ADTP INTEC: Journey to the States

Assalamualaikum,

DISCLAIMER: This post was written based on the 2012/13 ADFP program, when the writer was still a student of INTEC. Since she left, INTEC may or may not have changed some of the information noted in this post, such as the arrangements of the classes or the courses/subjects that the students would be taking. The program has also been renamed from American Degree Foundation Program (ADFP) to American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP). The writer is by not to blame for any problems that may arise should the reader take the post for granted, thank you.

This post is specially written for those students under MARA / JPA / JPA-MARA / Petronas / YPBB / Yayasan Terangganu / etc who would be coming to INTEC Education College and taking up American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP). Hope this will help you guys in preparing for your pre-university life in INTEC πŸ™‚

Just some of the words you’ve have to be familiar with while you’re here πŸ™‚

INTEC Education College

Please oh please, don’t say you have no idea where INTEC is. I know a lot of people have absolutely no clue about the whereabouts of INTEC, but since you’d be coming down to INTEC, you should have at least a rough idea of where and what INTEC is.

INTEC Education College. Previously a preparatory college under UiTM, INTEC is located in Seksyen 17, Shah Alam. INTEC has preparatory programs for students such as A-Level UK, A-Level Medicine, A-Level German, Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT), American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP), American Credit Transfer Program (ACTP), Middle East Program (MEP), Program Teknikal Jepun (KTJ), Program Teknikal Korea, and French Program.

American Top University Student Association (ATUSA) & MEMENTO

This is the name of the student body for ADTP INTEC students. ATUSA is by far (according to most people here) the busiest and most active student body in INTEC. We host different activities and events such as the Black History Week, ATUSA Recreational Week, charity program, Show Me Your Art, drama competitions and many more. Oh, and MEMENTO refers to ATUSA’s yearbook. πŸ™‚

ADFP & ACTP (old program)

So technically ADFP is the foundation year, and, if your CGPA allows it, you will be able to fly off to the States after completing your ADFP. Some people prefer to stay for ACTP here, and fly off to the States after their second year in INTEC. The difference between these two is that if you fly off after ADFP, you’d enter the university as a freshmanΒ (4 years in US), whereas ACTP students will enter the university as transfer studentsΒ (3 years in US).

The picture above is the grading scale for the ADFP & ACTP here in INTEC. Yes, it’s high, I know. But it’s not impossible to get above 3.50. Some people even get 3.90 and above. So as long as you stay consistent and focused in your studies, it is achievable πŸ™‚

SAT & TOEFL

SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test, a test conducted by CollegeBoardΒ for students wanting to apply to a US university/college. On the other hand, TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language, is used to test one’s ability to converse in English.

INTEC will guide you on to how to register for SAT and TOEFL. You’d need to pay for SAT and TOEFL on your own, but if you’re a sponsored student, your sponsor would cover the fees for you [ for MARA, they only pay for the first time, if you retake or resit, you’d have to pay on your own ]

SAT – There’s three sections, namely Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. 10 parts in the test all together, roughly about 3-4 hours overall. First part is always an essay part. Each section is 800 marks, total 2400 marks. Normally they’d take into account your Maths and CR sections, out of 1600. If you get 1000+ or 1200+, that is over the requirement for most universities. But, of course, the higher it is, the better. For Ivy League and the competitive universities, it’s better to get 1900/2400 and above.

TOEFL – There’s four sections, Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It’s Internet-based, so you’re going to talk to a computer (yes). It’s easy, don’t worry. 30 marks each sections, 120 in total. Most universities require 79 and above, some lower, it depends on your university choices.

Fall, Spring and Summer

These are the three semesters you would be having here in ADFP. Fall semester (July-October), Spring semester (January-April) and Summer semester (May-June). Spring semesters are normally the most hectic semesters of all, and Summer semester is normally very relaxed, unless, of course, you’re taking Calculus 2 during Summer, like me -.-‘

NOTE: Major & Courses – In contrast to popular belief, a course does not mean the degree that you would be taking, for example Medicine, Engineering or Actuarial Science. For the US system, ‘courses’ refer to the ‘subjects’ you’d be taking, such as Calculus, Fundamental of Speech Communication, and many more. A ‘major’, however, refers to the so-called ‘course’ you would want to do, such as Medicine, Bio-technology, Finance, and others.

Austin, Fall 2012

During Fall, for ADFP, the classes are as follow: Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Eugene, Fargo, Glendale, Honolulu, Omaha. Normally the first few classes are for the Science stream students (Engineering, Biotechnology, Actuarial Science), and the last few classes are for the Arts stream students (Economics, Finance, Animation, Arts, Graphic Design, Psychology, etc). Omaha’s for the Australian-bound students. When you first come to INTEC, you’d sit for an English test to test your proficiency. They would then split the classes according to the level of English of the students.

An example of a Fall schedule

Classes and subjects (might have changed now!)

In Fall, most of the courses would be English courses (Writing & Language Awareness, Oral Communication, Reading & Study Skills with Critical Thinking), then an Agama/Moral class (Fundamental of Islamic Studies / Introduction to Theology and Philosophy) and either Precalculus or Precalculus for Business. You take these simple courses as the Fall semester is more towards getting you prepared for TOEFL and SAT, which means you’d be having TOEFL and SAT classes as well, including an SAT Practice Test every week.

