My hardship with BISS

I was given admission into Monash Univeristy based on my AS grades and my A-levels Mathematics grade (I sat for my full A-levels Mathematics at the same sitting as my AS subjects).

This was the case as I was applying for the July intake of the University. My final A-levels results will not be out until end August.

The A-level results were finally published on the 14th of Augusts, but BISS had failed to present us the results on that very day. I had to make a long distance call all the way from Malaysia to Shanghai, to inquire about the results. The only answer I got was "the results aren't out yet". All my other friends from all around the world who sat for the very same exam, were informed of their results on the very day it was published. 

Upon publication of the Cambridge A-Level results, the candidates were meant to be issued a Provisional Results Information (ie results slip) by the school. However, BISS failed to present us this document. When I had to follow up on when the school will be issuing us this "results slip", I got a response saying that "Cambridge don’t produce them".

See below the email conversation I had with my school:

(Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:03 AM)

Dear Mrs Lee

Thank you for your email. I am in the office from 7.30 am to 5.00 pm each weekday and I will have the envelope with Eu-juin’s results statement. The statement is only from Edexcel as Cambridge don’t produce them. The certificates from the exam boards will not arrive with us until mid-October November. Universities do know this and they do have the means to check the validity of the results with the Exam Boards so please don’t worry.  I have also provided a letter from the Principal for you confirming Eu-juin’s results.

Please let me know when you wish to call.

I hope this helps.

Lynda

Lynda Middleton  

I then replied:

(17 September 2008 18:52)

Dear Ms Middleton

I am absolutely certain that Cambridge does provide schools and institutions which undertake its examinations a "Provisional Results Statement". Perhaps BISS failed to preamp the need for such an important document required of a student to proceed with the application of their university education.

Having made thorough research, apart from universities in Australia, even top universities in the UK and USA (ie Imperial College, University of Leeds, University of Michigan etc) insists for a copy of a Provisional A-Level Results Statement, issued by the above mentioned examination board, upon the application process.

To your best effort, please try to acquire this required statement from Cambridge. I have been facing many obstacles due to different sorts of complications with regard to me having done A-levels in BISS.

I hope my experience will allow the future BISS graduates a smoother university application process, as hopefully BISS will by then become more experienced in handling such cases.

Regards,

Eugene Lee Eu-Juin

In her next reply, not only did they not apologize for the wrong information and lack of experience in dealing with this sort of cases; they even put the blame on the student due to their own incompetency.

In fact, this reply only came to me 2 days after my above sent email. Isn't this obvious, that she used that 1 days' time to get all of these sorted, and come back to me, bullshitting about the results slip having been sent on wednesday?

See below the reply:

(9/19/2008 9:43 AM)

Dear Eugene

Thank you for your email. I was disappointed to hear that you have felt unsupported by BISS in the University application procedure. Mr Christian did in fact spend much time with emails back and forth in full support of your application to Monash.   Had you made him aware of any further complications in your applications he was there to help at all times.   As far as I am aware the A level examinations ran professionally and smoothly. We had an examiner from the UK who was inspecting Shanghai schools and dropped in unexpectedly one day to check on our examination procedure. We were complemented on the efficient and professional organisation of the exams.

Last week when I contacted Cambridge on behalf of Sarah Wildmann the provisional results statements were unavailable. However, Mr Harding, the GCSE Examinations Officer has informed me that only on Wednesday morning the provisional results statements arrived and I have placed this in the envelope which is waiting at school for you for collection. I can assure you that it is not the case that “BISS failed to preamp the need for such an important document required of a student to proceed with the application of their university education”.

Your documents are ready for collection. Again, I am sorry that you are leaving BISS feeling that you have been unsupported.

Lynda Middleton  

As I'm the first batch of Year 13 that graduated from BISS and the first person who successfully entered university, I must say that BISS did very little in ensuring that its students are of good quality and that the school is credible in the eyes of International Universities.

Do you not think that BISS has been extremely irresponsible in what they do and what they say? In fact, I am truly disappointed that the school actually puts so little effort into ensuring the welfare of its students. All they are concern on is profit making. I hope that my experience allows all the future BISS grads to be well prepared in dealing with these sort of situations. 

TRULY DISGUSTED...