Six students from Taylor’s College won partial scholarships while one received a full scholarship funding their undergraduate programmes at top Australian universities for the February 2010 academic year.
The students, graduates of the South Australian Matriculation (SAM) and the Cambridge A Level programme, applied with the assistance of Taylor’s Placement Centre and were awarded scholarships by The University of Melbourne, The University of Adelaide and Macquarie University, Sydney.
Ng Sinn-Shun was accepted into the Actuarial Studies degree at Macquarie University, Sydney. He was awarded with the Macquarie University International Scholarship (MUIS), a full scholarship covering 100 per cent of his tuition fees – approximately AUD$21,672 per annum (or RM59,600 per annum) for the 3-year duration of his studies. The scholarship is highly competitive, inviting applications from outstanding students all over the world and is awarded based on academic merit.
An outstanding student of the Cambridge A Level programme, Ng scored 5As for his final Cambridge International Examinations. He also garnered third place in Malaysia for best across 3 A Level subjects.
“University life is different from college life, but Taylor’s has prepared me well. I find the lecturers at Macquarie University very special and dedicated – it’s a good place to study,” said Ng Sinn-Shun when asked about his experience in Macquarie so far.
Offering tips for aspiring scholarship applicants, Ng had this to say, “If a personal statement is necessary, write many drafts until you are satisfied with it. Get some people such as teachers, family or friends to proofread them and make sure you write relevant points. Don’t limit yourselves – scout around for all the scholarships you are eligible for and apply for them. Good luck!”
Another Taylor’s student, See Yong Scen, a SAM graduate with 5As, was awarded the Undergraduate International Merit Scholarship which covers 50% of his tuition fees for the entire duration of his 3-year degree. The scholarship is offered exclusively for international students who have been accepted into The University of Melbourne. Based on his top results, See’s application through the Taylor’s Placement Centre was ranked against other international applicants and went through a rigorous selection process.
See also received offers from several other top Australian universities but The University of Melbourne remained his first choice. The scholarship was presented by Professor Margaret Abernethy, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the Dean’s Award 2010 ceremony held by The University of Melbourne.
Five other students, Ong Yan Hao, Leong Suet Yoong, Joyce Ting Guo Jen, Lee Wei Xin and Wee Jee Hui, secured a scholarship each from The University of Adelaide Law School. This was no small feat, considering that only 10 inaugural scholarships were offered by the University of Adelaide to Malaysian SAM graduates. The scholarship provides a cash payment of AUD$3,000 living allowance.
The scholarships were presented at an award ceremony hosted by Professor Rosemary Owens, Dean of Adelaide Law School, Dr. Max Bessell, Associate Dean – (International) and staff from the International Office and members of the faculty at the University of Adelaide.
Ong Yan Hao was elated to receive the additional funds from the University, to help ease the cost of settling into his first few months in Australia. “I got to know about the scholarship from Taylor’s Placement Centre and Mr Edwin Leow from The University of Adelaide who gave a talk at Taylor’s last year. He gave us a thorough briefing about the scholarship and guided us on the application process, right down to how to write the Statement of Purpose,” he shared.
Having experienced firsthand the invaluable assistance offered by the Taylor’s Placement Centre which assists students in applying to universities, he advised aspiring scholarship applicants to keep an eye out for regular announcements about scholarships posted by the centre.