Denver and Eugene, Spring 2013


Depending on your results for your Precalculus from Fall, you’d be repeating that course if you’re not eligible to continue with Calculus 1 (Science students) or Calculus for Business (Non-Science). During Spring, you’d be split into different classes according to your majors, and each class would take different courses. You would also need to take some English courses such as Speech Communication, Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking, as well as Agama/Moral, Philosophy of Islamic Akhlak. (all these courses compulsory for all classes, no matter what’s your major) Additional courses according to majors would be as follow:

Engineering students: Calculus 1, Introduction to Engineering, Physics, Chemistry (If I’m not mistaken. Oh, and Engineering students do not take Critical Thinking)
Biotechnology students: Calculus 1, Biology
Actuarial Science students: Calculus 1, Computer Programming 1

Spring schedule

Arts students (Economics, Finance, Graphics, Animations, Psychology, etc): Between Calculus for Business, Arts, Business, Computer Processing (I’m not so sure about the other courses though, hihi)

And last but not least, Summer. In Summer, on average, you’d only take two courses. Some take one, others might have two or three. (I only have one, which is Calculus 2) Courses in Summer includes: Calculus 2, Calculus 1, American Cultural Studies, Introduction to Psychology, Computer & Information Processing, Introductory Microeconomics, Introduction to Engineering, Experimental Biology, Calculus for Business, Transaction in Islam, Introduction to Al-Quran and Sunnah. This depends on your previous two semesters’ results, and you’d be divided into different classes depending on which courses you would need to take.

InPro

This is basically an inter-program tournament in INTEC, where teams from different programs compete against each other in different games. There’s basketball, futsal, netball, badminton, bowling, frisbee, volleyball and table tennis.

Yours truly during InPro 2012.

i-KoPLN & i-ProKhas

These are INTEC’s compulsory programs for all students (Muslims only for i-ProKhas). Basically i-ProKhas is INTEC’s ‘Program Pemantapan Rohani’. i-KoPLN is the ‘Kokurikulum Pelajar Luar Negara’, where you’d be split into groups and each group will have to sell a certain thing during the Fiesta i-KoPLN (kind of like a small carnival)

More information would be given to you once you’re here in INTEC, so this is just a heads’ up.

Cemara, Akasia & Cendana

Welcome to your second home sweet home.

Cemara & Akasia are located in Seksyen 18, about 5 minutes away from INTEC’s campus. Cendana’s located in Seksyen 6, about 15 (I think?) minutes away. (well, depending on how fast you drive la) Most of the girls would be staying in Akasia, and some of them that does not fit in Akasia will be asked to stay in Cemara. Cendana is specially for the guys, junior guys, that is. Cemara’s for the senior guys, and some fast-track junior guys as well.

Each house includes: two two-bedded rooms (for Cendana, there might be three-bedded rooms), a living room with two sofas (no sofas in Cendana as of today, if I’m not mistaken), study tables and chairs, whiteboard, soft-board for each student, a small kitchen and a toilet.

For a closer look at a room in Akasia: (pardon the mess, we were in the midst of packing)

Bedroom in Akasia
Study table in Akasia
‘Living room’ in Akasia

MDS & JPKCA

Minggu Destini Siswa – Orientation week! Hurrayyy. Be prepared for a packed half-a-week orientation and group discussions/games/etc.

JPKCA – Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Kolej Cemara & Akasia. (For Cendana, it’s JPKC) We basically plan activities for the students in our respective colleges, and help to convey messages to and from HEP and the students.

CommonApp

Familiarize yourself with this website, as a lot of the US universities are using this application software for you to send in your application later on. Do note that not ALL universities are using CommonApp, so check the respective universities for their application processes.

PROMOTION: Check out the USAPPS 2013 Workshops to help you during your US University Application process. It’s free of charge, and it’s in Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, which is like, CLOSE BY. (well, pretty close la, within half an hour) It’d be really informative as Malaysians students who are in the States will be helping you out in your application process.

EXTRA NOTE

Feel free to check out the 1994’s blog for an overview about ADFP in INTEC, and join the INTEC 2013/2015 group on Facebook for more information.

***********************************

Okay, so, FINALLY, this post is DONE, Alhamdulillah. Hope it helps to clear some of the doubts in your mind. Oh, and welcome to INTEC Education College. πŸ™‚ ADFP’s a fun program, trust me. As long as you can manage your time and energy between your studies and the fun things, you’d be just fine, insyaAllah. Just comment if you have any questions. Until then, Assalamualaikum! πŸ™‚

ADFP – All Day Fun and Play πŸ™‚

156 thoughts on “ADTP INTEC: Journey to the States”

  1. I’m confused about one thing regarding the ADFP classes. You said the first few classes are the science stream, the last few is arts and Omaha is for Australian bound students, but then you also said we’d have to take an English test so they would then split the classes into level of English? I don’t understand. Will we be sorted into classes according to our majors or our English level?

    1. Yes, you’d be sorted into classes according to both MAJORS and English Level.

      For Science students, the ones who scored high in the English test would be sorted into Austin until it reaches the limit, then the next high scorers into Boston and so on until the last student in the Science stream. Normally there’s only four classes for Sciences, unless there’s more students coming in.

      Same goes with the Arts students, the top scorers in the English test goes into Eugene, and so on.

      πŸ™‚

  2. is there a way for Australian bound students to end up going to US after ADFP instead of Australia?

  3. Salam,
    thnx for the info. very helpful ^_^
    I’m wondering whether sponsor students under mara are given the options to go to the states after finishing adfp or is it compulsory to do actp first?

    Thnx again.

