Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Postgraduate!!

[MatsuyamaHime]

*sigh* I guess I'll go for it again this year.... Third time's a charm?

[lsw5]

shaun, congrats ! have u got the official letter yet?

I have not heard anything.. email or letter. am working in spore now.. wonder if that would affect my application.

well, fingers crossed.

[Grieverheart]

I was really stuck at what I should write in the research plan :S .I want to continue my studies in theoretical condensed matter(specialized in computation methods). Anyways my research plan was not too specific and quite short too (only 30 lines). Well, the topic requires cooperation with experimental researchers (they would provide the task and the experimental data to work on), so I couldn't be too specific. I hope I can at least get a chance for an interview >_<.

[uranussama]

Hey everyone. I tried for a Japanese Studies MEXT scholarship last year and I got to the 'final round' (after embassy recommendation) and was ultimately denied at the very last minute. This year I'm trying for the postgrad research scholarship. My research program has to do with sociological and anthropologcial perspectives on gender in Japan and I have two professors who are willing to work with me. I see on the guidelines that a requirement is an "abstract of thesis" and until just now I took that to mean your research thesis or outline, as it were. But now I'm hearing it means a thesis you wrote in school?
I wasnt required to write a graduation thesis at my school and I didnt really have any big papers apart from regular old class assignments. But I dont want my application to be incomplete; does anyone in AMERICA know whether or not this is a must-have? I dont want to include some lame underwhelming class paper but at the same time I dont want to submit an incomplete app either, you know? Thanks. =)

[gcarmelino]

*sigh* I guess I'll go for it again this year.... Third time's a charm?

I'm on the same situation, this will be my third time as well.
Good luck for this time.

[Alejandro Ortega]

yo~ i received a notification to attend the written test this coming 31st May
:-)
Hi Shaun,
I was wondering if you passed the English language test and how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?
Thanks,
Alejandro Ortega

[Alejandro Ortega]

hi arap!!! ^^
sorry i haven't monitor this thread lately, i'm quite busy packing my stuffs and prepare things though i have resign from my current job now.
i think menrui and ooilingfan have given a very good answer for your questions. i try my best to answer your question, hope it will be useful:
1. GPA sure is very important, i don't mean to let u down. but i'm sure that wouldn't matter if you had prepare an excellent research topics & proposal that could impress the judge. i don't know about other countries, but in indonesia submitting a research proposal is a must.
2. i have two recommendation letter, one is sealed, the other is not. i think you don't have to worry too much about it. sealed or not, you still have to make 4 copies on each of it, right?? oh ya, you have to use the form given by the embassy (official form), so i think two recommendation is enough.
3. well, as what ooilingfan have said just try to make it as clear as possible. if think the judges prefer a simple but well written one. just don't make it too long.
4. don't quit your job ^_^ you know that the waiting part for the final result is really killing us... i might space out thinking about the result everyday if i we're not busied by my job. i even think that one of us got insomnia while waiting for the result, right ooilingfan??:-)
you've gotta work harder for your thesis from now, use your spare time. it doesn't mean that you dig your own grave when you being unemployed. some of my friends who received the scholarship even haven't graduated by the time of the application.
5. it's a really good thing that you already have a prof who is willing to be your prospective supervisor in Japan. i bet it would strengthen your chance to get the scholarship. he would be a great help to make perfection for your thesis:cool:
just give it a try ok!! i also failed on the interview round for this scholarship when i was applying for diploma degree, who knows that i would managed to get this for my master degree... ganbatte!! :lol:

Hi ATZ,

I was wondering how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?

Thanks,

AO

[dalmatian]

Hey yipiyaya8,
I dun really think how solid your proposal is is measured by how many pages you have. But i do think you must be clear on what you want to do. This is my opinion but even if you don't have any references, it would be good if you have a clear methodology on how you are going to perform your research. I understand the deadline for this year has already passed so you must have submitted your proposal already. So don't worry too much. Just prepare for the exam and maybe fine tune your proposal when you get called for the interview. i think that they call quite a large percentage for the test. at least in Malaysia. So good luck!!

hi clockworkorange,

I am new here and also applying for monbukagakusho 2010. Regarding the research proposal, does it mean that we are allowed to revise the proposal if we get called for interview?

thanks.

[kouki]

>dalmatian

In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.

[thetrystero]

>dalmatian
In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.


since the application isn't presented to the japanese authorities, has anyone tried changing to a completely different field of study after submission/english test?

[dalmatian]

>dalmatian
In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.

hi, thanks for the clarification.

[tomayto]

hi all,

i apply last year and fail the interview... i re-applied again this year. i am also going for the 31 may english test. last year i remember downloading past years english question with answer. but i am having difficulty finding the site now. anyone could help me? thanks :)

[clockworkorange]

Hi dalmation,

As kouki says, yes, we can revise the proposal. But I think this is because in Malaysia, when we sent in our applications initially, we didn't have to send in everything at one go. I think we didn't send in our medicals check-up results and recommendations at the beginning of the application. we only sent in everything after we cleared the exam. I don't how it is in Indonesia.

To trystero,
Nope, I haven't heard of anyone changing their field of study AFTER submission or AFTER the english test. I wouldn't advise it either. Unless you have a VERY VERY good reason, you'd probably get soundly trashed by the interview panel. And i think it would be reasonable for them to do so since their selection is based A LOT on the research proposal. If one decides to abandon the original proposal, then what is the basis of selection now? In any case i don't even know if its allowed so you have to check with the embassy.

Hi tomayto,
Good luck to you this year!! I can't remember the exact address but i think you can get it if you google "study in japan". Also i think the answers to past year papers are in another thread of this forum. Under "studying in japan".

[tomayto]

thanks colleen for the info, i'll try to search again :)

found it! here is the link incase anyone else looking for it

www [dot] studyjapan [dot] go [dot] jp/en/toj/toj0308e.html

[Shaun]

shaun, congrats ! have u got the official letter yet?
I have not heard anything.. email or letter. am working in spore now.. wonder if that would affect my application.
well, fingers crossed.
Hi lsw
i havent received the letter yet. but the person in charge informed me just bring along my IC and the reference number in email then can take the exam on that day...
Maybe you can call them and ask.... good luck! :)

Hi Shaun,
I was wondering if you passed the English language test and how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?
Thanks,
Alejandro Ortega

Hi Alejandro
we will be taking the exam this coming 31st May
dun know will pass it or not yet. Interview will be in later stage...
just hope can pass the eng. test

[dalmatian]

hi clockworkorange,

thanks for the information.
In my country, we have to submit all of the documents completely.

[harryfht]

I think the test of English is the same for both Undergraduate and Reseach students. So there's many people who has already taked the test(Malasyans, I mean). Maybe I any of you can contact with one og those students they can give you some tips.

[tomayto]

i just got back from the englisht test
they change the format and it was A LOT easier than the previous year
the focus is more on the conversational english this time

btw i heard ms yin saying that this year they gonna take 30 candidates
sound a lot to me... is it more the last year? anyone have any idea? colleen?

[axo4067]

hi.. how r u?

I am new here but I have been reading this thread for awhile.

I have also just come back from the English test. Yeah, like tomayto said, the questions were different than the sample paper I got online. I thank God that it was easier. I knew that the format would be different since similar format had been presented over these years.

Actually, 70 will be chosen out from the crowds. It's not 30. So yeah...

I wonder how long it would take them to announce the decision.\

:D

[Alejandro Ortega]

Hi Tomayto and axo4067,

Thanks for the information. So... Did the test ONLY in speaking mode (conversational)? No paper test or something like that? What kind of questions did they asked you?

I hope I will beat the test this year...

C

[Janghaili]

Tomayto or other who've gone through English Exam for MEXT Research 2010. Appreciate if you could help providing more on the format and strategies for the test. Though your guys believe the test is easier than the previous tests, your illustration will help to prevail this worry.

[Shaun]

Like they said, the exam seems much easier than last year. Some part remained and some did not.
If you are referring to past year question, Section I still was remained but become section V in the exam. Section V also remained turn up to section I and II (around 14~15 questions). There were new sections like III & VI and those questions with multiple selectable answers like “fill in the blank” with several words below. Section V was to rearrange the sentence with 5 given wordings. It was easy and non grammatical or tested on your English power. .

Yeah... 70 / 178 person. The percentage is around 40 %.
Are they choosing based on prorated? Then I think those selected person shall be at least 90% correct in their answer sheet coz this year seem like bit easy. Sigh…

[tomayto]

yup the question format is as what shaun said
my strategy is to start from section III onwards since the question is shorter and take less time
then only i continue with section I & II
but dont worry so much about the time since i managed to finish it like 20++ mins ahead of time (i think most of the candidates too)
last year i require the whole one hour finish the test. so there is a lot of time to check your answer

good luck!

[clockworkorange]

wah..so the english exam was easier this year? cool :)

To tomayto,

Last year from the exam, i think ard 70 something ppl were selected. I'm pretty sure someone posted the statistics on this forum but you'll probably have to sift through pages of posts before you get to the one you want.

As for how many obtained the scholarship last year (for Malaysians), it was 31 if I'm not mistaken. But two of them declined the offer, so only 29 are going to Japan. I'm talking about the postgraduate exam here.

Seems like a lot of things have changed from the last year to this so I'm not really sure if last year's selection criteria (as related to us by the representatives from the Japanese embassy) really applies.

At any rate, all the best!!

[BlueCheese]

I'm a little confused by the "APPLICATION FOR JAPANESE GOVERNMENT(MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP (ATTACHMENT)" form in that it asks for the field of study and gives a line, and then a second line with "Detailed field of study" in brackets. It only gives one line for this so I'm not really sure what I am supposed to put here when the study program is asked for elsewhere.

Am I understanding it correctly that I have to do 3 copies of the main application form and only one copy of the attachment form?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[realku2004]

ANy one here from Bangladesh who got MEXT scholarship or applied for it (as for Research)?? I need some informations...
*There is any quota for Bangladeshi people,if yes then what's the number?
*In BD, what's the passing marks for written English test?
*Any idea for the question of 2010? (as in some country the written English test was already conducted)
*After passing written English test which questions probably asked in the viva board?
*If someone selected for the scholarship and deny to go, then can he apply for it in next time?

Pls answer someone (May or may not be Bangladeshi).....

[mobos]

am very disappointed because i did well in exam , but the interview was completely unfavorable , they asked me unbelievable question , because i have a bear they asked me if i am from AL-QAIDA , i don't believe that they even can imagine such a thing . today they call me and said , "" you did well on exam , but unfortunately we cant choose you "" the interview wasn't good ..
am very disappointed ...... i think this is a some kind of misjudgment ...

[oula]

am very disappointed because i did well in exam , but the interview was completely unfavorable , they asked me unbelievable question , because i have a bear they asked me if i am from AL-QAIDA , i don't believe that they even can imagine such a thing . today they call me and said , "" you did well on exam , but unfortunately we cant choose you "" the interview wasn't good ..
am very disappointed ...... i think this is a some kind of misjudgment ...

maybe they didn't like your look... i mean your bear might have given them a bad impression about you..
you know in an interview you should be well dressed and looking good, so maybe they found your bear as a irreverence or something so they might haven't liked it and tried to mock, when they said al-qaaida..

anyway, don't be that disappointed and try your best next year

[mobos]

thank you oula so much for your reply and support , and of course i will not give up , i will try harder next time .........

thank you again ...

[menrui]

matsuyamahime,
If you have the time, please do try again.

BlueCheese,
yeah I was a bit confused by that too... here is what I wrote, though I have no idea if it is right, but I managed to pass. I think I was just rambling...

Field of study in Japan（日本での希望専攻分野）
Chemistry

（Detailed field of study（研究分野（詳細））
Synthetic organic chemistry, determining method and pathway of a chemical reaction, identifying chemical structure and properties, analyzing products using scientific machinery, etc

mobos,
maybe you weren't selected because you repeated yourself too many times. Anyways, I'm sure you meant 'beard,' not "bear." I think their question is really offensive.

[BlueCheese]

Cheers menrui, that's kinda what I assumed it to be. It is a little strange though.

[Coco68]

I did it similarly as menrui, so I guess it should be alright.
Good luck!



btw just found out I passed the interview stage :-)

[clipvain]

Hi All,
I'm pretty new to this forum, and have read through most of the earlier posts. thanks to the previous batches of applicants, I can say im not as confused about the procedures and stuffs as i had been! While im at it, i really do encourage the rest of us here to go through the previous posts as much as you can, or do a search to get the answers you might be looking for! =)

the application deadline for the embassy in singapore is going to be early july, so i will still have some time to buck up on everything i'm supposed to do haha... meanwhile, all the best who have already embarked on this 'endeavor'! :confetti:

[Faulkner]

It looks like the majority here is doing a science or engineering related field of study; are there any other applicants/recipients in a literature, linguistics, or similarly culture-related department? I'm applying for a research project on Japanese literature; I'd love to hear the thoughts/experiences of others who have taken a similar path.

[ismori]

any filipino applicants here?

[menrui]

coco,
congrats, but come to think of it, its only early June... and passing the interview stage usually means that you received the embassy recommendation. wow, UK is rather quick. If that is so, then you should start contacting professors and getting acceptance letters and such.

[BlueCheese]

coco,
congrats, but come to think of it, its only early June... and passing the interview stage usually means that you received the embassy recommendation. wow, UK is rather quick. If that is so, then you should start contacting professors and getting acceptance letters and such.

I don't think coco is applying the UK, the application deadline isn't till Tuesday. Sending off mine today. (huraah!)

[Conjueror]

Hello everyone.

Though it seems this thread is directed to Monbukagakusho postgraduate program, I couldn't find any threads (on the internet) dealing with undergraduate studies as huge and informative as this thread is. Anyway, I am applying for undergraduate science B studies this year and recently I was pondering about how are students who win their scholarships differentiated. Is there a set number of science profile and a set number of humanities profile seats? Or do they just take whatever number of each who exceeded in their exams?

