Question from Quora: https://www.quora.com/Why-would-most-Singaporean-students-if-given-the-choice-prefer-attending-a-not-so-good-university-in-the-UK-US-instead-of-one-of-their-top-Singaporean-universities

Why would most Singaporean students, if given the choice, prefer attending a not-so-good university in the UK/US instead of one of their top Singaporean universities?

Assistant Bot:

There are several reasons why many Singaporean students might prefer attending a less prestigious university in the UK or US over a top university in Singapore:

Global Exposure: Studying abroad provides students with exposure to different cultures, lifestyles, and educational systems. This experience can enhance personal growth and broaden perspectives.
Perception of Education Quality: Some students may perceive that certain universities in the UK or US offer a higher quality of education or more prestigious degrees, even if those universities are not ranked as highly as Singapore's top institutions.
Networking Opportunities: Universities in the US and UK often have extensive alumni networks and connections in various industries, which can be beneficial for future career opportunities.
Specialized Programs: Some students might be interested in specific programs or fields of study that are better developed or more recognized at certain foreign universities than in Singapore.
Language and Communication: For many students, studying in English-speaking countries can improve their language skills and enhance their ability to communicate in a global context.
Personal Preferences: Some students may simply prefer the lifestyle and environment of studying abroad, including the experience of living independently in a different country.
Prestige of the Experience: Attending a university abroad, even if it's not highly ranked, can be seen as a prestigious experience in itself, adding to a student's resume.
Diverse Learning Environment: International universities often have a diverse student body, allowing for a rich exchange of ideas and experiences that some students find appealing.

These factors can lead students to prioritize the experience and opportunities associated with studying abroad over the reputation of local institutions.

Qian Wen Tan:

Short answer: They do not just go for the education.

Long answer: Putting aside whether you go to a good school or not in UK/US, the experience obtained while studying overseas is certainly worth the choice.

I went to UK for my undergraduate degree for 3 years and other than the the top education received, I also gained more insights about life, culture and people just from interacting with my coursemates and travelling around Europe. It is an eye-opening experience that I highly value and it has introduced various perspectives into my life, which I believe will not be possible if I had chose to study in NUS instead.

Once you have met people who live and think differently from you, you begin to become more introspective and question the way things are done. You also began to see and appreciate the good things about Singapore (e.g. public transport, cleanliness, education). At the same time you also learn what are the things we as Singaporeans can improve on. You also have to learn how to survive on your own w/o your parents. You start learning to be more independent and responsible for yourself.

Simply put, you learn so much when you head out of Singapore, that sometimes it doesn't matter which school you go to, but rather what you can get the most out of the school/country you study in.

Ellen Ng:

This answer is based on my personal experience.

I got into NUS and NTU as well as a bunch of non-ivy league non-Oxbridge universities in the US and UK (I assume that’s what you mean by “not-so-good university in the UK/US”). I have since accepted UW Seattle which I will attend starting this autumn. UW ranks 25th on the 2016–17 Times Higher Ed world rankings and 59th on the QS 2017 world rankings. In comparison, NUS ranks 24th and 12th respectively while NTU ranks 54th and 13th.

(ETA: In the latest QS 2018 world rankings, NUS is in 15th, NTU in 11th and UW in 61st.)

School in Singapore in highly competitive and you are expected to put a lot of time and effort into your studies. Too much, in my opinion. Having a vibrant non-academic life is important to me and I didn’t think I could achieve that at a local U.

(Because of this, I also chose not to apply to the very high-ranking, immensely popular schools like Oxford (which my parents really wanted me to try) or Stanford. My (possibly flawed) reasoning was that if just getting a place in these schools is already so competitive, academic life can’t be far behind. I found that if I’m going to attend such a high-class institution only to end up studying all the time, there would be no point.)

The most reputable overseas uni I applied to is probably Edinburgh, which ranks below NUS on both QS and THE, and below NTU on the QS as well. It’s a level above my other choices in terms of selectivity but I didn’t meet the straight As they wanted in their conditional offer anyway.

