FAQ
1. Why do you need US$100,000 to pay for a Stanford education?
Stanford’s fees, or the fees of many other US universities for that matter, are really expensive. For a Malaysian student to finance an education there without any form of financial aid or scholarship is a tall order unless his family is very affluent. Hence, I have evaluated my family’s ability to pay for a Stanford education and worked out that my family is able to contribute US$ 25,000 annually. By raising US$ 100,000, I am able to finance the remaining US$ 25,000 annually for the next four years since Stanford would cost me approximately US$50,000 per year. (Given Malaysia’s exchange rate against the US Dollar, US$50,000 annually or US$200,000 for 4 years is a very immense sum for a middle-class family, amounting to RM 660,000)
2. Why didn’t you apply for Stanford’s International Financial Aid?
Simple. Stanford is not need-blind for internationals. Stanford is also known for having limited financial aid for international students, and it takes into account the financial situation of the student when making admission decisions. Hence applying for Stanford’s financial aid would greatly diminish my chances of admission. Eager to obtain admission into Stanford, I certainly did not want to jeopardize my own chances by applying for Stanford’s Financial Aid.
3. Why did you not apply for a scholarship instead?
My scholarship applications were rejected by both Petronas and the Malaysian Public Service Department (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam, JPA) after the completion of my high school leaving examination (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) in 2005, despite obtaining 12A1s in the exam and possessing a commendable co-curricular track record. I had decided since then that I did not want to be bonded anyway as it was my intention to start out on my own right after graduation and establish my own firm. Being bonded to a company for 5/6 years after graduation is thus not a viable option for me as many scholarships have a compulsory bond clause.
However, I am currently exploring scholarship opportunities offered by Malaysian companies such as Shell, Telekom Malaysia and Tenaga Nasional as well as government corporations such as Bank Negara Malaysia, Khazanah, Telekom Malaysia and the Securities Commission. I have also applied for the National Infocomm Scholarship (Singapore) which requires me to become a Singapore PR.
Indeed, I might be “lost” to Singapore one day if there is no choice, knowing that meritocracy fails in Malaysia. Please help me sponsor my studies in Stanford.
4. Why should I give money to you? Where do I stand to benefit?
Of course I am not going to claim that by going to Stanford I will be the next world-shaker or reputed business leader, and that by sponsoring me you played a part in helping me reach that apex. I am just a normal guy who just wants to fulfill his dream of going to Stanford to study. Period. Having said that, I will definitely not forget the help rendered and will do my best to repay in kind or in deed in the future. Alternatively, I am also very interested in getting a private study loan (see below, No. 5) or a sponsorship in return for a period of service.
5. Can I just give you a loan instead of donating? Repay me later when you can afford it years after graduation.
This is a great option. I would gladly accept the offer of a private loan, no matter how small the amount. All I ask is that you give me an interest-free loan, or a loan with a minute interest. After all, I could have gone to the banks for loans if I wanted to. Please contact me to sort out the details or e-mail me directly at ernsheong[at]gmail.com.
6. What do you intend to study in Stanford?
I intend to study Electrical Engineering and Management Science in Stanford. I hope that I would be able to qualify for Stanford’s Coterminal programme which would enable me to complete a Masters in Management Science and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering in a period of four years.
7. What are your plans upon the completion of your undergraduate studies at Stanford?
I plan to return to Malaysia and establish a start-up backed by the experience and education that I would have received in Stanford University. As of now I have no intentions of continuing my studies with an MBA in other business schools. In a nutshell, it would be just four years there and then subsequently I would be back in Malaysia. And no, I do not intend to migrate to another country like what so many young Malaysians are planning (or yearning) to do. Malaysia has great, unharnessed business potential and can become a heavyweight in producing industry leaders in the future, if only the brain drain can be stemmed.
8. Why Stanford? You could have opted for Singapore instead, and having been an ASEAN Pre-University Scholar you could have obtained admission into the National University of Singapore (NUS) easily. And why not other American universities?
Basically, this is a personal preference. Stanford University has a world-class engineering faculty coupled with an entrepreneurial environment boosted by its proximity to the Silicon Valley. I see this as a factor that really applies to me and what I intend to do in the future. For a deeper insight into why I really want to go to Stanford, read my Stanford application supplement essay: Why Stanford?
Other questions? Contact me.