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.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Articles You Might Like

Should an International Candidate go for an INSEAD R3 MBA?

Top MBA programs starting in January 2024

Upcoming Events

Unlocking Success: INSEAD, HEC, IE, IMD, Judge & other Top European Business Schools

March 21, 2024 | 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENT: Unlocking Success: INSEAD, HEC, IE, IMD, Judge & other Top European Business Schools. Register now

[email protected]

Call / WhatsApp:

+91-9999687183 || +91-9891333772

Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:30

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.

Application + Interview Prep

5 B-schools
Unlimited Calls
Unlimited Edits

AdmitSure@2023 Powered By Mudit Gera

+91- 9999687183

+91- 9891333772.

CELC E-resources

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.

Scroll to top

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.

Dos and Don'ts of academic writing tone and formality

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:

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

woman in black and yellow shirt sitting on chair

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!

The Key to Writing Effective NUS Personal Statements

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.

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

How to draft meaningful length of law school personal statement.

Are you confused on how to write a law school personal statement? One of the essential elements of your application…

Write Personal Statement

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Are you considering studying history and international relations? Or you may be curious about what a degree in this field…

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

Are you applying for a global management program and want to stand out from the crowd? A well-written personal statement…

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Achieving a residency can be a massive accomplishment for any aspiring medical professional. To secure your spot in one of…

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

A personal history statement can be crucial to many applications, from university admissions to job search processes. This blog will…

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Applying for a dietetic internship is a rigorous process and requires submitting a personal statement, which is an essential part…

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

September 29, 2017

NUS MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

NUS Business School 2017-18 MBA Application 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.***

5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid In Your MBA Application Essays - Download your free guide!

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

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

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

Essay questions (Sem 2, 00/01) Comments on earlier essay questions Email me EL1102 Home page

Would you like a Free Profile Evaluation?

NUS MBA Sample Essays

Nus mba application essays 2023-24.

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.”

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

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)

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.

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.

Quick Essay Review

Worried if your Essay is Good enough or Not?

Need a last-minute review?

Submit your essays below & get in-depth feedback within 48 hours .

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) .

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)

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)

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)

Client Testimonials

Interview Prep

3 Mock Interviews

$ 350 / ₹ 25K

What can we do for you, profile evaluation.

Take our Free Profile evaluation and figure out your strengths and weakness

We help guide our clients through the entire application journey

Need Help with your Interview Prep? We got you covered via mock interviews

Profile Evaluation Workshop

Want to get your profile evaluated?

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.

Customized for You

Track Your Progress

Practice Pays

It appears that you are browsing the GMAT Club forum unregistered!

Take 11 tests and quizzes from GMAT Club and leading GMAT prep companies such as Manhattan Prep. All are free for GMAT Club members.

View detailed applicant stats such as GPA, GMAT score, work experience, location, application status, and more

Download thousands of study notes, question collections, GMAT Club’s Grammar and Math books. All are free!

Register now! It`s easy!
Already registered? Sign in!

Thank you for using the timer! We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer. There are many benefits to timing your practice , including:

We’ll give you an estimate of your score

We’ll provide personalized question recommendations

Your score will improve and your results will be more realistic

NUS MBA Class of 2023- Essay Analysis

GMAT Prep Courses
MBA Programs
GMAT Classic Test
GMAT Focus Test
Build Your Study Plan
Best GMAT Books
All the GMAT Tests
GMAT Club Tests
GMAT Verbal
Error Log Templates
GMAT Official Guide
Manhattan Prep
Target Test Prep
Experts' Global
Full Time MBA Rankings
Part Time MBA Rankings
Executive MBA Rankings
International MBA Rankings
Best App Tips
Best MBA Books
Application Reference
Free Profile Evaluation

GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC ®). GMAT Club's website has not been reviewed or endorsed by GMAC.

The post is bookmarked successfully

Blog » Undergrad » Singapore » Application Process » How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement when Applying to Universities in Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree?

How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement when Applying to Universities in Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree?

A personal statement is an essay that you write to show the University’s admissions committee who you are and why you deserve to be admitted to their university. It provides a platform for you to highlight your skills and achievements . It is critical for you to tailor your personal statement to the university you are applying to.

Each application in Singapore is different. While one university may ask you to write a Statement of Purpose, another may ask you to write short essays as part of your application. For example:

NUS requires one personal statement of 300 words
Example of a short answer question could be: “What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?”
Example of a short essay question could be: “ Have you ever struggled for something and failed? How did you respond?”

Although the various requirements may seem daunting, the standard rules of writing and the tips provided by us can be used universally across pieces of writing. So make sure to follow them!

While writing your personal statement, admission officers look for the following:

An insight into your background and how it has shaped your personality.
Your formative experiences.
Important events/ significant achievements that have led to changes in your life.
Your interest in your course choice.
Your interest in studying in Singapore, and in particular the university.
Your expectations from tertiary education.
Your future goals and dreams.

Make sure to cover these points when writing your personal statement.

Tips to write a good Personal Statement

To help you write a good personal statement or essay, we have come up with a few tips for you.

Firstly, plan your essay well in advance . Create a rough skeleton for the essay and jot down important details that you can include in your essay. This includes your background, significant experiences and achievements, why you wish to pursue this course and why you want to study at this university.
Next, your essay must truly show who you are . The essay has to be highly tailored to fit in how your unique experiences have shaped you and your interests. You should be able to specifically address why your interests lie where they are. This can be done through an anecdote. It could also be your motivations and feelings about a certain topic.
Thirdly, being honest goes a long way. Mention your achievements and strengths in your own voice and it is okay to not be overly positive. You can mention your setbacks and analyze how those situations have helped you grow as a person.
Next, always make sure that you don’t overcomplicate your sentences . Your personal statement must be clear, coherent and succinct.
Lastly, proofread your essay as many times as possible. Look for grammatical errors, sentence semantics and wordplay. And keep in mind the word count, so as to not exceed it.

