nus essay examples

MBA Resources

NUS MBA Essays : Sample Essays & Writing Tips

MBA & Beyond Team

22/12/2023 | 10:03 pm

If you’re planning to study abroad, particularly in Singapore, the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) MBA program undoubtedly ranks high on your list. Renowned for its diverse student body and strong placement in key industries, NUS offers a transformative experience that goes beyond conventional learning.

THE ROLE OF ESSAYS IN MBA ADMISSIONS

In the journey of securing a spot in this prestigious program, your essays play a pivotal role. They are not just a formality but a window for the admissions committee to glimpse into your personality, goals, and suitability for the program. So, let’s dive into how you can craft essays that stand out and truly reflect who you are.

UNDERSTANDING THE ESSAY PROMPTS

Analyzing each essay prompt.

NUS MBA application essays are designed to assess your fit for the program. Each prompt is an opportunity to showcase different facets of your background and aspirations.

• Option A: Passionate about…
• Option B: Greatest challenge…
• Option C: Biggest failure…
• Discuss your immediate career plans post-MBA, including industry, function, and country of choice.
• Share anything not covered elsewhere in your application.
• Update on new achievements since your last application and explain why you’re reapplying.

KEY STRATEGIES FOR RESPONSES

For each prompt, authenticity and specificity are key. Reflect on your experiences and articulate your thoughts clearly. Here’s how you can approach each:

• For Passion/Challenge/Failure: Dive deep into your experiences. What did you learn, and how did it shape you?
• Post-MBA Goals : Be specific about your career path. How does NUS fit into this plan?
• Additional Information : Use this space wisely to highlight unique aspects of your profile.
• Re-applicant Essay: Show growth and renewed motivation for choosing NUS.

STRATEGIES FOR CRAFTING COMPELLING ESSAYS

Crafting a compelling MBA essay is not just about answering questions; it’s about storytelling, about painting a vivid picture of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re headed. Here’s how you can make your NUS MBA essays resonate with the admissions committee:

REFLECTING YOUR PERSONALITY

Your essays are your voice in the admissions process. Let them hear you:

• Be Authentic: Share real stories and experiences, not what you think they want to hear.
• Show, Don’t Tell: Use specific examples to illustrate your points. This makes your essay more engaging and memorable.

BALANCING PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ANECDOTES

A well-rounded essay includes both professional achievements and personal insights:

• Professional Achievements : Highlight key accomplishments, leadership experiences, or challenges overcome at work.
• Personal Insights : Share hobbies, passions, or personal experiences that have shaped your character.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

Even the most seasoned essay writers can fall into common traps. Here are some to avoid in your NUS MBA essays:

STEERING CLEAR OF CLICHÉS

Clichés make your essay sound generic. Avoid phrases like ‘think outside the box’ or ‘game-changer.’ Instead, use unique descriptions that reflect your individuality.

ALIGNING ESSAYS WITH CAREER GOALS

Ensure that your essays align with your stated career goals:

• Consistency : Your career aspirations should align with your experiences and the strengths of the NUS MBA program.
• Research : Show that you understand how NUS will help you achieve your goals. Mention specific courses, professors, or programs.

SAMPLE ESSAY ANALYSES

Learning from successful essays is a great way to understand what NUS MBA is looking for. Let’s break down some key elements from sample essays that have made an impact.

DISSECTING SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS

• Storytelling : The best essays tell a compelling story. They start with a hook, develop with rich details and personal insights, and conclude with a strong statement about future goals and aspirations.
• Clear Structure: Successful essays have a clear beginning, middle, and end. They are easy to follow and make logical progressions from one point to the next.
• Personal Reflection : Essays that stand out include introspection and personal growth. They show how past experiences have shaped the applicant’s future ambitions.

LEARNING FROM EXAMPLES

• Example 1: An essay that details overcoming a significant personal challenge, and how this experience fostered resilience and a deeper understanding of diverse cultures – crucial for an international MBA program.
• Example 2: An applicant describing a professional project they led, highlighting leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, directly aligning these experiences with the skills needed for an MBA and post-MBA career goals.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR APPLICANTS

Finally, let’s look at some additional tips that can give you an edge in your application to the NUS MBA program.

RESUME/CV CONSIDERATIONS

• Tailor Your Resume : Ensure your resume complements your essays. Highlight experiences that showcase leadership, teamwork, and other skills relevant to the MBA program.
• Quantifiable Achievements : Use numbers and statistics to make your achievements stand out. For example, ‘increased sales by 20%’ is more impactful than ‘improved sales.’

INTERVIEW PREPARATION STRATEGIES

• Know Your Story: Be ready to discuss everything in your application in more depth, especially your essays.
• Research NUS: Understand the program’s nuances and be prepared to explain why it’s the right fit for you.
• Mock Interviews : Practice with friends, mentors, or professionals to gain confidence and receive feedback.

As we reach the end of this comprehensive guide, remember that your NUS MBA essays are a unique opportunity to showcase who you are beyond your grades and test scores. These essays are your chance to stand out in a crowded field of applicants, to show the admissions committee not just your ambitions and achievements, but your personality, your drive, and your potential as a future business leader.

Summarizing Key Insights

• Authenticity is Key : Be genuine in your storytelling. Let your unique voice and experiences shine through.
• Align with Your Goals: Ensure your essays align with your career aspirations and showcase how NUS MBA will help you achieve them.
• Be Strategic : Use your essays to cover different aspects of your profile, ensuring a well-rounded application.

Final Encouragements

Embarking on the journey to an MBA, especially in a prestigious institution like NUS, is both exciting and challenging. Remember, your application is a reflection of your journey so far and a window into your future potential. Approach it with confidence and sincerity, and you’re already on the path to success.

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The Key to Writing Effective NUS Personal Statements

Table of Contents

An  NUS personal statement  is an essay required by an application to the National University of Singapore. It is a brief description of who you are as a student and an overview of the things that matter to you. 

Personal statements are not unique to the National University of Singapore. Students will encounter these assignments throughout their academic life and even when they transition into professional life.

Personal statements are common in job applications, internships, and applications to particular programs. They are a way to introduce yourself to recruiters and admissions board representatives and create a lasting impression.

The Importance of an Effective NUS Personal Statement in the Academe

Personal statements are crucial in the application process. Recruiters will want to gain a deep understanding of applicants they accept into their program or job. This matters greatly because they want to ensure that successful candidates deserve their spot.

Conversely, a personal statement is a golden opportunity to highlight your best qualifications . It showcases your writing ability and your exposition skills. The adaptability of a personal statement allows for a wide range of approaches that let you inject your personality into your content.

The most significant advantage of a personal statement is that  it paints you as a person rather than just another candidate . It’s a potent tool for expressing individuality and setting you and your story apart from other applicants.

If you want to enjoy all these benefits, the ultimate one being a successful application, heed these few tips.

Tips for Writing an Effective NUS Personal Statement

If you’re unsure how to start your personal statement, try a structured approach. Here are some tips you can follow to ensure you provide the information admissions boards need.

• Showcase your unique personality and background  – focus on experiences, skills, and achievements that make you stand out from other applicants. 
• Use strong storytelling techniques to keep the reader engaged  – ensure a clear narrative flow with an introduction, body, and conclusion. 
• Incorporate personal anecdotes  -demonstrate your growth and development over time. 
• Keep it concise  – highlight critical points without superfluous words. 
• Avoid clichés and platitudes  – devise creative ways to express yourself and add interesting facts and figures where appropriate.

While following these tips won’t make you a master overnight, they will help you form writing habits applicable to all types of content.

NUS Personal Statement Examples

I have always had a keen interest in the field of technology. As a professional, I have grown into an individual with considerable experience and expertise in this area. I recently attended an event to discuss the latest trends in artificial intelligence, which further fuelled my enthusiasm for innovation and cutting-edge technological solutions. Events like these regularly leave me invigorated and inspired to delve deeper into innovative ideas and contribute my insights where applicable. 

I am proud of my aptitude for problem-solving and finding creative solutions to address issues efficiently. By leveraging my knack for recognizing patterns, I can ascertain resolutions that are unorthodox yet efficient at achieving desired outcomes. My preference for outside-the-box thinking has earned me recognition from peers who consider me a formidable asset. I have a reputation for embracing challenges while utilizing common sense and poise in navigating obstacles. 

A strong work ethic and unwavering ambition drive me. This intense desire to succeed has enabled me to consistently strive toward greater heights despite any tribulations I may encounter. 

I strongly feel I possess the qualities necessary to excel in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment such as NUS. I look forward to contributing meaningfully towards the University’s goals of fostering a more technically competent future generation.

I have been interested in starting a career related to education since I first read about it. It has been an essential part of my life, so I have devoted many hours of research. With each article or book I read, I learn something new, furthering my understanding and expanding my knowledge base. 

Through these opportunities, I can explain my thoughts and gain even more insight from professionals in the area. 

I look forward to taking this journey further by applying for the scholarship to complete my studies on the topic. As part of this application process, I plan to include relevant evidence and anecdotes demonstrating my commitment and passion for the subject matter. I believe I can help showcase why I should be selected for this opportunity by submitting all necessary documents.

I have been working with Information Technology for the past three years. Throughout my professional career, I have asked myself questions to better understand different aspects of IT, ranging from software development to network security. Over those years, I gained good knowledge in this field and was able to apply it in many of my projects. 

I am now interested in taking an international course to further develop my expertise. Being part of your school would allow me to learn more about current trends and techniques. It can expose me to new applications that can help improve my work or service quality. Furthermore, it will also allow me to build strong connections within the sector. 

I believe that I could be a valuable asset to any organization looking for someone with a comprehensive understanding of the subject. That is why I’m applying for this course – it’s like a necessary step in order to reach my long-term career goals. With my commitment to continuous learning, I’m confident I’ll make a good impression at the National University of Singapore.

I have a long-standing interest in IT. My knowledge of this field has enabled me to successfully know, understand and apply its principles. I have used my subject mastery during job interviews to communicate clearly and coherently with potential employers about their respective needs for my services. 

Additionally, my impressive track record of achievements makes me an ideal candidate for an IT course at the National University of Singapore. My involvement in community service projects has exposed me to a variety of different technologies, which will serve as excellent support for my studies. All these experiences prove to be beneficial in allowing me to develop further and improve my understanding of IT concepts.

