I was in Raffles Junior College this morning to attend a talk by a Harvard Admission Officer. Some Harvard Alumni member was also present there and together the both of them shared some rather interesting information about Harvard University.

I shall pick out the interesting part.

Harvard College admitted 1656 people last year. Around 27000 people applied to Harvard.

So your chances of entering Harvard = (1656 ÷ 27000) ≈ 0.061333 = 6.13%
Meaning for every 100 applications that Harvard receives, only around 6 people get admitted and the remaining 94 people are rejected.

Okay. That’s grim enough. But that’s not all. Ms Melanie also said international students (non-US citizens) make up around 10% of the intake.

So for international applicants like most of you and me, your chances of being admitted to Harvard = (0.061333 ÷ 10) = 0.0061333 ≈ 0.613%

And that means for every 100 international applicants, less than 1 gets admitted into Harvard.

Of course Harvard can’t admit every international student from the same country right? They need some diversity. The Harvard alumnus was kind to give some vital statistics. Every year around 5 Singaporeans, 4 Chinese, and 5-7 Indians are admitted into Harvard. From Malaysian newspaper report, I know that there is only 1 Malaysian from Kajang that got admitted into Harvard for this coming intake.

So for that sole Malaysian who got into Harvard, he defeated some rather steep odds against the other Malaysians.

His chances (and mine) of entering Harvard = (1 ÷ 27000) ≈ 0.000037037 = 0.0037%

Ok, to be fair, 3 Malaysians were admitted into Harvard the previous year. But the fact still remain, it’s still extremely hard to enter Harvard. Using this statistic of 3 Malaysians, my chances will be (0.0037 x 3) ≈ 0.0111%

There are 5 Singaporeans who got admission into Harvard, so your chances (if you are a Singaporean) of entering is roughly (0.0037 x 5) = 0.0185%

Let’s compare this to buying a 4 digit lottery in the corner gambling shop. Your chances of winning the first prize is [1 ÷ (10 x 10 x 10 x 10)] ≈ 0.0001 = 0.01%

So for me, the prospect of me gaining admission into Harvard is almost close to none. It’s like me buying a 4D number and hoping that I’ll win the first prize when the results are announced.

The Harvard alumnus also said that Singapore has a very disproportionate representation in Harvard. For a nation of around 4million people, the percentage of people being admitted for any single year is around (5 ÷ 4 000 000) ≈ 1.26 x 10-4%

As for China and India, the representation is only around (5 ÷ 1 000 000 000) ≈ 5 x 10-7%

So no wonder Harvard is so famous. It’s famous for rejecting so many people. And those that does gain admission into Harvard, they are rather set for life cause there are just simply too little people with a Harvard degree.

If the chances of me being admitted into Harvard are comparable to that of winning the first prize of a 4D lottery, then should I even consider applying? People say don’t waste your time and money buying the lottery. This is nearly the same thing. Now do you still want to try your luck entering Harvard?

Heya. I’m back again with Part 2 of my rocking scholars’ trip to ECP. For Part 1 of the trip, click here. Ok. maybe it’s just the 3 of us who had real fun coz we were photographing like crazy wit all our crazy shots.

kinda weird the way yao long jumps…lol

maybe my jump is weird too…

yao long! stop doing that to me. i still wanna live my life (oops, what life is there as a jc student in sg?)

tell u what…i’m very sure i’m gonna win the limbo king game…wanna challenge me?

i like this shot….walk to the light…lol (should have added the saint thingie on my head)

aiya….if only got a very plain background then this would have been a perfect portrait shot of me….

yao long n wern chia

again i like this pix….seems like we are really deep in meditation (or do we not?)

haha….the next time u go to ECP, try fitting into this small bowl…

that’s all folks for this time. i have another batch of photos from our trip to ECP. it’s a story of how we scaled 3 tall poles. the tallest pole being 10ft high? or probably higher…. n how the 3 of us managed to sit on top of the poles like we are at the top of the world.

Technorati Tags: ECP, jump, meditation

Last Sunday, our Malaysian ASEAN direct scholars decided that we should have an outing together after a long while leading out own lives in separate junior colleges. So we decided to go East Coast Park beach to chill.

I spent my time mostly with Yao Long from Temasek Junior College and Wern Chia from National Junior College. And we ended up taking lotsa crazy pixs. Here’s the pixs, photoshopped for effects. Yao Long n Wern Chia, can you spot the difference from the original pixs other than the wordings?

Nice patch of green grass rite? dun u all agree wit me?

Wern Chia n Yao Long said i looked like a reindeer in the pix…do u think so?

i din noe this pix was taken….lol

we tried some jumping shots….

n more jumpin shots…lol

n the best pix of all….the 3 superheroes pix…..(pixs adjusted levels on photoshop)

the superheroes still standing….

and standing sumore……

and still standing!!! wah! so much stamina ah?

Anyway, that’s part 1 of the many many pictures that we had. Stay tuned for part 2……gotta do resizing n minor editing on photoshop……come back soon!!!!

Farking Promos are over!!!! I’m so GLAD! I’m so GLAD!! I’m so GLADDD!!! No need to memorise some stupid shit stuff that I learn in some stupid garbage paper anymore at least for the next 2 to 3 months!!!! Yes! And I can finally update this blog!