  4. Well written.very helpful for new student like my son on 30 june 2013.best of luck to u.thanks alot.

    1. You’re welcome! πŸ˜€ Can’t wait to meet your son during his orientation:D What’s his name? Oh, and if you’re sending him as well, say hi if you see me around during registration, as I’d be there as well πŸ˜€

  5. Thank you so much kak syaza πŸ™‚ this is really helpful for me as a new student ~ in sha Allah. Ill try my best m / hope to see you In two weeks time kak syaza !:)- amilin

  6. thank you for sharing! πŸ™‚ btw, im curious, how the English proficiency test will be held? i mean like we need to write some essays or what?

  7. Last question (hopefully) about australia students! Sorry! So, does that mean if they do well, they can fly in one year just like other ADFP students or they have to do two years because they dont take SATs and stuff?

  8. For your info, To get into Ivy Leagues in general, borderline SAT is actually 2100+ not 1900 (1900 is actually very very low), or else you have to be super smart in something else.*Getting super good SAT 2 results wont help* they only look at SAT 1 results for the SAT 1 component. For super top public universities such as UCLA/ UC Berkeley, avg SAT is 2040-2080. For prestigious non-ivy schools like stanford and MIT, haha, SAT is a crazy high 2150 and above πŸ™‚

  9. My son still waiting for detail offer letter from mara, until now still no news. Can we register without detail offer letter.

  10. My son still waiting for detail offer letter from mara, until now still no news. Can we register without detail offer letter.

  11. Did u find out who my son is dear syaza.iwas anonymous june 14.auntie Ana here.my son didn’t know i wrote to u no name lagi.i like to tease him. He called n asked me was it him syaza was looking for the new student ADFP!.so funny coz it was him i was promoting to u.hope u receive my salam fm arfan.he is pure malay btw but 80%like k pop.agree? Best of luck to u.tks a lot.

  12. Hey Syaza! Good post indeed! It shall be my hand book after I sit for my SPM this year. Hmmm, I notice that English plays a major role in most Uni applications or like in this case- class sorting. So I’d really love to hear some tips on how to improve English. Not that I am completely bad at it, it’s just that I’d like to ensure that my level of English reaches the standard =) THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!

    1. Hi there, yes, I’ll put that on the list of posts I’d have to write about before I fly off. A couple of people have been asking me the same question as well, so just wait for that particular post, aite? πŸ˜€

    1. Hmm, I’m not so sure, but I think it’s the same as well (or perhaps only in July, ’cause I don’t recall any Japan Program students coming in for fast track. But perhaps I was wrong)

      It’s best if you check with the admins themselves πŸ™‚

  13. Assalam, this me Haziq
    i get 4A and straight B+ for my spm, thats mean i can apply for intec ri
    i regret myself because i did not apply for intec last time.. :'(
    so sad

  14. Hi, would you know if diploma graduates from UiTM are allowed to apply for ADFP in INTEC? That is, to start afresh. And how does one apply for INTEC? Or does the offer just magically fall into one’s lap?

    Thank you!

    xx Esah

  15. Waalaikumsalam Haziq,
    Aww, don’t regret! Don’t ever regret anything! It’s just that probably you’re better off somewhere else? Cheer up! πŸ™‚

    Hi Esah,

    I believe you can apply to INTEC through their website, try checking it out. The intakes are normally in January / July, so perhaps check in November/December for application? And I don’t think they care if you’re a diploma graduate or not, it doesn’t really matter, I think.

  16. Hey kak..I was wondering how much SAt and Toefl cost? Do mara sponsor arts student ? What other sponsor we can ask for?

  17. Hi kiddo,

    Hmm, rasanya dua-dua tu boleh tengok kat website dia kot. You don’t have to pay for TOEFL, INTEC akan registerkan and terus bayarkan. You only have to pay for SAT when you sign up for it.

    And MARA akan sponsor for the first attempt je. Any other additional attempts bayar sendiri. Plus MARA akan bayar the university applications and stuff.

  18. Hi there. Saya baru lepas SPM tahun lepas, 2013. So, sekarang ni masih tunggu result. I am an Art stream student. Really interested in psychology. So, I hope you can help me in this. How do I apply utk Intec? Nak tunggu result kluar dulu ke? Perlu study kat UITM dulu ke? Lepas graduate baru apply intec ke? Or macam mana tu? Sorry I asked too many questions.

  19. hi there kak sya. I’m 2013 SPMer, I got 7A and 2B. I’m a Science stream student and really interested in engineering. I already (more like try my luck) applied JPA-MARA scholarship for engineering right now and still waiting for news. Does the scholarship acceptable to be in INTEC? I would love to know how the process worked. Sorry if my question is kinda complicated but happy to hear your feedback soon πŸ™‚

    1. Hi πŸ™‚

      When you applied to JPA-MARA scholarship, and if you are accepted, they’d tell you where you’d be going. A lot of JPA-MARA scholars ended up in INTEC (though I think they do send them off somewhere else but I’m not so sure). But yeah, normally when you get either JPA or MARA, they’d tell you which college you’d be in.

      (You can choose for MARA though which programs in which college you want to go to. I’m not so sure about JPA though, ’cause I didn’t apply for JPA)

  20. Assalamualaikum. Hi akak. Thanks for all the infos. I am currently waiting for my placement, whether its in intec or somewhere else, i still dont know. So rather than doing nothing, i browsed for any entries regarding this n yrs popped out. Of all, thanks for this entry. I’m sure everyone is beng well-guided by yr writings (:

  21. Hi, thanks a lot for the info! I’m taking SPM and I’m really interested to continue my path with ADFP. People around me seems to give me lack of info about it, but you just listed most of it. But the only one problem is that I’d like to pursue in International Relations Major, and you barely states info for this major, as I understand you’re taking a way different major. I’d just like to ask for your help, if you have a friend, or know someone in that major, because I’m really interested in it, and would like to know about it more.

