Everyone had a fantastic experience!
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Admissions teams from INSEAD, NUS, SMU, and NTU (Nanyang Technological University) arranged special info sessions for us, and current students from MBA and MQF programs shared extensively as well. We're truly grateful for their ongoing support.
We hope this information will help you with your future applications to MBA and graduate programs in Singapore!
We encourage interested participants to join our next visit!

For inquiries about future visits, please click here＞https://global.alpha-academy.com/

Campus Visit Feedback!

・One particularly impressive aspect was SMU’s strong presence in Singapore. Although an MBA generally provides a broader education compared to other master's degrees, SMU allows students to showcase specialization by choosing specific curriculum tracks. The key takeaway was the strategic approach: clearly defining your goals first, and then selecting the appropriate school, degree, curriculum, and internships accordingly. Current students also continue receiving Alpha’s career support services, highlighting Alpha’s comprehensive approach from application to employment.

・I appreciated the chance to speak not only with admissions but also current Alpha students attending SMU. In addition to discussing curriculum and application tips that go beyond the information found online, they shared unique strengths of SMU, practical strategies they used to succeed in their applications, and valuable advice on networking for internships and employment in Singapore. Their real-world experiences provided a vivid picture of student life and career paths after enrollment, making it an extremely beneficial session.

・Through this campus visit, I gained a clear understanding of the distinct strengths of each school. It reaffirmed the importance of concretely defining my long-term career goals, identifying my current shortcomings, and choosing a school that addresses these gaps. Additionally, discussions with current students and fellow participants clarified my immediate next steps, making this experience extremely valuable. Thank you very much for this opportunity!

・Thank you for organizing this campus visit tour despite your busy schedules. I joined because I wanted to confirm for myself whether studying abroad was genuinely my aspiration or simply an idealistic dream. While I felt underprepared compared to other participants, I now see this path as realistic, provided I make up for these information and preparation gaps.

・The campus visits strongly reinforced to me that defining clear career goals is fundamental. While not easy, I am determined to work on creating my career goals and story moving forward. I appreciate your ongoing support in this regard.

・I was initially anxious about attending my first campus visit tour. However, spending time on actual campuses with highly motivated peers made studying abroad feel much more realistic. Conversations about our backgrounds and aspirations highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong mindset toward achieving future goals. Engaging with admissions, current students, and younger participants was also invaluable, offering diverse and insightful perspectives.

Nanyang Technological University MBA

・During the info session, admissions staff guided us around the campus and briefly introduced us to some current students we encountered. After returning to Japan, I received a message from one of these students offering to have an additional online conversation. Having the chance to build such networks is one of the significant advantages of participating in campus visits.

・NTU's strengths seem to lie particularly in sustainability and technology. Given their emphasis on cultivating "CQ" (curiosity quotient), the program appears particularly suited for individuals with a curious, engineering-oriented mindset.

・I learned that if someone is particularly interested in the finance industry, applying to the MSc would be advisable, especially given the opportunity to take classes at Carnegie Mellon and the STEM accreditation for half a year—this was valuable information for me.

Nanyang Technological University Master in Financial Engineering

・Below are detailed responses to specific points:
［Academics］
・Small class sizes ensure high-quality education (smaller scale compared to SMU).
・Broad, deep, and academic curriculum encompassing mathematics, machine learning, computer science, and more.
・A seven-week exchange program at Carnegie Mellon University provides excellent opportunities, particularly for enhancing computer science knowledge.
・The program appears to strongly emphasize coding proficiency across various programming languages (unlike SMU, which focuses primarily on Python and C++).
・Students come from diverse backgrounds, and NTU’s MFE has the highest proportion of graduates working in Singapore among master's programs.
・Career switching is not problematic; however, having a clear career goal is essential.
・The campus was approximately an hour’s train ride from the city center, but the distance did not feel as significant as expected.

［Impressions］
Since I have a science/engineering background, NTU felt familiar and easy to envision myself studying at. For better or worse, the location away from the city center provides a calm environment suitable for concentrated study. Given NTU’s background as a technological university, its financial engineering program appears more tech-oriented. The university likely aims to cultivate individuals capable of designing solutions independently from scratch, going beyond just mathematics or coding skills. Whether NTU is the right choice depends on how deeply one wishes to pursue specific technical skills and whether it aligns with one’s career goals.
As one of Singapore’s prominent national universities, NTU offers an MBA curriculum and career support that seemed comparable to NUS, even though EMBA admissions staff were not available. The integration of cutting-edge technology into classes was highly appealing.
NTU’s 2nd place ranking in the QS 2023 Asia EMBA Rankings also gave a positive impression regarding its academic standards.

