How has the application process evolved over the last two years?
The application process has not changed much in the last two years. While inducting students we keep certain basic criteria in mind which include the GMAT score, past academic performance, communication skills and employment records. These qualities of an applicant are judged during the interview stage, where we get a chance to know him or her closely and obtain a better sense of things. At the end of the interview stages we more a less get a good idea as to who we want.
We usually induct a candidate who has a good mix of international exposure, excellence in a particular field of interest, strong character, ability and intelligence. These are the other few important aspects which we keep in mind. As these characteristics are the ones which differentiate and make an individual exceptional leader in the long run.
We also give preference to applicants who have aced at a talent like music or sports. Moreover once at campus we encourage these students to continue and excel at that activity. But it ultimately depends on them to prioritize, as the management programme is very intense and rigorous, leaving hardly any time for them to pursue any other activity.
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Is there a change in the number of applications NUS has received from India?
India is an important destination for us as we obtain our largest number of applications from here. We receive several applications with individuals with diverse profiles. This year the number (of applicants in India) would be around 1,000 applicants. And we expect it to rise further as the awareness about the school has increased significantly and the quality of applications has also risen over the past years.
What is the lowest GMAT score below which you refuse to look at the application
Amongst business schools in Singapore, we take the highest GMAT scores. But there is no hard and fast rule about the score. We give a lot of significance to the profile of an applicant as well. For example a female doctor applied to NUS and even though she had a score of 550 we invited her for an interview. The reason being that she had an exceptional profile to her credit. In fact she had interview calls from several top US business schools too.
Therefore in certain cases we reduce the weightage of the GMAT score and give more meaning to the overall profile of a candidate.
Do you think you are losing out on students to other Indian B-schools, who are setting up shop in Singapore?
I don’t think so; in fact I think if applicants prefer other schools, it is completely their call. We might have lost out on a few good students to them but at the end of the day students know their priorities well.
But I would like to add that we are a 102-years-old university offering students with ample facilities and services. On the other hand Indian schools with Singapore campuses does not have sufficient faculty, even the facilities offered are not up to the mark.
Could you tell us about your new programme, the joint Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)?
It is a global MBA programme. The programme comprises of six two-week-long residential segments in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Singapore spread over 15 months, providing in-depth exposure to the intellectual and business cultures of these cities and adding value to the total learning experience. At the end of the course, students will receive degrees from both University of California at Loa Angeles (UCLA) and NUS.
The criteria for admission are that the applicant should have minimum ten years of work experience at a senior managerial level. We want candidates with superior work experience as it assists them to appreciate the programme as well as gives them a better understanding of the course.
The GMAT is not compulsory for admission, but is recommended for those candidates whose prior academic work does not show clear evidence of strong quantitative and logical reasoning skills.
What are the avenues for financial aid and scholarship for Indian students?
We are an economically priced school as we are a part of a state university. I’m sure most individuals can afford to pay the fees we charge.
As we do not want to lose out on good students we cite a very low fee as compared to other institutions. We offer several scholarships of varying amounts to students. Usually we get external agencies to sponsor students, but at the same time we have our own funding mechanism.
We have certain number of seats reserved for students from developing countries, but that too is solely on merit bases.
Are you planning to increase the batch size in the near future? Could you elaborate on your new university alliances?
A new building is being constructed in the campus that should be ready soon. Actually we already have most of the facilities in our existing campus but this building would be even one step ahead. Nothing is finalized yet but after that we hope to increase our batch size.
We would also be introducing several new MBA programmes, especially the ones offering dual degrees. For example we are going to launch our new programme called Masters in Public Administration and Policy.
We have also signed an agreement with Korea University and Fudan University to establish the S3 University Alliance. S3 basically stands for Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore.
As part of the initial plans, Korea University will focus on Asian MBA programmes, while NUS and Fudan will organize programmes relating to Asian financial markets and bioscience, respectively. Research and education programmes initiated under this agreement will be globally oriented, with a considerable focus on Asia.