    1. Hello πŸ™‚

      IR major in INTEC ADFP normally go through the ADFP – ACTP – Australia path, as in they won’t be going to the US.

      IR students wouldn’t be taking SAT and TOEFL, but instead they will sit for IELTS.

      And most of the classes they take are basically the same as those who are bounded to the US, although they will normally be in a different class (except during certain semesters when they might be included with those US-bound students if they are taking the same subjects)

      πŸ™‚

    2. Well, that depends if you’re a sponsored student or not. Normally your sponsor will already set the country that you will go to. But if you’re a private student, go on ahead.

  22. Assalamualaikum akak. I got an offer from jpamara to pursue in adfp programme for 2 years here. But i am currently in a programme to oversea too. I am a lil bit confused with myself coz i dont know which one shud i choose. Is it true that if we score, they’ll send us early? And will we be sent to top universities if we score during preparation?

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. Flying off after a year (ADFP) or two years (ACTP) depends on your contract with your sponsor. If it is already stated that you have to stay for the two years, then for the two years you’d have to stay. Sometimes (like the last batch of MARA scholars last year), was given the chance to fly off after a year (although in their contract with MARA, it was stated that they have to stay for two years), but only if they achieve a certain level of CGPA.

      So depending on your contract with your sponsor, that might be the same (as in you can fly off early if you score well), or it may be that you have to stay for two years, no matter what your results is.

      And in regards to you choosing the ADFP program vs your current one, it depends solely on you. Depending on which country you wish to go to, what your style of learning is and all. If you feel at ease with your current one, then by all means, continue with it if you can.

    2. Thanks akak. Well ive called intec to get some infos and they said that if i pass th required cgpa, maybe inshaAllah theres a chance of flying early. Anyway thank you for those infos (: i truly appreciate it.

  23. Hi Syaza. I just come across your blog while looking for info on ADFP at Intec and Alhamdulillah your blog is so full of useful information. Btw I am aunty Nory and my daughter will be joining Intec on 30th June under JPA/Mara. She applied for Engineering to US/UK. Today we get confirmation from Intec with the following details – IAD10 – ADFP Programme.
    For now can we tell whether she will have to do 1 or 2 years at Intec?
    Oh Ya, my daughter’s name is, I think your namesake, Syazana Putri. I hope she can meet up with you. Btw when are you flying off to the states? Good luck dear.

    1. Hi Aunty Nory,

      I’m guessing she would be doing two years in INTEC, if I’m not mistaken. Though, she might have a choice to do so, depending on her contract with JPA/MARA.

      I’ve already flown to the US. I’m currently in Malaysia on my 3-months summer break. πŸ™‚

    2. Thank you for your respond. I hope you are having a good time in Malaysia although it is very hot now. When are you flying back to US? Btw, about 2 weeks ago, Syazana got another letter from JPA informing that she will be doing ADFP for 1 year instead of 2 years… so I suppose that answers my question to you. Tomorrow, 30th June, she will be registering for the first time at Intec. Aunty doakan she will like it there and able to cope up with the studies there.

    3. Ahaha, yes, except for the hot weather, Alhamdulillah I’m very much enjoying myself here at home. As for your daughter, insyaAllah she will enjoy INTEC. It’s a good place, and I’m sure that she will find it quite easy to cope with ADFP, it’s not that hard of a task. Things may get a little bit hectic later but I’m sure she’ll be fine, insyaAllah πŸ™‚

      If you still want me to meet up with her, perhaps I can come down to INTEC or Akasia to meet her. I go there regularly since some of my juniors are still there and I live quite close to INTEC so I can always drop by for a visit or two if she wants to meet up later. πŸ™‚

  24. Hi kak, πŸ™‚

    Im here to ask about how hard is it to strive for 3.5cgpa. Its kinda high tough because the jpa’s requirement is 3.5cgpa and above. Only then , i can fly off to US next year under adfp . How did you make it? Is there any points given besides scoring in tests? i mean like from presentations or attendence to classes just to score for the very 3.5cgpa?

    1. Hi, sorry for the late reply! πŸ™‚

      It’s not that hard as long as you keep up with the work. Everything you do in class will affect your final grade. During the first week of classes, normally your lecturers will give you a course syllabus (a handout with all the breakdowns of the chapters you will learn, the breakdown of your grade and so on).

      Take a note of the syllabus (especially the grade breakdown) so see all the things that will make an impact on your final grade. Every assignments, every quizzes and tests and presentations, every essays and exams will play a part, so make sure you don’t slack off in class πŸ™‚

      And yes, some of the courses have about 5% or 10% of the grade based on participation and attendance πŸ™‚

  25. hi kak syaza, i am offered to do adfp in intec too under JPA-MARA scholarship. But in the offer letter it is stated that one of the requirements to be sponsored to do a degree in the states is to get a university placement. So I just want to ask is it easy to get a placement in the universities in US? What if I dont get any offer letter from any university in US? What major are you taking btw? *Do reply soon please πŸ™‚

    1. Hi. I’m taking Actuarial Science, insyaAllah. And it’s not that hard to get a placement. InsyaAllah, with a good personal statement / application essay and a good CGPA, you’ll be just fine.

  26. hi, just asking. does these infos are eligible for private students?
    really hope that you could respond πŸ™‚

  27. Dear Syaza,
    My son is currently at INTEC and in the process of applying for US universities. Just one question for a start: Do US universities need your ADFP results during applications because I notice that your ADFP results were out in July’13 and most FALL applications have closed by then.

