ASEAN Undergraduate Scholar, Nicholas Russell Saerang from Indonesia, Shares the Story of How He Secured the Prestigious Award to Pursue His Bachelor’s in Data Science and Analytics at the National University of Singapore (NUS)

My name is Nicholas Russell Saerang, but you can just call me Russell. I’m an NUS graduate in Data Science and Analytics from Jakarta, Indonesia. I also minored in computer science.

I think data science and analytics are a good melting pot between CS fundamentals, mathematics, and statistics, and that’s what motivated me to pursue that major.

ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship Details

I am a recipient of the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship. It is one of the most well-known scholarships provided by the NUS itself because it provides you a lump sum of allowances and covers the rest of your tuition fee, on top of the partial subsidy from the Ministry of Education of Singapore called the MOE Tuition Grant (see ug-eligibility-guidelines-for-tuition-grant.pdf). They are slightly different in amount than now, but you can always check their updated data at this link: ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

I was offered a partial scholarship at NTU from the MOE Tuition Grant only (no ASEAN scholarship) and CUHK Shenzhen as well. They are both around 50% coverage of your tuition fees.

Educational Background

I have been a fan of mathematics since high school (probably way earlier). I have participated in several mathematics competitions, and fortunately, I managed to win some of them.

I was also fully aware that applying to universities abroad would require me to have a great track record academically and non-academically. The former was mostly settled by the time I applied, so to settle the latter, I took the initiative in participating in several co-curricular activities like the student council, volunteering, etc.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the  National University of Singapore?

How Did You Find Information About the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarships and the  National University of Singapore?

I visited several educational fairs that promote studying abroad. Not only that, I find having connections very beneficial, since they might have more exhaustive information about what to do and what not to do.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

Before COVID, which is shortly after I got into NUS, there used to be a standardized test called the University Entrance Exam (UEE), but it has been suspended ever since. I had to take extra courses to review the materials for the exam, which is very similar to that of an A-level exam, since these are not covered in my own school.

Going into my major only required taking the mathematics, physics, and English exams. I remembered physics being the one taking the most of my weekend, because the materials were very in-depth in comparison to the ones taught at school, and the concepts were rather new to me.

So in summary, more classes after school hours, which will definitely extend until the night.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship?

When you apply for NUS admissions, you are automatically applying for the scholarship. So after applying, I only needed to do my best on the UEE, and then once I got further shortlisted, I had to prepare for another essay. (different from your personal statement that you attach when you apply)

The prompts differ every year, but they are very similar to writing your personal statement. This essay is entailed by the scholarship interview itself, which I have provided tips for in my own webpage: https://russelldash332.github.io/posts/uni-interview-prep.html

How is (was) Your Experience at the National University of Singapore? 

I had a lot of fun spending my 4 years at NUS. There was a lot of liberty in how you learn and how you get to design your schedule. I enjoyed spending my mentoring era in my own hostel for most of my time there, and in parallel, teaching basic programming to the students as a part-time job. Not only that, but I also made sure that I still had ample time to spend with my friends, fellow Indonesians, locals, or even those from other countries, too.

How Does the National University of Singapore Support International Students?

NUS has an international student initiative, and they host events for international students quite often, for example: exploring Singapore, or providing workshops on some Singaporean well-known cultures – a very well-engaged series of activities, I guarantee.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English?

They are mostly in English, except when it comes to language modules, which are definitely conducted in that language.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

On top of my UEE results, it’s mainly about how I balance my academic side and my non-academic one. People will spend most of their time making their report card stand out, but won’t have enough time to do anything else beyond that, and thankfully, that was not what I did.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

If it’s regarding my application process, not much, but if it’s regarding what I do throughout my NUS life, there are a number of them. Studying in universities doesn’t mean you study only the modules you get to bid for. Learning is a constant journey, meaning self-learning will play a huge part here, so you don’t have to be so scared of taking a module just because you’ll get a bad grade, which might not happen. Eventually, the grades wouldn’t matter much, but rather the experience or the knowledge gained from the entire process.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Make sure you read the eligibility and understand what it takes to prepare for it. They look very rewarding, but that also means the journey towards them will demand a lot of effort from you. Persevere, and things will settle towards the better in the end.