I was browsing through the past years examinations and realized that it is far easier to score well on humanities tests than on the science ones. Not only science students have more exams, but they get the very same English and Japanese tests as humanities students do, as well as a harder version of Math. The funny thing is, even though I have virtually no background in humanities I am quite certain I would score close to full points in humanities, while it will be pretty tough to get more than 300/400 in the science ones, as Math B is a killer. It appears that the embassy doesn't differentiate in what profile students they recommend, but does Monbukagakusho do? I sure hope they do, because it would really suck to lose this opportunity just because my field of studies happened to be more complex. Then again complex studies require complex heads, though I still find it ironical that I can enter History studies without any background in History. -_-;

[MatsuyamaHime]

Wow, just wanna say Libya has some real assholes in the consulate. How did they even get that job with that attitude?

I've been slaving/obsessing over my proposal for a little over two weeks, and I must say, I like it tons more than last year's. Here's hoping they do, too, since in the end, even if your interview goes well, she said they really chew on it.

That, and I kinda have to get the interview. I already bought the roundtrip plane ticket from Korea. ^^

[Coco68]

I don't think coco is applying the UK, the application deadline isn't till Tuesday. Sending off mine today. (huraah!)

Well, yeah, sorry I did it again. I think I have to change my flag in my profile, but they asked me where do you live and not what's your nationality. Well, I should have some multiple option how to represent my identity. Anyway, good luck to all of you.

[Yee Yin]

Hi everyone, I am new here, and have just sat for the English test on 31st May.

[tomayto]

waiting anxiously for the test result. i guess the embassy gonna have a headache choosing candidates this year...

[ykk]

Hello everyone!
I'm from Argentina, here the english/japanese exams are in July.
I'm very anxious about this because it's the second time I'm trying to obtain this scholarship. The first time I got very depressed but now even though I'm nervous I don't feel like it's going to be the end of the world anyway.

I'm applying for graphic design... any graphic designer here?

I've read all your impressions about the english test but what about the japanese test? Is it easier too? My level is 3kyu but still lack a lot of vocabulary and kanji, so I'm not very confident.

Thank you for all your comments! :wave:

[ekoy]

Hello! I am also anxiously waiting for the results. :) Are there anyone applying for Political Science here? I hope I'm not the only one.

[uranussama]

Did anyone take the Japanese exam? Someone had said that they heard it was difficult this year, so I was wondering if anyone had taken it and what their impressions were. Or if they could give me an idea of what to study ^^;; My level of Japanese is in the huge hole between 3kyuu and 2kyuu, so I want to study but Im not sure what to study for. :relief:

Thanks!

[ykk]

Did anyone take the Japanese exam? Someone had said that they heard it was difficult this year, so I was wondering if anyone had taken it and what their impressions were. Or if they could give me an idea of what to study ^^;; My level of Japanese is in the huge hole between 3kyuu and 2kyuu, so I want to study but Im not sure what to study for. :relief:
Thanks!
Have you downloaded the exam models? studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0308e.html#1 (add the www)
There's a about particles (ha, wo, ni, de...) and some excercises about verbs.
The texts are quite long and have lots of kanji and specific vocabulary, that is the worst part of the exam for me.
If your level is btw 3kyuu and 2kyuu you might take a chance and try the B Level.
The A is the easiest (between 4kyuu and 3kyuu).
Remember you have just one hour!!!

[uranussama]

Yeah I did check out the practise exams, of course. However I had heard that the test was harder this year but only one person had said that so I was wondering what everyone elses' thoughts were. Not to mention, I think they consolidated the test into one starting last year, right?

[conanf]

Yeah I did check out the practise exams, of course. However I had heard that the test was harder this year but only one person had said that so I was wondering what everyone elses' thoughts were. Not to mention, I think they consolidated the test into one starting last year, right?

Indeed, there were 3 papers for both english and Japanese. But it seems like they have merged into one. Nonetheless, take your time to review the past examinations. They could be helpful!

[Faulkner]

Out of curiosity, did you guys write your research proposals in Japanese or English? I'm particularly curious about applicants doing research that requires a high degree of Japanese ability (literature, linguistics, cultural studies, etc). I can see wanting to demonstrate your fluency, but certainly you're doing so at the expense of some of the clarity of your proposal (unless you have a degree of writing proficiency really on par with a Japanese graduate student).

Any thoughts?

[ykk]

Out of curiosity, did you guys write your research proposals in Japanese or English? I'm particularly curious about applicants doing research that requires a high degree of Japanese ability (literature, linguistics, cultural studies, etc). I can see wanting to demonstrate your fluency, but certainly you're doing so at the expense of some of the clarity of your proposal (unless you have a degree of writing proficiency really on par with a Japanese graduate student).
Any thoughts?
I have to hand in the proposal in spanish AND in english or japanese. I wrote mine in english.

[uranussama]

Out of curiosity, did you guys write your research proposals in Japanese or English? I'm particularly curious about applicants doing research that requires a high degree of Japanese ability (literature, linguistics, cultural studies, etc). I can see wanting to demonstrate your fluency, but certainly you're doing so at the expense of some of the clarity of your proposal (unless you have a degree of writing proficiency really on par with a Japanese graduate student).
Any thoughts?

My course of study involves sociology and anthropology of Japanese culture and I wrote my abstract in English and included both a Japanese and English outline, all typed. I have the interview and test tomorrow. :worried: I'm a bit nervous about the Japanese test... last year's test had a bunch of things I didnt know on it so I looked bad even though I knew tons of stuff that wasnt on the test...

[ykk]

I'm a bit nervous about the Japanese test... last year's test had a bunch of things I didnt know on it so I looked bad even though I knew tons of stuff that wasnt on the test...

Same here. I wrote down in my CV that I had 3kyuu level but the Test A was still very hard for me. I hope they didin't think I lied or something.

Best luck in the exam and interview! It is going to be OK!!! relax. :spray:
And tell us how you did! :blush:

[uranussama]

I'm back from the exam and interview. The Japanese exam was ridiculous. They completely changed the format, it's nothing but twenty pages of passages to read... the types of questions I'm the worst at... great.

But I aced the English test, being a native speaker and all... so as long as that "we submit your English test score in lieu of the Japanese score" thing still applies to America, I should be alright.

I blanked on the interview when the Japanese guy asked me some questions in Japanese. I had a really hard time answering and talking... I think they weren't too impressed with my Japanese ability which sucks because I have a DEGREE in it but I just panicked and lost my train of thought. :(

They seemed impressed by my proposal though and how srsly I was taking everything (especially compared to some of the other kids there... someone showed up in jeans, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap :okashii:) so I think I may still have a chance.

[menrui]

sounds tough uranussama. I think the research proposal has the most weight during the interview. The Japanese part is probably just there so you can impress them ha. I remember, I didn't know how to say the answer in Japanese, so I paused, then one of the judge told me to just say it in English. I think she was just curious ha.

Oh, and showing up in jeans and a baseball cap... he might as well throw his application down the drain.

[uranussama]

Thanks, Menrui. I just felt so bad, like... I'm sure they were thinking, You have a degree and yet you cant understand/answer our questions? But like I said, they seemed interested in my proposal anyways, so here's to hoping...

And yeah, I kind of couldnt believe that kid... at first I thought he was like someone's kid sitting in for the tests for practise or something, since he looked so young and was dressed so sloppily for something of this caliber. Heh.

[dalmatian]

Same here. I wrote down in my CV that I had 3kyuu level but the Test A was still very hard for me. I hope they didin't think I lied or something.
Best luck in the exam and interview! It is going to be OK!!! relax. :spray:
And tell us how you did! :blush:

hi ykk, did you submit your CV along with the application? or it was asked when you are invited for the interview/test ?
I didn't submit my CV. I thought it is not necessary because if I am not mistaken, the guidelines does not mention it :( T.T

[ykk]

hi ykk, did you submit your CV along with the application? or it was asked when you are invited for the interview/test ?
I didn't submit my CV. I thought it is not necessary because if I am not mistaken, the guidelines does not mention it :( T.T

I belive it is a special requirement from the embassy of my country. there are some other funny requirements, like answerig in a separate sheet of paper the question "have ever some relative of you been to japan?" :clueless: and also in a separate paper "Reasons for applying the scholarship" (just the reasons, a personal justification)
I have to submit it with all the forms and photocopies. The day of the interview they have the folder I've submitted and check the answers I've put in the forms.

URANUSSAMA:
Don't worry about how other people is dressed up. Bad for them. It's ok to feel comfortable with your outfit but jeans and baseball cap it's almost impolite for this ocassion :blush:
I understand your feelings about the little japanese chat in the interview. In my case, I understood everything but very politely excused myself and answered in spanish.

BTW, as I'm not a native english speaker, how do you qualificate my answers in this forum? do you understand completely what I'm writting? I'm not studing english these days but attend to nihongo on saturdays and sundays :(

[uranussama]

BTW, as I'm not a native english speaker, how do you qualificate my answers in this forum? do you understand completely what I'm writting? I'm not studing english these days but attend to nihongo on saturdays and sundays :(

I understand what you write but I can tell youre not a native speaker =)

[dalmatian]

hi ykk, Thank you for the clarification :)

[clipvain]

Hi all,
I have read from somewhere that some of you included the timelines for your research plans into the proposal. Can I know how long does this timeline usually span across? Since most of us here are planning to do a masters course eventually, did you work it out such that your research will be completed by the time you enter as a regular masters student?

Thanks in advanced for the help!
And all the best to those who have gone for the tests/interviews! :yeahh:

[ykk]

Hi all,
I have read from somewhere that some of you included the timelines for your research plans into the proposal. Can I know how long does this timeline usually span across? Since most of us here are planning to do a masters course eventually, did you work it out such that your research will be completed by the time you enter as a regular masters student?
Thanks in advanced for the help!
And all the best to those who have gone for the tests/interviews! :yeahh:

In the case of my country is mandatory to include a written description of the research AND a study plan.
I made my plan in a 18-month-basis. Separated the timeline in 4 groups of months, regarding the steps I may follow to conclude the research. I don't know if that is ok but that was the only way I could think of.
I'm not planning to finish the research before entering the master's course... I thought it was a parallel process:
First 6 months: Study japanese
Next 18 months: Try to pass the University exams to enter the master's course and do the research. If not, continue as a research student doing the research on my own.
Am I correct?:souka:

[clipvain]

In the case of my country is mandatory to include a written description of the research AND a study plan.
I made my plan in a 18-month-basis. Separated the timeline in 4 groups of months, regarding the steps I may follow to conclude the research. I don't know if that is ok but that was the only way I c:relief:ould think of.
I'm not planning to finish the research before entering the master's course... I thought it was a parallel process:
First 6 months: Study japanese
Next 18 months: Try to pass the University exams to enter the master's course and do the research. If not, continue as a research student doing the research on my own.
Am I correct?:souka:

Thanks for the opinion! It seems to make alot of sense to me... at least way better than my initial idea of finishing the entire thing in 6months :relief:

[ykk]

Thanks for the opinion! It seems to make alot of sense to me... at least way better than my initial idea of finishing the entire thing in 6months :relief:

I think they expect you to learn as much japanese as you can before entering the university. You don't have to do anything else more than studing the language in the first 6 months.

[menrui]

They "expect" you to:
1: study Japanese for 6months
2: conduct your own research for 18 month
3: at the same time, prepare for the entrance exam, take it, and get in.

But it really depends on your professor. My professor already has plenty of experience with foreign scholarship students. His route for me is:
1: Don't take Japanese classes, it's not required in the lab
2: Don't conduct my own research. Join an existing research group in his lab.
3: Treat me as a Masters course student right away, even though I am actually a research student.
4: Take the entrance exam, but don't worry about my performance. In other words, I'm in no matter what.
Summary, enter masters course after 6 months, complete masters course in 18months.

[clipvain]

They "expect" you to:
1: study Japanese for 6months
2: conduct your own research for 18 month
3: at the same time, prepare for the entrance exam, take it, and get in.

But it really depends on your professor. My professor already has plenty of experience with foreign scholarship students. His route for me is:
1: Don't take Japanese classes, it's not required in the lab
2: Don't conduct my own research. Join an existing research group in his lab.
3: Treat me as a Masters course student right away, even though I am actually a research student.
4: Take the entrance exam, but don't worry about my performance. In other words, I'm in no matter what.
Summary, enter masters course after 6 months, complete masters course in 18months.

I was actually looking forward to the Japanese classes, as I presumed it will be different from the kinds of classes we have outside of Japan. But then again, the way your professor formulated it makes your 2 years way more efficient!

[ismori]

i did not get in as well. sad.

[ykk]

i did not get in as well. sad.

:(
This is so discouraging...
It almost 3am and I've just finished printing all the forms and stuff... tomorrow I will take the photo and deliver everything right away.

gotta work tomorrow at 7am... guess my face in the picture :mad:

[clipvain]

:(
This is so discouraging...
It almost 3am and I've just finished printing all the forms and stuff... tomorrow I will take the photo and deliver everything right away.
gotta work tomorrow at 7am... guess my face in the picture :mad:

i can help photoshop it :D

[kouun9]

Hi Everybody

I am new in this forum. I also have applied for the Mombusho scholarship this year, and am waiting for the preliminary shortlisting by the embassy.

I have applied in the field of Japanese language and literature. Has anybody here given the Japanese language exam this year. The toughest paper i.e. Paper C. How was it, was there any Kanji to write in any of the 3 papers. How many Dokkai (reading comprehensions) were there.

Here in India, if shortlisted for exam and interview, will be having exam in the end of the month.

All the best to everyone. :wave:

[gurb]

Hi everyone!
I applied this year for the Monbukagakusho postgrad scholarship through the embassy of Japan in my country of origin.
My research proposal is based on a topic i am currently working on and which i try to develop more in-depth in the field of International relations. Previously i commented it with my academic supervisor who approved it and he gave me his positive comments on it.
I am 27, have actually a bachelors degree, 2 masters degrees, some publications (despite on other topics), 2 years of working experience in a prestigious international institute in Holland... I don't say that I deserved it, but I was convinced that at the very list i would make it to the interview/exam phase. To my surprise, i just got an email from the embassy saying that my application is already rejected :o
I must say i feel quite disappointed about that. Is it common, anyhow??
Thanks

[ykk]

Hi everyone!
I applied this year for the Monbukagakusho postgrad scholarship through the embassy of Japan in my country of origin.
My research proposal is based on a topic i am currently working on and which i try to develop more in-depth in the field of International relations. Previously i commented it with my academic supervisor who approved it and he gave me his positive comments on it.
I am 27, have actually a bachelors degree, 2 masters degrees, some publications (despite on other topics), 2 years of working experience in a prestigious international institute in Holland... I don't say that I deserved it, but I was convinced that at the very list i would make it to the interview/exam phase. To my surprise, i just got an email from the embassy saying that my application is already rejected :o
I must say i feel quite disappointed about that. Is it common, anyhow??
Thanks

OMG!
Maybe they thought that you too-well-prepared? That you have already achieved some point in your academic career that it is not necessary to study in Japan? to leave the chances to other people who might need it more than you?
Anyway, it is a bit unfair, you have showed that you are commited to study and give the best...
I've met someone with a case similar to yours... Sometimes this seems to be some kind of lottery....