 I am an experienced Finance student seeking to apply for a postgraduate course at the National University of Singapore. With my knowledge and experience, I believe that I can contribute to the University’s vibrant academic environment and community. 

 I have been exposed to finance studies since I was in high school, where I studied economics, accounting, and financial management. This gave me a well-rounded understanding of the industry. During my time as a university student, I had the opportunity to participate in several research projects focusing on financial markets. This has enabled me to gain insights into the nuances of investing and trading, allowing me to develop my analytical skills further. 

Moreover, I have taken part in various activities related to financial analysis during my years as a student. For example, I wrote essays on financial topics such as derivatives, capital structure theory, and risk management techniques. Furthermore, I also organized events such as panel discussions with industry professionals, which allowed me to interact with other students and experts alike. These experiences served to hone my problem-solving capabilities and taught me how to think critically about financial matters. 

Overall, I believe that I possess the necessary qualities to excel in a postgraduate program at NUS. My expertise and interest in finance, coupled with my strong communication and critical thinking will make me an ideal candidate for the course.

An  NUS personal statement  is a special essay that candidates submit to the admissions board. These essays showcase an individual’s background and personality. Make sure to remember our simple tips as you write your NUS personal statement. You are more likely to write a potent essay when you know the aspects you need to emphasize. 

Again, keep your statement short, concise, and authentic. We hope these tips give you the know-how and confidence to write a compelling university personal statement. Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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NUS MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

My tips for completing the NUS MBA application are below in blue.

1. Please answer ONE of the following short essay prompts. (300 words)

a. I am passionate about… b. My greatest challenge has been… c. My biggest failure was ….

All three of these questions are opportunities to share an interesting experience from your life. Passion comes through with differentiating details (did you compete in 10Ks every weekend? Did you turn $500 in high school summer earnings into an investment portfolio worth thousands?). Challenges are overcome with drive, tenacity, and commitment. Failures are learning experiences and launch pads for subsequent successes. Share an example here that will help the admission committee see your individuality come alive.

2. Briefly describe your immediate post-MBA career goal including your industry, function and country of choice and how have your prior experiences motivated and prepared you to pursue these goals? (300 words)

All MBA programs want their students to be pleased with the employment they find and the career trajectory ahead of them after graduation. Applicants must demonstrate in this essay that they know what they can expect to achieve within five years of graduating so that the admissions office will believe you are realistically driven.

If you do not know any NUS MBAs personally, you may find LinkedIn searches for NUS alumni very useful to see what a wide range of MBA alumni have succeeded in doing within around five years of graduating. Go to  NUS’s LinkedIn page  and then use the Search Alumni button, then restrict your search to alumni who graduated around 2012 or 2013 to get a sense of their five-year progress. This isn’t foolproof: you must check that you are looking at MBA graduates (and not undergraduate degree holders or exchange students), but this will offer you wider insight than your own small circle of acquaintances. Go ahead and reach out to alumni through LinkedIn and through your personal network to discuss how they reached the advancement that they did to add depth to your own plans for this essay.

3. If there is anything else you would like to share with the Admissions Committee that was not covered in your application, please include here. (300 words)

The first two essays were short, so there is almost certainly more in your background: additional areas of leadership, influence, and impact , for example. While this optional space may certainly be used to explain a weakness or flaw in your background, I highly recommend shining the spotlight on an area of strength in the process: poor grades do not have to stand on their own when you can demonstrate that you spent your undergraduate education in significant extracurricular leadership roles, for example.

4. (Only applicable to re-applicants)  Please provide an update on any new aspects of your professional, international, academic or personal profile that would not have been included in your previous application. Please also explain your motivation for re-applying to NUS. (Maximum: 300 words)

Reapplying demonstrates your sincere interest in this program, so don’t assume that the admissions committee is biased against you. Instead, use this space to show that you have used the time since you applied to take on new challenges, expand your leadership experience, and build insight in areas that will interest your NUS classmates and future recruiters. The final aspect of the essay prompt – about your motivation for re-applying to NUS – also offers you the opportunity to show that you’ve done your research about the NUS MBA : what students have you spoken to and what have you learned about how this program will help you on your path? What makes NUS special? Those details will further demonstrate your readiness for the program.

If you would like professional guidance with your NUS MBA application, check out Accepted’s  MBA essay editing  and  MBA admissions consulting  or our  MBA Application Packages , which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the  NUS application.  

Full-Time NUS MBA Application Dates :

The application window: Now – 31 March 2018

Admissions is rolling: applicants will be notified of their admissions decision within between 6 and 10 weeks of submitting the completed application.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Related Resources:

• Why MBA? , free guide to writing about your post-MBA goals •  Stand Out! A Critical Goal for Your Application [Episode 181] •  How to Stay Within Essay Word Limits by Reducing Verbal Verbosity

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Nus mba application essays 2020-21.

Essay 1: How do you plan to spend your time on The NUS MBA to transform yourself personally & professionally? Briefly describe your experience to date, and how this and The NUS MBA can help you achieve your mid and long term career goals. (350 words)

Essay 2: How have people, events, and/or situations in your life influenced who you are today? (250 words)

Optional Essay: Is there any additional information relevant to your application that you’d like to share with the Admissions Committee? (200 words)

NUS MBA Winning Sample Essays – 1

NUS Essay 1: How do you plan to spend your time on The NUS MBA to transform yourself personally & professionally? Briefly describe your experience to date, and how this and The NUS MBA can help you achieve your mid and long term career goals. (350 words)

“Almost 1/3rd of the food produced in the world is wasted while 690 million people go hungry globally.”

I started my career as a software engineer but for the last 7 years, I have dedicated my life to social causes and worked at grassroots levels to ensure every child gets an education and no one sleeps hungry.

I am currently the founder of – “Waste No More”- an initiative focused on eliminating food hunger in Indonesia. We currently have partnerships with more than 10 large scale donors like grocery chains and hotels to collect and distribute approximately 1500 meals every week in Jakarta and its satellite city. We currently reach out to 5000+ beneficiaries across 22 communities. Now my long-term goal is to build a social enterprise mobilising technology-driven solutions to reduce food wastage in South East Asia and Indian Subcontinent.

As the founder, I wear multiple hats, but I spend significant time growing two critical aspects of our program – building partnerships with food donors and expanding the volunteer base. I have extensive experience in leading operations at the grass-root level for social organisations. Now in the short term, I want to upskill my business acumen, learn the strategic approach to continuously grow, and understand how to lead social enterprises to global success. I believe that an MBA from NUS followed by an experience of managing program operations at international organizations like Gates Foundation can get me exposure and help me understand how to scale social initiatives.

NUS MBA Essay 2: How have people, events, and/or situations in your life influenced who you are today? (250 words)

Back in 2013, when I was working at Accenture, my watchman came to my house and explained how his eldest son had failed 3rd standard in primary school for the 2nd time. He asked for a little help in teaching and motivating his kids to learn.

While I had no formal background in teaching, I agreed to teach and see if I could motivate them. I started teaching his son and a few other 5-8-year-old kids at home every day. That 1 year proved to be a powerful lesson for me in the virtues of patience and perseverance. Capturing the imagination of students who had lost interest in studies required me to think outside the box and come up with unconventional methods of teaching. Finally, I was able to build the conceptual foundation which helped these students pass their exam.

I was teaching these kids how to learn and pass mathematics exams but in turn these kids ended up giving me much more return. After seeing the smile of their faces and gratitude I got from their parents, I found a new purpose in life, and the confidence to create a real positive impact. This inspired me to bid adieu to my prospering IT career and work in the social sector full time. It was not easy to convince my parents and husband of my decision to switch sectors especially when I was taking almost 70% pay cut.

But with my newfound purpose in life, I was determined to chart a new course for myself. Looking back at all the impact that I created, I feel proud and my family is now very supportive of my career and the work I am doing.

NUS MBA OPTIONAL ESSAY : Is there any additional information relevant to your application that you’d like to share with the Admissions Committee? (200 words)

I would like to use this opportunity and tell the admissions committee about my full-time work at Waste No More. It is a volunteer-driven organisation where we do not take any monetary donation. I have dedicated myself wholly to the benefit of society and have not taken any salary for the last 1.5 years.

I moved to Indonesia because of my husband’s relocation for work purposes. In India, I was working with non-profit organisations in the education domain. In Indonesia, I encountered a troubling reality – with extreme poverty and no food to feed their children, education was a luxury these families just could not afford. Hunger was a much more pressing problem in these communities.

That’s why I changed my focus from education to hunger and started Waste No More. It was never a for profit organisation but a volunteer driven movement. Our expectations from our volunteers were just to do food collection and distribution, and our donor partners to donate surplus food.

We have never raised any money or asked for monetary donations. Due to this I haven’t taken any salary for the last 1.5 years and solely focused on growing waste no more through volunteers.

FOR NUS MBA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS ONLY (250 words): 1.Please indicate the type of Scholarship you are applying for, and describe your fit for this scholarship.

I want to apply for scholarships promoting women in business and social entrepreneurs, positively impacting society. I believe my six-year experience in the social sector, and as the founder of a social initiative in Indonesia, makes me a strong fit for such scholarships.

When I started my career in the social sector with Avanti and Atma, I used my software engineering experience to launch a Remote Accelerator Program for Atma that increased our reach by 40%. As part of this, I worked with 40 women-empowerment NGO heads to build their leadership skills and create plans to overcome their most pressing challenges. These experiences taught me how to work with limited budget and still inspire people from diverse backgrounds to contribute for social good and.

After I moved to Indonesia due to family reasons, I decided to start my own initiative – Waste No More. Stepping into founder shoes has allowed me to grow a resilient leader where I have managed to establish partnerships with more than 10 large scale donors and inspire XXX volunteers to distribute approximately 1500 meals every week in Jakarta.

Despite not taking any salary at all for the last 1.5 years, my work in the impact sector gives me a great sense of satisfaction  and Post-MBA, I would love to continue working in the impact sector. However, I am cognizant of the high MBA tuition fees and thus, a scholarship can go a long way in keeping the burden of an MBA loan low, allowing me to continue working for the community’s welfare.

FOR NUS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS ONLY (250 words): 2.Briefly share how you plan to “pay it forward” as a student and alum of the programme if you were awarded.

If I am awarded a scholarship, I would plan to “pay it forward” in primarily three ways.

