Direct School Admission (DSA) 2023

19 APR 2023

Direct School Admission (DSA) 2023 (Updated on 3 May 2023)

1. Introduction

Introduced in 2004, the DSA scheme provides students with the opportunity to seek admission to Nanyang Girls’ High School (NYGH), based on a diverse range of academic and non-academic achievements and talents that they can demonstrate beyond the PSLE.

Primary 6 students who wish to seek admission to NYGH based on their achievements and talents can consider applying through DSA. Otherwise, students will take part in the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, whereby admission is based on their PSLE results.

Students who have been successfully allocated to NYGH via DSA will NOT be allowed to participate in the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise to opt for other secondary schools as places have already been reserved for them in NYGH. They will also NOT be allowed to transfer to another school after the release of the PSLE results. NYGH runs the six-year Integrated Programme in partnership with Hwa Chong Institution (HCI). DSA admitted students are expected to honour the commitment to NYGH from Year 1 to 4 and to HCI from Year 5 to 6.

Students admitted to NYGH via DSA-CCA are expected to honour their commitment in the CCA from Year 1 to 4. They are allowed to choose another CCA in Year 5 to 6, if they are interested in a new CCA.

Students admitted to NYGH via DSA (Bilingualism, Mathematics, Science, Innovation or Service Leadership) are expected to honour their commitment to participate in the respective domain’s programmes from Year 1 to 4, and prioritise these programmes over others.

Parents and students are encouraged to choose schools wisely based on the student’s aptitude and strengths, bearing in mind NYGH’s academic and non-academic requirements, and the programmes available to develop the area of talent.

2. Important Dates

No.	Description	Time Frame
1	From 2019, application for DSA-Sec can be submitted through the online DSA-Sec Portal. The application is free-of-charge and will be open from 4 to 31 May 2023. For more details, please refer to MOE’s website – HTTPS://WWW.MOE.GOV.SG/SECONDARY/DSA	4 May, 11 am to 31 May,3 pm
2	NYGH conducts trials/ auditions* for shortlisted applicants who have applied for the Aesthetics, Sports and Games-related talent areas. *Dates for trials/ auditions will be published on the school website by early June.	26 June – 15 July
3	Shortlisted applicants who have applied for the Innovation talent area are to submit their portfolios. Further details will be sent to shortlisted applicants at least 2 weeks before the submission date.	8 July
4	Shortlisted applicants who have applied for the Service Leadership talent area are to submit their personal statements. Further details will be sent to shortlisted applicants at least 2 weeks before the submission date.	8 July
5	NYGH conducts selection tests/ tasks for shortlisted applicants who have applied to the Bilingualism, Mathematics or Science talent areas.	8 July
6	NYGH conducts interviews for shortlisted applicants who have cleared the first round of selection through trials/ auditions/ tests/ tasks/ portfolios / personal statements.	22 July, 29 July and 5 August
7	Applicants receive outcome of the selection exercise.	By early September
8	Students who receive at least one DSA offer may indicate up to three school preferences. They can submit their school preferences through the MOE online system or in hardcopy to their primary schools.	Late October
9	The results of the DSA Exercise will be released to students on the same day as the release of PSLE results.	Late November

3. Talent Areas

The talent areas offered by NYGH in the 2023 DSA-Sec exercise for admission into Secondary 1 in 2024 are:

Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese Dance
Chinese Orchestra*
Concert Band**
String Ensemble***

Sports and Games

Artistic Gymnastics
Badminton
Basketball
Netball
Softball
Table Tennis
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Wushu

*Chinese Orchestra is accepting DSA applications for the following instruments: 弦乐 (Bowed strings), 阮 (Ruan), 柳琴 (Liuqin), 笙 (Sheng), 唢 (Suona), 笛子 (Dizi), 琵琶 (Pipa), 扬琴 (Yangqin), Cello, Double Bass, Percussion

**Concert Band is accepting DSA applications for the following instruments: Flute/Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Euphonium, Saxophone

***String Ensemble is accepting DSA applications for the following instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

4. Application Requirements of Each Talent Area

Application for DSA-Sec can be submitted through the online DSA-Sec Portal. Please refer to MOE’s website (HTTPS://WWW.MOE.GOV.SG/SECONDARY/DSA) on application requirements.