[nyfa]

Hi everyone!
I applied this year for the Monbukagakusho postgrad scholarship through the embassy of Japan in my country of origin.
My research proposal is based on a topic i am currently working on and which i try to develop more in-depth in the field of International relations. Previously i commented it with my academic supervisor who approved it and he gave me his positive comments on it.
I am 27, have actually a bachelors degree, 2 masters degrees, some publications (despite on other topics), 2 years of working experience in a prestigious international institute in Holland... I don't say that I deserved it, but I was convinced that at the very list i would make it to the interview/exam phase. To my surprise, i just got an email from the embassy saying that my application is already rejected :o
I must say i feel quite disappointed about that. Is it common, anyhow??
Thanks

:eek: OMG. I'm speechless.
But I kinda agree with what ykk said.. then again, we would never know how they pick the candidates every year..

I hope you don't feel so down. Maybe trying again next year? I assume you're applying for the PhD one?

[gurb]

:eek: OMG. I'm speechless.
But I kinda agree with what ykk said.. then again, we would never know how they pick the candidates every year..
I hope you don't feel so down. Maybe trying again next year? I assume you're applying for the PhD one?

hi!
Thanks to the both of you for the reply. :-)

Yes, it was for the postgraduate, with intention to do a PhD. I guess I have been unlucky...
I would like to try again, of course, but it seems kind of useless if I don't manage to find out what the problem was. Unfortunately there are no other scholarships like this one for Japan, so this is almost the only choice.

[clockworkorange]

They "expect" you to:
1: study Japanese for 6months
2: conduct your own research for 18 month
3: at the same time, prepare for the entrance exam, take it, and get in.

But it really depends on your professor. My professor already has plenty of experience with foreign scholarship students. His route for me is:
1: Don't take Japanese classes, it's not required in the lab
2: Don't conduct my own research. Join an existing research group in his lab.
3: Treat me as a Masters course student right away, even though I am actually a research student.
4: Take the entrance exam, but don't worry about my performance. In other words, I'm in no matter what.
Summary, enter masters course after 6 months, complete masters course in 18months.


I'm jealous. I don't think my professor has much experience with foreign scholarship students. I'm worried as hell over my entrance exam. but at least I have two takes. Plus i think my professor is really nice so ....ok laa....
How's life in japan btw, menrui?


To gurb,
I'm really sorry you got rejected. If they rejected you because of your stellar qualifications...i feel that's a bit unfair. I mean the qualifications only prove your level of commitment and that you would make full use of the scholarship. but that's just my opinion. Don't give up. Try again next year. Maybe you could ask the embassy representative what might have gone wrong.

I wish you all the best. :wave:

[menrui]

it's a bit tiring, but I still manage to get by.

My lab mates tell me that it's very easy to get in, and get a degree under our professor. The catch is... the lab hours. M-F: 10-22, Sat: 10-19 = 59 hours a week. That's crazy. Also, I was just informed that graduate students don't get the same vacation as the undergrads... so instead of the standard 2 month summer vacation, our lab group will likely only get a week :( . Yay Japan~ ha.

[clockworkorange]

I guess it really does depend on the professor. I've heard some ppl say that it's relaxing. I mean the research student period proper.

But at least u dun need to worry about the entrance exam. I keep wondering about mine. :?

Huuh.....a week.......compared to 2 months that's no time at all but at least there's a break.

59 hours ..........looks like i need to toughen up. i work 40 hrs per week and i complain incessantly. :bawling:

[scjp19]

Is there anyone who can give us some clues on what to study for the Japanese exam of this year's monbusho scholarship. In what aspect do we need to focus? (this request goes to those who have already taken the exam). Thanks in advance!

[uranussama]

I just found out today that I'm an alternate. So my chances are slim to none.

Anyone know of any alternates ever getting it?:?

[menrui]

Yes, alternates can still receive the scholarship, but the chance are, as you said, slim.

I do know of one case for last years application. I won't mention names. So it goes like this, someone who already received the "embassy recommendation" was suddenly switched to an alternate. That same day, someone joined the forum to announce that he/she was just switched from alternate to embassy recommendation... They were from the same country.

[uranussama]

^ Oh wow, really? That sucks for that person, whoever it is. :souka:

I also went back through the forum here and read that last year someone from the US were told they were an alternate a week after their interview (as I was just today) and they got a call in December saying they had received it after all. God, I hope that happens to me... but Im not excited about putting my life on stand-by for a year. :mad:

I wonder what the deciding factor is... what makes one person an alternate or not. I wonder if I'm an alternate for my consulate or if there's a big fat list of alternates or what... if there's tons of people ahead of me or how it works. I'll have to ask on Monday...

[MatsuyamaHime]

I sent my application Thursday. The postal workers were so diligent trying to find a way to fit all those papers into one envelope.

I'm confident about the proposal. I imagine they'll be salivating at the chance to give me money.

Anyway, NOW I have time to do OTHER things that are actually FUN....

[ykk]

I just found out today that I'm an alternate. So my chances are slim to none.
Anyone know of any alternates ever getting it?:?

you might still get it, don't worry! At least they didn't say "no thanks"...
do you still have to contact the professors, right?
Is there anything you can do to get "promoted"?

I've heard that last year in my country both of the alternates finally got selected.

I sent my application Thursday. The postal workers were so diligent trying to find a way to fit all those papers into one envelope.

I'm confident about the proposal. I imagine they'll be salivating at the chance to give me money.

Anyway, NOW I have time to do OTHER things that are actually FUN....

It feels like you've taken a big weight from your back, right? I feel that too but... still have to study. A lot. After the exam THAT will be a relief.

[menrui]

I imagine they'll be salivating at the chance to give me money

Hehe, you shouldn't really say that. It's not about the money you know. Though I admit, I do feel happier when I look at my bank account every month :) .

Anyways, be sure to show a good personality and charm them too.

[MatsuyamaHime]

ykk: Actually, studying and learning is fun. Writing essays and the like is, categorically, not.

menrui: Sweet Jesus, if it ain't about the money, I dunno why I just spent the last month and a half locked in my house. I can order piles of texts, fly myself to Japan (or stay in America) and try to do my own research with my own imaginary thousands, but I'm almost certain that ain't happenin.

Raise your hands if you actually COULD/CAN pay out of your pocket for your degrees and are doing this purely for sh!ts and giggles.

...

BTW, menrui, are you at all disappointed that you're not doing the research you so passionately sought this money to complete? The findings can't even be credited to you, could they?

[menrui]

Ok... I'm sorry.

[MatsuyamaHime]

:D


Um, why are you apologizing?



....Unless you are one of those guys who never had to sweat about finances.

Anyway, and your research?

[menrui]

I apologized because it seems like my comment offended you, which was never my intention. Also, I'm sure arguing isn't going to help or change anything.

I do sweat about finance from time to time and no, I am not disappointed about not being able to conduct my proposed research.

Good luck.

[ykk]

I belive that is not all about the money but they are kind of investing money on you, so... I don't like the idea of being in debt with anyone, so it's one more reason to do your best during your stay in japan during the scholarship.

I've done all my studies in public schools, never had to pay a cent, not even for University. BUT did (and do) have to work since I was 19, just to pay for all the materials (and believe me, graphic design demands lot$ of material$...) :relief:

[MatsuyamaHime]

I apologized because it seems like my comment offended you
Pssh. Nah.... I'm just not romanticizing the fact that I don't want any more student loans.

Lookin at your comment, tho, maybe you were just referring to the stipend, which isn't something to sneeze at. However, I could make 170% of that tutoring English...and be able to continue paying off my loans.

Nope, I'm in it for the tuition.

[axo4067]

Hi all,

I received a letter and a packet to go for an interview. I am so happy to know that I past the English examination. There are so much to do especially getting the forms fill up. I think there are some part that I don't understand how to fill in.

Is there anyone of you from Malaysia whom has also already being notified for interview?

[PetiteM]

I'm in the process of emailing universities for information about the schools, and it is a pain finding professors' emails (I've found none wtsoever, just names, so I'm sending out emails requesting help contacting them to the international bureaus of each university) and I really don't know what to ask them?
"please be my sensei?" ._. It seems rather cut and dry. any ideas how to go about this? time is running out and I'm really at a loss concerning what to do... I'm thinking of including a basic outline of my research proposal to maybe spark their interest, but if nobody answers me how am I supposed to get an acceptance anywhere?
*panicks*

[ekoy]

Hi all,
I received a letter and a packet to go for an interview. I am so happy to know that I past the English examination. There are so much to do especially getting the forms fill up. I think there are some part that I don't understand how to fill in.
Is there anyone of you from Malaysia whom has also already being notified for interview?

Me! Me! Yup, there are lots of forms to be filled. Do call Ms. Yin if you have any enquiries. :) Btw, may I know when is your interview?

[clockworkorange]

I'm in the process of emailing universities for information about the schools, and it is a pain finding professors' emails (I've found none wtsoever, just names, so I'm sending out emails requesting help contacting them to the international bureaus of each university) and I really don't know what to ask them?
"please be my sensei?" ._. It seems rather cut and dry. any ideas how to go about this? time is running out and I'm really at a loss concerning what to do... I'm thinking of including a basic outline of my research proposal to maybe spark their interest, but if nobody answers me how am I supposed to get an acceptance anywhere?
*panicks*

You mean you don't know how to ask the professors? Umm, what I did was ask straight out after introducing myself. something like: My name is so-and-so and I'm applying for the scholarship. I am writing to ask if you would be willing to be my supervisor.

Then i explain why i would very much be honoured if he said yes. it could be because of the research he/she has done....

I definitely attached my research proposal. I also attached my resume and a copy of my academic results.

I think you did the right thing by emailing the student office when you got no replies from the professors themselves. Hopefully replies will come. :) All the best.

To ekoy and axo4067,

Congrats on passing the test and best of luck for the interview. :)

[Coco68]

PetitM,
I am having similar problems right now. I usually can't find the professor's e-mail at all, so I just sent it to the Registar/International Office at universities and wait for the reply, but it is rather uncomfortable because I have no idea what's going on.
Btw anyone has went through this process for Waseda Uni last year? Their application process seems clear from their webpage, but I am just wondering how long did it take to get a reply?
Thanks everyone. Congrats to all who got the interview and good luck :-)

[axo4067]

Me! Me! Yup, there are lots of forms to be filled. Do call Ms. Yin if you have any enquiries. :) Btw, may I know when is your interview?

My interview is on the 9th of July , which is a Thursday in two weeks time. I wonder if the interview is conducted in a group or individual basis. How about you? Do you know how many will be shortlisted after the interview?

Thanks for the info about Ms Yin. I really have a lot to ask. Can you give me contact number?

[ekoy]

My interview is on the 9th of July , which is a Thursday in two weeks time. I wonder if the interview is conducted in a group or individual basis. How about you? Do you know how many will be shortlisted after the interview?
Thanks for the info about Ms Yin. I really have a lot to ask. Can you give me contact number?

Oh? Mine is on the 9th of July as well at 1pm. :) The contact number should be in the official letter as well. But just in case its: 03-2177-2757. Hmm... I'm not sure abt the other details. Any sempai(s) out there who can enlighten us about the interview? I'm quite sure its a panel interview.

[ykk]

In my country, every candidate has an individual interview.
A jury of about 6 people ask you questions.

[kellylen]

Hai im also attending the MEXTinterview but mine is on 7th july..i have few enquiries that i hope someone could explain to me.. First of all im a degree and also a master holder in chemical engineering..my questions are as following

1. They asked to specify the field of specilization studied in the past..does tht mean i need to state my research area during my master's or just in general as in chemical engineering...

2.THis might sounds a simple question but im still somewhat confused overthis matter..For my case field of study, should i put it as Natural Science or be more specific Chemical Engineering? there is another part where i need to fill up the detailed field of study..so wht should i fill up for that

3.On the form for field of study and study program, in which they asked us to write the proposed study program..they have divided the parts into 2 section 1.present field of study and 2.your research theme after arrival in japan. What is the difference between both section..How do i fill up this part..

Really hope someone could help me..thanx alot

4.Additional question i was made to understood that its best that we enrol first as research student and take the entrance exam before enrolling as doctoral student as in my case..therefore the question number 14 term u wish to study in japan i should choose iii.from a research student through doctoral course completion..am i rite on this?

[clockworkorange]

Hi, kellylen!! A fellow chemical engineer. May I know what research you're in and which university you plan to apply to? Who knows..maybe we can meet next year in Japan!!

Answers to your questions:
1) I only have a bachelor's degree so I listed down some of the subjects I studied and my final year research project. If i had a masters, I would have included my master's research topic as well.
In summary, I briefly explained what I did. I did not just put a general statement such as "chemical engineering".

2) Natural sciences: Chemical Engineering

3) I posted a reply to this in the thread "Field of Study and Study Program Guidelines" posted by ismori in this same jref forum. Do take a look and hopefully that will be helpful.

4) You are correct. :)

Best of luck.

I'm just curious. Are you currently working? I ask because I'm eager to know the many fields in which Chemical Engineering Master holders are welcome, especially in Malaysia.

[kellylen]

Hi there orange, thanx for ur immediate reply!! i was on the panic mode since i got the letter yesterday..anyway i did called miss.yin just now and she was so helpful in helping me to clear up the confusions arises..so to anyone in my position yeah do give miss yin a call..shes certainly the best person to help us

Btw orange, my field of research is on supercritical fluid extraction.in fact i already obtained an invitation from a prof in Hiroshima university for me to go over there and join their research team so i guess the only thing tht i really need is the scholarships..really hope could get this scholar for me to achieve my next goal, a doctoral degree

im now working as a lecturer in one of the private universities locally rite now...my opinion as for current situations in malaysia, if u r really interested in research the best ways would be either joining any private research cener or in my case an insitution of learning..here we are provide with opportunities such as research grants to pursue the work tht ur interested..so im hoping with the experience i have in japan adding to the doctoral degree i could someday come back and pursue my interest in the field im doing rite now...haha hope for the best..

