READING about the frenzied applications to elite colleges in the United States ("School admissions no measure of one's worth"; last Wednesday) brought back memories of my daughter's unsuccessful applications to Raffles Girls' School and NUS High School through the Direct School Admissions programme eight years ago.
I have to admit that I was a willing accomplice to my daughter's aspirations, and guilty of raising her hopes of attending an "elite" school.
After having invested so much time and energy on the selection tests, talks, camps and interviews, which stretched over more than half a year, the curt rejection e-mail messages bore testimony to dashed hopes and thwarted ambitions.
My daughter was deflated, naturally, but bounced back sooner than I thought. She did well for her Primary School Leaving Examination, went to Tanjong Katong Girls' School and, confidence boosted, managed to get into the Integrated Programme in a junior college at Secondary 3.
Looking back, the rejections were truly a blessing in disguise. She was given many opportunities to shine in both her secondary school and junior college, which might not have come her way in the other schools which rejected her, given the more competitive environment.
She opted to pursue her undergraduate studies in a local university - even though she was strongly encouraged to apply for more prestigious overseas universities - on a scholarship from a research agency.
Having doors to what you think is your dream school slammed shut does not define you. What define you are your motivation to excel, willingness to seize opportunities wherever you are, and resilience in the face of failures and setbacks.
Maria Loh Mun Foong (Ms)
I have to admit that I was a willing accomplice to my daughter's aspirations, and guilty of raising her hopes of attending an "elite" school.
After having invested so much time and energy on the selection tests, talks, camps and interviews, which stretched over more than half a year, the curt rejection e-mail messages bore testimony to dashed hopes and thwarted ambitions.
My daughter was deflated, naturally, but bounced back sooner than I thought. She did well for her Primary School Leaving Examination, went to Tanjong Katong Girls' School and, confidence boosted, managed to get into the Integrated Programme in a junior college at Secondary 3.
Looking back, the rejections were truly a blessing in disguise. She was given many opportunities to shine in both her secondary school and junior college, which might not have come her way in the other schools which rejected her, given the more competitive environment.
She opted to pursue her undergraduate studies in a local university - even though she was strongly encouraged to apply for more prestigious overseas universities - on a scholarship from a research agency.
Having doors to what you think is your dream school slammed shut does not define you. What define you are your motivation to excel, willingness to seize opportunities wherever you are, and resilience in the face of failures and setbacks.
Maria Loh Mun Foong (Ms)
