse from ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network who did a small sampling (56 out of 2,000 JPA Scholars) this year on their results and various info distribution.

It is reproduced below.

Survey Report on 2008 JPA Scholarship [Accepted Scholars]

Total Participants: 56

Scholar's status
Bumi (including bumi Sabah and Sarawak): 15 [26.79%]
Non-Bumi : 41 [73.21%]

SPM result (exclude GCE O-Level)
Straight A1: 18 [32.14%]
Staraight As
10A1 and above: 16 [28.57%]
below 10A1 : 11 [19.64%]
Mixture of As and Bs: 11 [19.64%]

GCE O-Level
A1: 29 [51.79%]
A2: 17 [30.36%]
B3: 6 [10.71%]
B4: 4 [7.14%]

Family income
> RM 1500: 45 [80.36%]
< RM 1500: 11 [19.64%]

Course applied
Medicine : 11 [19.64%]
Dentistry : 7 [12.5%]
Pharmacy : 7 [12.5%]
Engineering : 7 [12.5%]
Actuarial Science : 4 [7.14%]
Humanity/Social Science: 4 [7.14%]
Biotechnology : 4 [7.14%]
Accountancy : 4 [7.14%]
Pure Science : 2 [3.57%]
Economy : 2 [3.57%]
IT/Computer Science : 1 [1.79%]
Architecture : 1 [1.79%]
Law : 1 [1.79%]
Quantity Survey : 1 [1.79%]

If you are JPA Scholars SPM 2007 batches, please respond there, to make the survey more representative.

Thank you.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

12,000 grants for SPM Top Scorers

Thanks to my blog reader for submitting this article to me.

This is quoted from NST

-----
12,000 grants for SPM Top Scorers

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Service Department (PSD) is offering 12,000 scholarships to outstanding students who sat the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year.

Of the total, 2,000 scholarships are offered under the foreign degree programme and another 10,000 under the local degree programme.

The list of successful applicants for the Foreign Degree Programme was posted on the PSD website on May 11.

Unsuccessful candidates have up to May 17 to submit their appeal online.

Of the 15,217 applicants who applied for scholarships under the foreign degree programme, 7,253 were called for interviews.

Selection was based on academic excellence (70 per cent), socio-economic background (10 per cent), performance at the interview (10 per cent) and co-curricular activities (10 per cent).

The PSD said that due to the limited number of scholarships available, a small number of academically-outstanding students was unsuccessful in its application.

However, students who gain admission to Ivy League-standard foreign universities would also be sponsored. Iinformation will be posted online at www.jpa.gov.my by early next month. Applications can also be made then.

Under the local degree programme, successful applicants will be sponsored to pursue diploma and degree courses in local institutions of higher learning.

It was announced yesterday that SPM holders are eligible for scholarships for diploma programmes. Those pursuing diploma, matriculation, Sijil Persekolahan Tinggi Malaysia and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia are eligible for degree programme scholarships.

Applicants for the programme must have secured an admission to a degree programme, and will be judged on academic excellence (80 per cent) and socio-economic background (20 per cent).

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Past Year SPM Trial Exams

For those of you who are looking for past year SPM Trial Exams throughout the country (including MRSM etc), Edoovel has provided a platform for students to share and download those past year papers. It would be useful for all of you who are looking for those resources!

And if you have any trial papers, do submit to them, so that it could be shared with others. This is consistent with the sharing and learning culture, we have been promoting through ReCom.org - The Worldwide Malaysian Students Network

For those of you who are not taking SPM, maybe you can share this link with your others who might need!

To all of you who are preparing for SPM, good luck!

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Thursday, May 08, 2008

JPA Scholarships Info Out Next Week

Thanks a lot to my blog reader for highlighting this. I have blogged on this topic earlier here .

Hopefully, the new development would be good.

The article fully quoted from NST is here

-----
Info on scholarships to be out next week

PUTRAJAYA: Parents seeking information on the government scholarships for students who scored at least 9As in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia can find it in major newspapers by the middle of the month.

The Public Service Department said it would take out advertisements with detailed information on the government scholarships.

A PSD official said those who had already started Form Six or matriculation could still apply for them.