[clockworkorange]

Hi kelly,

Thanks for the explanation. Best of luck for the interview!!

[mongoljohn]

Like they said, the exam seems much easier than last year. Some part remained and some did not.
If you are referring to past year question, Section I still was remained but become section V in the exam. Section V also remained turn up to section I and II (around 14~15 questions). There were new sections like III & VI and those questions with multiple selectable answers like “fill in the blank” with several words below. Section V was to rearrange the sentence with 5 given wordings. It was easy and non grammatical or tested on your English power. .
Yeah... 70 / 178 person. The percentage is around 40 %.
Are they choosing based on prorated? Then I think those selected person shall be at least 90% correct in their answer sheet coz this year seem like bit easy. Sigh…

thanks a lot for this useful info, and can you give more if remembering? I have applied for 2010, and been preparing a lot on the previous years papers, 2006, 2007 and 2008. So, is it worth? Is the paper of 2010 familiar for me? I am worrying about it because 60 minutes are short for me. I dont want to spend time to become familiar with the question types in this year.
Thanks again

[mongoljohn]

hi,
thanks a lot for this useful info. I've applied Monbusho 2010, and been preparing on the previous papers, 2006, 2007 and 2008. So, can you give more info if you remember? It would be quite helpful for me. I dont want to spend my time to become familiar with the test format, question types, etc. 60 minutes are very short for me.
thanks again

[kouki]

>kellylen,
For your case, it should be (in my opinion - do confirm with Ms Yin, she is very kind!!! :-) )
1. They asked to specify the field of specilization studied in the past..does tht mean i need to state my research area during my master's or just in general as in chemical engineering...
Field of specialization studied in the past: Chemical Engineering - Supercritical Fluid Extraction
2.THis might sounds a simple question but im still somewhat confused overthis matter..For my case field of study, should i put it as Natural Science or be more specific Chemical Engineering? there is another part where i need to fill up the detailed field of study..so wht should i fill up for that
Natural Science: Chemical Engineering
3.On the form for field of study and study program, in which they asked us to write the proposed study program..they have divided the parts into 2 section 1.present field of study and 2.your research theme after arrival in japan. What is the difference between both section..How do i fill up this part..
Present Field of Study: Natural Science - Chemical Engineering (your research field)
Research Theme: (your research title)
4.Additional question i was made to understood that its best that we enrol first as research student and take the entrance exam before enrolling as doctoral student as in my case..therefore the question number 14 term u wish to study in japan i should choose iii.from a research student through doctoral course completion..am i rite on this?
Do you get any column as research student - doctoral course? Most of the students will have to be research student first before starting their postgraduate course. Although some universities do not.
Actually that period is for you to prepare yourself in the Japanese environment, and for you to prepare for your entrance examination. Please be reminded that most Japanese univeristies would require you to sit for entrance examination before you can be their postgraduate student, even if you are MEXT scholar.

*opps... Sorry clockworkorange, I didn't notice your post was here. I re-answered it again.

[scjp19]

mongoljohn - the english and japanese exams have different formats this year so I think you dont need to try to familiarize with the test format. The good news is that the english exam is very easy. just relax. that would be my best advice.

[Shaun]

aikz... i din receive any letter for MEXT yet...
looks like i din manage to pass the test.. sigh...

[ekoy]

Hello!

I've got a tiny question to ask regarding the application forms. In part 7(ii) of the attachment form where it mentions that: Do you have any particular university in which you wish to be enrolled? Yes/No. How do I answer 7(iii)? Are we supposed to be applying for admission into the university of our choice now?

I'm at a blur here...

[kellylen]

Thanx everyone for the answers..it really helps alot....

[ooilingfan]

Hello!

I've got a tiny question to ask regarding the application forms. In part 7(ii) of the attachment form where it mentions that: Do you have any particular university in which you wish to be enrolled? Yes/No. How do I answer 7(iii)? Are we supposed to be applying for admission into the university of our choice now?

I'm at a blur here...


If you can secure an admission (verbal, unofficial) to the university of your choice right now, it will boost your chances during the interview. It is however, not a must at this point. In my case last year, i got a conditional consent before the interview, whereby my supervisor stated that he will take me in IF i pass the scholarship selection.

According to application procedure, AFTER you pass the interview, you will be given a "preliminary screening certificate" to be sent to your professor in Japan as a prove of passing the Embassy's selection. After that you need to get a recommendation letter + LoA from your university(s) - you may apply to up to 3 universities.
All these are to be done via post mail hence will take time. So if you can secure a supervisor right now, it'll help you a lot later on. So do try your best in finding at least one now.
The deadline for submitting your LoA to the embassy is usually in Sept.

Based on last year's situation. We were entitled to choose up to 3 universities of choice. It is best to have 3 preferred university + verbal/email consent from respective supervisors. MEXT will try to place you according to your preference. Similar to what UPU in malaysia did when you applied for local Uni (my apologies to applicants from other countries, i'm taking m'sia as a reference as ekoy is from m'sia).

However, if you already had the consent from the supervisor, it'll be very easy for MEXT as they just need to verify your acceptance into that Uni. If you don't have their consent, MEXT would have to go through rounds of discussion with the Uni and try to obtain a place for you. I'm of the opinion that they always try their best and in many cases, able to secure placements within an applicants 3 choices.

Wakaru? :relief:

Btw, is everyone here who passed the exam aware of the timeline of the application?
Do google around and find more information before you get panicked of not knowing what to do.
This is one of the most informative page i found last year
http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0302e.html
Whenever you are in doubt, please always refer to the Application Guidelines FIRST (i believe this is given to you in your package). Almost everything is written very clearly there.

[kellylen]

Hi can i add on to the question as posted above..i have already obtained a verbal agreement from the professor that i wish to work with but there is no official letter or anything yet from the uni since i want to secure this scholarships first..therefore my question in the MEXT form for the receiving admission part, should i circle acquired or acquiring or not yet acquired? does a verbal agreement constituted as acquired admissions?

[ooilingfan]

kellylen,

Personally i do not think that a verbal agreement constitutes to "Acquired Admissions"
You are yet to be accepted as a confirmed student.
If you're in doubt. Leave that column blank first. On the day of your interview, you will have a few minutes outside the interview room where Ms Yin will check through all your application forms. Ask her then.
If you really want to fill it in now, write an email to Ms Yin.

[ekoy]

ooilingfan,

Hai, wakarimasu! Thank you so much for your explanation. *hands over more tissues to ooilingfan* Will contact the professors tmr!

[kouki]

I think you can attach the correspondences with the professor as the proof. Try calling Ms. Yin to confirm which to circle. You can even do that on the day you will be going for the interview (ask her on the spot) :-) She is for sure would be happy to assist you.

[kellylen]

Hi,

i have just attended the interview yesterday...and the penalist was so friendly which definately makes the whole thing so much less nerve wrecking then it should be..bravo to them for having the patient to face so many applicants and yet maintaning their composure...they do concentrate more on the proposal this time aorund which i do think its fair and right..for others good luck and all the best..my best advice, make sure all ur forms are in the right order before u even step in into the japanese embassy.check all the details and any fine print written in the form and dont forget to give everything that they want..good luck to others..may the best wins..haha

[ooilingfan]

I think the interview should end by now.
GoodLuck. See you guys next year in Japan.
Anyone coming to Osaka University please please notify us before you come. We find a few 'hidden' malaysians every now and then =p

[northpig87]

Hello everyone, my first post here. Hajimemashite! =)

So...For people coming fresh out of university undergraduate, do you usually apply as research student or as master student? I've been reading through this forum the past hour or so, and see someone mentioning that usually it's research student first then master's. Is this correct? I do not have an honor's bachelor unfortunately.

Next question: as I was reading the threads, i noticed many thread was about english exam. But then I read the application guideline posted on studyjapan's site (darn it can't add the site since i'm a newbie ><)

and it says "Japanese written must be taken, and english written is for those who wish".
Then why were there so many threads on preparing for english exam? Will it boost up the chance of acceptance?
I think i'll end it here for now..it's getting too long haha. I shall continue later on.

Good night and thank you!

ps. I will be applying for 2011 year..so just trying to get the early warmth =)

[Rica]

northpig87 -
As far as I understand, in countries where the native language is English (or one of the native languages is English, I don't know if you speak French as well where you are in Canada!) the English language test is compulsory, and the Japanese test is optional. That is the case here in Australia anyway, I believe it is also the case in Malaysia (because the native language is not Japanese, even though it is not English either) and the U.S. But it varies by country, so it's worth checking with the embassy in your area.
As for whether you apply as a research student or a Master's student, on the form there are two relevant questions:
1) How long do you plan to stay (research through to master's, research through to PhD, or just research student)
2) What is the first course you wish to take (research student, Master's, PhD)
Technically, everyone starts out as a research student until they are admitted to a Master's course or PhD, but if you apply and are admitted to a Master's before you leave, you can start right away in Japan without completing a research student period, so it's not compulsory. otherwise, you need to pass the Master's entrance examinations after you get to Japan if you want to stay after the research period. Some people only want to do a research student period, so it's up to you!
Hope that helps, anyone feel free to correct anything I've said if you have better info! Good luck!

[Coco68]

Hey northpig87,

from what I have heard about the language exams, you need to get high score in at least one of them in order to pass to the next round. Most of the people here would probably score higher in the English exam and that leads to extensive discussions about it. Moreover, the knowledge of Japanese language is not required for the scholarship and lots of people don't even know it. Assuming that you are native English speaker(if not, then sorry), this part should be easier for you.
For the master's/research student issue, I think it depends on the individual case. I am finishing my MA right now, so I am going for the research student, but as I said it depends on you(I would say).
This is all my mere observations and assumptions, so it might be not be completely accurate....but hope it helps

[northpig87]

Hi Rica! Thanks for the quick reply!

So (I'm from vancouver, so English is my native language,and french I can only say Bonjour and Salute haha) for people graduated from a native English university/country, the English test actually becomes compulsory? It's quite conflicting but I guess that's the way it is XD.
And for research student, yes I guess I'll start out as research student then. Assuming 80 years of life, one extra year in Japan doing research can't be bad! haha

So now moving onto my next question: research plan! :O This section scares me the most as I have no idea whatsoever what kind of plan I can come up with at this moment. ( I do have one more year of school, hopefully that'll help -_-) And it also confuses me a bit, since as far as I understand for gradschool, and from my past experience in working in grad school as undergrad internship is that professor has this huuuge head full of research plan and he dishes one out to each phd/master student and they elaborate and get result and publish paper. So ultimately the plan comes more from the prof than the student. Of course students are welcomed to bring ideas but most likely the prof already has enough plans he wants results for.......sorry that went too long,

so my question is: how specific/novel/professional/scientific/holycrazyyoumustbeagenius do people usually write on this section? From reading through the 2000+ replies on this thread, i see some writing pages and pages of it and someone writing only a page of general plan and still getting accepted...so (i'm in science/physics by the way)

north

EDIT: Hi Coco, thank you for the reply. And that is what I've also read. On a first glance, I'd say then scoring a high score on the japanese exam will give me a better chance. But then again in world of science, all papers published are in english, and English is the language in science and engineering, so maybe English is valued more? mmmmmmmmmmm which one!? or take both!? haha.

[Rica]

Ha ha northpig, go for holycrazyyoumustbeagenius!
I can't really give you any advice yet, I wrote about 2500 words. I'm still waiting to hear if I am selected for an interview. But many people have had different successful experiences with the research proposals. You have heaps of time though, I'd say get a good idea of what you'd like to study, and start reading in the field. That would give you a good start!

[ooilingfan]

Hi Rica! Thanks for the quick reply!

So (I'm from vancouver, so English is my native language,and french I can only say Bonjour and Salute haha) for people graduated from a native English university/country, the English test actually becomes compulsory? It's quite conflicting but I guess that's the way it is XD.
And for research student, yes I guess I'll start out as research student then. Assuming 80 years of life, one extra year in Japan doing research can't be bad! haha

So now moving onto my next question: research plan! :O This section scares me the most as I have no idea whatsoever what kind of plan I can come up with at this moment. ( I do have one more year of school, hopefully that'll help -_-) And it also confuses me a bit, since as far as I understand for gradschool, and from my past experience in working in grad school as undergrad internship is that professor has this huuuge head full of research plan and he dishes one out to each phd/master student and they elaborate and get result and publish paper. So ultimately the plan comes more from the prof than the student. Of course students are welcomed to bring ideas but most likely the prof already has enough plans he wants results for.......sorry that went too long,

so my question is: how specific/novel/professional/scientific/holycrazyyoumustbeagenius do people usually write on this section? From reading through the 2000+ replies on this thread, i see some writing pages and pages of it and someone writing only a page of general plan and still getting accepted...so (i'm in science/physics by the way)

north

EDIT: Hi Coco, thank you for the reply. And that is what I've also read. On a first glance, I'd say then scoring a high score on the japanese exam will give me a better chance. But then again in world of science, all papers published are in english, and English is the language in science and engineering, so maybe English is valued more? mmmmmmmmmmm which one!? or take both!? haha.

Hi, from my experience,
the length is not important. The content is.
Be specific, be concrete, clear, concise and most importantly, relevant to your specialty.
You can write in a form of Background, proposed methodology, expected outcome, potential contribution etc.... like a research proposal.
As long as it's logic, and you can explain yourself on its feasibility and confident in getting into a lab (in japan, they call labs for all, including non-science field - kenkyuushitsu), you'll be fine.

I wrote about 2/3 of a page only. Quite short. I got a professor backing me at the point of interview hence i think it boosted my chances.

[Coco68]

I think ooilingfan pointed out the most important parts such as 'Background, proposed methodology, expected outcome, potential contribution' etc. I also included literature overview and had bibliography at the end. There are several guidelines around the internet on 'how to write research proposal effectively', so it might be helpful to search it as well.
I think the length is not that important, as long it's consistent and clear and looks serious enough(and also it's good to read-so you can keep people interested in what you want to do). My proposal was about 5 pages (1,5 spacing), but it rather depends.

