SHE'S young, smart and eligible.

She's also the reigning Miss Singapore World.

But according to Ms Faraliza Tan, for over a year now, no guy has tried to pick her up, ask her out, or tried to be more than a friend.

Or in her words, 'took direct action'.

The reason, it seems, is that guys here find Ms Tan out of their league.

'What's there to be afraid of? I'm still human,' she said.

Sure, she's received at least 200 Facebook requests from guys who want to be her friend, especially after her Miss Singapore World win.

And she does get her share of sleazy old men asking for her phone number.

But Ms Tan, 21, who's on the Dean's List at the school of Communication and Information, said: 'I haven't been approached by a guy for a date for many years.'

Mind you, this isn't someone who's holed up in some remote mountain, but an undergrad at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), an institution obviously swarming with hot-blooded guys.

And if you listen to what she looks for in a guy, her standards aren't particularly unusual or high - he has to be taller than her (1.75m), doesn't have to be on the Dean's List, must be able to 'carry a conversation' with her, and must be able to make her smile.

So, why?

Well, The New Paper found out that many guys perceive Ms Tan to be 'unattainable'.

A male third-year student, who did not want to be named, said that she was popular in school, and at least three of his second-year friends have commented that she is 'hot'.

Even his 'attached' guy friends acknowledged that she was good-looking, saying that there was nothing wrong with 'enjoying the scenery'.

But he said none of them wanted to pursue a relationship with her, content only to admire her from afar.

'We may admire her for being a beauty, but we won't ask out every girl whom we find attractive.'

He admits that she has a sort of 'goddess aura' around her.

'I think it's hard for her to get attached because she is soft-spoken, keeps a low profile, and is not the social-butterfly sort.'

It seems that while the combination of beauty and brains is a turn-on, too much can scare suitors away.

Some guys said they feel intimidated as they cannot 'match up to her'.

Said second-year student Terence Lee, 22: 'Intelligence is definitely a turn-on, but only to a certain extent. If I wanted to approach her in a romantic way, I'd feel a little unworthy, because she is so high up.

'Most guys just want somebody who is down-to-earth. Unless you are some hunk, you won't go for her.'

Said second-year student Tan Thiam Peng, 22: 'A lot of people would like to date a girl who has the best of intellect and looks but they are scared.

'I think only two types of guys will approach her: those who don't mind being judged as being inferior to her, or those who are confident that she won't outshine them.

'It comes down to ego. I think most guys cannot stand being below the standards set by a girl.'

Even girls agreed Ms Tan would face difficulties in getting a guy.

Said third-year student Ms Phoebe Tan, 21: 'She has everything. It's hard to think that she would need a man, when all aspects of her life are going so well.'

It also does not help that she is now a beauty queen representing Singapore.

Said Ms Phoebe Tan: 'If a girl is too pretty, no guy would go for her, because they feel they aren't worthy of her.

'If she wants to find someone, she'll have to be pro-active, because it's hard for guys to do so.'

The only person who has ever approached Ms Tan romantically was her ex-boyfriend five years ago, when she was 16.

The couple were together for more than four years but broke up in April last year because of personal differences.

He is the only boyfriend she's ever had. Ms Tan has been single since.

While she is not 'actively looking' for a boyfriend right now, she is not opposed to the idea.

'I'm happy to be single, but when the right guy comes along, who knows?'

From Normal stream to NTU Dean's List

Ms Faraliza Tan has been on the Dean's List of her faculty for three consecutive years, since 2005.

To qualify for the Dean's List, Ms Tan has to be in the top 5 per cent of the cohort, and have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 4.5 out of the maximum 5.0.

But did you know that she was once a Normal (Academic) student?

Ms Tan, a Muslim of Chinese and Malay descent, told The New Paper that she was very mischievous in primary school.

She said: 'I was very lazy. I was always playing with my cousins, and hanging out with friends in shopping malls after school.

'My mother was always switching tutors for me, but I was not interested and had no motivation to study.

'I just took her concern for granted.'

The turning point came when she received her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, and didn't get a single A.

She recalled that when she returned home to her 5-room flat in Tampines, her mother was so sad that she kept sighing and didn't talk to Ms Tan for about an hour.

Ms Tan said her mother's disappointment motivated her to work harder.

Transferred to Express stream

She was posted to the Normal (Academic) stream in East Spring Secondary School. But she worked hard in her first year and eventually got transferred to the Express Stream at the end of Secondary One.

She then went on to study arts at Tampines Junior College, and is now in her final-year at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU.

She is a Communication Studies student, with a focus in broadcast media.

On the importance of education, Ms Tan said: 'A woman needs to be independent. In 20 years' time, you may be fat, ugly and old.

'So it's important that you are educated, because you need skills to make it in this world.'

She is equally proud of being on the Dean's List as she is about winning Miss Singapore World.

Ms Tan aspires to work in broadcast journalism or programme acquisition one day. She has recently completed her six-month professional internship at MTV Asia, where she helped allocate shows to suitable time-slots, and doubled as an award-presenter during the MTV Asia Awards last month at Genting Highlands.

Insecure over looks

You may not believe it, but Ms Tan said that she joined the Miss Singapore World competition to overcome the insecurity she felt about her looks.

'I thought it was a way to challenge myself and boost my self-confidence.

'I'm a perfectionist, and have always been insecure about how people judge me.'

Joining the competition had nothing to do with the fact that her cousin is Ms Nuraliza Osman, who was crowned Miss Singapore Universe in 2002.

Ms Tan recalls that during the competition, she was often stressed, and sometimes could only sleep three hours a night.

She is not your typical pampered beauty queen. She was taking the MRT when The New Paper first called her, and initially wanted to postpone the interview because she was supposed to run some errands for her mother.

Outside her pageant activities and school work, she hangs out with friends at cafes, and goes out with her family.

She is not the 'clubbing and partying sort'.

She is now looking forward to going to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Miss World 2008 contest. It will be held from 16 Nov, and representatives from over 110 countries will be competing. The finals will be on 13 Dec.

Ms Tan is excited because the furthest she has been from Singapore is Thailand.

She said that before the competition, she did not pay much attention to her appearance, and used to go to school wearing flip-flops or sandals.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Sep 14, 2008.