    1. Hi there,

      Yes, they do require our ADFP results. Normally INTEC will just send our Fall results first to the university, and that’s usually enough for them. Once admitted, or if the Spring results come out before the admission results, INTEC will send the latest results (including Spring semester’s as well) to the university/ies.

      1. Dear Syaza,

        Thanks a lot for the prompt reply. He’s doing engineering and PURDUE is one of the universities chosen for application…Toefl 106 and Sat1 1870…and I read your excellent essay for PURDUE…did you get offered to PURDUE as well? I hope you still remembers the application procedure for PURDUE….did you apply as beginner or transfer student?

        1. You’re very much welcome πŸ™‚

          Yep, I got admitted to Purdue as well, but I ended up accepting Wisconsin-Madison’s offer. The application for Purdue is pretty much straightforward. I filled up the application form online, submitted my TOEFL and SAT scores, sent my dossiers, and the essay. That’s pretty much there is to it. I applied as a freshman, πŸ™‚

  28. Assalamualaikum kak,

    Saya nk tanya mcm mana akak apply for intec and seriously i dont have any clue where to start. Boleh kak citer start dri akak apply and the process , i mean should i wait after i get my spm result or just use my trial result, and when to apply? I plan to take july intake. P/s i will be taking spm for this year

    And more thing, if i take adfp for 1 year and fly to us, does that mean i will start as a freshman there?

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      Yes, you will start as a freshman if you take ADFP in INTEC.
      Unless (1) you are an MRSM student, or (2) your parents can afford to finance your ADFP -> degree without a scholarship/loan, I suggest you wait until your SPM results come out.

      Normally, those who come in using their trial SPM results (January intakes) are the students under the Skim Pelajar Cemerlang (SPC) under MARA. Most, if not all, of them are MRSM students. A small group of the January intakes are also private students (at least, private students for a few months, since some may receive a scholarship after their results come out).

      There’s two ways of applying to INTEC;
      1) As a scholar / sponsored student. Normally you’ll apply for scholarships / loans (MARA, JPA, Petronas, YPPB, etc), and your sponsor will assign to where you’ll be going.
      2) As a private student. There’s a January intake and a July intake for ADFP/ACTP. Application should be open a couple of months before the intake on INTEC’s website.

  29. Hello Kak Syaza,

    I’m pretty clueless now, I’ve been studying for diploma in UiTM collaboration College, until I quit on the 3rd sem, because I don’t find myself to have any interest towards the course I took.. My results are okay, I scored 3.5 above for both sems.. One of my friend who studied at INTEC, she has flew off to Korea.. And I’m pretty interested about it.. I did some research but I’m still confused about the courses and all… There’s this
    “Look east policy- Japan” where there are list of majors, “Japanese Language”.. I’m clueless about what should I do now..

    1. Hi,
      INTEC is NOT a place to get a degree / diploma / masters, etc. It is just a preparation college, a place for students who (hopefully) will be continuing their undergraduate studies in universities abroad.

      There’s ADFP and ACTP -> US and Australia-bound. There’s AUSMAT -> Australia and New Zealand. There’s A-Levels -> India, UK, US. There’s the KTJ and Korea program -> Japan and Korea. There’s the Middle East Program -> Jordan, Egypt, Mesir.

      For all these programs, there are a lot of majors you can do. If you can get a scholarship that would sponsor your studies in INTEC and subsequently sponsor you for your years abroad in a university, by all means, go ahead if you find that the major they are sponsoring you is to your liking. You can also finance your studies privately, if your parents are willing to and have the means to do so.

  30. Salam. Thank you for the very useful info. Just would like to ask how and when should apply for jpa more mara scholarship. Will there be advertisement in newspaper? After spm result or before? Thanks.

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. Normally JPA and MARA scholarship/loan application will open after the SPM results are released. Do keep on checking their respective websites about a week before your SPM results come out, or a week after. It would normally close after a couple of weeks, so keep on checking to make sure you don’t miss the deadlines.

  31. Assalamualaikum. Biasanya what are the minimum requirement of A’s in SPM does Mara send to US based on your information. And akak jugak dapat berapa A spm? TQ

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. Nak masuk INTEC ada dua cara:

      (1) Scholarship/pinjaman: Apply dulu to any scholarship / pinjaman yang hantar students ke MARA then nanti dyorang tentukan belajar kat kolej mana.

      (2) Private student: Apply kat website INTEC sendiri.

  32. Salam adik Syaza,
    Maaf dlm b.m je, b.i Pakcik 7…(Zaman Pakcik dulu). Pakcik nak tanya dan minta pandangan serta nasihat dr adik Syaza berkenaan peluang tajaan dan sambung belajar. Anak Pakcik SPM 2014 dgn keputusan 8A 1B dan bekas pelajar MRSM. Pakcik buntu… Terima kasih.

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam, pakcik,

      Kalau 8A’s insyaAllah ada peluang untuk dapatkan biassiwa / pinjaman daripada MARA. So kalau anak pakcik berminat nak sambung ke luar negara bawah pinjaman MARA / biasiswa JPA, boleh tengok website MARA / JPA dan tengok program apa yang ditawarkan la. Kalau untuk program tu, dia lepas syarat, insyaAllah boleh cuba apply dulu, dan kalau ada rezeki boleh la sambung persediaan bawah MARA.