P.S. If you would be able to score high in Japanese test, it would be only your advantage in later stages, but I think you don't need to get stressed about it.

[ooilingfan]

er... i think you can omit bibliography. You're not submitting a thesis =p
Again, only put in things that are Relevant. Not too much, not too less.
It's best if you can make it specific, but easy-to-understand enough by a layperson.
Personally, i think 5 pages is too long. They don't have that much time to read through all. Chances are they might miss out on your important points when they choose to read randomly or scan through very fast.
I strongly recommend not more than 1 page. 2 tops if you must.
Do consider the panel's point of view. How many applicants are they screening. They are not allocating too much time per person. So make it short and concise if you want to have an all-round evaluation in a very short amount of time.
My experience from my previous job that involved handling of university scholarships tells me the same thing.
Thick-ring binded resumes and portfolios don't help much.

[Coco68]

:-) this illustrates that there is no exact manual how to write that. What I wrote just worked for me. Still you have quite some time to figure it out. So, good luck.

[Rica]

I may have been thinking too much into this, but... that's me!
My research proposal included -
Q. 1: Some background information on my study area, my relevant work experience and my area of interest. Only 1 reference in this section, basically summing up the state of the technology at the moment (OK, it was a nice catch line!) <less that 1 page single spaced>
Q. 2: Included a concise explanation of the questions I would be working with, and the reasons this research could only be done in Japan, and a one sentence overview of my proposed methodology because it led nicely into the next section. About 8 references, mainly backing up my statistics showing why it had to be done in Japan. <less that one page single spaced>
Q. 3: (The Long One!) I know which master's course I want to get into, and I also know that they will only accept Monbusho applications that list them as the first and ONLY choice. So my application is pretty heavily tailored to them, however aside from the timetable section the rest of my proposal still translates to other schools (just in case I get embassy recommended but MEXT has to find me a place).
So basically, this section consists of:
* A proposed course of study
* A description of my project (context, methodology, examples from the field, how I will apply my skills specifically)
* How I see my research benefiting me personally, Japan and Australia. Examples of how I will be using my research in the future.
(About 4 references) <3 pages>
* Bibliography <1 page>
OK, so this is kind of a... full on example.
The reason I went this direction is that in my previous experience researching in the field, I am constantly having to justify to other academics in other (different but related) areas how what I'm doing is actually research. Therefore, I know that by writing this proposal as if it is an academic paper, it would help me in the long run with justifying my research. This might not be the case for you, if you are researching in a scientific field for example, I imagine it might be easier to justify your research, and you might not have to go to the same lengths as me!
I also know that in my country there are not a lot of applicants (probably less than 30) so our applications definitely will be read from beginning to end, so I can afford to be a little longer.
I'm yet to hear if I'm selected for an interview, so I don't know if this approach has been successful. If I don't get selected, next year's proposal may be a little more specific in terms of my research question and area, but I will still present it academically, because that's what works for me!
I think that the research proposal in the end is very individual, it shows not just what kind of research you want to do, it shows whether you are a good writer, whether you can organise your ideas, your language ability, and it gives the readers a bit of an idea about who you are. What works for one person might not work for the next, so as long as it includes what is being asked for in the question, I'd say write it however you feel will be best to get your idea across.
On a personal note, man I hope I get a letter soon, the wait is killing me! I've been preparing for the interview for weeks now just in case. I'm too excited to wait!

[miao]

hi everyone, just found that this thread still in active!
I used to browse this thread and great to get lots of information here.

i'm applying for MEXT postgraduate scholarship too =)
Just went through the interview and now trying to get a professor (i not yet get any).
good luck everyone!

*there is another MEXT related thread >> "MEXT Scholarship for Postgraduate 2010: General Discussions"

[northpig87]

thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions! Thanks Rica for the detailed structure of your proposal, it will be of great help when I get to the stage next year.

I don't know if people've done it this way, but one method I was thinking is that, since all successful candidate will end up in some prof's lab, which has a set of research topics. So wouldn't it be more effective to decide which lab you'd like to go to, and read upon the topics they are currently doing, do some background research, and read into what is the current state of such research in the world, and then construct a plan based on the lab's topics? Hopefully this won't be considered cheating, :okashii:

[menrui]

^ I actually think that is a better idea.

[clockworkorange]

I don't know if people've done it this way, but one method I was thinking is that, since all successful candidate will end up in some prof's lab, which has a set of research topics. So wouldn't it be more effective to decide which lab you'd like to go to, and read upon the topics they are currently doing, do some background research, and read into what is the current state of such research in the world, and then construct a plan based on the lab's topics? Hopefully this won't be considered cheating, :okashii:

I don't think it's considered cheating. actually i think a lot of applicants do it. :-)

[BlueCheese]

thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions! Thanks Rica for the detailed structure of your proposal, it will be of great help when I get to the stage next year.
I don't know if people've done it this way, but one method I was thinking is that, since all successful candidate will end up in some prof's lab, which has a set of research topics. So wouldn't it be more effective to decide which lab you'd like to go to, and read upon the topics they are currently doing, do some background research, and read into what is the current state of such research in the world, and then construct a plan based on the lab's topics? Hopefully this won't be considered cheating, :okashii:

I would warn you though that the lab you choose may not be taking any students.

[Rica]

I don't know if people've done it this way, but one method I was thinking is that, since all successful candidate will end up in some prof's lab, which has a set of research topics. So wouldn't it be more effective to decide which lab you'd like to go to, and read upon the topics they are currently doing, do some background research, and read into what is the current state of such research in the world, and then construct a plan based on the lab's topics? Hopefully this won't be considered cheating, :okashii:
I absolutely agree that this is a great idea (and not cheating!) Even if you don't tailor your research specifically to the lab, it would make sense to choose a subject area that is currently being researched, especially if you have something new to add to the field. I mean, there's no point researching square watermelons if no one wants square watermelons, right? :-P
I would say that it is still important to think about something you would be interested in researching, it would make for a boring couple of years if you were researching something you didn't like just to get into a lab.
I know what area I would like to research in, but part of my process of narrowing down my research proposal was to see what specific topics and objectives were receiving government and industry funding. I also read an independent report on the current research environment in Japan for my area, which suggested areas that needed more research.
I think you're on to a winner basically, it's a great idea to tailor your proposal this way, just make sure it's something you want to do!

[gilmwa]

Hie. I'm new to this thread and I think its very helpful. Have just passed the interviews and am trying to find a professor. Am a bit confused about what happens once in Japan though. Does one spend the first 6 months studying Japanese language only (I know very little Japanese) or do you attend classes. After passing the entrance exam to qualify as a masters student, can the scholarship be extended or are you required to finish the masters in 1and half years after writing the entrance exam (assuming you pass the exam 6 months after arriving in Japan). Please help me understand about the whole process.

[menrui]

it really depends, but most student(assuming they know very little japanese) attend Japanese language classes for the first semester.

After being accepted as a Masters course student, you are to extend your scholarship duration to the two years needed to complete the masters course

[miao]

After being accepted as a Masters course student, you are to extend your scholarship duration to the two years needed to complete the masters course

Hi menrui, will it be hard to get extend (MEXT scholarship) from research student to master, and then from masters to PhD? do you know the succeed percentage?

[menrui]

I really have no idea what the statistics are. From my experience, it seems like the professor has a lot over that matter. So be nice to him/her.

[kellylen]

Hi i just got news from the embassy that i have been nominated for the scholarships..now im given a month to secure the letter of acceptance..any advise on this..wht if i couldt get it in time..and wht r the chances of me not going after this..im happy but stil lthe same time quite worry

[menrui]

my advise, start as soon as possible. It takes a lot of time. If you can't get it in time, your chances are still high. They will find a prof/univ for you. In that case, you do not have the choice of prof/univ.

[ooilingfan]

thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions! Thanks Rica for the detailed structure of your proposal, it will be of great help when I get to the stage next year.
I don't know if people've done it this way, but one method I was thinking is that, since all successful candidate will end up in some prof's lab, which has a set of research topics. So wouldn't it be more effective to decide which lab you'd like to go to, and read upon the topics they are currently doing, do some background research, and read into what is the current state of such research in the world, and then construct a plan based on the lab's topics? Hopefully this won't be considered cheating, :okashii:

Not cheating. I did just that and got in. But this is gonna be bad news for new applicants. Since so many people are doing this, those not doing it might lose out the head start. Which is kinda important. God bless them.

By the way. I heard the interview results in Malaysia has been announced!
A big congratulations to all who got the phone call/email !!! (from unknown source: about 32 odd applicants are successful this year)
Happy and proud of you guys.
See you guys in Japan next year. (But do work hard on your LoA now, it's also a critical stage).
For those who didn't make it, I'm sure you did your best. Try again next year, never lose hope. Japan is worth your effort.

[kshoo]

Congratulations to all who passed this year. So i guess we'll be seeing the new batches of people in no time...How time flies.

[akaitsume1]

Hey all! I'm new to the forum, but I've already learned a lot from the previous mexters. I actually got the recommendation, and I just got my letter of acceptance from Keio University. I saw that someone went to that school last year on MEXT.

My supervisor has recommended that I not do the language training and start my research immediately, which is both a bit flattering and really nerve-wracking...I was hoping for the extra time to prepare for the level 1 exam. I can handle 2-kyuu, but I'm not nearly ready for 1-kyuu, and I read that for the Japanese language master's program there, you need an 1-kyuu. I'm basically going to spend this entire year studying.

Does anyone know if both the original recommendee and the alternate can end up going? It's slightly awkward because I think I found someone here who also applied to the same embassy, and I know that the embassy really liked her proposal...

[ooilingfan]

Hey all! I'm new to the forum, but I've already learned a lot from the previous mexters. I actually got the recommendation, and I just got my letter of acceptance from Keio University. I saw that someone went to that school last year on MEXT.

My supervisor has recommended that I not do the language training and start my research immediately, which is both a bit flattering and really nerve-wracking...I was hoping for the extra time to prepare for the level 1 exam. I can handle 2-kyuu, but I'm not nearly ready for 1-kyuu, and I read that for the Japanese language master's program there, you need an 1-kyuu. I'm basically going to spend this entire year studying.

Does anyone know if both the original recomendee and the alternate can end up going? It's slightly awkward because I think I found someone here who also applied to the same embassy, and I know that the embassy really liked her proposal...

You will do absolutely fine with 2kyuu. Those of us without even 4kyuu survived here.
The course is basically more important for students with little or no japanese proficiency.
You can study on your own for 1kyuu throughout your years in japan, the JLPT is totally optional.

[Rica]

Hey akaitsume1, congratulations! Which graduate school will you be in?
I am also applying to Keio, but my interview is not until the 3rd of August. May I ask if you contacted your potential supervisors before your interview, or after you got your preliminary acceptance? The Keio scholarship guidelines say I can't apply formally till after I've got preliminary acceptance, but I am wondering if it would be appropriate to at least contact supervisors now, since August is cutting it a bit fine. What do you think?

[ooilingfan]

Hey akaitsume1, congratulations! Which graduate school will you be in?
I am also applying to Keio, but my interview is not until the 3rd of August. May I ask if you contacted your potential supervisors before your interview, or after you got your preliminary acceptance? The Keio scholarship guidelines say I can't apply formally till after I've got preliminary acceptance, but I am wondering if it would be appropriate to at least contact supervisors now, since August is cutting it a bit fine. What do you think?

Yes you cannot apply without passing the preliminary selection. In this case they will only take you in under a scholarship.
However you can get an informal verbal consent via email from your potential supervisor.

[kellylen]

Hi another questions from me
I have contacted the university of my choice, and they have in fact replied to me..however, they are enquiring for me to submit on the matter below:

All documents submitted to the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General (application form, certified academic records of the university attended, study program and so on. Confirmation seals of the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General need to be affixed)

How do i get the above documents. is the embassy going to send me those items above or i need to make a special request to them

[ooilingfan]

Hi another questions from me
I have contacted the university of my choice, and they have in fact replied to me..however, they are enquiring for me to submit on the matter below:
All documents submitted to the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General (application form, certified academic records of the university attended, study program and so on. Confirmation seals of the Japanese Embassy / Consulate General need to be affixed)
How do i get the above documents. is the embassy going to send me those items above or i need to make a special request to them

the embassy will send you 3 copies of Passing Certificate (of Preliminary Selection) bearing the seal from the embassy. The other documents are those that you submitted during your interview (hopefully you kept a copy of those).
This is what i did. While i wait for the embassy's documents, i made PDF copies of all my documents, including scanning in my university transcripts everything. I sent all softcopies to my supervisor via email. When I receive the Passing Cert from the embassy, I sent the hardcopy together with hardcopies of certificates and documents. (Hence my professor got 2 sets - softcopy and hardcopy). The reason is that they can work on the LoA and assessment first while waiting for the hardcopy post (which will take about 10 days to reach).

[akaitsume1]

Hey akaitsume1, congratulations! Which graduate school will you be in?
I am also applying to Keio, but my interview is not until the 3rd of August. May I ask if you contacted your potential supervisors before your interview, or after you got your preliminary acceptance? The Keio scholarship guidelines say I can't apply formally till after I've got preliminary acceptance, but I am wondering if it would be appropriate to at least contact supervisors now, since August is cutting it a bit fine. What do you think?
I actually started speaking to my supervisor in May, long before the test/interview. I found him through his research, which was similar to what I wanted to do, and we discussed everything back and forth. I highly recommend having contact with the professor you would like to study with before you ask for them to become your potential supervisor. It makes things a lot less presumptuous and awkward that way, in my opinion. The professor can also let you know now if there might be room for you, or suggest other professors that you might be able to work with. Summer break is also coming up, and I know some universities warned that professors might not be as available soon.

I'm going to work in the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies (I'm studying animal behavior), which for whatever impossible reason is a part of the Media and Governance Graduate School. Go figure. What are you planning to join?
Hope to see you there!:wave:

[Rica]

akaitsume1, thanks for the info!
I am applying for the Graduate School of Media Design. Their work is awesome!
Unfortunately since I left it late I guess I'll have to be presumptuous and jump straight to (politely) asking if they will consider me, at least I could have an email acceptance to show at the interview (if I'm lucky!)