First, I aim to continue working in the development sector. My short term goal is to join an impact organization like Gates Foundation and work preferably in the agricultural-development sector. Additionally, I would volunteer with organizations focusing on girl education and women empowerment providing them pro-bono consulting to address their most pressing growth challenges leveraging my experience from Atma consulting.

Next, I would aim to bring in more opportunities, through partnerships, for the NUS students and alumni to get involved in the impact sector for their close-to-heart causes in the form of internships, projects, volunteering or even periodic financial contribution. I would also guide individuals, as and if needed, to create new engagements while being part of the Sustainability, Ethics and Impact club.

Finally, in the long run, I would like to pay my gratitude forward by contributing to the scholarship funds at NUS so that future generations of students can continue to benefit from such scholarships the same way I would.

NUS MBA Sample Essays

Nus mba winning sample essays – 2.

NUS Essay 1: The NUS MBA offers a   highly transformative educational experience. What kind of transformation are you working towards in your professional and personal self? (250 words) 

Working as an engineer for the past six years, I started off as an individual contributor and now I am managing projects. I have developed good communication skills and am able to work well in a team. I am able to lead a team of five to design, commission and deliver industrial plants to clients. However, I am working towards one day taking over the business, so I have to transform from an engineer to a businessman, requiring a new set of skills.

In the short term, I intend to first become Engineering Manager to fully understand the company’s revenue streams. I would like to take on more responsibilities as head of the department, developing my skills at managing bigger projects across a bigger region, leading large teams and handling greater budgets. Three years on, I plan to move into a business development role to immerse myself in the industry and build relationships with the clients. By slowly working my way up the company, I am able to display my capabilities while ensuring I will be in good stead to take over the business.

Personally, I would like to grow as a business leader, being able to lead and motivate much bigger teams as compared to my teams now. I am an introvert now and I hope to improve my public speaking, communication and presentation skills. I also strive to build my network of successful people, picking up knowledge and habits that would advance my professional and personal life.

NUS Essay 2: Tell us about your intermediate (3 years) post-MBA career goal, describing your industry, function, and country of choice and a plan on how you would achieve this goal. (250 words) 

In the past six years, I have gained experience in the edible oil industry. I had the freedom and opportunity to work in China, Indonesia and Thailand. Now that my father is growing older each day, I feel that I should join my father to help grow the family business and prepare myself to lead it someday. Kelington Group Berhad (KGB), a listed company on the Malaysia Stock Exchange, provides engineering services to a variety of industries.

I have managed engineering projects in the past six years, similar to what KGB does, in countries where KGB does business. Handling clients, managing project budgets and meeting project deadlines have become second nature to me.

While I excel at managing projects, I realise I lack the knowledge of running a successful business. Leading a project involves managing much fewer people compared to business. The different aspects of a business from finance to human resource management are foreign to me. Realising my shortfall, I would like to pursue an MBA to bridge my gap in skills to be better prepared to go back and help my family business.

With its strong Asian focus, NUS is a perfect fit for me to gain applicable business knowledge as KGB’s core business is within the region. After Speaking to Ji Hui, a current NUS MBA student, I realized that the diversity of the batch and the experiential learning modules allow me to build my network and develop my skills to lead KGB’s business.

NUS Essay 3: Describe the type of leader you are right now, and the qualities of a leader you aspire to be. How would The NUS MBA help you cultivate those qualities? (250 words) 

Being an introvert by nature, I like to macro manage my team members and allow them the freedom to define their own approach to their work. As commissioning leader, I assign tasks to my team members and many plant operators. While we have successfully delivered working plants to clients within schedule, I have realised that I may need to improve my skills to lead much larger teams now and I believe that I have the potential to develop those skills.

My father, having held senior managerial positions throughout his career as Ex-CEO of Air Liquide Malaysia and CEO of KGB, is the type of leader I aspire to be. Unlike myself, he is an extrovert and a tough leader. He commands respect from his employees, some of which have followed him to his new company when asked. Being able to communicate effectively, he was able to inspire his staff with a clear vision and produce results quickly.

Realising my skill gaps is the first step to improving myself and that is why I would like to ask for the opportunity to achieve my goals through the NUS MBA. After consulting Douglas Tan, a current MBA candidate, I am confident that the NUS MBA can help me in becoming a better leader. The Launch Your Transformation bootcamp and MBA Survival Kit module will really help me realise my own capabilities and areas to work on.   

NUS Essay 4: Share a situation in your personal or professional life, where your value system was put to the test. How did you react, and what did you learn from it? (250 words)

Personal recognition is something I value immensely. As a young boy of 19, I was already striving for excellence and converted an offer from Imperial College London. While my family could have sponsored my degree, I was determined to create my own identity, set of values and financial freedom, and I won a full tuition and board scholarship from the Public Service Department of Malaysia.

Upon graduation however, my values were again challenged. I could have easily joined Air Liquide because my father was the Managing Director of Air liquid at that time and could have referred me to a good role but I wanted to look for one myself and earn one based on my capabilities. Ultimately, my values prevailed. I did not want to be classified as having succeeded with the help of my father so I decided to create my own identity elsewhere.

Through this decision, I learned that the path to creating my own identity was not easy. It took me nearly six months, writing to more than 50 companies in Malaysia and Singapore, before finally accepting the offer at my current company. Working outside, I learned how to climb the career ladder without any privilege or being treated as the boss’ son. I now judge people not based on their background but by merit. Along the way, I also came to appreciate the advice and knowledge that my father has imparted to me and now I want to join forces with him.

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Academic Writing

This page explains what to look out for in academic writing by using videos and examples  to illustrate each explanation.  There are five main sections below:

1.0 Academic Essay (Types of Essays) 2.0 Structure of an Essay ( Introduction – thesis; Body – topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence); Conclusion) 3.0 Academic Tone (Dos and Don’ts) 4.0 Difference between Formal and Informal Writing 5.0 Reporting verbs and citation style (Journalistic and Academic writing)

1.0 Academic Essay

What is an academic essay?  

An academic essay is usually based on an all-encompassing idea developed throughout the whole text with the aim of informing or persuading the reader using scholarly evidence.   

There are different essay types or genres such as  argumentative, descriptive, expository and narrative essays.

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2.0 Structure of an Essay

What is the s tructu re of an essay ?   (Video)

2.1 Introduction

The introduction answers the fundamental “ What’s in it for me ?” question that every audience asks when faced with the time-consuming task of reading a text from start to finish.

Answering this question as quickly as possible ensures that your audience stays with you.  It is therefore essential that you ease your readers into the subject of discussion with a broad overview to prepare your reader for the very specific discussion you will want to have in the body of your essay.

The next section will explain how this can be done.

2.1.1 How do I put an Introduction together?   (Video)

The thesis is usually introduced towards the end of the introduction.  This should be followed by a brief outline of the main points. Some introductions include a transition sentence that leads into the rest of the essay. An example of an introduction can be seen  here. 

2.1.2 How do I provide background information?  

Reading an essay that launches straight into its thesis, or central argument, can be a confusing experience for most readers.

Writers who provide background information in their introductions   do so with the aim of anticipating what information their readers want . (Video)

Here is a list of information that might be included as background information:  

• descriptions of a particular situation or problem  
• where (location) and when (time span) the subject/problem occurs  
• brief summaries of the history of the subject  
• statistics that indicate the significance of the problem  
• concrete examples that illustrate the significance of the problem  
• clear definitions that explain key ideas, concepts and terms that will appear in the thesis  

2.1.3 How do I construct a thesis?  

A thesis is usually made up of two main parts:  

• the subject of discussion 
• the central idea   

An extended thesis might include a third part:  

3. the overview of the main points of the essay  

Where there is a question prompt, a thesis will provide a direct answer to the question and this is followed by an overview of the main supporting points which will be elaborated on later in the body paragraphs. 

You can also find out more about how to construct a thesis statement by  responding to key words in a question prompt.

2.2 The Main Body    (Video)

The  main body of an essay expands on the thesis statement. It is made up of one or more supporting paragraphs.   

As you can see, each paragraph in the main body basically consists of these three elements:  

•       A topic sentence
•       Supporting details
•       A concluding sentence

Each paragraph should have only one main point. This is expressed in the topic sentence. The topic sentences in each paragraph of an essay support the thesis statement. In turn, the supporting points in each paragraph expand on the topic sentence.  

Now, let us look more closely at the different parts of a supporting paragraph.  

2.2.1 Topic Sentence  

The  topic sentence   summarizes the main idea of the paragraph so that you, the reader, know what to expect to find in the ensuing sentences. As such, the topic sentence is usually, but not always, found at the beginning of a paragraph. It is closely linked to the thesis statement and tells you more about it. Without a topic sentence, it would be hard to tell what the main idea of a paragraph is.

2.2.2 Supporting Paragraph

2.2.2.1 Structure of a Paragraph (Video)

What follows the topic sentence are the supporting details: explanation, examples, evidence from sources, and interpretation. Read a body paragraph written about student procrastination .

As you read, identify the following:

• The topic sentence
• Explanation
• Evidence from sources
• Interpretation  /Analysis

2.2.2.2 Giving Explanation  

There are different types of explanations:   exemplification, cause-effect, problem-solution and comparison-contrast.  

2.2.2.3 Writing Coherently  

In writing, it is important to present the relationship between ideas clearly and logically, so that your reader can better understand the message that you are trying to put across. There are several ways to do this:  

2.2.2.3.1 Using transitions or link words to join sentences.

• Making your writing coherent
• Using transition and linking works
• Using appropriate transitions
• Linking words – common errors (Video)

2.2.2.3.2 Linking new information with previously mentioned information

• Ways to write clearly  ( Video)
• Improving clarity – linking old to new  (Video)

2.2.2.3.3 Repeating nouns and pronouns

•  Pronouns – common mistakes (Video)

2.2.2.4  Combining ideas within sentences  

Exercise s:  Read two body paragraphs of an essay about the effects of video gaming  and identify the features that help to make the writing coherent:

• Linking words
• Linking new information with previously mentioned information
• Repeating nouns and pronouns
• Combining ideas with sentences

2.2.3 Concluding Sentence

Not all paragraphs have a concluding sentence, but when they do, the concluding sentences normally do one or more of the following:  

• Summarize the main point
• Link the current paragraph with the next paragraph
• Qualify the viewpoint given in the elaboration

Read two paragraphs which end with concluding sentences . Identify the concluding sentences and the type of information that is in there.

