WORRIED you may not make the cut for a local university place? Apply anyway.

Mr R Rajaram, director of admissions for the National University of Singapore (NUS), gave this advice to parents who are unsure about the entry requirements for university admissions.

Some parents had contacted The New Paper to ask if their children should even try with their 'not so good' results.

The application period for NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is now on and ends 1 Apr.

Mr Rajaram explained: 'The number and quality of applicants vary from year to year, and consequentially, the entry requirements do change.

'I would therefore urge applicants not to exclude themselves prematurely, and to submit an application.'

Mr Rajaram added that up to 10 per cent of NUS' yearly intake consists of students offered places through the 'discretionary admission' scheme.

Such students are often exceptionally gifted in an area related to their intended course, and/or excel in co-curricular activities, arts or sports.

'Candidates with strong personal qualities such as leadership will also be considered under this scheme,' he said.

Mr Rajaram said this scheme targets students who have relatively weaker grades.

He said: 'The application form requires students to fill in details of their special talents and to write an essay elaborating on that.

'I would urge students to pay particular attention to this section. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview.'

Applicants to NUS and NTU are evaluated for admission based on their university score - a figure used to evaluate students in the process.

NTU's website says the university score is computed based on the student's grades in General Paper (GP) or Knowledge and Inquiry (KI), project work, best three H2 and one H1 content-based subject - one of which must be a contrasting subject (ie a subject from a different discipline).

The New Paper understands that in computing the university score, applicants are awarded a maximum of 20 points for an A in a H2 subject, and 10 points for an A in a H1 subject.

H2 subjects are the equivalent of A-level subjects prior to 2006, while H1 subjects correspond to AO-level subjects.

An NTU spokesman said applicants should have a minimum of two H2 passes, and should have attempted GP or KI in the same sitting.

Students also need to have a D7 or better in the O-level Higher Mother Tongue, or an S grade or better in H1 Mother Tongue.

Neither NUS nor NTU would reveal the approximate university score required for admission.

However, the NUS spokesman said students can select up to eight different courses when they apply. They will be offered admission to the highest course choice as long as they meet the criteria.

But some parents are concerned their children may not be able to make informed decisions about university entry.

Madam Feng Liping, 47, whose daughter is applying to read law at NUS, said she had heard different versions of its admission criteria to impacted courses such as medicine and law.

Another parent, who declined to be named, said she was worried because 'none of the universities want to commit themselves in terms of point systems and eligibility'.

But NTU and NUS said they will have a better idea of admission cut-offs when applications close next month.

Some parents are now urging their children to make the most of the non-academic aspects of the admission process.

Mrs Cecilia Lou, 45, said: 'What could distinguish applicants are their interviews or written test. As long as my daughter's personal statement and interview are fine, she should have a chance.'

Additional reporting by Chermaine Goh and Charissa Yong, newsroom interns

This article was first published in The New Paper on Mar 20, 2008.