The talent areas offered in NYGH in the 2023 DSA exercise for 2024 Secondary 1 admission are:

Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese Dance
Chinese Orchestra
Concert Band
String Ensemble

Required	-	-	Required

Sports

Artistic Gymnastics
Badminton
Basketball
Netball
Softball
Table Tennis
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Wushu

Required

5. Selection Criteria

Passion and aptitude in the specific domain
Performance at selection tests/tasks
Performance at trials or auditions
Academic ability (to manage the IP curriculum)
Character and leadership disposition

6. School Fees

School fees per month (Year 2023)

Nationality	Sec 1	Sec 2	Sec 3	Sec 4
Singapore Citizens	S$250	S$250	S$300	S$300
Singapore Permanent Residents	S$850	S$850	S$850	S$850
International Students from ASEAN Countries	S$1,450	S$1,450	S$1,450	S$1,450
International Students from Non-ASEAN Countries	S$$2,200	S$$2,200	S$$2,200	S$$2,200

Note : The above the school fee rates are updated as of April 2023. Any update in rates will be published on the school website once the new rates are confirmed (where applicable).

Miscellaneous fees

All students

S$750 per year

Students who are recipients of MOE Awards

Students in the Art Elective Programme (AEP), recipients of Edusave Scholarships for Independent Schools (ESIS)

Sec 1 & 2

MOE Subsidy:

S$200 per month

Sec 3 & 4

MOE Subsidy:

S$200 per month

7. Financial Assistance

NYGH is committed to ensuring that no deserving student is denied the opportunity to our Nanyang Experience due to financial circumstances at home. Financial assistance schemes such as the MOE Independent School Bursary (MOE ISB), school-administered financial assistance schemes, as well as other bursaries provided by well-wishers and external institutions are available to help our needy students continue with their education and motivate them to strive for greater accomplishments.

UPLIFT Scholarship

With effect from 2019, students who are Singapore citizens from low-income families admitted to Independent Schools (ISs) through DSA or are receiving the Edusave Scholarships for Independent Schools may apply for the UPLIFT Scholarship. Students from families with Gross Household Income up to $4,400 or Per Capita Income up to $1,100 will be eligible for the scholarship. The scholarship provides a cash award of $1,000 per annum. The tenure of the scholarship will be for the full duration of studies in the ISs subject to students meeting the annual renewal criteria.

MOE Independent School Bursary (MOE ISB)

Eligibility Criteria

Student must be a Singapore Citizen.
Satisfy either the monthly Gross Household Income (GHI) or the Per Capita Income (PCI) criteria.

Income Criteria & Benefits

The income criteria and benefits are as shown in the table below:

Income Criteria

MOE ISB

What it mean

GHI = $3,000;

or PCI = $750

Tier 1 subsidy

~ 100% subsidy

Students pay $0 of school & miscellaneous fee per month.

In addition, they will receive:

Free textbooks and school attire
Full subsidy of national exam fees
Transport Subsidy (for students taking public transport)
Meal SubsidyGHI $2,751 - $4,000;

GHI $3,001 - $4,400;

or PCI $751 - $1,100

Tier 2 subsidy

~ the fees will be covered by the MOE ISB and the MOE School-Based FAS

Students pay $0 of school & miscellaneous fee per month.

GHI $4,401 - $7,500;

or PCI $1,101 - $1,875

Tier 3 subsidy

~ student pays 1.5x

GGAS fee

Students will pay $37.50 per month

MOE will subsidize the remaining school & miscellaneous fee.

GHI$7,501 - $10,000;

or PCI $1,876 - $2,500

Tier 4 subsidy

~ 33% subsidy of school and miscellaneous fees

Lower Sec Students will pay $209.38 per month.

Upper Sec Students will pay $242.87 per month.

MOE will subsidize the remaining 33% of school & miscellaneous fee

School-Administered Financial Assistance Schemes

Students who do not qualify for the MOE ISB or MOE ISB recipients who wish to apply for financial assistance for other fees may apply for such assistance under the Nanyang Girls’ School Financial Assistance Scheme (NYGH FAS). The application form will be available on the school website from December 2023.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

1. What was the admission cut-off point for 2023 Secondary 1 students (annual posting exercise)?

For 2023 Secondary 1 admission, the cut-off was AL 7(D).

2. How many Secondary 1 students will be accepted in 2024?

The projected number is 390.

3. What is the NYGH-HCI Integrated Programme (IP)?

NYGH runs the six-year Integrated Programme in partnership with Hwa Chong Institution (HCI). The IP is a six-year enriched curriculum that equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills to proceed directly to the A-Level programme in HCI. Students who have been successfully allocated to NYGH via DSA are expected to honour the commitment to NYGH from Year 1 to 4 and to HCI from Year 5 to 6.

