no return

i chanced upon nus admission page and read about the various faqs for law and dentistry faculty. dentistry. almost 2 years ago, i stepped into the interview room, all jittery.

when i was in the room, i sat on a chair against a panel of 3 interviewers. the ladies were smiling but the guy gave a glum face. the interview started off rocky and midway through the interview i knew i screwed up the interview. the ladies were really nice but i was grilled badly by the male professor.

as i left the interview room, i cant help but to feel a sense of relief. owning to the fact that i ended a grilling session and i could finally breathe properly. wasnt a good sign for any interview and yes the result came back negative.

i didnt attempt to appeal, could have. i told myself, dentistry is highly selective and i should be contented to be shortlisted for interview and the manual dexterity test. that alone is somewhat an accomplishment, at least i did not give up. however, not appealing might have been my deepest regret for i did not try and so i wont know what could have been the outcome.

so i stumbled upon the faqs for dentistry and law, a common question was asked but it fetched different answers from both faculties.

I was invited to attend the interview and test last year but was not offered a place in Law. Can I re-apply?
An unsuccessful applicant can always reapply. However, he/she will have to compete with the same cohort of applicants for a place in Law.
 
I came for the interview last year but was not offered a place in Dentistry. Can I re-apply?
NUS policy is that a student can be offered only one chance at an interview at a Faculty. So, if you have not been selected after a previous interview for admission to Dentistry, you cannot apply for this same course.

yes highly selectively. my year, the number of students admitted to dentistry was 44.

and this question appeared:
Is there a fixed number of vacancies available each year?
From 2009, the enrollment to Dentistry has been increased from 44 students to 48 students per academic year.

aww, the pain. 4 more students and the intake will see a gradual increase in years to come. if only this came early.

i thought i have gotten over it but it somehow hits me again. it's really time to move on and i am genuinely happy about my current course of study. i should to learn how to stop thinking about 'could-have's. :)