  33. Assalamualaikum Kak Syaza.
    I would like to ask you, if I happen to apply for INTEC on its website, meaning, as a private student instead of enrolling there under scholarship from MARA or JPA. Would it be possible for me to apply for MARA loan (providing that i’ll get an excellent CGPA) after i’ve enrolled there? I got 7A2B for my spm results. Pls help. Thank you.

    1. Waalaikumsalam. You can apply for MARA (or any other scholarships) for your undergraduate, meaning after you’re almost done with your prep in INTEC. MARA EduLoan does not apply to pre-uni programs

  34. Assalamualaikum Kak Syaza Nazura. Saya dapat offer JPA-MARA untuk ADFP kat INTEC and it’s sponsored by JPA, nak tau Kak Syaza tau tak syarat untuk fly ke US for JPA students? Atau ada kenal siapa-siapa yang tengah/dah buat ADFP under JPA tak? Thank you and good luck for your finals!

    1. Syaza Nazura

      Wa’alaikumsalam. Most probably it’s either CGPA 3.50 or CGPA 3.0. Boleh try cari @shariffsarip kat Twitter and tanya dia. πŸ™‚

  35. Maksud saya, points etc tu. Huu ke sama syarat fly A-Level ke IB or ADFP? Thank you again T_T

  36. Akak, sy dpt tajaan jpa mara ADFP ke us…. tp ingin tukar ke alevel sbb sy nak ambik architecture bleh ke???

  37. salam alaik,

    hi kak syaza,
    first of all alhamdulillah i got jpamara scholarship for adfp at us. then, i want to ask, (i heard this for my friend) it is true that if we did not past the minimun point for cgpa in adfp programme, we will start from the beginning on foundation or same level with it, local U ? and, the chance to get local U is low..?

    thanks for your attention sis~

    1. Waalaikumsalam.

      Firstly, congrats πŸ™‚

      I am not sure about starting over. I do know that some of my friends, if they don’t fulfill the minimum requirements, continue their degrees at local IPTS, but most of them are under MARA and not JPA. I am not sure on how JPA is. Some of my friends in A-Levels under JPA did not pass the minimum scores, but JPA allowed them to fly off anyway with the conditions that they need to score when they are abroad. So that’s how it was then, and not sure how it’d be for you guys.

  38. Assalamualaikum kak Syaza,

    Saya dpt INTEC but i will continue my study as a private student instead of enrolling there under scholarship. And i got B in my English for my SPM. Is it hard for a student like me to adopt with the English environment?

    If i manage to get an excellent CGPS, is it possible to apply MARA loans? Or can I apply any scholarships to continue my study?

    Thank you Akak ☺️

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      1) Getting a B in English for SPM doesn’t make much differences. We have those getting A+’s in SPM but struggle in INTEC because they don’t want to practice in English. Whatever grade you get for SPM, leave it behind. When you’re in college, doesn’t matter in INTEC or anywhere else, as long as you put in the effort to learn and try and fail and try again, you’d do well, insyaAllah. πŸ™‚

      2) Yes, it is possible. If you score well during your ADFP year (1st year) or for ACTP (2nd year), you can either apply for MARA EduLoan or any other scholarships that are suitable for you for your undergraduate years in the U.S.. Do note that you’ll be looking to enroll in US universities sometime in August / September, and you’ll be applying to these universities at least in January of the same year. So you can start looking to apply for scholarships around March-June.

  39. Assamualaikum, hey there thank you so much for all these useful info. I would like to ask a question if I may. So after completing the ADFP/ACTP, Do we have the freedom to choose our own course/major for our degree later on? Can you explain that part further. Thank you

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. That depends entirely on you and whether or not you are a sponsored student or a private student. For sponsored students, their majors are basically set by their sponsors, so they can’t really change it without getting their sponsors’ approval. But if you’re a private student, by all means, choose whatever you want. πŸ™‚

      1. When we we’re signing up for the scholarship, we chose the science field and they gave a few examples (biotechnology, health science, etc..). Our offer letter only says that we will do our studies in science but they didn’t exactly specify what exact field of science. I was wondering if we have the option to choose the field or it will be given to us

        1. That’d be a question for your sponsor then. If they don’t give it to you, it means you’d have the option to choose. I’d suggest asking them for more details on that.

          1. Okay then I will certainly do so. Thank you so much for your time. You da best hahah

  40. Assalamualaikum kak, nak tnya, adfp 1 year kan? Jd actp depends on course or by choice? mksudnya student bole fly after 1 year at intec depends on result or course?

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      Depends on if you are a sponsored student or a private student. Kalau sponsored students, kena ikut apa sponsor cakap la. Buat setahun or dua tahun ikut sponsor.

      Kalau private students, terpulang nak stay setahun ke dua tahun.

  41. Assalamualaikum kak,
    Alhamdulillah i got the jpa-mara scholarship and will be studying adfp and actp to pursue my studies in engineering. However, i realise that actually I am more interested in science(which was my 2nd choice when applying for the scholarship) . I am a little bit afraid to go for engineering as I am al little bit slow in additional maths and english. I was actually didn’t care about the course i was offered, because i don’t want to burden my family and i am planning not to take ptptn. Do you think i can cooperate with the studies or is it better for me to forget this scholarship offer and just go on with science( foot science)

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      First of all, congratulations! πŸ™‚

      While I would suggest actually choosing what you’re more interested in (in this case, food science), I can’t really say that, due to the fact that I am not in a program that is my number one priority and it’d be an irony for me to give you that advice.