 2.3 Conclusion (Video) 

A  conclusion   is an important part of the essay to bring the key points of your body paragraphs into a unifying whole — the main argument.  

To conclude your essay, you should:  

• reinforce your thesis
• reiterate your key ideas or findings
• highlight, if any, significance, implications and future trends  

3.0 Academic Tone

Here are some Dos and Don’ts to consider when writing your essay.

4.0 Difference between Formal and Informal Writing

Academic writing requires a formal, structured style.  By contrast, other genres of writing may allow for a more casual tone and structure.

Personal communication between equals, such as text messages and emails, may call for the most informal and casual of styles, while academic writing demands a formal, judicious style.  Journalistic writing, blog posts and other seemingly formal kinds of writing fall somewhere in between. To sum up, your audience— Who are you writing for? —and the subject matter — What are you writing about? — determines how formal your writing should be.

4.1 Formal and Informal Language

Your diction, or choice of words, is particularly important in ensuring that your writing is formal. Colloquial language, such as slang and internet abbreviations, signal a casual tone that has no place in most academic papers. You should also avoid overused phrases (clichés) and exaggerated language (hyperbole).

5.0 Reporting verbs and citation style

Students typically associate “reporting” with journalism. After all, journalists are often called reporters . Reporting, however, goes beyond the domain of journalism. It is a particularly crucial and essential skill in academic writing.

Academic reporting and journalistic reporting are similar in several ways. For instance, they both adopt a formal style, largely devoid of colloquial words or expressions. Academics and journalists also tend to investigate and report on many similar issues – scientific, political, economic, and social, among many others. However, academics and journalists differ largely in the ways they report on these issues.

5.1 Comparing verb usage between journalistic and academic reporting

One major difference between academic reporting and journalistic reporting lies in how academics and journalists use verb tense and aspect . (For a detailed definition and explanation of verb tense and aspect, see Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 . in “Essential Grammar”)

Journalistic reporting is almost always situated in the present time. Reporters tend to write about present or relevant issues in a manner that conveys them as ongoing or developing. Writing about ongoing/developing issues requires the use of the present or present continuous verb tenses, especially in the headlines of news articles, as illustrated in Table 1 below:

Meanwhile, academics can only reliably publish their reports after months or years of research. Hence, most of their writing reflects work that is already completed or is still ongoing , but has gone through several phases of work or research. This kind of formal reporting requires a wider variety of tense and aspect: past simple , past perfect , present simple , and present perfect , among other. (See Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 for a detailed explanation of these terms.)

Table 2 below provides several examples of verbs, written in different tenses, used in a variety of ways in academic writing.

5. 2 Different types of citation styles

5.2.1 Journalistic reporting: Source-focused citation style

Journalists and academics are quite similar in their use of verb tense when citing from sources. In journalistic writing, it is important to not only report relevant and timely information, but also to properly cite them, especially if they have been obtained from external sources.

When journalists deliver news, they typically use reporting verbs in the past tense. To illustrate these points, let us examine a sentence from a Straits Times article written by reporter Timothy Goh (2020):

Goh (2020) uses the reporting verb said to report an official statement from the Ministry of Health (MOH). Notice that Goh, as a journalist, does not claim this statement to be his; he correctly cites the source of the statement (i.e., MOH). By using the verb said , he accurately describes what MOH did: they gave a statement about the use of hospital beds previously set aside for Covid-19 patients.

Note that when Goh (2020) cites the source and uses the verb said , he uses in-text citation (i.e., The Ministry of Health) as the Subject of the sentence. This is an example of a source-focused citation.

Definition: A source-focused citation places the cited author, i.e., the in-text citation , as the Subject of the sentence/clause. This citation style requires the use of an appropriate reporting verb .

5.2.2 Academic reporting: Source-focused (Author-Date) citation style

Academics, like journalists, are also required to cite from sources to strengthen the credibility of their research and the validity of any claims or arguments they make. Without these sources, it becomes hard for any student of academic writing to present arguments in a credible and persuasive manner.

To emphasise the importance or relevance of a source text, academics use a source-focused citation style . The academic version of this style, however, differs from the journalistic version. Academic writers use the Author-Date format, which requires the source’s author name(s) and year of publication. To illustrate this, let us use a sample Author-Date citation written by Manderson and Levine (2020, p. 2):

Using a source-focused, Author-Date citation style, Manderson and Levine correctly cite their source of information, i.e., Martineau et al. (2017). Moreover, they use an appropriate reporting verb, i.e., describe to accurately portray what Martineau et al. talked about in their 2017 paper.

Citing academic and non-academic sources

The above excerpt from Manderson and Levine (2020) illustrates a conventional way of citing sources. This citation style uses the in-text citation as the Subject of the sentence (i.e., Martineau et al., 2017). The in-text citation is then followed by the reporting verb , i.e., describe . The final part of the citation is the Verb Complement of the sentence, which summarises or paraphrases the information borrowed from the academic source. The diagram below illustrates the sentence structure of the citation style:

For more information on adverbials and adverbial clauses, read Section 8.2.1 in Essential Grammar .

Citing non-academic sources

Generally, the above formulae also apply to non-academic sources like news reports. You need to place the name of your non-academic source, i.e., in-text citation , as the Subject of your sentence; use an appropriate reporting verb ; and attach the cited information after the verb.

Citing yourself

It is common in academic writing to cite yourself when you are trying to make an argument, or analyse/present your own findings. For example:

Notice in the above examples that the order of elements (adverbial clause, Subject, Verb, and Verb Complement), also follow the typical SVO word order in English.

For more examples of source-focused academic reporting, see Table 4 below.

5.2.3 Academic reporting: Content-focused citation style

Citing from sources can also be done by using a content-focused citation style . This style, as the name suggests, focuses on the information that is derived from a source text by placing the in-text citation at the end of a sentence or phrase.

To illustrate this, let us first review the citation style adopted by Manderson and Levine (2020) in Table 4 (Section 5.2.2):

The citation style adopted above is source-focused ; however, we can also write the same citation in a content-focused style :

In shifting the citation style’s focus from the author to the content, two things occur:

• the reporting verb calls disappears , and
• the in-text citation moves to the end of the sentential clause.

5.2.4 Choosing the right citation style

As the name suggests, source-focused citation styles emphasise the importance or relevance of your sources to your essay. Use this citation style if you need to highlight relevant publications or scholars that have made significant contributions to a particular area of research. This type of citation style is also good for comparing scholars who have similar or differing views on a particular scholarly issue.

If your intention is to highlight ideas, concepts, or arguments, a content-focused citation is preferred. This citation style is generally good for summarising multiple ideas/concepts in the same paragraph.

5.3 Three functions of academic reporting

As a university student, you should bear in mind the three functions of academic reporting :

Reviewing relevant academic literature

• Academic research is always historical; if you are an undergraduate writing on a certain research topic, it is almost guaranteed that you will be able to trace your topic back to relevant research works already found in the literature. If you are writing an academic essay, you need to include relevant works and report/comment on them.

Critically evaluating the literature:

• Academic writing is a form of engaging in a debate or discussion with your audience. Many researchers publish their works for the purpose of corroborating or disproving findings, ideas, or arguments/claims of other researchers. Your professors and instructors will always be interested to see how you would report and evaluate these things.

Reporting and evaluating your own research, ideas, and findings:

• For laboratory reports and longer essay projects like theses and dissertations, your professors and instructors may require you to conduct your own research. This means that you will need to report your methods, data analysis and findings and critically evaluate them based on the current academic literature.

NOTE: Aside from the three functions of academic writing, you should note that different disciplines have their own preferences and citation styles. Ultimately, you should check with your professors, tutors, and faculty to find out which citation styles are conventionally used within your discipline.

As mentioned in Section 5.2.2 , source-focused citation styles require the use of appropriate reporting verbs. 5. 4 Source-focused citation style: Using the appropriate reporting verb

5.4.1 Sense (Meaning)

Choosing the right reporting verb requires you to understand the general sense (meaning) of verbs. As discussed in Section 4.1 in “Essential Grammar” , verbs can be dynamic (denoting an action) or stative (denoting a state or being).

If you are citing a scholar in your report or essay, you can decide which reporting verb to use by identifying whether the scholar is performing a dynamic action (e.g., experiment , survey, conduct, test ) or is expressing a state or being (e.g., think , believe , surmise , consider , become , seem, appear ).

Table 5 below provides several examples of reporting verbs you can use for source-focused citations. They have been arranged based on their similar senses .

5.4.2 Stance As a university student you might, at times, find it challenging to use reporting verbs appropriately in a written assignment. To address this issue, you must identify and understand the “stance” – that is, the position that an author takes in relation to an idea, concept, argument, or claim. Figuring out a person’s stance will help you, as a writer, to accurately report or evaluate their ideas, concepts, arguments, or claims in your own writing. You can identify someone’s position on a certain issue based on the following categories: weaker, neutral, and stronger. The three sets of reporting verbs – agree, say and study- are the most commonly used in academic writing. However, their synonyms may more accurately reflect your opinion of the authors that you wish to cite in your writing:

Looking at the above examples, the reporting verbs concede , agree and understand are related in the sense that they indicate some degree of agreement.  The choice of reporting verb expresses your view of the source material.

In Example 1, the use of the weaker reporting verbs recognise and feel indicate the writer’s doubts regarding the credibility of the information presented by the source (the WHO officials).

In Example 3, the stronger verbs concede , maintain and assert are used. The WHO’s ability to concede —admit an error—and their more definite assertion of the new research suggests that the writer has a more positive view of the organisation.

Examples 4, 5, and 6 demonstrate how changing the reporting verb in a sentence can reflect a writer’s attitudes towards the sources that are cited.  In Example 4, contemplates suggests that the writer does not believe that the anthropologist’s work is rigorous. By contrast, the verb interrogates indicates a degree of admiration for the anthropologist’s scholarship.

Journalists and academics who are sensitive to nuances in people’s actions or statements are more likely to accurately reflect their stances in writing. As a university student, it is your responsibility to adopt the same level of sensitivity to the things you read and write about. Developing a strong awareness of the varying beliefs that people hold, as well as the positions they take on certain issues, will help your writing become more accurate, credible, and reliable.