"Students can also apply on-line but at the moment, the Internet forms are not ready.

"Information on how to apply online will also be mentioned in the newspaper advertisements.

Last Friday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan announced that the government had decided to increase the number of scholarships.

Since then, parents have bombarded the NST with phone calls seeking more information.

Some asked whether their their children studying in private universities and colleges were also eligible.

The initial announcement said those eligible were students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 SPM examination, regardless of economic background.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Article on NST on Scholarships for above 9As

Thanks to my blog reader for submitting this article to me.

It is a reaction in NST on the proposed scholarship by the government.

The full article quoted is as follow:-

-----
Scholarships for the brightest 'long overdue'

KUALA LUMPUR: Parents and students alike welcomed the government announcement on Friday on the provision of scholarships to outstanding students but some raised concerns, which they felt must be addressed in black and white.

Some parents found the announcement sketchy on details and called the New Straits Times seeking clarification.

Among the questions asked were whether the scholarships were also open to outstanding students at private local universities and colleges.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan on Friday announced that all students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination would be sponsored up to their bachelor's degrees at local universities, regardless of their backgrounds.

The announcement said that the sponsorship covered students furthering their studies to Form Six at government-assisted schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry including the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science at Universiti Malaya and the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa matriculation programme.

Students who had obtained places in Ivy League-standard foreign universities and local campuses of foreign institutions such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University would also be sponsored.

Single mother of five Pat Budin, 44, said only outstanding students from underprivileged families should be given scholarships.

"Give it (scholarships) only to poor students. The rich can afford the fees. Giving it to rich kids only means they're taking up a poor kid's opportunity."

Pat, however, described the move as "long overdue". "There are many smart students who are not able to further their studies because their parents can't afford it. The government must make sure action needs to be followed and not just talk."

Fay Vallauthan, 42, said priority should be given to underprivileged students and recipients should be free to choose their field of study without having to restrict themselves to those on a shortlist.

She also called on the government to improve the standard of local universities, which she said were not up to par.

"Our graduates from universities overseas and foreign universities with local campuses come out as well-rounded individuals. They speak better and think differently. Their mentality is unlike those from local universities," the mother of three said.

An English-language teacher, who requested anonymity, felt this was a positive measure and hoped that the government could implement it without marginalising anyone.

"Ideally, the offer must be open to everyone regardless of race and status."

She then enquired: "Would a student who sat for the SPM last year and is now taking her foundation from a local private institution be entitled?"

Former SMK Ibrahim, Sungai Petani student Chong Yong Yan who obtained 11As and 1B in the examination was "extremely relieved" with the announcement.

"I was very worried for a long time even though I got 11As. I could only pray for a scholarship," Chong said, explaining that her plans for higher education in accountancy were shaky because she knew her father, a construction worker, could not afford the university fees.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

JPA or PSD Scholarships for SPM 2007 Candidates

As a follow up of what I posted earlier on JPA Scholarships for SPM 2007 Candidates.

In this article, fully-aided schools is cited as government-assisted schools , which means SMJK is included. Which one is the right situation?

Below is full citation from NST .

-----
Govt scholarships for all with at least 9As in SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination will be sponsored up to their bachelor's degrees at local universities.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said the government had decided to increase the number of scholarships because outstanding students were the nation's future assets.

"The number of students who obtain excellent results in all SPM subjects is rising every year but not all of them are able to obtain scholarships as the number is limited.

"Realising that these outstanding students are the nation's assets, the government has taken the initiative to provide scholarships to all students with at least 9As, regardless of background," he said yesterday.

"This move will indirectly attract good students to further their studies at local universities, which will also help to raise the standard of higher education in Malaysia."

Those furthering their studies to Form Six at government-assisted schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, including the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science at Universiti Malaya and the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa matriculation programme, will stand to benefit from the offer.

"Students who have obtained places in Ivy League-standard foreign universities and local campuses of foreign institutions such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University will also be sponsored," said Sidek.

The measures, he said, were consistent with government initiatives to develop skilled human capital.

The government will be sponsoring 2,000 students under its Overseas Degree Programme this year and another 10,000 students at public universities under the Domestic Degree Programme.
-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

JPA or PSD Scholarships for SPM 2007 Candidates

Public Service Department has announced new initiatives for SPM 2007 candidates.

