'Cause SMU isn't so popular for Malaysians mah. 

HELLO everyone!

I am sorry that we had idled for quite some time due to sitting for final examinations! But it's all over now so we're back! *wooohooooo* 

Anyway, there are some updates I would like you fellow (potential) juniors to know:

Welcome Tea-s
According to the Office of Admission, those who have received an admission offer would be invited to the welcome tea! There would be one at Penang on the 10th May (Sat), one at KL and JB on 17th May (Sat). Since the admission offers are not completed yet, that doesn't mean you're rejected if you have not gotten an offer. Remember, PATIENCE is the key!

During the welcome tea-s, we, the seniors from MSL will be there as student helpers. We will be sharing about lives in NUS and anything that you would like to know about NUS during the welcome tea, so do come over to find out more! Of course, you can ask us right here too, but we prefer to see you and talk to you FACE TO FACE!

However, we were told to promote NUS as an international university so we would not be talking about MSL or the orientation programme that we prepare for you guys (UFO 9) during the welcome tea, but you can ask us about it personally or through forum threads! We will be more than happy to tell you more about it! 

ON A SIDE NOTE, we do exist! UFO 9 is still an ongoing thing despite we wouldn't be talking about it during the welcome tea-s!

We (MSL) are a voluntary (though unofficial) group of student body consisting of Malaysian students who organize events to bond / have interaction among the Malaysian students. One of the events, UFO 9, serves as an orientation programme to help the incoming freshmen (Y'ALL ARE OUR TARGETS!!! ) and seniors to mingle and gather.  Apart from making new friends, we will be having bonding activities, sharing sessions on some NUS stuff, necessities such as opening of bank account, places to get cheap groceries... and also tour around Singapore! All in all, our aim is to provide a "home" for the Malaysian students in NUS!    The best part about it is that it is entirely free! Soooooo do come and join us, the link to sign up is: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1raGxPjh9y8...1msddc/viewform

For more info, do like and visit our FB page regularly, we will be posting updates more frequently now onwards as exams are over! https://www.facebook.com/msl.ufo9

SEE YOU AT THE WELCOME TEA! 

Hey Eric! I was just wondering about the date of the UFO9's date, it falls on the 14/7/2014 to 21/7/2014?

Why is it so early one? I thought the term only starts at 4th of August. Moreover I think that the QET test is on 17th of July if I'm not mistaken.

Hey there, it is a very good question! 
Basically, we purposely make it this early to overlap with your QET test so that y'all wouldn't have to travel twice to Singapore for orientation programme and also for QET test.

It may sound really early as you guys aren't familiar with the orientation camps in NUS yet.
Faculty orientation and hall orientation (if you're applying to halls) will be held somewhere in the end of July, which is just days after MSL UFO 9. Of course they aren't compulsory, just that if you're interested to join the camps then you wouldn't miss them even joining our orientation programme! If we hold the orientation at a later date then it might clash with these other orientation camps, and you guys wouldn't have enough buffer time to familiarize yourself in NUS before starting your term here.

Do join us! Do tell your friends who are coming to NUS about it and come for orientation together-gether! 

Hmmm but then I thought we can only check in the hall earliest at 25th of July? If I'm not mistaken.

So say if we want to join the UFO9 at 14/7 to 21/7, where should we stay?! 

Hi there You can check in as early as mid July, you just need to send an email to inform them. Like for me, I checked in to my hall at around 13th July.

Hi I am aware that NUS normally takes in students with 4 subjects but I only have 3 (3A*) . I got rejected by the business school and Im planning to appeal. Does anybody here has appealed before and what are the chances of getting accepted if i appeal? 

Wah competition so high now. My 3A got me into NUS biz school with Asean Scholarship last time, now can't even go in.

Haha yeah the competition is so tough now! So you are a NUS alumnus!

So are you working in Singapore or Malaysia now?

Hmmm, so you paid extra?

Anyway, say if I'm not be able to join UFO9, can I still buy the tee shirt for support? Hahaha.

Ya alumnus haha. Working in Singapore. Got few of them in another Working in Singapore thread.

Yes, checking in early means you would have to pay extra depending on how early you checked in prior to the beginning of the semester. Of course you can still buy the tee shirt from us(provided we have enough left) even if you're not able to join the UFO9 although we highly encourage you to join us and have fun

Hahaha nice to meet you! Btw how long have you been working there?

Hello everyone!

Glad to have met those who attended the Welcome Teas @ Penang, KL and JB! Unfortunately, we didn't get the contact details of everyone who attended. So if you want updates from us regarding the UFO 9, please like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/msl.ufo9. Do send us your e-mail through FB message so we can e-mail the details to you! We will only email you updates on our events and relevant stuffs so no worries! There will be no spams haha!
Also, the UFO 9 is going to be held from 14th - 21st July. It's so long because it initially includes the QET test, medical check up, the opening of your bank accounts, official registration to NUS, info on module bidding and how the online portal works, the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony and the necessary official stuffs needed to be done while also having the fun stuffs like campus tour, city tour and Sentosa day. So don't miss out the opportunity to join us!  It's alright if you can't make it all the way. Just let us know! It's free anyway! 

Hi Eric! Thank you so much and all the other seniors, the Welcome Tea was really helpful and informative!

Btw, I have another question regarding the ICA student pass, some solar thingy. Do you all have a problem last time when uploading the photo? :/ because I couldn't use the image crop tool provided by the website, it was blocked by my security setting and I couldn't seem to figure out even after I turn off all my antivirus. So do you all have any other solution for this matter?

One more thing, the guarantor for TFL doesn't need to be a Singapore PR/ Citizen right? And have you all come across this NUS Student Assistance Loan? Because I'm offered this scheme by the financial aid office, but it stated there it needs a Singapore-PR/ Citizen, is it possible to give a Malaysian guarantor then?

Hello Zhao Feng! Nice to meet you too!

Are there any instructions on how to unblock the crop tool given? If you've tried all the possibilities then try editing the photo manually according to the dimensions being set. A manually edited photo should work tho. 

I think you can't. If it's tuition fee loan then I think should be alright! Refer to these links: http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/financialaid/faq-subloan.html#Q42 and http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/financialaid/faq-tfl.html
If you're really keen to take up the Student Assistance Loan but couldn't get a guarantor, try e-mail the office of admission for opinion. Maybe there might be exceptions... Who knows? 

Hope that helps! 

Haha senior! Thanks for you inputs!

I solved the photo problem and now there is another one, which is the payment. I can't seem to pay the processing fee, I was using a Mastercard Credit Card. Can I ask how did you pay for ICA SOLAR thingy last time, if you can recall?

Btw, when did you all start applying for the tuition fee loan and tuition grant thingy? I know you have the Sg Scholarship but last time I think you did try apply also right? Can I apply them now? And about the tuition fee loan scheme, it says that it requires to take tuition grant, so do we have to apply for the grant before the loan?

Another is about the accommodation, I can apply all my choices to halls first, if they don't take me in then they will offer me residence right?

Sorry for bringing so many questions, I know I'm such one question kid but I just want to sort things out as soon as possible!

Thank you very very much!

Hi there Nice meeting you during the welcome tea.

I paid for my SOLAR application using VISA but mastercard should work. The website might be busy so maybe you can try refreshing the page or wait for short while before attempting to pay the processing fee again.

You can start filling in the application form for the tuition fee loan now as the deadline of the application is near the end of July. The tuition grant application will only be open during August so you would have apply for the tuition fee loan first.

Yes, you can put in all the halls of residence of your choice. If you're not accepted to any of them you will be arranged to stay in student residences.

Hope that clear your doubts