5.5 Variation in the use of verb tenses in an academic paper

A typical university-level academic paper has three major parts: introduction, middle, and conclusion . These different parts fulfil various functions; hence, we would naturally assume that there are variations in the way we write them.

We can see this variation in the use of verb tenses.

5.5.1 Introduction section

An essay introduction typically contains the following: (i) general statements to interest a reader in the topic, (ii) definition and explanation of terms, (iii) contextual information, and (iv) a thesis statement.

Parts (i) to (iii) tend to be expository in nature, so academic writers are generally free to use a variety of tenses and grammatical aspects in this section.

For (iv), however, the main verb of the thesis statement is usually written in the present tense, although in some cases, academic writers prefer to write their thesis statements in the future tense. The two sample sentences below reflect this variation:

Both forms are acceptable, although academic writing instructors generally prefer thesis statements to be written in the present tense.

5.5.2 Middle sections

The middle section contains body paragraphs that are designed to develop clear and cohesive lines of argument in support of the essay’s thesis. This is usually done by explaining the arguments in greater detail, providing several pieces of evidences, as well as an array of relevant examples that can help strengthen the validity of the arguments and improve the overall quality of the thesis.

The bulk of the middle section comprises ideas, concepts, and/or positions that are composed and derived from either primary (empirical) or secondary sources. This means that most of the academic reporting takes place in the middle section. We therefore expect verb tenses to be used logically and consistently throughout this section. Some examples of consistent (and inconsistent) use of verb tense in academic reporting can be found in Section 5.1, Table 2 and Section 1.2.2, Table 4 .

The following subsections deal with the different parts of the middle section of a typical academic essay or research paper.

5.5.2.1 Literature review

Literature reviews are mostly expositions of relevant works/publications. For short essays, the literature review is typically part of the introduction section. For longer essays like theses and dissertations, there is almost always one entire section dedicated to it.

Citation styles like the APA recommend that the literature review section be written in the present simple or past simple tense .

Referring to the comments on Pulido et al.’s (2020, pp. 378-379) excerpt in Table 4, Section 5.2.2 , the choice of tense and aspect must be consistent throughout this part of your paper. What does “consistency” mean in this case? Let us take a look at the two sample paragraphs below.

Based on the above examples, the reporting verbs in Paragraphs A and B are consistent: suggest and does not corroborate are both in the present simple tense, and so are the verbs argues and fears . In these paragraphs, the reporting verbs exhibit parallel structure , i.e., they are grammatically aligned in terms of their tense and aspect marking.

Paragraphs C and D do not exhibit parallel structure. In Paragraph C, the reporting verb suggests is in the present simple tense, but is not corroborating is in the present continuous tense. Similarly, in Paragraph D, argues is in the present simple tense, but feared is in the past tense.

5.5.2.2 Methodology

For scientific or working research papers, the methodology is an important section. It is written in a mostly expository style, because the aim of the section is to explain how the study is carried out. In terms of verb tense usage, the methodology is written typically in the past simple or past perfect tense , since the process of designing the experiment, and collecting and analysing data would have already taken place in the time of writing.

5.5.2.3 Data analysis, findings, and evaluation

These sections present and evaluate the results of one’s research; hence, this subsection should ideally be written in either the present or past tense. For example:

Note that data analysis and presentation of findings tend to be written in the past tense, and evaluative statements in the present tense.

5.5.3 Conclusion

The final section, the conclusion, is similar to the introduction section in that a variety of verb tenses can be used by academic writers. This largely depends on their writing style. What is more crucial here is that academic writers should actively employ verbs that:

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These are all my personal opinions and do note that assessment of modules may differ depending on the year they are taken. Most of the information is correct at the time that this post is uploaded.

A full summary on what to expect and how to prepare for the NUS Qualifying English Test (QET)

I was not able to find much information regarding the NUS QET when I was prepping for my July 2021 test, so I am here to share my experience on this test (while it is still fresh in my head)!

To get you started, you can toggle through the table of contents, which will be useful to answering your specific questions. As you read this post, my tips are indicated with the ⭐ emoji and summarised at the end!

📑Table of Contents

• What is the NUS QET? (+ Timeline)
• What will I be tested on?
• How is the QET being conducted?
• Is there a sample paper/ past year paper?
• How do I prepare for the QET?

When will I know my results?

• Pro-tips Summary ⭐
• Credits and More Information

This post was made in July 2021, please check the official NUS website for the latest information and FAQ .

What is the NUS QET📝?

The QET, which stands for Qualifying English Test, is an English Language test set by the Centre for English Language Communication. It must be taken by students who do not possess the necessary English Language qualifications when they enter the university.

In my case, I scored an E for GP 😢in the A Level 2020, despite studying hard for it. You would have to sit for this QET if you have scored D or lower for GP (I am guessing you need to, since you are reading this!)

After sitting for the QET, your results will determine if you need to take any English modules.

• Band 1 students will have to take ES1000 followed by ES1103.
• Band 2 students will have to take ES1103.
• Band 3 students are exempted from these English modules.

Timeline for QET ⏲

[14 June 2021] Registration of QET July 2021

[18 to 24 June 2021] Briefing Session (Choose 1 date)

[6 July 2021] QET Day

[21 July 2021] Results Day

What will I be tested on 📄?

The QET will require you to write a 500 word argumentative essay after reading 2 texts given, within 1 hour 45 mins . It is the longer version of Application Question (AQ) in Paper 2 of GP. If you need a place to start, you can start by doing some AQ questions (Time to dig up those GP notes!).

You need to use the information in the texts, knowledge and experience to support your arguments. If you are going to be using the examples, writing them in APA style is highly recommended as your marker is a university lecturer.

How is QET being conducted 💻?

Due to COVID-19, the QET was conducted in a digital format on Examplify , an examination software. During the examination, you are not allowed:

• Use the Copy-And-Paste functions
• Use any notes/rough paper

Based on my experience, wireless and wired connections to my laptop were limited during the examination. I was able to use my wireless keyboard using Bluetooth, but not my extended monitor using HDMI cable.

Fret not, you would be briefed on the logistics during the briefing session where you will be able to sit for a "Mock QET" paper. Also, the Mock QET paper is accessible till the day before the examination.

⭐It is important that you practise the question and figure out your devices' compatibility with the software when you sit for this mock paper!

Is there past year papers 📄?

Now, you are reading this post to know where to get the sample paper/ past year papers right?

After scouring through the internet, I was able to get my hands on the 2015 paper , which is available for download, here .

In many societies, excellent sports persons are viewed as heroes in their society and are regarded as role models for youths. Other people are of the view that such sports figures should not be held up as role models. Which view do you agree with?

For the 2021 July QET question ,

Others believe that the body positivity movement promotes acceptance of all body types. While some believe that it is harmful as encourages health issues like obesity. What is your view?  

I don't remember the exact phrasing of the QET question, but you get the gist of it!

For the 2021 July Mock QET question ,

Some believe that the university ranking plays an increasingly important role in shaping the opinions about the quality of tertiary education institutions, while others argue that the over-reliance on rankings has caused reasonable concerns for their misinterpretation. Which view do you support?

I am sure that these questions will be useful for your preparation for your QET test, so use the question structure as a reference.

How do I prepare?

Your essay writing skills might be rusty since the last time you sat for an English paper, so here are some of my tips. (I am not the best writer in the room, so I stick to the basic P-E-E-L structures for most of my essays.)

1️⃣Start with Basics

Question analysis.

Taking the example of the 2021 QET question, identify:

• Keywords : paraphrase "body positivity movement", "acceptance", "harmful"
• Debatable Issue : "acceptance of all" vs "harmful to body"
• Context : modern day society, obsession with beauty, high beauty standards, influencer culture

Introduction

• Addresses the keywords : incorporate the paraphrased keywords in your introduction to show your understanding

e.g. "body positivity" – inclusive to all body shapes and sizes, "acceptance" – embrace/ approval/ approval, "harmful"– detrimental/ damaging/ deleterious

• Scope : provide a balance by acknowledging the opposing view, explain why is this topic crucial.

e.g. While it might seem like the inclusive movement benefits the youth's self-esteem and mental health, the movement might actually be detrimental as it normalises a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and an unhealthy diet.

• Stand : state your stand in clear terms

e.g. I am of the firm belief that...

⭐ Markers are looking for structured organisation in the clarity of overall structure and logical development of ideas. (See: Here )

Body Paragraphs

For a structured organisation of ideas, follow the P-E-E-L structure:

• Point : summarise the content of the paragraph, addresses the debatable issue and is concise
• Elaboration/ Explanation : justify your view, ask the 5W-1H about the point
• Example/ Evidence : give relevant examples to support your TS. ⭐Examples should be in APA style and can be derived from the text, your experience and knowledge
• Link: concludes the paragraph and reinforces your stand (do not repeat the same words)
• Summary: brief wrap up of your main arguments in the essay
• Stand: reinforce your stand by re-stating it
• Impact: end of with an insightful comment or an attention-grabbing statement

No new ideas or arguments should be introduced here!

2️⃣Practise, Practise, Practise

Now, let's put these basic skills to the test! These are some ways you can do so:

• Using past Comparison AQ questions : especially those with 2 texts where you are able to practice your comparison skills
• Using the 2015 Sample Paper : this paper is the most similar to your actual QET paper
• Using the 2021 QET questions : these questions will give you a rough guide on the question style and requirements of the test

3️⃣Time Yourself

Time to train your brain to work on a crunch. Try to attempt some questions under time constraints, as you will only be given 1hr 45 mins to compare the texts and write an argumentative essay.

⭐By testing yourself, you will be able to work out your "mental exam plan" – What do I do first? What do I do next? and conquer your QET on the day itself!

This was the exact dates I was given. The results will be out a few weeks after the test day.

[6 July 2021] QET Test Day

In the end, I scored Band 2 for QET, which led me to take ES1103 during Y1S1.