4. Does the school offer the Art Elective Programme (AEP) and the Music Elective Programme (MEP)?

NYGH offers the AEP. It is a four-year programme and students in the programme enjoy a fee subsidy as AEP is an MOE-initiated programme.

Though our school is not an MEP centre, we offer our own school-based four-year Higher Music Programme (HMP) which is modelled after the MEP. However, students in our HMP do not enjoy a fee subsidy unless they are on ESIS.

5. What would the learning experience be like for students who enrol through DSA (Bilingualism, Mathematics, Science, Innovation or Service Leadership)?

DSA-Bilingualism

To nurture the DSA (Bilingualism) students to be effectively bilingual and bicultural, the school offers programmes beyond the classroom. The Lower Secondary students will attend fortnightly NY Enrich lessons conducted by both Chinese and English language teachers to develop their language skills as well as appreciation for culture and literature. Students are also given the opportunity to attend emcee and debate training, creative writing workshops, editing training and translation workshops. Students are expected to take advantage of one of these programmes to develop their linguistic and literary skills. They will get to sharpen their skills of communication through these various platforms.

Students who enter NYGH through the DSA Bilingualism talent area are committed to reading Chinese Literature at the Upper Secondary level. They are also encouraged to apply for these special programmes: Secondary 2 Literature Mentorship Programme, Upper Secondary Humanities Programme, Upper Secondary Bicultural Studies Programme (MOE BSP-Sec) and Chinese Language Elective Programme (MOE CLEP-Sec). Students are selected into these programmes based on their passion and aptitude.

DSA-Mathematics

The Mathematics Talent Development Programme for students who are admitted to our school via DSA-Mathematics offers an invigorating learning experience. Students will develop their passion, sharpen their problem-solving skills and deepen their learning of Mathematics through a comprehensive four-year Olympiad training programme. They are given opportunities to take part in local and international Mathematics competitions. At Upper Secondary level, students are encouraged to participate in various research programmes such as Math Research Project where they will get to explore different areas of mathematical inquiry. These research projects deepen their knowledge and hone their critical thinking skills. They are also encouraged to apply for a study in Advanced Mathematics which is adapted from the Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry course by Stanford University Online High School.

DSA-Science

Students admitted to our school via DSA-Science are provided with a myriad of opportunities to hone their skills in research and enrich their learning in the various scientific disciplines beyond the core curriculum. They will get to learn from experts in external organisations and institutes of higher learning. In Lower Secondary level, students are expected to participate in at least one research and innovation project such as the Green Wave Environmental Care Competition or Innovation Programme. At Upper Secondary level, students are given various platforms to sharpen their skills of inquiry. They are expected to challenge themselves by taking up at least one advanced science course. They will learn to read scientific journals and carry out independent learning tasks. They are encouraged to participate in various science competitions and mentorship programmes. They will get to deepen their research skills through short-term attachment to research institutions such as Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO).

DSA-Innovation

The Innovation Direct School Admission (DSA) Programme seeks to develop students’ design mindsets and behaviours, which includes developing their capacity to come up with human-centric solutions or innovate systems and experiences. Various platforms will be created such as school-based opportunities for our Innovation DSA students to further develop ideas and early versions of prototypes. There will also be an active curation of external partnerships for our students to learn from institutes of higher learning, local start-ups and other community partners. Students could consider deepening their interest through programmes and projects in areas such as Data Science, Maker, Aesthetics or others which they are keen on. Extended learning opportunities would be facilitated for our students to observe how innovative design mindsets and behaviours play out in authentic settings that cut across different industries.

DSA-Service Leadership

The Service Leadership Direct School Admission (DSA) Programme seeks to nurture leaders who place service at the heart of leadership. Students will be provided with varied authentic learning experiences to develop their 21st century competencies and leadership qualities. The training sessions will cover concepts of leadership and give the students opportunities to work in teams with like-minded students to identify needs in their community and devise solutions to meet those needs. Mentoring will be provided to develop the leadership potential of the students.

6. Who should I contact for more information and further inquiries?

For DSA matters, please call our hotline 6508 3654, Monday – Friday, 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. or email NYGH_DSA@NYGH.EDU.SG from 3 May to 15 September 2023. Please note that the hotline and email address will be removed after 15 September 2023.