Anyway, 1 week before our Promos, my hostel had this thanksgiving dinner to celebrate the good time that we boarders have had staying in Oldham Hall….

I had lotsa great time and count myself really lucky that my exams are not the following day unlike some other JC students like those from RJC, IJC, NYJC….Pity them….Can’t really enjoy themselves on a fun day….Anyway, we took a lot of photos…Here are some of them….

He’s a real smart ass….Scoring 90over for most papers here in Singapore! Even AJ’s killer Maths paper he can score over 90++ without moderation! WTH?

The picture speaks louder than any description that I’m gonna make….Oh anyway, most of them are from China…

Gaurav, (if you are ever reading this)….It’s been nice being roommates for you this year….At least you don’t mug that hard except during exam period….Didn’t scare the hell out of me….But you are one smart fellow….

Ppl….I’ve lotsa Indonesian gals to interact with here! Are you jealous?

My tablemates on Thanksgiving Dinner….Some are my roommates in the 6 bedder room or boarders from neighbouring rooms…

And finally, saving the best for the last! The last toilet group shot!!!! This is our toilet! Underwear Galore! Mwahahhahahaha……..

Technorati Tags: Promos, Oldham Hall

I’m way too busy to update something on my life in junior college. So I’m gonna update with a message I received from Friendster. Kinda shocking I would say.

Karangan Terbaik UPSR 2007
Karangan budak darjah 4

Pagi itu pagi minggu. Cuaca cukup sejuk sehingga mencapai takat suhu beku. Sebab itu saya tidak mandi pagi sebab air kolah jadi air batu dan air paip tidak mahu keluar sebab beku di dalam batang paip. Pagi itu saya bersarapan dengan keluarga di dalam unggun api kerana tidak tahan sejuk. Selepas itu emak saya mengajak saya menemaninya ke pasar. Tetapi saya tidak mahu.

Selepas emak menikam perut saya berkali-kali dengan garfu barulah saya bersetuju untuk mengikutnya. Kami berjalan sejauh 120 kilometer kerana pasar itu letaknya 128 kilometer dari rumah. Lagi 8 kilometer nak sampai pasar saya ternampak sebuah lori kontena meluru dengan laju dari arah belakang.

Dia melanggar emak saya. Emak saya tercampak ke dalam gaung. Dia menjerit “Adoi!”. Lepas itu emak saya naik semula dan mengejar lori tersebut. Saya pun turut berlari di belakang emak saya kerana takut emak saya melanggar lori itu pula. Pemandu lori itu nampak kami mengejarnya. Dia pun memecut lebih laju iaitu sama dengan kelajuan cahaya. Kami pula terpaksa mengejar dengan lebih laju iaitu sama dengan dua kali ganda kelajuan cahaya. Emak saya dapat menerajang tayar depan lori itu. Lori itu terbabas dan melanggar pembahagi jalan lalu bertembung dengan sebuah feri. Feri itu terbelah dua.

Penumpang feri itu yang seramai 100 orang semuanya mati. Pemandu feri itu sangat marah. Dia pun bertukar menjadi Ultraman dan memfire pemandu lori. Pemandu lori menekan butang khas di dalam lori dia..lori itu bertukar menjadi robot Transformer. Mereka bergaduh di udara. Emak saya tidak puas hati. Dia pun terus menyewa sebuah helikopter di Genting
Highlands dan terus ke tempat kemalangan. Dia melanggar pemandu feri yang telah bertukar menjadi Ultraman itu.

Pemandu feri itu terkejut dan terus bertukar menjadi pemandu feri semula lalu terhempas ke jalanraya. Pemandu feri itu pecah. Pemandu lori sangat takut melihat kejadian itu. Dia meminta maaf dari emak saya. Dia menghulurkan tangan ingin bersalam. Tetapi emak saya masih marah. Dia menyendengkan helikopternya dan mengerat tangan pemandu lori itu dengan kipas helikopter. Pemandu lori itu menjerit “Adoi..!” dan jatuh ke bumi. Emak say menghantar helikopter itu ke Genting Highlands. Bila dia balik ke tempat kejadian, dia terus memukul pemandu lori itu dengan beg tangannya sambil memarahi pemandu lori itu di dalam bahasa Inggeris.

Pemandu lori itu tidak dapat menjawab sebab emak saya cakap orang putih. Lalu pemandu lori itu mati. Tidak lama kemudian kereta polis pun sampai. Dia membuat lapuran ke ibu pejabatnya tentang kemalangan ngeri itu. Semua anggota polis di pejabat polis itu terperanjat lalu mati. Orang ramai mengerumuni tempat kejadian kerana ingin mengetahui apa yang telah terjadi. Polis yang bertugas cuba menyuraikan orang ramai lalu dia menjerit menggunakan pembesar suara. Orang ramai terperanjat dan semuanya mati.

Selepas itu emak saya mengajak saya ke pasar untuk mengelak lebih ramai lagi yang akan mati. Di pasar, emak saya menceritakan kejadian itu kepada penjual daging. Penjual daging dan peniaga-peniaga berhampiran yang mendengar cerita itu semuanya terkejut dan mati. Saya dan emak saya terus berlari balik ke rumah. Kerana terlalu penat sebaik saja sampai di rumah kami pun mati. Itulah kemalangan yang paling ngeri yang pernah saya lihat sebelum saya mati.