You don't need ADP. Since you have big dreams, why not work towards that dream by undertaking the common route?

After SPM, you can take up any PreU course. It's not important which PreU course you have completed, US unis are very flexible. The common PreU qualification is A Level, but you can do IB, SAM, STPM, Matrikulasi, whatever. After that ( or before that ), you must have taken your SAT's.

If the fees are an issue to you, you must first work on your SPM. Yes, 10A+s will make the process a little bit easier since you won't have to worry about funding for your PreU. However, 10A+s require commitment, perseverance and sacrifice and you must be ready for the stress which might consume you. I did my SPM in 2013, I shudder at the thought of how hard I had to work with limited resources because I very badly wanted the bursary. Now I realise that if you don't widen your options, you will only add more pressure to yourself.

Let's say if the SPM results are announced around March and I don't achieve my target of straight A+s. Will that crush my dreams of studying in the USA? No. I can study A Level somewhere else which could grant a full tuition waiver, or I could take up STPM. In fact, quite a lot of students who end up in top universities in the USA weren't straight A1 or A+ scorers.

One advice which I'd want to give you is to concentrate on your SPM first. I always emphasize this to SPM candidates. You have limited time to prepare and a lot of content to cover, if you get distracted along the way, your hopes of getting perfect scores will be dashed. The process of applying to US universities is a long and tedious one, but you will have all the time you need after your SPM to ask more questions. Also, I'd want you to widen your options. Narrowing down your options to NYU and Columbia is a risky move, what if you don't get into any one of them? There are many more good schools in the US for you to consider. Your decision now may also be premature, interests change all the time and it'll be good if you read more and think more about what interests you.

That's it I guess. I can help you with your SPM if you have doubts, feel free to private message me. All the best.

Firstly, attending so many extra curricular activities will only jeopardise your chances of straight A+s. Your extra curricular marks will not help one bit in your life unless you're planning to enroll in a Malaysian public university. I was only involved in activities which I liked in form one, two, and four. I ditched everything in form five because I knew the marks would bring me no good, they are overrated, their usefulness are constantly perpetuated by ignorant teachers and school authorities.

"Your reply did make think. But I don't think I would want to do A-Levels, because I have checked in the Uni's in the States and they don't really recognize A - Levels. It would just be a reference for them to see how well you do in your studies."

Wrong. In proving a fallacious claim, one could disproof it by providing a counterexample. I'd want to do the latter. One great example is Avinash Subramaniam, who did A Level at HELP and is currently studying at Harvard. There are just too many if you talk about A Level. The interesting bit is there are students who did only STPM and have managed to land a spot at Harvard, MIT, CALTECH. You see, as I've said, US unis don't care about your qualifications. They don't really care about your grades. More weight is placed on your personal statement, essays, interviews and stuff. This varies according to institution.

You tell your mum that you have everything sorted out. Then, you think and work on your own without distractions.

"I have to be honest here, I am quite materialistic. Honestly speaking, if I can't get into a good school in the States, I don't think I even want to go there and study anymore."

I can relate to that because I was like that in Form Five. I very badly wanted to study Physics at MIT, my dream school since form one and if I can't achieve that, I don't want to study anymore. All I can tell you is that it sounds pretty childish to me now. Life is beautiful and full of uncertainties. If you continue with that mentality you will be constantly miserable. You don't need to get into a top school in order to be somebody successful. Heck, I don't think that NYU/Columbia is a ticket to being a magazine editor. You could study at University Malaya and still be somebody in the future. It's not about where you study but how you think and how you adapt to circumstances. You don't always get what you want in life. But even if you don't, something better awaits you.

"But would you recommend if I did ADP? because I kind of want to go on the fast route like US high schoolers who just submit their IB/AP + SAT right after they graduate."

No. In doing that you burden your parents. Do something which you can afford. You WILL have an equal opportunity to attend Columbia/NYU. Where did you get the idea about IB being more favoured in the first place? It's time to widen your horizons.

"I am already facing a lot of stress currently."

Just take a break from worrying and relax. Feast on mandarin oranges and cookies or something. Stressing out about your future will not change anything, because it remains to be uncertain. If anything, it will only add to the pressure and there might be a possibility of you burning out during crucial times like Trials or SPM.

