Successful DSA-SEC Admissions In 2023 ~ Ms Jiang Xin Yan

18 Dec 2022
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DSA-SEC Admissions In 2022 - Our Student's Success Stories


In an academically driven society as Singapore where every parent's primary concern with school-going children is their educational results, we have encountered first-hand when dance is often sacrificed for extra tuition classes when a student's academic results need improvement. However, we are of the humble opinion that dance actually offers students an outlet to engage in an activity that betters their mental and physical wellbeing, leaving them recharged for their academic pursuits.


In recent years, our nation's leading education authority - Ministry Of Education has been pushing for a broad-based multifaceted learning approach as evidenced by the introduction of the new Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system - Achievement Level (AL) since 2021 and the introduction of Subject-Based Banding (SBB) in Secondary Schools from 2024 onwards. Thus, pursuing dance while striving for academic excellence at the same time is now a very viable option through MOE's DSA-SEC admission programme that takes into account a student's talent in Dance when they are vying for a spot in their preferred Secondary School. For our full in-depth review of this topic, please visit this link: https://stepup.sg/blog/DSA-SEC-How-Dance-Can-Complement-Your-Child-s-Admission-Into-Their-Preferred-Secondary-School.


In this article, we will be celebrating the achievements of Ms Jiang Xin Yan who managed to receive a confirmed offer from their preferred Secondary School through DSA-SEC via the talent area of Dance. Read on to find out more of her personal insights with regards to her successful DSA journey in 2022: 
 


 
1. What are the most important personal attributes in a student for success in DSA using dance?


The most important personal attributes are not to be shy but be confident, and don’t be afraid to speak your mind. You also have to express your love for the school you are interviewing for. You also need to have good focus as for the Ballet segment of the audition, you need to remember the movements shown by the teacher, and be aware of your turnout and point toes. For the Contemporary segment of the audition, be brave and do the movements shown by the teacher. Don’t be embarrassed or shy, be confident when performing the movements.  


2. How have the DSA preparations at StepUp contributed to your success in DSA?


At StepUp, my teacher prepared several questions that SOTA might ask and also gave me tips on how to answer these questions during the interview session. For the dance improvisation segment, my teacher prepared me with a few movements that I can do when I was out of ideas. I was really shy to dance at first but after a few times of practice, I could dance more confidently to the music. I really think that the preparations at StepUp was very useful as it allowed me to be more confident during the SOTA audition.


3. How has the dance journey at StepUp contributed to your success in DSA?


The RAD Ballet Exams and the normal Ballet classes contributed a lot to my success in DSA. The feeling when you are in the RAD Exam is similar to the emotions that you experience during the SOTA dance audition. By attending the RAD Ballet Exam, the preparation makes me less nervous during the audition and it builds my self-confidence which is essential during the dance audition. The regular Ballet classes also contributed a lot to my success as I got my foundation and techniques during my training in those lessons.

 

4. Why did you decide to take up DSA-SEC?


I chose DSA because I like dancing very much and I have a good dance foundation. DSA can help me get into a better school, and also schools that only accept students via DSA like SOTA.


5. Who would you recommend DSA-SEC to and why?


I would recommend DSA to anyone who is good in a talent area (like dance) as you can give yourself more choices.


6. What was the toughest part of the DSA-SEC submission?


For me, the toughest part of the whole DSA submission was the improvisation portion for the Contemporary segment of the SOTA audition.

 

7. If you could redo the entire DSA-SEC submission again, what improvements would you undertake?


If I could redo the entire DSA submission, I would want to exude more confidence during the improvisation part of the Contemporary segment of the SOTA audition.

 

8. What was the differential between your average Achievement Level (AL) from Primary 4 to the actual PSLE results, and the AL cut-off score required by SOTA?
                                                                 

My average AL was within a 25% differential from the requirements of SOTA.
 

Thanks to Ms Jiang Xin Yan for sharing her DSA-SEC journey and inspiring her juniors at StepUp with her success story! 

 

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