      That being said, from what I know from my friend, ‘Engineering’ under JPA/MARA or JPA-MARA are still ‘general engineering’ programs. That is, if they do not specifically tell you which engineering track you need to take (ie chemical engineering, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, etc). In this case, you can actually try to get somewhere related to food science, ’cause Engineering is first and foremost a Science program.

      There is, if I’m not mistaken, an Engineering track for Food Engineering, though I am not sure which universities offer this kind of program. What I would suggest you to do now is talk to Aizan Fahri (@aixnr on Twitter & Ask.fm), and ask him about this. He would know more about this than I do, and probably if you stalk his Ask.fm page, I believed he answered some questions like this in the past. πŸ™‚

  42. Assalamualaikum, kak.

    I enrolled as a private student on the recent intake and I’ve just finished orientation week. While I’m lucky enough to be accepted into this college, I scratched by with only the barest minimum of 4A’s3B’s2C’s for the ALUK programme.

    I know we should remain positive and all that, but reading about the horror stories in A-Level, sometimes it’s kinda hard to maintain that mindset. I’m looking for motivation.

    Have privates students like me managed to achieve excellent results in your programme? Do you have any stories to share?

    I’d be ever so thankful for any piece advice you can give to get me going. Thanks in advance.

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      I have a friend who came in as a private student for A-Levels in INTEC because he didn’t managed to get any scholarships based on his SPM results. He challenged himself with A-Levels to prove to everyone (and himself) that he can be so much more.

      It took him a while but he managed to overcome the challenges, and he’s currently in the US under MARA.

      So, yes, it is possible. You can be so much more than what you are now. Your SPM results do not define who you are, but how you overcome it and use it as a stepping stone define the character and personality that you have.

      Prove to yourself that you can make it to the top. Forget what other people say and work hard for what you believe and dream about. You’ll make it some day, insyaAllah πŸ™‚

  43. assalamualaikum ,

    Kak nak tanye klau dia tulis general je engineering for the course that we going to study . So ade peluang tak klau nak dpt petroleum engineering during degree for student yg dihantar ke US . And in which US university will we pursue our study for petroleum engineering program ???? πŸ™‚

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      Bergantung la. Kalau you’re a sponsored student and dia tulis ‘Engineering’ je, ikut sponsor la dia nak bagi korang pilih sendiri ke or dia nak setkan.

      And terpulang kepada korang la nak apply university mana for Petroleum Eng. While there are a lot, most students look for those in the top rankings.

  44. Assalam, akak. Best baca blog akak. πŸ™‚ akak join x high comm utk atusa n jpkca? Heeee, just asking.

  45. Assalamualaikum. Kak saya bekas pelajar KMB yang telah buat program IB. Pointer saya 31 tapi MARA minta 33 baru boleh fly. Kursus saya ialah senibina. Saya terpaksa sambung di IPTS jadi saya masuk Taylors. Lepas sebulan saya belajar senibina saya berhenti kerana tidak minat. Jadi saya ingin belajar engineering.

    Kalau saya masuk INTEC ni MARA boleh taja ke. Ataupun saya buat A-levels tapi as a private student then lepas dapat results saya mohon pinjaman MARA. Boleh ke mcm tu? Saya nak buat engineering di UK

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. Memandangkan awak dah ada IB, aku (akak?) tak galakkan awak start over in A-Levels. IB dah makan masa dua tahun, kalau buat A-Levels, that’s another two years burned. Kalau nak ke UK for engineering, boleh je rasanya kalau nak sambung belajar ke UK menggunakan results IB. Ambil gap year, apply ke university di UK pakai keputusan IB. Sambil tu boleh la kerja sambilan / volunteer untuk bina pengalaman / cari duit sikit sambil apply ke university tu. Kalau dah dapat conditional/unconditional offer from university, boleh try apply balik pinjaman MARA / JPA / apa-apa biasiswa yang ditawarkan untuk lepasan STPM/setaraf.

      Apa-apa pun, tengok website UCAS. Kebanyakan universiti di UK terima je lepasan IB untuk masuk universiti. IB dah kira setaraf dengan A-Levels dah pun so tak perlu ambil dua-dua. Tengok universiti mana yang nak apply and apa syarat2 (ada yang mintak minima 28pts untuk IB, etc). Dari situ boleh start apply dulu la as a private student. Kalau dapat offer tapi tak dapat pinjaman MARA/etc, boleh try fly dulu as a private student untuk tahun pertama, make sure skor masa semester 1, lepas tu boleh cuba mohon pinjaman / biasiswa lagi sekali.

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      Define what you mean by ‘Enrolling in a US university’. ‘Cause “Enrolling” means taking at least a class there. So unless you’re asking whether you can ‘enroll’ in an online course by a US university while you’re in Malaysia (which I doubt is what you meant), I don’t think you’re asking about ‘enrolling’.

      If you’re asking about ‘applying’ and ‘accepting’ an offer from a US university, yes, it is possible.

  46. Salam Kak Syaza, I am an SPM 2015 leaver waiting for results to come out this coming march. I am very interested in studying in INTEC for ADFP. I am also doing a hell of a research, googling this and that. I must say I’m glad I somehow stumbled upon your blog especially this particular post. Very well written and packed with information, masyaAllah! ? I also took the time to read the comments section and thankfully most of my questions and doubts are answered. But I’m still nervous and confused whether or not I should pursue in ADFP in INTEC. I mean, the studies, environment and the people there. Also, I can be very socially awkward and I get stressed very easily with packed schedules and the burden of studying sometimes lol and that may sound strange coming from an SBP student. I’m just nervous about leaving a chapter of my life and starting a new one(pretty sure im just overthinking stuff, i tend to do that a lot) I hope you can comfort and assure me with your own personal experiences from when you first enrolled in INTEC, how you coped and succeeded and flew off to the States already. Thank you for your time reading this long ass paragraph ? and keep on inspiring the next generation to come ?

