None of this year's President's Scholars doing Engineering

Yes, I'm the webmaster. Clever.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't understand why users of my calculator will feel "better off than they are". Consider the person at the 50th percentile according to my calculator- he could have been at the 60th percentile if non-taxpayers were included. So, in fact, my calculator makes him feel worse off than he is!

More than five years ago, my boyfriend was awarded the President's Scholarship too. He was all over the news on papers and TV that even provision shop keepers in his neighbourhood recognised him and said "you appeared on TV!" to him. The PS of today can actually "interact" back through forums. Isn't it very strange to talk back to people talking about you, indirectly or directly? Why do you bother to engage? That's what he as his senior quipped when I told you about what I saw. =)

He also said quickly back that it's more probable that the person responding in blogs and what not as the PS is an imposter claiming to be the PS.

Sorry i meant he, as your senior. Typos.

Haha- why should it be an imposter? I dont think I'm important enough to have someone impersonate me Well if it helps, I'm sitting in my dorm in Stanford now doing a paper on the welfare system and answering email. At 2 am sigh

I'm not sure, I guess I'm just another user with a forum account. Well I'm not sure what you mean by engaging, but it sure doesn't cost me anything to reply so here i am.

Regarding the calculator, the calculator makes the poorest Singaporeans sound better off than they are. Ie someone sees that the bottom 2% of taxpayers make like $2000, and they assume that even the poorest make that amount. So its a bit misleading. yeah

ps: Observer, who's your bf? Haha what a small world

Hey Daniel, heard you guys get paid full salary + bonus while on your postgrad degree even when you're sitting in your dorm room doing absolutely no real work for the government, is that true?

Well that's a touchy issue... it's only the people who signed on with the police and army who get monthly pay. Other scholars get an allowance which has to cover rent and food, we get a salary in addition to that.

We don't do 'real work' while we're studying, but when its break we have to come back to SG to work. I don't know what to make of the fairness of receiving salary while working, but I guess the onus is on us to decide how the money should be spent. Or donated. Or saved. Yeah.

I think the higher ups basically see the salary as an incentive to sign on in the force as opposed to an office job in the ministries. Who would pick chongsua if they can earn the same amount for an office job (other than the really hardcore people). Then once you're in and you start liking the job (and the 24 hour police shifts...), you'll stay with the force. Or government. yeah.

Daniel is correct on this. Only the chiong sua of the top league of Singapore Government scholarships, the SAFOS and the SPFOS have full salary and bonuses while studying. OMS does not.

The three form the top tier of Singapore scholarships.

Daniel, I don't think you know him. He's a SAFOS.

He wonders why you sign with SPF.

Haha so I assume he's from the 2003 batch? That narrows it down to two... and I've met the other one (who spoke at my JC graduation), so I'd love to meet your bf. Everyone does ask me why not SAF or OMS, but I had pretty good reasons for why the police. But this is a comments board and I should stop hijacking it!

Can you email me at danieleio@gmail.com? Can talk over there haha

Daniel, feel free to share your story here. I'm sure many people are interested to know. Thanks.