• During the QET briefing, test out your devices' (laptop, keyboard, mouse etc) compatibility with the exam software, Examplify
• Download the Mock QET test, practise on the given question under time constraints to see how you feel when you sit for the paper. (When you know what to expect, you feel less nervous during the test!)
• Work out a "mental exam plan" on paper: What should I do first and then what? ( You might feel stressed as you are sitting for your first test in forever . Thinking through the steps of reading, planning and writing your essay will help to ease the nerves)

Credits and More Info 🌱

These are the websites and old blogs which were useful for my preparation for QET. All links mentioned in this post are also found here:

• QET task requirements taken from the NUS QET page
• Another student who sat for QET 2018, Yuelun's blog
• Another student who sat for QET 2017, Fleeze Writes
• 2015 Sample Paper, download here
• Examplify download and installation guide here

And that is all you need to know about the QET test! Go and conquer this test so that you don't have to take any English modules.

👩🏻‍💻 Jean Tay , NUS IS

🥰Learnt something new from this blog post? Remember to jot down some notes for yourself and share this knowledge with your friends!

💕Since you are here, why not join the club? I spill the tea on university tips and more in the member's portal 😉 Join now.

Comprehensive Guide to the NUS QET

The latest comprehensive guide to the NUS QET test 2021. Everything you need to know about the test, from downloadable QET sample papers to pro-tips. This is a freshie's must-read guide.

NUS MBA Applications, Admissions and Essay Analysis

The NUS MBA has consistently ranked amongst the world’s top MBA programs and attracts the brightest minds from across the world. The program combines western and Asian business principles and provides a world- class learning experience with distinguished faculty, international industry exposure and a diverse cohort. Based in Singapore, The NUS MBA provides a strong ecosystem for participants looking for deep understanding and insights for business in Asia. Singapore, as the world 2nd most prospering economy and a truly globalized country, is home to the world’s top MNCs and budding innovation start-ups and thus provides students with a plethora of career opportunities in and outside of the city.    Let us take a look at admissions process for NUS MBA   Application Process The NUS MBA programme accepts applications on a rolling basis during the application cycle. The NUS MBA does not engage any external agencies to undertake student recruitment on its behalf. Candidates interested in the NUS MBA must apply directly to the NUS Business School Graduate Studies Office and not through education agents.   1. Online Application Form Only applications submitted via  www.mba.nus.sg/apply  will be accepted.   2. Preference of Programme

• You are required to indicate at least 1 MBA programme as Preference 1 under the “Preference” section.
• If you are interested in more than 1 MBA programme, add another application under the “Manage Applications” section. A unique application number will be assigned to each of the MBA programs.
• Please indicate your order of preference, as the applications will be processed accordingly.

3. Specialisations You need to state your specialisation preference only if you are applying for the NUS MBA Specialisation in Healthcare Management or Real Estate (cross-faculty specialisations). It is not required for all other specialisations (e.g. Marketing, Finance, Strategy & Organisation, etc). 4. Supporting Documents Please note that you will need to upload the following supporting documents (size limit: 10MB) as part of your online application:

• A copy of your resume
• A copy of your undergraduate degree scroll
• A copy of your undergraduate degree transcripts/mark sheets
• A copy of your Test Taker’s GMAT/GRE/EA score report
• A copy of your IELTS/TOEFL report (if the medium of instructions for your undergraduate studies was not in English)
• A copy of your passport, NRIC or Employment Pass (upload only ONE that is applicable to you)
• A passport-sized photograph
• A copy of your “Financial Supporting” documents (such as your latest payslip or bank account statement)

5. Referee reports

 Two referee reports are required to complete your application. The two referees can be your current employer, previous employer or corporate client. 6. Essays Here are the NUS MBA essays and the essay analysis. Essay 1 How do you plan to spend your time on The NUS MBA to transform yourself personally & professionally? Briefly describe your experience to date, and how this and The NUS MBA can help you achieve your mid and long-term career goals. (350 words)  This is the standard MBA essay in which there are 3 parts – past experience, the NUS MBA and future goals. The key here is to clearly state your mid and long term goals, highlight through your past work experience how you already possess a few skills that will help you achieve them and most importantly how the NUS MBA will bridge that gap in skills and experience to help you realize them.  Let us delve into each aspect.

• Mid and long-term goals  – Mention a role, location and a few companies you would want to join. It is important to state why and what led you to pursue these goals and why they resonate with you. This need not be elaborate, but it should be convincing and real
• Experience to date –  Here, describe 2-3 experiences that portray strengths/attributes that NUS looks for. End each one with how it will relate to your goals. NUS’s core values are  Excellence, Care, Innovation, Integrity, Teamwork.  It would be a good idea to include at least one example of leadership skills (essential for any business school)
• The NUS MBA –  There are 4 main aspects of a b-school education 1) the in class experience- courses, faculty 2) the application of the courses through experiential learning and case competitions 3)the out-of-class experience – professional, cultural, sports clubs 4)Peer and alumni network. Depending on what your goals are, mention at least 3 out of 4 these aspects and be specific about it
• In class experience –  The program has a set of core modules such as ‘Corporate strategy’, ‘Financial Management and ‘Marketing Management’ in the first semester and specialization-wise electives to choose thereafter. Apart from the usual specializations, it has ‘Innovation & Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Real estate’. Eminent professors such as Prof. Wong Poh Kam (Technopreneurship) from MIT and Prof. Ishtiaq Mahmood (Strategy and policy) from Harvard are part of the world class faculty at NUS
• Experiential Learning  – As part of its experiential learning framework, in the second semester NUS has the Management Practicum (MP). In the MP, NUS MBA students execute a consulting project for leading companies from Singapore such as Dell, Johnson & Johnson. The Global Immersion Program, International Student Exchange program and case competitions also allow students to apply concepts to real-world problems
• Out-of-class experience –  There is a plethora of activities on campus ranging from the ‘NUS MBA Elevator Pitch’, Echoes’ and Pencil Pack, to the world’s largest business case competition “Cerebration 2015”. Clubs such as the Consulting Club, Women in Business Club, enhance learning and help hone leadership skills
• The Network-  NUS helps students develop a truly global network through the diversity of students in the class and by facilitating several international programs such as study treks and internships.

Format-  The essay could be chronological – past experience leading to goals and then the NUS MBA or with the goals stated first, followed by past experience and the nUS MBA. Do include a brief introduction and conclusion. Essay 2 How have people, events, and/or situations in your life influenced who you are today? (250 words)  This is a more personal essay than the last one. Here, you must look back at all the challenges you have faced and overcome throughout your life or incidents that motivated you to take up new initiatives or people who influenced and inspired you. This is a rather short essay and therefore must be focused and direct. Here are a few pointers to help you compose it.

• As you have only 250 words, choose 2 out of the 3 – people, events, situations so that you can substantiate them properly.
• The stories you choose could be from your cultural or sports activities/volunteering experiences/firm initiatives/personal struggles/family circumstances. If there is a very compelling story from your professional experience that will also do.
• See this as another chance to bring out values that the school stands for. If you have examples of say ‘Excellence’ and ‘Teamwork’ in the previous essay, then focus on maybe ‘Innovation’ or ‘Integrity’ in this one.
• While describing your experiences, concentrate on the learnings and takeaways rather than the event itself because the essay asks specifically how it contributed to who you are today.

Format –  Introduction, one paragraph each of the 2 experiences and a conclusion Essay 3 OPTIONAL: Is there any additional information relevant to your application that you’d like to share with the Admissions Committee? (200 words)  To write or not to write this essay concerns a number of MBA applicants each season. We suggest you first complete your entire application, except for this essay. Then go through the application to see if there is something additional you wish to highlight. These could be one or more of the below,

• Most schools want you to use this question to explain something about your background/experiences that requires explanation or further clarity (e.g. an unexplained gap year/low undergraduate grades/low test scores)
• You can also use this essay to showcase another unique facet of your personality which would hasn’t been covered elsewhere
• You can use the optional essay to address the choice of the recommender. Sometimes the candidates aren’t comfortable asking their current employer since they aren’t ready to share their MBA plans. Hence, this space can be used to explain the rationale behind this

Hope the application process and essay analysis helps you write a compelling application to NUS. image source: Straits Times

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• NUS MBA Essays: Specialized Tips and How to Create Essays

NUS Business school MBA essays

Table of Contents

• NUS MBA Business School essays

Identify influential people:

Highlight transformative events:, connect situations to personal development:.

• Define goals:
• Emphasize experiential learning:
• Showcase networking and collaboration:

Optional Essay

• Specialized NUS MBA Business School essays Tips
• NUS MBA Business School essays Tips for Indian Students

As part of the NUS MBA application process, applicants are required to complete several NUS Business School MBA essays that provide an opportunity to showcase their unique strengths, experiences, and goals.

But before that, let's discuss about the National University of Singapore (NUS)! One of the most prestigious universities in Asia, and offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program that is highly regarded worldwide. The NUS MBA program is structured to create a strong foundation in business fundamentals and equip with essential leadership & managerial skills, required to excel in today's dynamic business environment.

These NUS Business School MBA essays are a critical component of the application process and are carefully evaluated by the admissions committee.

To succeed in the NUS Business School MBA essays, applicants should approach them with a clear strategy that reflects their personal brand and objectives. The essays are designed to assess the applicant's communication skills, leadership potential, and ability to think critically and creatively.

Indian applicants to the NUS MBA program can benefit from seeking feedback from mentors or professional editors on their NUS Business School MBA essays. As such, crafting thoughtful and well-written essays that clearly articulate one's goals and achievements is essential to refine and ensure that they are compelling, well-structured, and error-free.

NUS Business School MBA essays

Pursuing MBA in Singapore can be one of the best decisions. National University of Singapore is one best school among others. The application process of NUS MBA Program is a crucial step towards getting admitted into the program, and it involves submitting two required essays and one optional essay. These essays play a significant role in determining the suitability of the applicants to the program and help distinguish one applicant from another.

The NUS Business School MBA essays are designed to assess an applicant's goals, achievements, and potential contributions to the program. Hence, it is crucial to pay attention to each essay's details and requirements. Let's take a look at each of the essays in detail.

How have people, events, and/or situations in your life influenced who you are today? (250 words) 

To frame the answer, you can follow the below given tips:

Reflect on individuals who have impacted your life and describe the specific qualities, values, or lessons you have learned from them

Discuss significant experiences that have had a profound influence on your personal growth and how they have shaped your perspective, values, or goals.

Consider various situations you have encountered and explain how they have contributed to your strengths, weaknesses, or overall development.