Singapore Management University MBA

・Although SMU's MBA ranks somewhat lower than other Singapore-based programs, its local brand recognition in Singapore is very strong, and its downtown location in the business district is highly advantageous. Additionally, the program structure seems designed to allow substantial internship time in the latter part of the curriculum, making it suitable for those seeking diverse internship experiences with companies.

・SMU also seems appealing for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering specific courses tailored for those interested in launching businesses in Singapore.

・Initially, SMU was not on my visit list because it's a relatively new institution. However, I found it attractive due to its proximity to the business district and its dedication to constantly updating curricula with new technologies and innovative thinking. Its central business district location provides excellent corporate access, giving a strong impression of practical curricula and good opportunities for local employment.

・A particularly valuable aspect was hearing current students’ reasoning behind pursuing an MBA at SMU ("Why Singapore? Why pursue a full-time MBA despite having over a decade of career experience?"). One student mentioned deciding quickly due to the necessity of securing a work visa to work locally after graduation. This insight made me reconsider the importance of clearly aligning my methods with my long-term career objectives.

Singapore Management University Quantitative Finance

［Academics］
・The average student age is slightly higher (around 27) compared to NTU, with many students having several years of professional experience.
・The curriculum is more practical compared to NTU, emphasizing coding primarily as a tool for solving real-world problems.
・Python and C++ are the main programming languages.
・An insightful comment was the emphasis on gaining universally applicable skills, regardless of the industry's current trends.
・Internships are utilized as opportunities to acquire specific necessary skills.
・Given the proximity to the financial district, internships seem easily accessible.
・Speaking directly with current students was valuable in clarifying the gap between my career goals and the program’s direction, helping me identify what adjustments might be needed.

［Impressions］
SMU made it easier to visualize a career switch due to the presence of students with backgrounds similar to mine. Given its identity as a business-focused university, SMU likely aims to cultivate graduates who contribute significantly to Singapore’s business sector. Coding is fundamentally a tool for practical problem-solving in SMU’s curriculum (in contrast to NTU's more theoretical approach).
The central location likely facilitates broader external networking and more diverse interactions compared to NTU. Regarding specific program differences, the MAF (Master of Applied Finance) is suitable for those aiming for event-driven activist roles or hedge funds, while MQF appears ideal for students seeking quantitative, statistical analysis methods for investment decision-making.
Ultimately, one's career goals should guide program choice. Going forward, I see the need to further clarify and refine my career direction and the path toward achieving it.

National University of Singapore MBA

・Compared to other MBA programs in Singapore, NUS has a longer duration and connections with MBA programs outside Singapore, offering greater flexibility in program customization. The MBA attracts individuals from diverse industries, providing ample networking opportunities. Thus, it's suitable for those who want sufficient time to thoughtfully consider their target employers and industry.

・Speaking with current students was very informative. While online information suggested that class contributions were valued primarily based on content quality, current students clarified that participation frequency was noted, but quality was less critically evaluated. They also mentioned that there are many Japanese students, and it's true that some tend to cluster together for group work—ultimately, individual effort remains key.

・As a national university, NUS appears to offer a solid foundational curriculum. Current students showed us PDF materials illustrating the preparation process, followed by lectures and group work, which seemed consistent with other schools. Being closer to the central business district than NTU, it may be easier for students to arrange corporate visits and career consultations, offering particular benefits to master's students.

INSEAD MBA

・Through discussions with current students, I learned that many country heads of multinational companies are INSEAD alumni. If the activist fund sector I'm interested in similarly favors INSEAD alumni, choosing INSEAD would be highly advantageous.

・While it's true that many INSEAD graduates enter consulting and consulting firms frequently host events on campus, admissions mentioned that numerous students also enter the finance industry, possibly due to differences in timing of job offers. Therefore, INSEAD's strong consulting placement does not necessarily imply weaker connections with other industries.

・Compared to other MBA programs in Singapore, INSEAD has a notably diverse student body, attracting people from beyond just Asia.

・Reflecting its heritage as a prominent European institution, INSEAD had a higher proportion of European and Western students. The curriculum is well-established, and there's strong support for ongoing learning even after graduation.

・For the EMBA program, we heard directly from three alumni. The deep and meaningful conversations, stemming from participants' rich professional experiences, and opportunities for networking with professionals from various companies were particularly beneficial.

・The EMBA session alone had around 20 visiting participants, totaling over 50 people across all groups. This reinforced INSEAD’s reputation as Singapore's leading business school.

General Impressions of Singapore

・I was drawn to Singapore’s multicultural yet safe environment, characterized by mutual respect and freedom.
・I was impressed by how systematized Singapore is compared to Japan, making various administrative processes much simpler and easier.
・Although sudden rainstorms were challenging, the climate was generally comfortable for me as someone who dislikes cold weather, and I didn't feel particularly out of place.
・Despite being a multicultural society, the predominance of Asian communities made me feel comfortable rather than foreign.

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