PETALING JAYA: Maya Devi, who achieved 8As in her SPM and hopes to pursue International Business Law, says that she received numerous promotional messages from colleges shortly after the results were announced.
“Most of the time I ignore them unless they’re from a verified business account.
“It also doesn’t hurt to cross-check the number with what’s listed on the institution’s website.
“Better to be safe than sorry – even if the offer seems harmless at first,” she said when met yesterday.
Inspired by her father who works in the corporate sector, Maya said her passion for business was shaped by a teacher who helped her connect with a subject she once disliked.
“If it weren’t for my business tuition teacher, I probably would’ve hated the subject. But now, thanks to him, I’ve developed a genuine interest and that’s what I want to pursue.
“My parents have also been a big help, especially in researching scholarships and making sure I applied for them on time,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lhekha Raviendran, 18, who earned 9As and plans to study Mechanical Engineering, stressed the importance of accreditation and reputation when choosing a university.
“The ranking and accreditation of a university really matter.
“A recognised degree adds value and boosts employability. Employers often prioritise graduates from reputable institutions,” she said.
Lhekha added that interest in a subject should be a core deciding factor, alongside market demand and long-term career prospects.
“You need to consider the future demand for the job,” she added.
For Rozilah Abd Aziz, 50, ensuring that her children make informed decisions is a shared responsibility.
“My daughter has received messages from training centres and colleges both for academic as well as technical and vocational education and training fields.
“I prioritise her interests besides considering career opportunities, tuition fees and location,” she said.
Rozilah emphasised the importance of verifying the legitimacy of institutions.
“There are so many options so we do our research and make sure the institution is MQA-recognised and accredited,” she added.
In George Town, it was reported that parents have expressed concerns about their children receiving unsolicited text messages and emails from institutions offering scholarships and study programmes.
A secondary school teacher, who only wished to be known as Chua, said her daughter, who obtained 7As and 2Bs started receiving SMS messages and e-mails from various institutions a few weeks after the SPM results were announced.
“The messages were from three private colleges and the courses offered were engineering and foundation programmes. The offers came with scholarships and twinning programmes with foreign universities.
“We felt that the offers seemed to be too good to be true.
“I decided to check on the validity of the programmes but my daughter wanted to wait for offers from public universities or programmes recognised by the government,” said the single mother.
Siti Fatimah Az-Zahra Arqam Baginda Omar, 18, said she received offers to enrol in private colleges via her email.
“I was offered places in accountancy and nursing programmes by three private colleges but I declined them as I have other plans. Moreover, the offers didn’t seem convincing, so I just ignored them,” she said.
Siti Fatimah said she was puzzled as to how the institutions had obtained her e-mail and phone number, especially as she had not attended education fairs or registered for any educational programmes.
“The fact that these institutions have obtained my contact information without my knowledge or consent is troubling and raises serious questions about data protection practices,” she said.