How do you plan to spend your time on The NUS MBA to transform yourself personally & professionally? Briefly describe your experience to date, and how this and The NUS MBA can help you achieve your mid and long term career goals. (350 words) 

1.Define goals:

Clearly outline your personal and professional objectives and explain how they align with your mid and long-term career goals.

2.Emphasize experiential learning:

Highlight how The NUS MBA's curriculum, resources, and opportunities can enhance your skills and provide hands-on learning experiences.

3.Showcase networking and collaboration:

Discuss how you plan to engage with the MBA community to expand your professional network, exchange ideas, and gain diverse perspectives.

The optional NUS Business School MBA essays allows applicants to provide additional information to help the admissions committee better understand their candidacy. Applicants can use this essay to address gaps in their academic or professional background, explain unusual circumstances or challenges, or highlight unique experiences or achievements.

Specialized NUS Business School MBA essays Tips

The NUS MBA program is built on core values: excellence, teamwork, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. Here are ten tips that applicants can use to ensure that their essays reflect these values:

• Demonstrate your commitment to excellence by highlighting your academic and professional achievements.
• Emphasize your ability to work collaboratively by discussing your team experiences.
• Highlight your integrity by discussing your ethical principles and how you have demonstrated them personally and professionally.
• Demonstrate your respect for diversity by discussing your experiences working with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
• Emphasize your social responsibility by discussing your community service or volunteer work.
• Highlight your leadership skills by discussing your experiences leading teams or organizations.
• Show your innovation ability by discussing your experiences implementing new ideas or processes.
• Demonstrate your global perspective by discussing your experiences working or studying in different countries.
• Emphasize your communication skills by discussing your experiences communicating effectively with different audiences.
• Show your adaptability by discussing your experiences adapting to new environments or situations.

NUS Business School MBA essays Tips for Indian Students

Sure, here are some tips specifically for Indian students who are preparing for the NUS Business School MBA essays:

1. Highlight your academic achievements - Indian students are known for their academic excellence, so make sure to highlight your academic achievements in your NUS Business School MBA essays. This includes your undergraduate degree, any relevant postgraduate qualifications, and any academic awards or accolades you have received.

2. Emphasise your work experience - In addition to academic achievements, Indian students often have a wealth of work experience. Be sure to highlight your relevant work experience in your NUS Business School MBA essays, particularly if it is in a field that is relevant to your desired MBA specialization.

3. Showcase your leadership skills - NUS values leadership and looks for candidates with leadership potential. Highlight any leadership positions you have held in your academic, professional, or extracurricular pursuits in your NUS Business School MBA essays.

4. Emphasise your communication skills - NUS strongly emphasizes communication skills, so be sure to highlight your proficiency in English as well as any other languages you speak in your NUS Business School MBA essays. Also, provide examples of situations where you have effectively communicated complex ideas.

5. Demonstrate your adaptability - Studying in a new country can be challenging, so demonstrate your adaptability and flexibility in your NUS Business School MBA essays. Highlight any experiences where you have successfully adapted to new environments, cultures or situations.

6. Showcase your international exposure - NUS values diversity and looks for candidates with international exposure. If you have studied or worked abroad, be sure to highlight those experiences in your NUS Business School MBA essays. Also, if you have experience working with people from different cultures, highlight that.

7. Explain your career goals - NUS is looking for candidates with clear career goals and who can articulate how an MBA will help them achieve them. Be sure to explain your career goals and how the NUS MBA program will help you achieve them in your NUS Business School MBA essays.

8. Highlight your extracurricular activities - NUS values well-rounded candidates who have pursued extracurricular activities alongside their academic and professional pursuits. Highlight any relevant extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, sports, or community service, in your NUS Business School MBA essays.

9. Emphasise your teamwork skills - NUS values teamwork and looks for candidates who can work effectively in a team. Highlight any experiences where you have worked in a team and describe your contributions and achievements in your NUS Business School MBA essays.

10. Be authentic - Finally, be true to yourself and your unique experiences in your NUS Business School MBA essays. NUS values authenticity and looks for candidates who can bring diverse perspectives to the program. Don't be afraid to share your personal story and what makes you stand out from other candidates.

By incorporating these tips in their NUS Business School MBA essays, Indian students can increase their chances of being accepted into the BEST MBA College in Singapore . Good luck with your application!

In conclusion, crafting compelling NUS Business School MBA essays requires thoughtful consideration and a strong understanding of the program's values and expectations. By following the tips outlined in this article, Indian applicants can showcase their unique experiences, perspectives, and achievements in a way that aligns with NUS's emphasis on leadership, diversity, and innovation. It is important for applicants to approach each essay with authenticity and self-awareness and to take advantage of the optional essay to provide context and highlight their strengths. With a well-crafted application and a strong fit with the NUS MBA program, Indian applicants can take their careers to the next level and join a community of global leaders at one of Asia's top business schools.

Sample essay

Here is a sample essay – one which is considered an excellent and fluent response to the issue at hand.   The student was able to pick up the key issues for this essay: intelligibility and identity and relate these issues to the Singapore situation. The student included a good range of readings (including some from web sources) as well as individual insight. The essay is a little longer than expected and some of the ideas could have been expressed in a more concise manner.

  ‘The need for intelligibility and the need for identity often pull people – and countries – in opposing directions. The former motivates the learning of an international language, with English as the first choice in most cases; the latter motivates the promotion of ethnic language and culture’ (David Crystal, 1997).

Discuss the relevance of this statement with reference to the current move in Singapore to promote the standard variety vis-à-vis Colloquial Singapore English.

Language planning policies in Singapore have often been characterised by the ‘desire to achieve a balance between the national pride of linguistic ownership and the need for international intelligibility’ (Khoo 1993: 67). This is evident, for instance, in the state’s current move to promote the use of Standard English (particularly the variety known as Standard Singaporean English, or SSE) and to discourage that variety known as Colloquial Singapore English (CSE, or Singlish as it is popularly known), although in this case, the state’s ‘desire to achieve a balance’ between intelligibility and identity appears to be one involving conflict rather than compromise – one in which these two principles (embodied by SSE and CSE respectively) appear to be opposing linguistic forces, and in which the former appears to be espoused and the latter (at least in the case of CSE, though not that of the ethnic ‘mother tongues’) denigrated. This essay will study whether (and if so, why) these two principles are truly opposed to each other, as seemingly implied by both the David Crystal quotation and the English language policy in Singapore, and in what way the application of these principles may result (as stated in the Crystal quotation) in the ‘pulling apart’ of people and countries, especially in the sense of socio-economic inequality and marginalisation on both international and intra-national levels; and all these will in turn be related to the present-day situation in Singapore.

            At first sight, the need for identity and intelligibility appear to be irreconcilable on a linguistic level, the former requiring the adherence to a dominant language variety (such as Standard English) as well as its set of linguistic norms in order for speakers to maintain mutual comprehension, and thus implicitly demanding the non-usage or even abandonment of alternate varieties (Leith and Graddol, 1996: 139); the latter demanding, by contrast, the use of languages or varieties apart from this dominant variety as a way of identifying with one’s culture and distinguishing it from the rest (Crystal 1997: 133–134) – languages and varieties that are, however, incomprehensible to a large proportion of the world population and will therefore (as some perceive: e.g. Goh 1999, 22 August; 199, 29 August; 2000, 29 April) cut one’s society off from mainstream culture. A ‘new’ language variety such as CSE is especially vulnerable to the latter view, with one observer likening its creation and development to the hypothetical process whereby ‘Each family can create its own coded language; [there is] nothing wrong with that except that no one outside the family can understand you’ (Lee Kuan Yew, quoted in ‘Singlish “a handicap we do not wish on Singaporeans” ’, 1999, 15 August).

            In reality, however, there is nothing inherently antagonistic about the needs for intelligibility and identity. Referring to both principles as ‘two sides of the one coin’ of language (1997: viii) rather than opposing entities, Crystal himself states that it is ‘perfectly possible to develop a situation in which intelligibility and identity happily co-exist’, providing access to both the ‘world community’ and the ‘local community’ (1997: 19); and indeed this state of affairs is already prevalent in modern-day Singapore to some extent. One notes, for instance, the current co-existence of two English language varieties, SSE and CSE, in Singapore with each variety attending to different needs with different domains, as well as diglossic knowledge and mastery of these two varieties among the educated section of the population (Bokhorst-Heng 1998: 302). Within this context, SSE helps to fulfil the functions of intelligibility as a language variety approximating that used in the international arena, enabling Singapore to ‘break out of [its] small geographical confines and reach out to the rest of the world’ (Goh 1999, 29 August), and allowing it to access the scientific and technological knowledge of the other developed countries as well as the various ‘political, business and academic circles’ throughout the world ( ibid. ). By contrast, CSE helps to fulfil the complementary function of identity within a local context; firstly, by providing a special set of linguistic tools (not available in the standard variety) such as ‘local borrowings, calques, translations, and … the “mixing” of elements of English with local languages or vice versa’ (Kachru 1986: 28) with which one can negotiate the ‘demands of communication, expression, action, interaction’ in a uniquely Singaporean milieu (Kandiah 1998: 2–3); and secondly, by ‘binding people emotionally and giving [them] a sense of rootedness’ (Tan 1999) through this role as a ‘vehicle of … social norms and ecological needs’ (Kachru 1986: 28) – a role made even more important by the need, among the culturally diverse population of Singapore, for a ‘link’ language that can provide the basis for a ‘supra-ethnic national identity’ (Bokhorst-Heng 1998: 300; Ho & Alsagoff 1998: 209). In such a situation, Crystal’s formulation of people being pulled in opposing linguistic directions is still applicable, with the usage of SSE as an example of convergence with the globally dominant language variety ( ie Standard English) in order to achieve mutual comprehension, for instance, and the usage of CSE as an example of divergence from this variety in order to achieve cultural identity, but one has to make the qualification that this ‘pulling in opposite directions’ may take place in a complementary and harmonious manner (as opposed to that in the ‘antagonist’ model currently espoused by the state) – that people (in Crystal’s words) may ‘have their cake and eat it’ with regard to both intelligibility and identity (1997: 116).

