SINGAPORE – Singapore’s two largest universities have put up advisories cautioning prospective applicants against purported study abroad agencies on Chinese social media platforms offering paid services claiming to help applicants secure “guaranteed” admissions to their postgraduate degree programmes.

The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) advisory on its website said the agencies will typically employ fraudulent means such as fabricating academic qualifications and other credentials in application packages to mislead universities.

The university said candidates need to fulfil stipulated qualifying criteria and all applications are reviewed based on merit. “There are no ‘guaranteed’, ‘fast track’ or ‘direct’ admission routes to NUS,” it added.

Checks on Xiaohongshu found many such agencies offering “direction admission” to NUS and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Most of the agencies target those with poor high school grades or low undergraduate GPAs, and who have yet to pass English proficiency tests such as the International English Language Testing System.

One agency, Zhongsheng International Education, offers to help students enter NUS and NTU, among other top universities worldwide, at fees starting from 300,000 yuan (S$55,000).