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      Sorry this took a while to reply to your comment.

      1. Don’t worry too much. You’ll do well in INTEC and I’m sure things would be fine. πŸ™‚ The environment in INTEC is pretty nice, and there’s different kinds of people, so I’m sure you’ll find people that you can mix with πŸ™‚

      2. For one, you did good by researching ahead of time. I don’t usually get a lot of ADFP questions from SPM leavers like you until the SPM results are out and until they’re either applying for MARA/JPA or when they’ve received an offer. So you’re pretty early in the game and that says something about your attitude (in a good way, don’t worry. I applaud you for it). So whatever it is that you choose to do, I’m sure you will be able to succeed. πŸ™‚

      3. There’s a long time between now and the release of your SPM results and before you go to INTEC (if you decide to pursue ADFP after all), so I’ll suggest you to take this time to think about it, pray to God, consult your parents and families and cousins and friends about the best possible options for yourself. Have multiple options and back up plans, and don’t be scared to take a leap of faith into the unknown. No matter how much you prepare for something, you will never ever ever be 100% ready for it, so like it or not, there’s always a risk in everything. Believe in yourself, and believe that God will always be there to help you out and show you the right path. πŸ™‚

      4. And whatever you do, wherever you are, remember that it is not a bad thing to fail and start over anew again. I did this when I started A-Levels right after my SPM and dropped it to start over with ADFP. I may seem weak that I couldn’t finish my A-Levels, but it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made in my whole life, and I do not regret one bit of it.

      Hope this helps πŸ™‚

  47. Salam kak,
    I was wondering if i were to take the adfp(1 year) programme in July, when would I be required to sit for the SATs and TOEFL ?

    Thanks in advance πŸ™‚

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam.

      For TOEFL, it depends. INTEC will send the registration info to ETS to register all students for the TOEFL, so it can vary anytime between November to January. For SAT, you can register on your own, so I do recommend taking it in October. If you’re planning to take SAT Subject Tests, you can take them in November. This is so that if you ever need to retake your SAT test (low scores, etc), you can retake them in December (it takes about 3 weeks to mark and get your scores back, so if you take the first SAT in November, you can’t resit until January).

      1. What is the difference between SATs and the Subject SATs ? Which one do you recommend taking ? Or is both a prerequisite to gain admission into the universities in the USA?

        1. For most universities, they would require freshmen applicants to have at least the SATs. SAT Subject Tests are an additional tests (as per the name, it tests your knowledge in specific subjects like Maths Level 1/2, Physics, Chemistry, etc) and are not a requirement at most universities (unless you’re applying to an Ivy League or competitive universities like MIT and stuff).

  48. Salam Kak,
    With regard to what’s currently happening in the States; Donald Trump who plans to ban Muslims from entering and the growing islamophobia there, do you think going to the states to continue my studies with the current situation would be a problem? On top of that, some of my seniors were also barred from entering the US recently.

    1. Wa’alaikumsalam. Well, I’m not sure about that. I haven’t been outside the US since last July so I can’t really say how it’s going to affect me coming and going into the US. It might, but then again I don’t believe that a lot of Americans will be stupid enough to follow a racist person, so it might not be as bad, depending on where you are in the States (some states are more open minded)

  49. Hi there ? I just finished my degree and about to graduate soon. Does Intec provide preparation for postgraduates as well? I plan to pursue my masters overseas but am not sure if Intec offers such programme. Thank you in advance ?

    1. Unfortunately, no.

      There is no ‘prep program’ for a Master’s tho, tbh. With a bachelor’s degree, you’re eligible already to apply for Master’s, locally or abroad, provided that:

      1) You have the minimum GPA requirement
      2) You have the minimum English requirements (have to sit for IELTS or TOEFL on your own, can register for English classes by British Council or ETS if you want to)
      3) You know which universities you want to apply to
      4) You have the funding necessary to pay for your master’s.

  50. Hi sis! When I read this post, I feel inspired to follow your footsteps. However, I have one question that has been lurking around my mind. Do we get to choose our programme or our sponsor will choose it for us? I really really want to further my studies in America, in UC Berkeley to be exact. Thanks in advance πŸ™‚

    1. That differs every year and depends on the sponsors’ budgets and policies – so it’s best to check either with INTEC or with the different scholarship bodies.

  51. Pingback: Silent Confessions - My Post-SPM Story. - Silent Confessions

  52. hello! I’m going to intec in july and im thinking of doing some preparation before i enter intec.act i wanna learn a bit about calculus(1&2) before my class get started but im not sure about the syllabus.is the syllabus at khan academy is the same that im going to learn? btw im taking engineering πŸ˜€

    1. Hello! Can’t really help you there as the syllabus might have changed, depending on who’s going to teach you. What I can say is that usually you’ll take a Pre-Calculus class first before going into Calculus 1 or 2 (not everyone will take Calculus 2 in INTEC, some might take it in the US, depending on how long you’ll be in INTEC for). But I think most Calculus courses (Cal 1 and 2) have pretty similar topics, so you’ll be OK with looking at Khan Academy or any Pre-Cal / Cal textbooks for now.

  53. Hi my son has got an offer to do his final 4 ACCA papers at INTEC. However, would like to know about the types of accommodation available at INTEC. Twin sharing or single room available?

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