Another big factor for me was location. Singapore, being a small and densely populated island, lacks the vast areas of nature and wilderness you can find overseas. I like visiting and photographing these areas. The Pacific Northwest region in particularly alluring in this aspect, another reason to choose UW.

Lastly, it comes down to the course I wanted. At overseas Us, I was admitted either as undeclared (by my choice) or into an earth/environmental science/geology course. At NTU, I couldn’t get into the Environmental and Earth Systems Science programme. NUS offers Environmental Studies which has less science and less fieldwork (which is less appealing to me, but I know some people like it) or you can apply to Faculty of Science and choose Life Sciences as your major. the Life Sciences programme has an environmental biology concentration and that would be my plan if I chose NUS, but it doesn’t offer much fieldwork opportunities either.

I know people who couldn’t get into NUS/NTU medicine and have opted to go overseas because they could get into med programmes there, even if the unis are lesser-known.

Another field where people flock abroad to study is art/design. SUTD focuses way more on the technology part of their name than the design part and isn’t really recognised as a ‘top’ local university yet. Laselle is crazy expensive. Most people I know who want to pursue art but stay local are either aiming for NUS architecture or NTU’s ADM school (but personally I find that the latter doesn’t produce very inspiring works). I think all my JC art teachers got their art degrees in the UK.

Recently one of our education ministers said that Singapore aims to cap the percentage of local graduates from each cohort at 40%. However, the % of students from each cohort going into a local school has been steadily increasing over the last few years and is currently in the 30s, hence one would expect admission to NUS/NTU and SMU even to get more competitive. This might cause more people to look overseas in the future because they can’t get a place in a local U.

Jerome Syed:

There is no one reason to suit this scenario.

As you have pointed out clearly that our local universities are ranked much higher (may include SMU), there could be some factors at play for this decision. The fees to be paid for them could be used via CPF instead of cash.

Besides the fact that the parents' can't afford the tuition and accommodation expenses, the opportunities that comes along with the stint is really immeasurable.

1) Getting to sample education from other universities which could improve more hands on projects than just classroom learning.

2) Making friends from diverse cultures, unlike a local university where your classmates could be from your college, Secondary or even primary school! Boring!

3) An overseas education may help you to stand out from the crowd during an interview, of course depending how you might fare. Parents sure have that belief that overseas education does that, if not more.

There could be more reasons than that I have stated above but these are the ones that came to my mind at this point of time.

Thanks for the A2A!

Anonymous:

(I’m assuming your definition of not-so-good universities in the UK/US refers to the non-Ivy, non-Oxbridge second and third-tier universities the like of BU, OSHU, Thomas Jefferson, SUNY, or Liverpool, UOL, Birmingham, Lancaster, Manchester.)

Mainly to avoid the harsher grading systems in Singapore universities. There is actually a high possibility of being at the low end of the bell curve (a system where academic grades are allocated based on class rank) given that most courses take in students of similar academic abilities. Getting a 2.2 places you at the low end of the UK educational system, but only places you in the median of the cohort in a Singapore university. A number of students with less than 2.1 grades from a Singaporean university end up applying to a UK/US/Oz university with their JC/poly grades and usually find it easier to obtain a 2.1 or a first class degree.

Not withstanding the fact that getting a degree in a foreign city you plan to live in, improves the chances of landing a job there, a university degree is viewed by some not just as a means to a job, but a gateway to knowledge. Teaching styles in Singapore universities mostly appeal to the pedantic, and the moderately motivated student would have a higher chance of developing an actual and permanent interest in the subject through lectures conducted by means of the engaging styles of US/UK lecturers. Overseas lecturers are also more accepting of a discussion-based mode of learning, and of divergent viewpoints from students. The intellectual input from students from different backgrounds also add to the mix of ideas.