As long as they get above 9As in their SPM, they would be guaranteed JPA or PSD scholarships to study in Form 6 in Fully Aided Schools .

Those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.

If these students decide to do their degree in local university, they would be offered scholarships as well. These local universities include Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity.

If these students get admission into Ivy League or equivalent university, they would be offered scholarships as well.

My personal thought on this is that it is quite a good move, as it would help to retain the top students within our country, but I think such scholarship, their details would need to be clearer. On studying at fully aided schools, these might need to be highlighted, as all those SMJK, which are traditionally top STPM schools are partially aided. So, they would not be part of this deal.

This is the details of the scholarship, as highlighted by The Star

Full quotation of it is as follow:-
-----
PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As

PETALING JAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) will offer scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM examinations last year, regardless of background, to study Form Six in fully-aided schools.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said students who do matriculation, including those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.

These students will also be sponsored for their first degree if they do it in a local university, he said in a statement yesterday.

Sidek said the PSD would also sponsor such students if they obtained places in an Ivy League or equivalent university.

Top-scoring students who get a place in a Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity will also be offered scholarships.

On top of this, Sidek said the PSD would offer scholarships to 2,000 students for overseas studies and a further 10,000 for studies in local universities.

He said the scholarships were being offered in line with the Government’s efforts to develop human capital.

He said the Government was aware that the number of high achievers is growing every year. Yet, not every student would have a chance to get Government sponsorship.

“The Government realises that high achievers are assets.

“As such, it has introduced the initiative to increase the number of scholarships where students of any background will be offered as long as they satisfy the SPM 9A score condition,” he said.

The move, Sidek added, would indirectly encourage these high achievers to further their education in local universities.

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Would encourage any of my blog readers to share with me any event that you come across. As long as the event/activity/initiative is education/charity/youth oriented and is not-for-profit, I would be more than happy to post it to share!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Jit Sin High School 2007 SPM Results

Found out about SPM Results of my alma mater - Jit Sin High School.

2007 SPM again is a good year for Jit Sin. To be frank, I am proud to be a Jit Sin alumni.

Out of 618 students, who sat for SPM, the results are as follow:-
13As - 3
12As - 21
11As - 80
10As - 73
9As - 56
8As - 59
7As - 44
6As - 35
5As - 33

So, there are 177 students with 10As and above!

Congrats to all the students and teachers!

I think the teachers there definitely deserve a pat at their back!

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Scholarships Talks on 1st March 2008

If you are post-SPM 2007 candidates, I would strongly urge you to attend the following talk at Malaysian Mensa Administrative Office.

If you have already obtained a scholarship before, would hope to see you come forward to share with other potential Scholarships candidates.

I would focus mainly on JPA Scholarships, as well as other scholarships like MARA, Bank Negara, Petronas, Security Commissioner and Khazanah.

All the best!

----
Are you seeking to obtain a scholarship in your pursuit of a higher education?

Come to the Malaysian Mensa Administrative Office on Saturday 1 March 2008 at 3pm. Mr. Yeoh who have gone through the interview, application processes and was successful in obtaining scholarship will share his experience and insight.

This talk is free for Malaysian Mensans who have renewed their membership for 2008. For non Mensans, a nominal fee of RM5 would be charged.

As places are limited please book your place with an email to Mr. Yeoh Chen Chow
asst-secretary@malaysianmensa.org.

We welcome Mensans who have successfully gone through these scholarships process to step forward and share during the talk.

Light refreshments would be provided.

Malaysian Mensa Society Administration Office
Suite 635 Block A2,
Leisure Commerce Square,
9 Jalan PJS 8/9
46150 Petaling Jaya

-----
Click here to read more of Chen Chow's posts

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Monday, December 08, 2008

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Friday, May 30, 2008

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Friday, March 14, 2008

Saturday, February 23, 2008

About Me

Facebook Badge

Subscribe To

List of Recommended Page

Add to Technorati Favorite

Technorati Blog Authority

Category

Links

Charity Links

Government & Leaders" Portal

Friends" Blogs Or Blogs That I Read

Blog Archive