Can anybody please tell me which of these is correct - Dear Professor So-and-So OR Dear So-and-So sensei? Which is the polite way to address a professor in English?

[akaitsume1]

Tough call. With professors I already know, I did "So-and-so Sensei." With the ones I didn't, I used Dr. So-and-so when writing in English and sensei when writing in Japanese. I suppose any of those would technically be polite... At any rate, I doubt you'll offend anyone. Maybe one of the previous MEXTers would know...

Full steam ahead then, lol! Go get your potential supervisor!! :cheer:

[akaitsume1]

By the way, where did everyone get those stats mentioned before on how many students who get the recommendation end up with the scholarship? You'd think stats like that would be posted SOMEWHERE on the net, but I haven't been able to find anything.

[menrui]

They got those stats from me, and I am just guessing from experience.

[akaitsume1]

Ah, gotcha. :-)

[ooilingfan]

Those stats are most of the time unofficial info. Please do not rely heavily on them, nor take them as your absolute reference/prediction. The person who posted it shall not be held responsible if it's inaccurate. We actually have no authority to disclose such info, but we did it out of courtesy to let help fellow applicants gauge their application status. Please do not make a big deal out of it nor start panicking.
Just do the best you can during the application and let fate takes its course.

[akaitsume1]

Alright, alright. Easy there. I wasn't planning to hold anyone accountable. I was just curious. I thought maybe I'd missed a website through some epic fail web searching. Sorry for the mixup.

[northpig87]

Few threads ago, someone mentioned if you were not able to get an acceptance from any prof/university after passing the first interview, the gov't (mext? or embassy?) will find you a prof/uni.
I'm just wondering if anyone has been placed through this method? How often does this happen? It just seems to me that if you cannot get a LoA on your own, very likely you will be rejected? Purely my assumption, so can anyone back me up? haha.

[ooilingfan]

Few threads ago, someone mentioned if you were not able to get an acceptance from any prof/university after passing the first interview, the gov't (mext? or embassy?) will find you a prof/uni.
I'm just wondering if anyone has been placed through this method? How often does this happen? It just seems to me that if you cannot get a LoA on your own, very likely you will be rejected? Purely my assumption, so can anyone back me up? haha.

Please read Section 6 of the Official Guidelines: Placement and Research Guidance at University.
At the end of the day, you'll realise that almost 90% of what you need to know has been clearly stated on the 4-page guidelines. That is the official guidelines used by your respective embassies and MEXT Japan. Unless advised otherwise by your embassy (as in the case of the english/japanese written exam), you should heed the advise of the guidelines closely.

To further answer your question. Say, you've tried all the best you could, sent emails to 50 or more professors but still hasn't gotten any positive replies, your embassy might ask you to write a letter on why you are unable to secure the LoA, they will still submit everything to MEXT Japan for reviewing (even without LoA, but they will have to explain your case). In this case, i'm not sure whether your embassy will choose to put you as a substitute instead (do check with them).
BUT, as mentioned in the guidelines, MEXT will try to place you in the Universities of your choice, should that fail, they will again TRY to place you in other universities NOT in your preference. If all should fail within the available time, you will not be selected as a grantee.

In short, to make sure nothing bad happens, by hook or by crook, get at least one LoA.

[northpig87]

Hey thanks for the headsup. Ya I've actually read that guideline at least 10 times in the past few years haha. It shows how quickly I forget. :p
I do remember reading the MEXT will try to place you in cases of not being able to find a prof/uni. But my question is that this is just what the guideline says, i was just curious if this has ever happened before. Then again, those who can pass the first interview, almost always possess enough qualification to find a prof on their own anyway.

Which just randomly reminded me of another curious question i always had: MEXT scholarship is mostly by embassy recommendation, but I understand there's another method of recommendation by your university. What happens in that case? Just say you did obtain a recommendation from your graduating university. Do you still go through interview? Or you go straight into finding a prof and get placed?

Arigatou!!!!

[akaitsume1]

>north
There were some earlier posts in this thread (somewhere in the 50-page range?) where two applicants who received the recommendation didn't manage to get LoA's. Both were placed in a university by MEXT, though it was clearly a nail-biting experience for both of them. So yes, it's happened before. Try your best, but if you absolutely can't get it, it's not game over! :box:

I have no idea how exactly the University recommendation works. I've heard of some students going through interviews with the university itself (the one you want to go to, not the one you're graduating from), but I have no idea if they're interviewed again by the embassy...

[northpig87]

>akaitsume

thanks for the info! i'll TRY to dig through the 50 page range. hopefully I'll find it. it just amazes me how you actually remember. sugoi!

[akaitsume1]

>north
That's because I happened to stumble across those posts last night. :D It was either in the 50s or the 60s, I think. I doubt you really need to go slogging through it all. :emblaugh:

[ooilingfan]

>north
There were some earlier posts in this thread (somewhere in the 50-page range?) where two applicants who received the recommendation didn't manage to get LoA's. Both were placed in a university by MEXT, though it was clearly a nail-biting experience for both of them. So yes, it's happened before. Try your best, but if you absolutely can't get it, it's not game over! :box:

I have no idea how exactly the University recommendation works. I've heard of some students going through interviews with the university itself (the one you want to go to, not the one you're graduating from), but I have no idea if they're interviewed again by the embassy...

University Recommendation can be both an easier or more difficult pathway.
If you have attended Japanese Universities before, or joined some short courses, student exchange programs whereby you have professors in Japan who know you very well, then you can opt for University Recommendation. It is more direct, and almost guaranteed if your supervisor backs you up.
The process is the same except it skips the embassy recommendation part (written exam and interview) and goes straight to the university acceptance. Some Uni may require an interview. If you have no previous ties with any university or supervisors in Japan prior to your application, University Recommendation is not the right way to apply.

[northpig87]

ya after posting that question, i realized the whole time i had a misunderstood take on this university recommendation. I always thought it's your OWN university recommending you to a japanese university ><. Never mind :relief:

and akaitsume..i've been digging through the past post..still no luck...><

EDIT: FOUND IT....i see....he actually got placed by MEXT in kyoto university. WOW....

[ooilingfan]

ya after posting that question, i realized the whole time i had a misunderstood take on this university recommendation. I always thought it's your OWN university recommending you to a japanese university ><. Never mind :relief:

and akaitsume..i've been digging through the past post..still no luck...><

EDIT: FOUND IT....i see....he actually got placed by MEXT in kyoto university. WOW....

there are many successful cases of applicants who didn't manage to get LoA
there's a student who was rejected by the University of her choice to obtain an LoA, however, MEXT managed to persuade that University to accept her in the end. Which is amazing. Though it is presumed that MEXT takes the best effort to put recommended candidates into Universities of choice, it should not be taken for granted.
Right now, since you still have time, try to focus on searching a Uni placement with all your effort rather than thinking of the possibility of failing to obtain one. You have until September to do so.
Do try your best, it's much more secured. Gambatte kudasai.

[northpig87]

hai! ganbari masu! demo, I'm actually applying in 2010 hehehe still a year and bit more to go. ><

[ooilingfan]

well, good for you to have enough info so early.
Hence you have no reason to not find a good placement in the university of your choice. =)
In fact, since you got so much time, if you are really serious in applying, I would suggest you start 'shopping' around Japanese universities right now. If you're lucky, you might find some conference, short term student exchange program, lecture visits, seminars, academic camps etc. Those are usually sponsored. Hence you will have the opportunity to visit Japan, meet your future potential supervisor beforehand and perhaps, stand a chance to request a university recommendation if you establish good ties with the faculty. There are actually many opportunities to do academic visits to Japan, unfortunately I don't have much info on that (i only heard many of my fellow coursemates have actually visited Japan long before coming for actual postgraduate programs). Feel free to explore.

[Rica]

Trying to find (current) email contacts for professors is proving difficult. I've asked the international centre of the uni nicely, and they are helping me out.
I was gonna ask, in your experience everybody, did most professors at least reply to your email (even if it was a no)? I'm sort of getting discouraged...

[ooilingfan]

Trying to find (current) email contacts for professors is proving difficult. I've asked the international centre of the uni nicely, and they are helping me out.
I was gonna ask, in your experience everybody, did most professors at least reply to your email (even if it was a no)? I'm sort of getting discouraged...

From my own experience and that of my friend, 70% of the time there's no reply at all.

[clipvain]

While I've not received the nomination yet, the professors I contacted have been pretty responsive (and positive). My guess is that it helps alot if you have the recommendation of someone he knows, or read through his research papers so that there is some connection you can bring up.

Or it may be what some of them said, your mails might have been filtered into the spam folder....?

[Rica]

Wheeeeee! Got some useful addresses! I always forget how far asking nicely can get you. :-)

Thanks ooilingfan - I have approached 3 people so far, so with those odds I should look forward to one reply! Woo hoo! (ha ha, I'm trying to see the positive)

clipvain - That's great that you have had good responses. I have been very focussed the past few days on writing personalised emails, so hopefully my luck will be as good as yours.

In other good news - "Good luck with your application for the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) scholarship! Best regards, KMD Office" Wow, that's so nice!!! What a good end to my working day after a lousy start.

Hope all the rest of you guys are getting along well too! Has everybody nearly finished interviews?

[clipvain]

In other good news - "Good luck with your application for the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) scholarship! Best regards, KMD Office" Wow, that's so nice!!! What a good end to my working day after a lousy start.
Hope all the rest of you guys are getting along well too! Has everybody nearly finished interviews?

I've had lousy starts to my days most of the time haha... Wish for something like this in my mailbox sometime next week hee...

Interview tomorrow, so wish me luck guys!

[ooilingfan]

all the best
Just be confident and show a lot of enthusiasm and passion about Japan culture and stuff

[Rica]

Good luck clipvain! I'll be looking forward to hearing how you go!


Heyyyy, I got an email back! And a potential supervisor! WOOHOO! I hope my good luck spreads to everyone else today!

[clipvain]

Thanks ooilingfan & Rica!!
I sure hope everything goes well tomorrow!
And will keep your advice in mind ooilingfan! ありがとう～～

Rica, seems like things are starting to look better with the weekends coming huh? =)

[ekoy]

Good luck in your interview clipvain!

haha... Rica, I'd love to have some of your luck as well! :)

[clipvain]

Good luck in your interview clipvain!

haha... Rica, I'd love to have some of your luck as well! :)

thanks thanks! will keep everyone informed, even if i eventually flunk the entire thing =P
all the best to my neighbours who are in process of getting ur advisor!

[ekoy]

Good luck clipvain! I'll be looking forward to hearing how you go!


Heyyyy, I got an email back! And a potential supervisor! WOOHOO! I hope my good luck spreads to everyone else today!


Rica!!! You sure have some good luck there! I've just received an email from a potential supervisor as well! XD :relief:

[clipvain]

Hi All,

I had the interview today, and didn't feel like it went well :(
Seems like the embassy scheduled only 30mins per candidate and the one before me stretched it by about 10mins? So when I entered the room, the interviewers seemed like they were in a hurry to get things over and done with. And it didn't help at all that I was so so so nervous at the start that I had difficulty catching my breath at one point of time.

The questions were what I had anticipated and prepared for, but somehow I lost the power to think coherently. Felt like a disaster....
I eventually got out of the room in about 15mins.
My guess is that I probably blew my chance...

Anyway, will know about how it turns out sometime mid next week.
Good Luck to the rest who have not had their interviews yet!!

[ooilingfan]

Hi All,
I had the interview today, and didn't feel like it went well :(
Seems like the embassy scheduled only 30mins per candidate and the one before me stretched it by about 10mins? So when I entered the room, the interviewers seemed like they were in a hurry to get things over and done with. And it didn't help at all that I was so so so nervous at the start that I had difficulty catching my breath at one point of time.
The questions were what I had anticipated and prepared for, but somehow I lost the power to think coherently. Felt like a disaster....
I eventually got out of the room in about 15mins.
My guess is that I probably blew my chance...
Anyway, will know about how it turns out sometime mid next week.
Good Luck to the rest who have not had their interviews yet!!

my interview lasted less than 15mins last year
i also thought i blew it

don't lose hope yet, just wait for the results

[clipvain]

my interview lasted less than 15mins last year
i also thought i blew it

don't lose hope yet, just wait for the results

ooilinfan: if that's the case, i certainly do feel better hearing it since you're already a scholarship recipient :relief: but i felt like i didnt manage to get all my points across to them

and yeah I'll just have to hope for the best, and prepare for the worst! thanks!

[menrui]

I remember last year, the Malaysian applicants had plenty of horror stories to tell... but most of them ended up with the scholarship.

[ooilingfan]

I remember last year, the Malaysian applicants had plenty of horror stories to tell... but most of them ended up with the scholarship.

yea, we worried unnecessarily for months :p
though we were all busy on working or finishing up universities, it's hard to contain the excitement and worries on the possibility of going to Japan. It feels like our lives are on hold waiting for that decisive moment. And it is indeed, a life's turning point =) A darn good one.

[clipvain]

hee menrui & ooilingfan,
yeah i read through this entire thread few months back abt how u guys struggled and encouraged each other through that period... it was amazing, and the final relief when most of u guys got in!

the waiting time wont be that long for me. i should know by Wed, but i have a feeling that there should be some news by Mon... the embassy here is either too efficient or they dont really have alot of candidates to look at... Anyway, thanks alot for the advices up till now!

[ooilingfan]

hee menrui & ooilingfan,
yeah i read through this entire thread few months back abt how u guys struggled and encouraged each other through that period... it was amazing, and the final relief when most of u guys got in!

the waiting time wont be that long for me. i should know by Wed, but i have a feeling that there should be some news by Mon... the embassy here is either too efficient or they dont really have alot of candidates to look at... Anyway, thanks alot for the advices up till now!

The longest waiting period is between October to February next year.
Well, if you pass the interview, you may learning some japanese and plan your things in advance. We dare not take any aggressive moves before the final confirmation last year and ended up scrambling things last minute (in 3 weeks). Including resignation from work, and a lot of stuff like rental contracts, financial commitments etc...