Social reasons for attending university abroad: It can be pretty stale speaking about the same topics with your friends and visiting the same few regional cities for short getaways. Living abroad enables you to experience a different culture, learn a new language and travel in an exotic part of the world. For some, this also means escaping from your overbearing family and living independently, learning how to survive in a different climate, dealing with unexpected housing and immigration issues, etc. This depends on how pampered you were before you left Singapore.

However, university fees for international students in English-speaking countries are very high, and few Singaporean families can afford to send more than one child abroad for a better education. Staying in Singapore for your undergraduate degree is therefore the default choice for many.

Sam Cheung:

There is an asian (mostly oriental), almost totally undeserved reverence of Western things, from goods and clothing, to skin colour and beauty products. This includes the education system.
British and American schools are doing very well franchising in these countries.
Part of it is to do with the colonial mentality, especially in Singapore.

There are a couple of other good reasons to study in the UK/US for Singaporeans.
Firstly, most businesses in Singapore will have dealings with companies in the UK or US, or actually be based in those countries, so studying in the UK or US will help students understand the mentality of those companies/ not be intimidated by them/ make contacts in those countries.

Secondly, it is good to study abroad and widen their horizons (and not just to escape their tiger mums!). Singapore is a small country, and it is good to see what it is like living as part of a greater mass of people.

Cornelius Goh:

University Campus life shapes an adult life, especially so in an overseas environment, besides growing up with independence and confidence, gaining academic knowledge, the exposure to foreign countries in culture, industries, professionals, technologies, businesses...through interactions with professors, interns, local students and friends...these are immense experiences for Singaporean youths.

The same applies to American or European students who should opt for a short or long stint in other part of the world like Asia (China, Japan, Korea, HK, Taiwan, Singapore...)

A global perspective is a very valuable asset to be successful internationally.

Didn't the Strategist Sun Zi (孙子) say 2000 years ago :

知己知彼, 百战百胜
"Know yourself and know others, hundreds battles hundreds victories."

Chia Jeng Yang 谢征阳:

Although Sam is generally correct (though I would argue this is steadily eroding), part of the key reasons is that it is simply a lot harder to get into the subject you want to in Singapore. The criteria for entry for Law and Medicine for example is extremely high. For many average but still highly capable students, it is simply easier to apply and get into a mid-tier UK/US/Aus school.

On the other hand, you have the comment that SG schools are better than many universities where the top students go. This is of course, certainly not true in regards to schools like Imperial, UCL, LSE, Oxbridge, Edinburgh, Ivy Leagues, Caltech, MIT and Stanford, etc. which are many of the schools that Singaporeans cluster in.

Indra Ramli:

It is very hard to get admitted in good unis (NUS,NTU,SMU) for programme they chose in Spore, so they look for UK,USA,Aus as alternative although not a top uni ranks.
Demonstration effects from friends to go abroad for study , some even don’t get prestigious programme , but a label of UK or USA graduated.
Some get really good programme studies , and scholarship to go to UK/USA.they get their own life to make their future.
If they got offer from (NUS,NTU,SMU) and have good financial back ground to pursue uni in Uk/USA .they saw the bigger picture out there and they have a lot of dream to make ,hope they aim it.
Non Singaporean who get place (NUS,NTU ,SMU) especially from neighbours countries like Indonesia,Msia,Thailand etc would very glad , and it has the same feeling to be adult and independent life just like what Singaporean feel when living overseas.(I would like to share even though it is not relevant to your question).
Beside there are a lot of reasons to choose overseas study , actually both local Spore and UK/USA are all good choices as long as you are really want to study , both graduatee able to aim success future .Local Uni also have a lot of exchange programs with many good uni in the world.If you are a smart,challenge persons, although you study or graduate in Spore, India, China,Indo ,Msia , you can travel to anywhere in the world to find your goals. Many westerners can do business in Asia although never being here for study , culture ? learn and learn . If you are lazy and no inspiration guy, nothing can make you success even you are a MIT or Harvard alumni .