            Ironically, it is not so much the supposed opposition between these two principles as the intentional or unwitting elevation of one of these principles over the other (often to the extent of encroaching on the latter’s domain and impeding its fulfilment) ( ibid. ) that leads to the pulling apart of people and countries in the sense of socio-economic division mentioned at the beginning of the essay, and this is especially true when the elevated principle is that of identity and the impeded one that of intelligibility. In this respect, one may view the current English language policy in Singapore as an attempt to prevent this from occurring – an attempt, that is, not to eliminate CSE (as some of its supporters and detractors have seen it) but to define the domains in which SSE and CSE may (or may not) be used and to keep the latter out of the former’s territory (Bokhorst-Heng 1998: 304-305). The underlying fear is that an inordinate emphasis of CSE over SSE (of ‘identity’ over ‘intelligibility’, as one may put it) may be perpetuated by inadequate teaching methods (George & Chgua 1999: 37; Khoo 1993: 70) and inappropriate usage and dissemination by the mass media (Bokhorst-Heng 1998: 305; Tan 1999), and this may result in the former variety ‘circulat[ing] throughout the system and … becom[ing] the only “standard” in Singapore’ (Koh Tai Ann, quoted in George & Chua 1999: 37). On an international level, this widespread usage of a relatively incomprehensible and non-prestigious variety within the country will

reflect … badly on us and make … us seem less intelligent or competent. Investors will hesitate to come over if their managers or supervisors can only guess what our workers are saying. We will find it difficult to be an education and financial centre … All this will affect our aim to be a world-class economy. (Goh 2000, 29 April)

In other words, the result will ultimately be the reduced ability of Singapore to participate within the global economic, political and academic fields, and its subsequent marginalisation within and even exclusion from these arenas – a ‘pulling’ away, so to speak, of Singapore from the mainstream developments in the international sphere. There is also an intra-national dimension to this problem, in that the spread of CSE among the population may result in the polarisation of society into two unequal classes: one competent in both SSE and CSE and having access to both higher institutions of learning and relatively prestigious jobs as a result of being able to master the former variety; the other competent only in CSE and therefore unable to access such educational and work opportunities (Bokhorst-Heng 1998: 302). There are fears that the latter group may form a new underclass analogous to that of the ‘silent majority’ currently existing in Singapore, a group consisting of ‘low-income “uncomplaining Chinese-speaking Singaporeans” ’ suffering from ‘economic disadvantage, socio-political alienation and cultural dislocation’ (Ho & Alsagoff 1998: 206) because of their lack of proficiency in Standard English – fears, in short, or a new underprivileged group ‘pulling’ away from the mainstream culture of Singapore.

            It is against these two detrimental forms of division, external and internal, that the current move for Standard English is directed, and this necessarily involves a certain amount of regulation for both SSE and CSE, especially the latter – an extremely delicate task that involves a careful ‘balance’ of both the principles of intelligibility and identity, so that their opposing forces blend together in a co-operative rather than discordant fashion.

Bibliography

Bokhorst-Heng, W (1998), ‘Language planning and management in Singapore’, in J A Foley, et al. (eds.), English in New Cultural Contexts: Reflections from Singapore (Singapore: Oxford University Press), pp. 287–309

Crystal, D (1997), English as a Global Language (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)

George, C and M H Chua (1999, 25 July), ‘Teacher, English is too cheem, speak Singlish’, The Straits Times , p. 37.

Goh, C T (1999, 22 August), ‘National day rally speech 1999’, excerpt available from http://www.sgem.org.sg/pm22.htm (accessed: 29 July 2000)

----- (1999, 29 August), ‘Speech at the Marine Parade national day dinner 1999’, available from http://www.sgem.org.sg/pm29.htm (accessed: 29 July 2000)

----- (2000, 29 April), ‘Speech at the launch of the Speak Good English Movement’, available from http://www.sgem.org.sg/sppm29.htm (accessed: 29 July 2000)

Ho, C L and L Alsagoff (1998), ‘English as the common language in multicultural Singapore’, in J A Foley, et al. (eds.), English in New Cultural Contexts: Reflections from Singapore (Singapore: Oxford University Press), pp. 201–217

Kachru, B B (1986), The Alchemy of English (Oxford: Pergamon)

Kandiah, T (1998), ‘Why New Englishes?’ in J A Foley, et al. (eds.), English in New Cultural Contexts: Reflections from Singapore (Singapore: Oxford University Press), pp. 1–40

Khoo, R (1993), ‘Controlling Pandora’x Box: Standards for the vocabulary of Singapore English’, in A Pakir (ed.), The English Language in Singapore: Standards and Norms (Singapore: UniPress), pp. 67–78.

Leith, D and D Graddol (1996), ‘Modernity and English as a national language’, in D Graddol et al. (eds.), English: History, Diversity and Change (London: Routledge), pp. 136–179

‘Singlish “a handicap we do not wish on Singaporeans” ’ (1999, 15 August), The Straits Times , p. 26

Tan, D W (1999, Nov/Dec), ‘No Singlish please, we are Singaporean’, Singapore International Foundation: A Place called Home , available from http://www. sif.org.sg/home/singapore/nov_dec99/nov_dec99_nosinglish.htm (accessed: 30 July 2000).

Essay Writing in English Language

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

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She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

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New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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Guest Essay

J.D. Vance: The Math on Ukraine Doesn’t Add Up

By J. D. Vance

Mr. Vance, a Republican, is the junior senator from Ohio.

President Biden wants the world to believe that the biggest obstacle facing Ukraine is Republicans and our lack of commitment to the global community. This is wrong.

Ukraine’s challenge is not the G.O.P.; it’s math. Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field, even with draconian conscription policies. And it needs more matériel than the United States can provide. This reality must inform any future Ukraine policy, from further congressional aid to the diplomatic course set by the president.

The Biden administration has applied increasing pressure on Republicans to pass a supplemental aid package of more than $60 billion to Ukraine. I voted against this package in the Senate and remain opposed to virtually any proposal for the United States to continue funding this war. Mr. Biden has failed to articulate even basic facts about what Ukraine needs and how this aid will change the reality on the ground.

The most fundamental question: How much does Ukraine need and how much can we actually provide? Mr. Biden suggests that a $60 billion supplemental means the difference between victory and defeat in a major war between Russia and Ukraine. That is also wrong. This $60 billion is a fraction of what it would take to turn the tide in Ukraine’s favor. But this is not just a matter of dollars. Fundamentally, we lack the capacity to manufacture the amount of weapons Ukraine needs us to supply to win the war.

Consider our ability to produce 155-millimeter artillery shells. Last year, Ukraine’s defense minister estimated that the country’s base-line requirement for these shells was over four million per year but that it could fire up to seven million if that many were available. Since the start of the conflict, the United States has gone to great lengths to ramp up production of 155-millimeter shells. We’ve roughly doubled our capacity and can now produce 360,000 per year — less than a tenth of what Ukraine says it needs. The administration’s goal is to get this to 1.2 million — 30 percent of what’s needed — by the end of 2025. This would cost the American taxpayers dearly while yielding an unpleasantly familiar result: failure abroad.

Just this week, the top American military commander in Europe argued that absent further security assistance, Russia could soon have a 10-to-1 artillery advantage over Ukraine. What didn’t gather as many headlines is that Russia’s current advantage is at least 5 to 1, even after all the money we have poured into the conflict. Neither of these ratios plausibly leads to Ukrainian victory.

Proponents of American aid to Ukraine have argued that our approach has been a boon to our own economy, creating jobs here in the factories that manufacture weapons. But our national security interests can be — and often are — separate from our economic interests. The notion that we should prolong a bloody and gruesome war because it’s been good for American business is grotesque. We can and should rebuild our industrial base without shipping its products to a foreign conflict.

The story is the same when we look at other munitions. Take the Patriot missile system — our premier air defense weapon. It’s of such importance in this war that Ukraine’s foreign minister has specifically demanded them. That’s because in March alone, Russia reportedly launched over 3,000 guided aerial bombs, 600 drones and 400 missiles at Ukraine. To fend off these attacks, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and others have indicated they need thousands of Patriot interceptors per year. The problem is this: The United States only manufactures 550 per year. If we pass the supplemental aid package currently being considered in Congress, we could potentially increase annual production to 650, but that’s still less than a third of what Ukraine requires.

These weapons are not only needed by Ukraine. If China were to set its sights on Taiwan, the Patriot missile system would be critical to its defense. In fact, the United States has promised to send Taiwan nearly $900 million worth of Patriot missiles, but delivery of those weapons and other essential resources has been severely delayed, partly because of shortages caused by the war in Ukraine.

If that sounds bad, Ukraine’s manpower situation is even worse. Here are the basics: Russia has nearly four times the population of Ukraine. Ukraine needs upward of half a million new recruits, but hundreds of thousands of fighting-age men have already fled the country. The average Ukrainian soldier is roughly 43 years old , and many soldiers have already served two years at the front with few, if any, opportunities to stop fighting. After two years of conflict, there are some villages with almost no men left. The Ukrainian military has resorted to coercing men into service, and women have staged protests to demand the return of their husbands and fathers after long years of service at the front. This newspaper reported one instance in which the Ukrainian military attempted to conscript a man with a diagnosed mental disability.

Many in Washington seem to think that hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians have gone to war with a song in their heart and are happy to label any thought to the contrary Russian propaganda. But major newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic are reporting that the situation on the ground in Ukraine is grim.

These basic mathematical realities were true, but contestable, at the outset of the war. They were obvious and incontestable a year ago, when American leadership worked closely with Mr. Zelensky to undertake a disastrous counteroffensive. The bad news is that accepting brute reality would have been most useful last spring, before the Ukrainians launched that extremely costly and unsuccessful military campaign. The good news is that even now, a defensive strategy can work. Digging in with old-fashioned ditches, cement and land mines are what enabled Russia to weather Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive. Our allies in Europe could better support such a strategy, as well. While some European countries have provided considerable resources, the burden of military support has thus far fallen heaviest on the United States.

By committing to a defensive strategy, Ukraine can preserve its precious military manpower, stop the bleeding and provide time for negotiations to commence. But this would require both the American and Ukrainian leadership to accept that Mr. Zelensky’s stated goal for the war — a return to 1991 boundaries — is fantastical.

The White House has said time and again that it can’t negotiate with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. This is absurd. The Biden administration has no viable plan for the Ukrainians to win this war. The sooner Americans confront this truth, the sooner we can fix this mess and broker for peace.

J.D. Vance ( @JDVance1 ), a Republican, is the junior senator from Ohio.

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