[clipvain]

Hmm actually im already in my 3rd year of Japanese class, so I will continue till the end of this year at least. As for my work commitments, i've been planning to move on by end of this year so i wont be so worried abt resignation.
Let's see how the results turn out.. I'm not feeling exactly confident about it anyway...:worried:

[talia1511]

Hi all,
Been reading through your posts on applying for this year's monbusho round... sounds like a lot of hard work has gone into it - but good luck and my thoughts are with you all!! :relief:
I'm planning on applying for next year's round and as part of my preparations am looking at making contact with potential professors/supervisors sometime towards the end of this year.
Is anyone able to tell me whether there are certain universities which students are more likely to be granted scholarships at (ie. public over private)? This will at least narrow down my search for the perfect supervisor!
Thanks!
Talia

[ykk]

well, my exams are tomorrow morning and hopefully, if I pass the exams, the interview will be during the afternoon.
I'm sooo excited I can barely eat or sleep, I've ironed my shirt twice already, purchased all new clothes, got my nails done and tonight a long relaxing bath before trying to get some sleep.

I've been through this already, it is so nerve wracking that I hope all this effort pays off.
This year has been so great for me, I have my own appartment, good job, lovely boyfriend, my life is on wheels but it would be sooo great to grow as a professional, to live a life-changing experience with this scholarship.

I'll let you guys know tomorrow how did it go!!!

[ekoy]

well, my exams are tomorrow morning and hopefully, if I pass the exams, the interview will be during the afternoon.
I'm sooo excited I can barely eat or sleep, I've ironed my shirt twice already, purchased all new clothes, got my nails done and tonight a long relaxing bath before trying to get some sleep.

I've been through this already, it is so nerve wracking that I hope all this effort pays off.
This year has been so great for me, I have my own appartment, good job, lovely boyfriend, my life is on wheels but it would be sooo great to grow as a professional, to live a life-changing experience with this scholarship.

I'll let you guys know tomorrow how did it go!!!


Best of luck ykk!!! Remember to remain calm during the interview! Once again, good luck!

[clockworkorange]

hee menrui & ooilingfan,
yeah i read through this entire thread few months back abt how u guys struggled and encouraged each other through that period... it was amazing, and the final relief when most of u guys got in!



Yeah, i think it's important to have some one to whine to. it helped that these were ppl who understood.

And i understand how ur feeling clipvain because i didn't think my interview went all that well last year either. I've probably told anyone willing to listen how i think i got thrashed in the interview. :okashii:

At one point, one of the panel asked me to apply for another scholarship. He said, "I'm not saying you won't get this scholarship but here's another scholarship you can apply for." And he gave me a pencil and paper and told me to write down the scholarship website.

I really didn't know how to feel after that interview.

anyway, try not to think about it. go enjoy urself and hope for the best.

I'm going to Tokyo in October and hopefully I'll see you there!! :-)

ykk, all the best for ur interview too!!

congrats to ekoy and kellylen and the rest who made it!!

finally, to tomayto, i'm really sorry you didn't make it but ur going to taiwan anyway rite?

[akaitsume1]

Good luck ykk! My fingers are crossed for you!

Talia: I don't think there will be too much fuss over the type of school, since they've awarded scholarships for both public and private schools. Still, if you've narrowed it down to a public and a private as your #1 and #2, I'd recommend the public university. The guidelines do warn that budget cuts may affect whether or not they will pay for a private university. It's one of my own concerns. >_>

[ykk]

Yesterday was the big day--- yay!!!
The english exam was quite easy,though the japanese was super difficult!

The interview was kind of strange, they made awful questions about my grades (I think they believed it was very low...)
They also asked about my plans when I come back, if I was going to keep my current job.
About my research project, they said that it was the kind of research that should be carried out by a company, that Universities don't invest money and resources in investigating what I wanted to investigate... that question was very odd because I've searched and picked very carefully the universities and I know that they are interested in my theme. Anyway, I told them that.

Thank you all for your good vibrations! I'll let you know if I hear good news!

[clipvain]

Hi All,
It's official. I'm out. =(
All the best to the rest of you guys who are still pursuing your dreams!

[ekoy]

Hi All,
It's official. I'm out. =(
All the best to the rest of you guys who are still pursuing your dreams!

I'm sorry to hear that clipvain. Worry not, there are bigger fishes out there in the vast ocean! Put ur chin up, and aim higher!

[akaitsume1]

Hi All,
It's official. I'm out. =(
All the best to the rest of you guys who are still pursuing your dreams!

I'm sorry, clipvain. Are you thinking of applying to some of the other scholarships, like the JASSO ones? There's always a way!

[clipvain]

Hi ekoy & akaitsume1,
Yeah I'm starting exploring others options now and thinking if I should try again next year or what...
anyway, thanks for the encouragement =)
it's been great knowing u guys, and my best wishes go to you!!

[mozart]

hi, would like to ask anyone here will be staying in Shugakuin International student house in kyoto?

TQ :D

[mozart]

University Recommendation can be both an easier or more difficult pathway.
If you have attended Japanese Universities before, or joined some short courses, student exchange programs whereby you have professors in Japan who know you very well, then you can opt for University Recommendation. It is more direct, and almost guaranteed if your supervisor backs you up.
The process is the same except it skips the embassy recommendation part (written exam and interview) and goes straight to the university acceptance. Some Uni may require an interview. If you have no previous ties with any university or supervisors in Japan prior to your application, University Recommendation is not the right way to apply.
Not necessary must be attended the university before, if your research plan is excellent, even thou you have not attended before, they will buy you as well. Of course, univ recommendation is more diff, because everything are "Professor" based, you need to go tru test frm your Prof (lab U wan to join), they might have a cross-border telefon interview v you. If they think you are qualify, they submit your name on behalf of the graduate school to the a committee of the univ, headed by the President of the Univ, they will discuss & choose. Whole process is rather tough, as all are under academicians based tested on ur scientific knowledge, integrative ability etc. I wld say that wrking experience ind lab is very imprtnt as well.
Just for ur reference, this year, kyoto univ got almost 40 applicants from all graduate schools, only 10 were selected 2b nominated 2 MEXT.
Cant say that becoz univ recomendation got prof back up & u r almost guaranteed, thats a very wrong information, coz this some-sort like saying ther is a "bias" in the Monbusho selection system for tis category, so now I'll be telling you the true fact:
mainly is bcoz the Ministry hav fixed the number of candidates to be nominated to each Univ, the univ cannot submit applicants exceed the no. fixed by MEXT, for example, tis year MEXT only alloted 10 scholarships for kyoto univ for tis category, so want or not, they have to nominates 10 candidates, hence, all the 10 candidates being nominated "theoretically" will be able to get.
since you r msian, maybe another word u ll b more familiar with, this is what we call as "quota".
Same thing will happened to embassy recommendation, quotas ll b alloted to each country. China is the one that have the largest quota, coz their population is large, the no.of applicantion aso a lot. However, they ll ensure a good distribution 2wards all countries. For Msia, every year, quota is about 30-40 candidates if not mistaken, roughly arond that range.

[nyfa]

Hi guys,

I just got my result today and I passed my test and interview :). The final result will be released on December though, so still a long way to go and I don't know how big my chance to get this scholarship.

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I just want to ask about the university that we're going to get if we obtain this scholarship. I already got 3 verbal consents from three professors. So, I should submit three LoAs to my embassy. My question is, which university that I would get eventually? Is it MEXT that going to choose one for me?

Thanks for your answer :)

[mozart]

Hi guys,
I just got my result today and I passed my test and interview :). The final result will be released on December though, so still a long way to go and I don't know how big my chance to get this scholarship.
I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but I just want to ask about the university that we're going to get if we obtain this scholarship. I already got 3 verbal consents from three professors. So, I should submit three LoAs to my embassy. My question is, which university that I would get eventually? Is it MEXT that going to choose one for me?
Thanks for your answer :)
congrats for passing ur test & interview. basically we do not knw what exactly is/are the factor(s) that determine which university that you might enter, but of course, ur first choice always comes first, nothing is definite. since you already have 3 consents from those professors, it shows that you already have a host lab, that's excellent, coz normally if the profesor (ur choice) agree to take you, MEXT wont assigned those u have not chosen. as for which univ, I dont think it matters much (as most jap univ are averagely good), as long as u were given the research or the field that u're interested in, thats more importnt, dont u think so? :D
anyway, its still rather early for ur post, as basically ur scholarship is NOT CONFIRM yet, its just tentatively accepted. if U refer to my abov post, the embassy have the fix number to be nominated to MEXT (quotas alloted by MEXT to each country), so if u'r within the list, so THEORETICALLY u shld b able to get, but, nothing is definite, if ur embassy is those stubborn ppl, insist to nominate more than the quotas, then the MEXT ll hv to reject some.

[Rica]

Here's a curly question for someone who has already received the scholarship:

Are Monbukagakusho scholarship stipend payments considered taxable income in Japan?

(I only wonder suddenly cos I did my tax return today)

[ooilingfan]

Here's a curly question for someone who has already received the scholarship:
Are Monbukagakusho scholarship stipend payments considered taxable income in Japan?
(I only wonder suddenly cos I did my tax return today)

nope. You receive the scholarship stipend in full.

[ellefruit]

you guys are so clued up!!

hi~ i'm new. but i confess i have tapped into your vast pool of knowledge for my own devices in the past - awesome forum. keep it up.

mozart:
nothing is definite, if ur embassy is those stubborn ppl, insist to nominate more than the quotas, then the MEXT ll hv to reject some. made me want to cry. a lot. i managed to get the nomination and official acceptance @ Tokyo so they better not turn me away now!! I don't have a contingency~~ T_T

i just came on here to see if anyone else is having issues with the cost of getting that Certificate of Health done.. it's costing me more than £300 >< i'm a postgrad? i have no money~

and to anyone that was unsuccessful this year: great effort, and don't be disheartened. this was my second attempt :D

mwah xx

[Ajay]

you guys are so clued up!!

hi~ i'm new. but i confess i have tapped into your vast pool of knowledge for my own devices in the past - awesome forum. keep it up.

mozart:
made me want to cry. a lot. i managed to get the nomination and official acceptance @ Tokyo so they better not turn me away now!! I don't have a contingency~~ T_T

i just came on here to see if anyone else is having issues with the cost of getting that Certificate of Health done.. it's costing me more than ￡300 >< i'm a postgrad? i have no money~

and to anyone that was unsuccessful this year: great effort, and don't be disheartened. this was my second attempt :D

mwah xx


Can you tell what is your field? When did you start contacting profs? It will help the folks who will be trying next year! For certificate of health it all depends upon the country. I my country it was as cheap as $15 or Rs. 750.

[dalmatian]

hi ellefruit, congratulation for the official acceptance at Tokyo. ^^
Is it Tokyo University? Do you get Letter of Acceptance (LoA) or Certificate of Acceptance (officially accepted by University, not only by the Professor) ?
Actually one of my potential advisor is from Tokyo University. He asked me to contact the Admission Office regarding the letter of acceptance. But the lady from the Admission Office said that there is no letter of acceptance. They will held meeting to determine whether we are qualified or not. If we are considered qualified, the University will send us the certificate of acceptance instead of LoA.
Anybody have experience regarding this matter?

[ellefruit]

heey

Ajay:

Can you tell what is your field? When did you start contacting profs? It will help the folks who will be trying next year! For certificate of health it all depends upon the country. I my country it was as cheap as $15 or Rs. 750.

I'm going into bioengineering (I have an "Engineering for the Life Sciences" MEng) and I started writing to profs around the end of May. BUT I would recommend starting a little earlier - some of the professors I contacted suggested alternatives for funding so if you want to explore those, start early. Also.. sounds harsh but don't be discouraged from 'shopping around'. Look up the profs, read their papers. Spend time on it.. it's 2(+) years of your life!!

It's the blood tests that are killing me financially :( £100 for the chest xray, £200 for the blood tests.. and probs £85 for the medical >< that's like.. $650 USD? thats a lotta moolah for someone used to public health care T_T

Dalmatian:
hi ellefruit, congratulation for the official acceptance at Tokyo. ^^
Is it Tokyo University? Do you get Letter of Acceptance (LoA) or Certificate of Acceptance (officially accepted by University, not only by the Professor) ?
Actually one of my potential advisor is from Tokyo University. He asked me to contact the Admission Office regarding the letter of acceptance. But the lady from the Admission Office said that there is no letter of acceptance. They will held meeting to determine whether we are qualified or not. If we are considered qualified, the University will send us the certificate of acceptance instead of LoA.
Anybody have experience regarding this matter?

thanks~ ^^ and good luck with yours! i'm sure you'll get in. I am getting a certificate of acceptance (it's in the post) from the school of engineering. They didn't mention anything about a meeting :s and they were pretty quick - I guess it depends on the faculty, and maybe how speedy your prof is with paperwork. Do you know when that meeting is? Let me know what the result is - maybe I'll be seeing you there?!

i'm gonna go off and sulk some more about the price of blood tests..
mwahz xx

[ellefruit]

XD i just read this in clipvain's post:
At one point, one of the panel asked me to apply for another scholarship. He said, "I'm not saying you won't get this scholarship but here's another scholarship you can apply for." And he gave me a pencil and paper and told me to write down the scholarship website.

AMGZ me toooo. The mean interviewer started telling me that I'd be better off getting a job - better pay etc. - and then going down the 論文博士 route. something about not having to be enrolled to get a PhD. I almost cried. and wanted to wail "but i want THIS one!!!" very strange. he definitely wasn't selling this scholarship. lawl.

[dalmatian]

hi ellefruit,

Thanks, I am actually not sure whether I can be accepted or not. At the graduate school of my choice, the meeting will be held twice. The second meeting will be on September 4th (still have to wait about 1 month) >.<
Regarding the medical test, in my country we need to submit certificate of health twice. We also need to submit the application forms, recommendation letters, and other documents twice. The first is for the primary screening and after we are nominated, we have to submit new documents. What about in your country?

[ellefruit]

hmm.

I think its the same..? We had the primary screening - application documents, then interviews - after which we are selected for nomination, then they tell us to go get the Letters of Accpetance, which need to be submitted by September. Certificates of Health have to be in by this month, and I haven't heard of another one O_o. After that I think we have to wait for the all-clear from the Ministry, but the Embassy have told us that it's unusual for us to be rejected at this stage. (Maybe UK sticks to its quota?)