The personal statement speaks volumes about you as a person as it is the most qualitative piece in your application and gives a human touch to all the numbers and scores. Make the most of your personal statement to showcase your voice in your application.

At UniRely, you can get access to 100+ sample personal statements of students who have been accepted to top universities abroad. Please visit our website unirely.com to learn more about the process of applying to universities in Singapore for an undergraduate degree.

Importance of Extracurricular Activities when Applying to Universities in Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree

where am I able to access the 100+ personal statements on this site?

Sign up on the AI platform and get access to personal statements. For more details, please leave us a message and we’ll get back to you.

Anisha Goyal

Great tips to work on personal essays..

Henry Smith

well crafted information.

Get in Touch

Share this article.

anjit vs freelance expert content writer

Planning to Hire Professional Writers?

Related blogs.

SOP for MS in Computer Science
SOP for Industrial Engineering
SOP for Scholarship
SOP for Law
SOP for MBA
SOP for Masters
SOP for Phd
SOP for Graduate school

One Response

Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.

Reformed upskirter admitted to the Bar, along with duo who plagiarised while in university

Mandatory modules in the works for law students, lawyers to plug 'notable gaps' in legal ethics education

"right past wrongs" .

Defending her application, Ms Ong said she had accepted that she had fallen short of the conduct expected of one aspiring to be admitted to the Bar.

However, in the three years since her plagiarism, she has had a clean record in NUS, and engaged in pro bono work during a stint at a law firm.

The Attorney-General no longer objected, acknowledging that she was willing to take responsibility for her mistakes, as she voluntarily disclosed her plagiarism and dishonest statement.

The Singapore Institute of Legal Education also lifted its objection, stating that it was satisfied that Ms Ong had sufficiently reflected on her wrongdoing.

The Law Society of Singapore noted that she had been transparent about her misconduct, and that she had sufficiently remedied her misconduct through her voluntary disclosure.

Chief Justice Menon said Ms Ong’s voluntary disclosures “reflected her willingness to right past wrongs and represented a very significant step in her rehabilitation”.

While her misconduct was serious, he found it "most encouraging that the applicant, of her own accord, made full disclosure of her misconduct in her affidavit in support of her admission application". This showed " her genuine desire to come clean and to make a fresh start on the right footing".

He said that if it were not for Ms Ong coming clean, neither NUS nor the stakeholders would have uncovered her untrue statement made during the inquiry.

"She disclosed the fact of her having committed the academic offence notwithstanding that it had been filed as an internal disciplinary record within NUS,” said Chief Justice Menon.

"And, the applicant went even further by disclosing both to the university and to the stakeholders that she had made the untrue statement years earlier in the course of the inquiry."

Her "candour and courage" in owning up to her mistakes were also "very good signs of reform".

“I was satisfied that the applicant was a fit and proper person to be admitted and I duly enrolled her and welcomed her to the Bar,” he added.

nus essay examples

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

NUS MBA Essays : Sample Essays & Writing Tips

THE ROLE OF ESSAYS IN MBA ADMISSIONS

UNDERSTANDING THE ESSAY PROMPTS

KEY STRATEGIES FOR RESPONSES

STRATEGIES FOR CRAFTING COMPELLING ESSAYS

REFLECTING YOUR PERSONALITY

BALANCING PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ANECDOTES

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

STEERING CLEAR OF CLICHÉS

ALIGNING ESSAYS WITH CAREER GOALS

SAMPLE ESSAY ANALYSES

DISSECTING SUCCESSFUL ESSAYS

LEARNING FROM EXAMPLES

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR APPLICANTS

RESUME/CV CONSIDERATIONS

INTERVIEW PREPARATION STRATEGIES

Leave a Reply

Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:30

NUS MBA Winning Sample Essays – 1

NUS MBA Sample Essays

Application + Interview Prep

+91- 9999687183

CELC E-resources

Academic Writing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

The Key to Writing Effective NUS Personal Statements

The Importance of an Effective NUS Personal Statement in the Academe

Tips for Writing an Effective NUS Personal Statement

NUS Personal Statement Examples

Abir Ghenaiet

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Which program are you applying to?

NUS MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

Sample essay

Bibliography

NUS MBA Sample Essays

NUS MBA Winning Sample Essays – 1

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

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)

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.

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.

Quick Essay Review

NUS MBA Winning Sample Essays – 2

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)

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)

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)

Client Testimonials

Interview Prep

$ 350 / ₹ 25K

Profile Evaluation Workshop

📑Table of Contents

When will I know my results?

What is the NUS QET📝?

Timeline for QET ⏲

What will I be tested on 📄?

How is QET being conducted 💻?

Is there past year papers 📄?

How do I prepare?

1️⃣Start with Basics

Introduction

Body Paragraphs

2️⃣Practise, Practise, Practise

3️⃣Time Yourself

Credits and More Info 🌱

Comprehensive Guide to the NUS QET

NUS MBA Class of 2023- Essay Analysis

How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement when Applying to Universities in Singapore for an Undergraduate Degree?

previous post

Anisha Goyal

Henry Smith

post a comment cancel reply

Get in Touch

Planning to Hire Professional Writers?

One Response

Leave a Reply Cancel reply