WHO says we aren't hot, ask NTU students.

Youths placed Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students far behind their peers in terms of physical attractiveness, according to a recent poll.

Yet it is the same school that produced Miss Singapore World 2008 winner Faraliza Tan, 22, and Channel U's campus hottie quest Hey! Gorgeous champions Mr Llyod Soon, 23, and Miss Peggy Chang, 23.

NTU came in last place in the Straits Times poll published earlier this week. The poll of 156 youths aged 17 to 27 ranked local tertiary education institutions according to who they deemed most physically attractive.

Singapore Management University (SMU) topped the list with 36 per cent of the votes. The National University of Singapore (NUS) placed second with 22 per cent of the votes.

NTU got a dismal 2.6 per cent, after Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and "others".

Having her university place last stings a little, said Miss Tan, who's on the Dean's List at the school of Communication and Information.

She said: "There are good looking people there perhaps it's just that they keep a lower profile, I guess."

Mr Soon, 23, a mechanical engineering student and Miss Chang, 23, a civil engineering student, aren't surprised.

Mr Soon, who used to roll out of bed to classes in "torn and tattered T-shirts" and shorts, said: "Many students here are from overseas, so they tend to focus more on their studies rather than their dressing."

Added Miss Chang, a finalist in The New Paper New Face contest two years ago: "I tend to agree because there are several students who live in halls and they tend to dress down.

"Definitely dressing up plays a part in being physically attractive," she added.

On Wednesday, The New Paper On Sunday visited the NTU campus. Most of them dressed casually. T-shirts, bermudas and sandals were the norm.

Hardly a painted face was spotted.

No one we spoke to really minded the results.

Mr Oliver Goh, 22, an environmental engineering student, said: "I don't think anybody in their right mind would be offended by the poll."

But few agreed with the poll.

Miss He Meiyu, 22, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said: "It's not a fact."

She suspected that people tend to think of NTU, which is near Boon Lay, as "a kampung", compared to town, where SMU is based.

She added that NTU is a more "Mandarin-speaking university".

"People think those who speak Mandarin are not so fashionable, but this is not true," she said.

She said she knew a few good-looking ones but NTU students are more humble and don't like to show off.

Wanting to fit in may be another reason.

Said Mr Cheng Zesen, 22, a mechanical engineering undergraduate, said: "You see everyone wearing slippers, you also want to follow suit.

"It's awkward being the only well-dressed one, and vice-versa," he said.

But he felt that since the number of good-looking and average people should be about the same across the schools.

'Minimal differences'

The professionals seemed to think that the difference, if any, was minimal.

Ms Jackeline Carter, director of iGlamour and creator of the Sweetheart Pageants, said her experience with NTU students is "quite okay".

But she noted that most of her contestants were from the polytechnics. The universities, not so much.

One thing she noticed, however, is that our tertiary students aren't well-groomed at all, adding: "They look like they just got out of bed."

We also asked three modelling agencies if there were fewer models from NTU than the other varsities. They said they didn't keep track of what schools their models came from.

Ms Yvonne Tan, director of top modelling agency Mannequin Studio, said: "It doesn't really matter that much."

Another modelling agent, who declined to be named, said she didn't notice a drastic difference in numbers.

Mr Justin Lim, owner of Style House, said though he didn't keep tabs on his models' study credentials, he felt undergraduates made better models.

"They know how to carry themselves. They speak better," he said.

Pageant winners from the other universities were far from gleeful, generally attributing the results to perception.

Mr Daryl Pan, 22, and Miss Clara Tan, 20, both second year business management students from SMU, think that the location of their campus and the business orientation of its courses means students tend to dress better.

Mr Pan, who was a CLEO magazine eligible bachelor last year, noted that it wasn't uncommon for students to dress in business attire for presentations during class or while attending corporate talks.

Added Miss Tan, who won the business school pageant last year: "I think perhaps SMU is perceived as such because it has managed to market itself differently from the other schools and hence their view that we are different and vibrant."

She also added that while NTU has physically attractive individuals, there is still "somehow this perception that they are boring, passed down from seniors".

Miss Lim Mei Xing, 19, a first year science student and winner of the NUS science pageant this year, said: "It's a word of mouth thing which isn't factual, but people still tend to think of the school in this way."

They agreed that attractiveness ultimately boils down to confidence and personality.

Mr Renny Chong, 21, an NUS science student who also won the science pageant title alongside Miss Lim said: "Such polls make those who win happy and those who don't feel bad, but more importantly, being happy with yourself is important.

"Doesn't matter what other people think of you."

Uni hotties

Some of the stars from Singapore's local universities

NUS graduates

Jacelyn Tay (former actress, now a spa owner)
Jeanette Aw (actress)
Tay Ping Hui (actor)
Jonathan Leong (Singapore Idol 2006 runner-up)
Adam Chen (actor)

NTU graduates

Joanne Peh (actress)
Stefanie Sun (singer)
Diana Ser (former actress and news presenter, was a Masters student)
Rui En (actress)
Vincy Chan (Hong Kong singer, Project Superstar contestant)

SMU graduates

Jade Seah (actress, model, host, and Miss Singapore Universe 2006 runner-up)
Dawn Yang (the blogger Clapbangkiss)

This article was first published in The New Paper on 26 Oct 2008.