Adventures on Two Wheels

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Working the system
@11:21 PM

This is the deferment request that I put in to NUS Office Of Admissions on June 22 2009

Ms Alpha:

After a conversation with one of the OAM officers, I was told to write in to you regarding my circumstances and request.

I am currently considering deferment of studies for a year after my ORD date in order to make possible an envisioned year and half long Asia tour on bicycle. I am currently enrolled in FoS, matriculating in 2010, accepted into USP and holding a Faculty Award scholarship.

I understand that deferment currently is being granted only for cases whereby one has medical or military related reasons. Are there any possibilities that we can come to an agreement regarding my request for possible deferment? Universities elsewhere around the world are very liberal about the issue of deferment, so I do not see why NUS ought to be so strict in stopping any and all attempts to defer, outside of the inevitable National Service. In fact, when I wrote in to the Office Of Admissions 3 weeks earlier, the management did not even bother answering the question, simply closing the case without even a minimum of response.

I shall append a quote from the Associated Press regarding this issue:

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Many college admissions officers support the idea [of deferring admission for a year or two]. While cautioning that a "gap year" between high school and college isn't for everyone -- and that just goofing off isn't worthwhile -- they say many students who take one return more confident and self-aware. [...]
Generally, schools make students submit a proposal beyond "lying on the beach," but often little more is required. The University of Chicago says it will grant deferrals for almost any reason as long as students don't apply elsewhere.
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This is another example of students having deferred studies for reasons very similar to mine: in this case, it was to climb Mt Everest:

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Take Samantha Larson. Stanford happily deferred her admission for a year. Her plan: Climb Chomolungma also known as Mt. Everest. And she did. Not only that. She became the youngest person to complete the seven summits challenge–summiting the highest peak on each of the seven continents.
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How is my attempt to tour Asia for 1.5 years so different? What surprised me is that your answer regarding deferment is so abrupt. Just a straight No. As though no compromise will be heard, no proposal considered, and no appeals pondered on, and I should think that as a renowned global university, NUS ought to think beyond mere bureaucratic issues of administration of admissions to consider future requests to defer enrollment, so long as the request is valid and virtuous in itself. After all, at the end of the day, life and career and education is not a race, it is a stage to forge an excellent play. And I believe that my request is a living proof of the potential Singaporeans hold within for excellence, if only administrative issues are less binding on their actions.

I find it hard to believe that a request such as mine is turned down without any consideration whatsoever. This attempt to tour Asia will bring me to the foot of Mt Everest in Tibet, Vladivostok in Russia, and possibly even to Kazahkstan, and I have reason to believe that this breaks almost every record Singapore currently holds in epic journeys, camping trips, distance cycling and endurance events. It is a trip that I value highly, for which I am willing to sacrifice a year of studies to attempt, and the creation of which I am going to strive for relentlessly.

I await your reply.

Regards
Chua Yi, Jonathan

P.S. The content of the email has been slightly altered to protect the identity of the admissions officer involved as well as any other relevant but confidential information.

On June 26, Ms Alpha (Admissions Officer) replied back:

Dear Jonathan,

We are currently reviewing your case.

I’ll try to revert to you by end of the week, if not, latest by next week. Thank you.

July 13, I grew impatient and sent out another email to check the status of the request:

Hi, Ms Alpha

Is there to be a reply to my email? I have been waiting for 3 weeks and would like to see some response.

Thank you

This time, reply was surprisingly prompt. Not to mention that she implicitly told me not to get my hopes too high.

Dear Jonathan,

You may note that places will usually only be reserved for applicants serving full-time National Service (NS). For the case that you have presented in your email below requesting for deferment of studies to AY2011/2012 (instead of AY2010/2011), we are currently still reviewing your request.

Rest assured that we are looking into your request and we will revert to you as soon as the outcome is released.

Thank you.

Finally, on July 30, a full two months after my initial approach to NUS to request for deferment, I have been turned down twice, both times without any form of explanation about why I was denied, and why their policy is so narrowly construed to cater only for reasons of National Service.

Dear Jonathan,

We refer to your request seeking deferment for your studies beyond AY2010 as you intend to embark on a prolonged Asia tour on bicycle.

We have carefully reviewed your request and regret to inform you that it has not been successful as deferment is only granted to students who are serving Full Time National Service.

As such, you are advised to matriculate in August 2010. If you do not intend to matriculate in 2010, you can re-apply for admission to NUS when you are ready to pursue your studies at NUS. Application for applicants applying with Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Levels qualification usually opens in early March every year. You can visit our website at: http://admissions.nus.edu.sg for more updates in the year that you would like to apply.

Thank you.

Good riddance for NUS OAM.

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