I REFER to last Saturday's letter by Miss Jacquelyn Tan, 'Improve image of private universities'. Admission to the National University of Singapore (NUS) is based primarily on an applicant's academic performance.

In 2004, the Ministry of Education introduced discretionary admission to local universities. Under the scheme, students with special talents or passion are also considered for admission. Up to 10 per cent of each intake is admitted under this scheme. The decision on admission under this scheme is made after a review of the applicant's achievements and an interview by the faculty.

While it is possible some of our applicants could have participated in beauty pageants, no admission was made on that basis. In the case of the NUS Business School, it looks for students who, among other things, demonstrate a strong sense of EQ, drive to pursue academic and all-round excellence in their course, and show good communication and leadership skills. These are attributes that will stand the applicant in good stead when pursuing the course at NUS.

R. Rajaram
Director
Office of Admissions
National University of Singapore

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 7 Nov, 2008.