Magdalene is one of 29 undergraduate colleges responsible for the admission of students to the University of Cambridge. — Photos courtesy of Magdalene College Cambridge
DON’T be afraid. Instead, be eager to share what you’ve got and be ready for questions.
That’s Dr Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College’s advice, to students hoping to get into the University of Cambridge.
Magdalene is one of 29 undergraduate colleges responsible for the admission of students to the varsity.
YH2 Capital Scholarship candidates must name Magdalene College in the Cambridge admission application and receive a conditional offer from the college, to be considered for the award.
Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, is also a member of the scholarship selection committee.
“Don’t assume that the interviewer is trying to catch you out because we genuinely want to know what you’re capable of and do want what’s best for you. We want to admit someone who’ll flourish. It’s in nobody’s interest to get someone who won’t benefit or enjoy the journey.”
He said valuable scholarly advances happen only when people have the chance to ask new questions that prompt change.
Dr Williams: It allows students to explore a subject that may not guarantee a job straight away.
The YH2 Capital Scholarship, he said, allows students to explore a subject that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a job straight away, but may lead to exciting paths.
“It’s time for Malaysia to have a Nobel Prize winner and that can only happen when people are encouraged to follow their noses. I don’t imagine Einstein’s theory of general relativity would happen if he spent all his time worrying about whether he’d get a job.”
He said Magdalene and YH2 are looking for someone with real intellectual motivation and is keen on discovering things outside their comfort zones.
“We want someone with an appetite for life, strength of character and the ability to see through a project – somebody who believes they can make a difference by becoming a critical citizen and an active participant in society.”
YH2 Capital Management co-founder and co-CEO Barbara Yu who read law at Cambridge, recalls her days at Magdalene fondly. She credits the “college family” for allowing her to flourish.
“It was my first time out of Hong Kong and my family didn’t have the money to fly with me so I went alone. I was very apprehensive because I didn’t know anyone there. When I arrived, the porters greeted me and showed me around. It was such a warm and welcoming environment. I made many friends who I’m still in close contact with.”
Magdalene’s inclusiveness and openness taught her to appreciate a world that was bigger than herself. Because it is a small college, students don’t feel pressured during tutorials. This allows for freedom of expression as they don’t fear being judged.
“You’ll find people who are very rich but you’ll also find those like me who got here on a scholarship, are very frugal and serious about studying.”
Don’t be intimidated by Cambridge. Instead allow it to shape your way of thinking, she said. Describing it as a very good experience, Yu said Cambridge teaches you to make sense of the world around you.
“I’ve always been good academically but at Cambridge, I received a very philosophical education which had a profound impact on how I approach work and life. The experience sharpens the mind and teaches you to see different perspectives critically.”
Despite being a foreign student from a Chinese-speaking background, Yu had no problems fitting in. Cambridge, she said, respects the intellectual ability of students regardless of their backgrounds.
“My director of studies sat down with me once and said: ‘Your arguments are fantastic but your grammar is all wrong. I’ve marked it but can you please try again’. My English improved a little bit but I scored a first in my exam and I think it was for the quality of my argument, not my command of the language.
“So I’m grateful that in Cambridge, they really value the quality of thought and train you to have a logical mind. They understood that I came from an Asian background and didn’t speak English as well as the Brits yet I was given the same opportunities as everyone else.”
Williams said Cambridge’s advantage is a tutorial system that provides a high-level of individual, professional teaching. Students, he said, aren’t taught by graduate assistants. They’re guided by experts.
“It’s not a class of 500. At least once a week you’ll have conversational face-to-face teaching that stretches you in many ways,” he said, adding that Magdalene’s teaching staff are accessible and experienced in dealing with international students.
“We have a higher percentage of international students compared to most colleges in Cambridge. Over 90% of our students get firsts or upper seconds overall and from that group, the level of success from our East Asian students is particularly high especially in law and maths,” he said.
The college is in the midst of expanding its library. The new green building will open next September, tripling its existing reading space. The expansion is part of a larger project to raise funds for disadvantaged students in Britain and abroad. Scholarships for African students have been set up and the YH2 Scholarship for Malaysians is part of Magdalene’s holistic agenda to admit anyone who qualifies regardless of whether they can afford to pay.
Reminding students to apply soon as the closing date for Cambridge interviews to be held in Malaysia and Singapore is Sept 20, Williams stressed that there’s no advantage to being interviewed in Britain.
“The application deadline (Oct 15) is later for interviews held in Cambridge but we don’t expect candidates to fly over so it’s better to just submit your applications by the September deadline.”
Successful candidates will know by early next year whether they got in. They can then proceed to apply for the YH2 Scholarship which closes end of February. - By CHRISTINA CHIN