No, wait. You're confused about a few things here.

If you're aiming for 10A+s, get your bursary, and land a place at Columbia, JPA will sponsor you without looking at your extra curriculars. Even if you don't get your bursary, if you're admitted into Columbia, you can apply for JPA Tajaan Ivy, which doesn't require extra curriculars. Okay?

How do you know that you're interested in computer science? Do you like programming, writing lines of codes, learning all the different languages of programming, discrete mathematics, probability theory ? Sometimes it's easy to get fooled by your perceptions. For example, a person who dislikes algebra and calculus and loves Physics may think that doing a Physics degree is a great idea, but it's the biggest mistake because Physics at uni is very different. It's like doing a Maths degree. That's why I suggested A Level. Even if you are interested in CS, you need a strong foundation in basic Maths and Science. Specializing too early is bad, you will end up with superficial knowledge. CS in IB will be nothing like CS at uni. Think about it.

No, you won't have an advantage with IB. American universities want to admit you, not your scores or your qualifications. It doesn't matter what you study, I think I've emphasised this three times already.

Why not ADP? As you've said it yourself, you will burden your parents. Is that a good idea? Secondly, ADP is not the favoured route to good universities in the US of A. Most people I know who are studying at good schools in the US did not do ADP. They took a PreU course, did their SAT's then applied. You will probably learn a lot less in ADP, I am against learning less when it comes to university preparations. I am against short-cuts.

Nobody in his/her right mind would want to pay the full amount to attend a prestigious US university if he/she is not well off. They look for avenues. There are many avenues.

I am a little bit confused, maybe you are confused at well. On one hand you want to secure a scholarship, on the other you are considering to pay for uni.

It's under KPM Bursary. Yes, the requirement is minimum 9A+. If you think you'll secure 9A+s, then you can stop worrying right now and focus on your studies.

Well, all I can say is SPM Physics is a far cry from actual Physics. Just read an STPM Physics book and you'll notice the difference straight away. SPM Physics is very conceptual and you can just rely on 'common sense' to come up with answers but nature doesn't work that way. A lot of concepts in Physics are counter-intuitive. Tell me if you're interested in Physics, I have a lot of resources for you.

There are a lot of differences. Both are equally good, but the thing I dislike about IB is the workload. Too many assignments, extended essays, project work, volunteer work, and you cannot take more than 2 science subjects. You'll have to take a combination of science, maths and humanities. I'm not a project person, I just want to get to the meat of the material, which is the academic side. Not to mention that IB is very expensive. However, IB could potentially prepare you for project intensive courses, since you're interested in journalism, IB may be suitable for you because you will definitely write a lot of essays. You may love Theory of Knowledge too.

Don't worry, we're all learning. Ask as much as you can, if I can no longer answer them, some other person might.

Hi, it's been a while. What have you been up to? Where are you planning to study after the results are announced?

By the way, I've been filling my post-SPM break with STPM Physics. After reading AS books, I bow to STPM students who ace their subjects with infinite respect. Covering the entire Mechanics + Thermodynamics in 5-6 months is not an easy task at all. Couple it with Maths T's Algebra and Geometry or First Term Chemistry ... I wonder how you guys do it.

I've finished Chapters 1-4 for First Term Physics, momentum part took a while, along with exercises from an old book. Those 90's and 80's questions are extremely interesting, some are very challenging. Especially the HSC ones. Do you know where I can get HSC Physics questions?

This post has been edited by maximR: Feb 8 2014, 11:03 PM

Yes, I want to study Physics at M.I.T. If that fails, any other good universities would do. There are a lot of good universities in the US. I like Columbia too, and I'll definitely be applying there. I am in favour of US universities, I just love their system and how they value human potential instead of merely looking at grades.

I'm still enjoying my post-SPM break, driving, reading, preparing for my SAT's, stuff like that. I'll only study after the SPM results are announced, hopefully I'll be able to secure the KPM Bursary. Wish me luck!

They only look at the actual results. So don't worry too much about your Trials.

You want proof? You find it yourself.

I don't want to waste time entertaining such questions. I don't pluck sentences from the sky.

I can only smile at a post like this.
All the best in life!