What have you applied for? Are you going straight into a course, or research first? I still think it might just be different faculties with different systems.. Have you got acceptance from your 2nd/3rd choices?

xx

[dalmatian]

hi ellefruit,

I applied for research first. I have contacted my 2nd/3rd choices and sent them my documents. I am still waiting for the LoA from them.

In my country, during primary screening, we also have to submit the health certificate.

But I got different problem now. Somehow, the result of my medical check up is not good o__O. Less than 3 months ago, my medical check up was ok. But now, according to the result, there is something wrong with my lung (I never smoke actually). Tomorrow I am going to consult to the lung specialist. T.T I am so depressed.. :(

[ellefruit]

oh nooo!!!!

I hope it's a mistake >< I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

I'm off to get my xray taken in 30 mins.. I hope my lungs are ok ><

[menrui]

Wow ellefruit. You sure did pay a lot for that health certificate. I always thought UK was full of good health insurance and such haha, unlike like America :( . I had to pay out of my pocket, So I think I payed about 350$ USD. The embassy allowed me to skip the lung xray with consent of the doctor. So that saved me a bunch too.

I hope everything turns out okay for you dalmatian.

[dalmatian]

hi ellefruit and menrui, thanks. I've just consulted with lung specialist and I also bring my last x-ray (3 months ago), and according to the doctor, my lung is ok (it is still normal). Even there's no differences with the last check. This morning, I also did spirometry test. However, on the health certificate, the medical center doctor kept writing impression regarding my lung that suspect post pleuritis. But gladly the conclusion is I am adequate to study in Japan. I don't know whether this can affect my chance because of that comment. >.<

[Ajay]

hi ellefruit and menrui, thanks. I've just consulted with lung specialist and I also bring my last x-ray (3 months ago), and according to the doctor, my lung is ok (it is still normal). Even there's no differences with the last check. This morning, I also did spirometry test. However, on the health certificate, the medical center doctor kept writing impression regarding my lung that suspect post pleuritis. But gladly the conclusion is I am adequate to study in Japan. I don't know whether this can affect my chance because of that comment. >.<

Good to know that there is not any serious issue with your health! :relief:

how much time did it take you to get your LoA/document from Tokyo University?

[dalmatian]

Good to know that there is not any serious issue with your health! :relief:
how much time did it take you to get your LoA/document from Tokyo University?

hi ajay, thanks.

My potential advisor from Tokyo University doesn't issue LoA. But the graduate school will issue the certificate of acceptance if I am considered qualified. I still have to wait until September 4th to know whether I am accepted or not. >.<

[mazygekon]

hello, find u just yesterday although wish it was earlier, anyway i am too applying for mext, as a master student..so i m wondering if anybody can tell me how clear we should be about our field of study , I suppose less clear than research s, but i still have doubts.

as for interviews in serbia it is appointed for 24 of avgust, dont u think it a bit late, because some of universities receive document only by the end of avgust,, :?

[ellefruit]

hey peeps!

dalmatian - so glad your lungs are ok!! I'm sure your health certificate will be fine.. the doctor obviously thinks you're unlikely to have recurring problems.

fyi, i managed to barter down the price of my bloods.. lawl. managed to get the price halved to £98. much happier about that. still.. i should get a job T_T

mazy: your field of research should be fairly specific. it's your research proposal (or "plan" ..i forget the wording) that can be a little more vague. That's my opinion anyway. I think it's important to be clear about your field, otherwise they might not take you so seriously. Don't you have an idea about which field you're interested in?

I think it'll be ok to drift slightly from what you say on your form AFTER selection, because you'll be in control of which lab/professor you contact, but you have to convince your interiewers that you have passion for a specific subject.

xx

[Ajay]

Hi folks,

I got message from a prof from University of Tokyo that he is ready to be my sensei. Though there are more steps in getting a LoA... Anyone having any experience in getting a Letter of Acceptance from University of Tokyo? The academic unit is Graduate School of Information Science and Technology. I am planning to ask them to FAX it before mailing it to me as it will help me to submit by attachment form on time. I need to get a FAX no. in Japan for this... as I dont think they will FAX it to me in India.

[NeoXtremeX]

Quick question for those who were accepted to TouDai.

Arent you supposed to be 1-kyuu before even considering attending that school? or did your supervisors not care about your japanese ability so much?

Another question for those who have been accepted to Keio.

Keio asks for applicants to select keio as their one and only option for study in Japan? Did you comply to this request? or did you write more universities and still get an acceptance from Keio?

Thanks in advance!

[dalmatian]

hi Ajay,

When I contacted the admission office of Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, she said that there is no LoA provided. But they will issue certificate of acceptance instead (if we are qualified after they held two meetings). Will your professor write the LoA ? or you are also have to wait for the certificate of acceptance?

Thanks..

[arap]

hmm.

I think its the same..? We had the primary screening - application documents, then interviews - after which we are selected for nomination, then they tell us to go get the Letters of Accpetance, which need to be submitted by September. Certificates of Health have to be in by this month, and I haven't heard of another one O_o. After that I think we have to wait for the all-clear from the Ministry, but the Embassy have told us that it's unusual for us to be rejected at this stage. (Maybe UK sticks to its quota?)

xx

Hi ellefruit,

It's really reassuring to know that your embassy said that it's unusual to be rejected if you already got embassy recommendation. We don't have that luxury here In Indonesia, even when we (actually it's nyfa friend) want to ask about the number of people who passed the embassy selection, they can't tell us, but put that aside I believe they did a really hectic job on selecting and guiding the applicants (Last year it's said that more than 1000 people apply for this scholarship in Indonesia) for this mext scholarship so I don't have any complain at all.
Well we just have to wait anxiously for the final result here in Indonesia. I just hope all of us can be accepted, just pray for the best.
I really wish athz can show up in this thread again, there are few questions that I want to ask her again.

[nyfa]

We don't have that luxury here In Indonesia, even when we (actually it's nyfa friend) want to ask about the number of people who passed the embassy selection, they can't tell us,

Which was a bit weird cause for the last two years, they can just tell that to whoever ask them.

Uhm, btw, anyone here getting Tohoku Uni?

[arap]

Hi nyfa,

Just want to share some info :
Today I went to the embassy to hand over all the required documents back while I was there I met with one of my friends and he gave me the information that both of us want to know...it seems that 49 people passed the embassy selection in Indonesia. Last year 47 people were granted the scholarship, well....by this time the only thing I can do is pray and pray and pray for the best to come.

ps: The documents filling process was taking more time than I expected

[nyfa]

Hi arap,

Thank you :-)

Wow, actually that is quite a number. April 2008 departure had 43 people, and last year was 47.. So, it increases bit by bit actually :blush:

Let's pray till December :-). It would be nice if we can do a small gathering later :D

[neocarbunkle]

Hi everyone. Obviously this is a huge thread and my questions were probably answered in bits and pieces throughout all of it but if its ok I have some questions that I am just completely lost on.

So all that I really want is to get a masters degree from a Japanese college. I have a big interest in the far east area in general especially Japan, however I am lost on what exactly it is that I "research". Like would an ok research project be international relations, or Japanese history since 1600 or Japanese society in general? Once I have a topic, how do I go about "researching" it?

How do I become a graduate student? I see that you need to take an entrance exam but where is that done? At the embassy? At the college? Do you apply as a research student then take the entrance exam there? What kind of test would the entrance exam be? Is it a general knowledge test like the SAT or is it specifically designed for your major?

Do people from English speaking countries need to take the English test? If I have my certificate for JLPT level 2 do I still need to take the Japanese test?

Thanks in advance

[arap]

Well I spent some times in this Saturday evening by reading some of the earlier posts in this thread in order to obtain more information (Sad... really because I don't have any plan nor money to spend my long weekend)

It's amaze me that last year this thread was always active even when it was on the long waiting process. Hmm..I wonder will this year thread be as active as last year one ?

The posts from December to February especially, really made me...I don't know to describe it..scared and excited ? I tried to imagine myself in your shoes at that time...indeed it was really scary waiting for the final announcement while it seems so happy when you knew that you got the scholarship. Anyhow I will go down the same road as you guys experienced it last year, It's nice to do some image training earlier ^ ^

So after reading, I got the gist of it, in the middle/late December you got the tentative acceptance letter from embassy and in February comes the official one.

Anyway It's kinda OOT from the scholarship question but I stumbled upon the posts from the guy named lancetology. I had my laugh when menrui replied that "it will a steamboat for 1" for his post, did you remember this menrui ?

So I wonder did he apply for MEXT scholarship this year in Malaysia ? if he got accepted means that there will be a chance for you guys meeting him next year.

[Rica]

Anyway It's kinda OOT from the scholarship question but I stumbled upon the posts from the guy named lancetology. I had my laugh when menrui replied that "it will a steamboat for 1" for his post, did you remember this menrui ?
So I wonder did he apply for MEXT scholarship this year in Malaysia ? if he got accepted means that there will be a chance for you guys meeting him next year.

I also got a real giggle out of reading those posts - especially the bit when he suggested that female students might end up marrying their supervisor LOL

[Ajay]

I also got a real giggle out of reading those posts - especially the bit when he suggested that female students might end up marrying their supervisor LOL

Oh well, I also read his posts quite some time back. On few things he is right..

1. When you are doing research, especially Phd, you should treat it more like your job less like study and hence your supervisor more like your boss. This is pretty well know fact, you can find this in a number of "Should I do Phd or not" kind of pages on internet.

2. You should be open to criticism about your work. Again this is some thing fairly well understood. It is more apparent in art schools though..

3. The worth of a researcher is measured more by his work a bit less by his degree or univ only. Basically if you have great publications you are better...

For the rest of his posts ... either there is some issue local to Malaysian folks due to which he said that or well, he got some initial success and that got right to his head giving him the condescending behavior. He never gave details of his publications or what ever was making him say the stuff he was saying. As far as skipping the entrance exams and stuff... well you can do so if you go through the university recommendation route, which he didn't take as he was appearing for embassy recommendation, wonder why? I think if one impresses a prof then univ recommendation route is the best as this way you don't have to spend initial time as a research student..

[NeoXtremeX]

Another one of my random questions,

Have you guys ever tried calling a professor instead of emails?

Cheers

[menrui]

Anyway It's kinda OOT from the scholarship question but I stumbled upon the posts from the guy named lancetology. I had my laugh when menrui replied that "it will a steamboat for 1" for his post, did you remember this menrui ?

hehe yes i do remember that. He seemed like a smart, nice guy at first... but then his ego suddenly just blew up for no reason. I think he has a problem with girls.

I have no idea whether her applied or not, but I certainly would not like to meet him.

[menrui]

I'm going to quickly answer some questions that i missed.

From my experience, there are many universities that want you to only apply to them, or they just assume that you are already doing so. They might even reject your application if you dont.

Your japanese level really depends on your professor/graduate school.

statistically, the amount of scholarship given has risen every year since the early 1980. I posted some statistic links a long time ago between pages 1-99... So recessions and such had no effect. Did you guys hear, japan is out of the recession :) .

You can try calling your professor... but I think email is just more convenient for them. However, its not convenient for you of course.

[NeoXtremeX]

Yeah, I heard about the recession being over, for now, in Japan.

It's good news for Japan, but not so impressive. Most of the growth has been "inflated" in every sense of the word. I wish I could expand on this subject, but I'm afraid to derail the thread.

Thanks for the quick reply Menrui. I guess I will try and call the want professor I am dying to work with. I tried and called him yesterday but he wasn't in. It was funny to speak japanese after being away from the language for over a year.

Anyway, who has gotten LoA's and from where?

[ooilingfan]

recession over? really?........
are they going to raise our stipend back up to 170,000yen like it should've been.....? sigh =P
holiday season is killing us with tight budget...

[yussu1503]

I need your help guys. I am applying to 6 universities below.

From these following universities, which one offer MBA program taught in English?

Kyoto University
Tohoku University
Nagoya University
Waseda University
Ritsumeikan University
Kobe University

My Japanese skill is not adequate enough to study MBA in Japanese.

Thanks

[SOLDIER1st]

Hello all!

I came accross this Forum a few hours ago and I was really impressed by the contents of this post! It has solved many of my doubts. I think this is the place to share my thoughts and gather information on many things I still ignore about the MEXT scholarship, formerly known (but still affectively regarded) as the Monbukagakusho Scholarship.

I got selected by the Japanese Embassy as a candidate for the MEXT Scholarship (that is, I passed the first screening... Yay!!) and last week I got an e-mail from the administrative staff at Todai's Department of ITS, saying that the professor I suggested to be my supervirsor has accepted me and that I should be receiving the CoA (It's certificate in Todai, not letter ;-) ) by mid september. So now you know more or less what's my current situation.

I would like to consult with you guys, what are the odds of getting in the Uni you selected as first choice? Todai is my first, Keio's my second, Kobe's third. And above all, what are the odds of actually getting the scholarship? :-D

Also, is there someone studying at Todai? are the lectures (for Grad Schools) in English?
It is my understanding that the japanese Government cut off some budget and the scholarship recipients now receive about 150kyen instead of 170kyen. Is this still enough to get by?

well... that's all for now, It would be really nice if someone could help me out with the questions :-) a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Have all a nice day! :wave:

[ooilingfan]

soldier1st, judging from your description your situation (and odds of getting it) looks quite promising.
since everything is already in place, hopefully everything goes through smoothly, unless there are some unforseen circimstances (your supervisor resign, changed his mind, your documents got messed up halfway, earthquake that destroyed Todai, etc etc etc) , you'll be fine

I'll leave the English lecture question to Todai students (i'm in Handai).
But like all universities, English lectures/programmes aren't many or can i say, a luxury sometimes. But even if it's in Japanese, you should do fine as well since hundreds of foreigners have graduated every year.

Stipend question? Again this depends on your lifestyle.
150k yen is definitey enough for all students. I've heard of students who manage to save up half of that amount, and still living a decent life. Tokyo, though more expensive, it's still enough for sure unless you go clubbing every week. I've seen students who burn out their stipend within 2 weeks and get extra cash from parents. Things are expensive here so if you're not careful cash runs out fast. Just spend wisely and you'll live a very decent life without having to starve yourself.

Goodluck

[menrui]

150k yen is definitey enough for all students. I've heard of students who manage to save up half of that amount, and still living a decent life.

You're not talking about me are you? haha.
Yes 150k yen is more than enough to live a great school life. If you are like me, and you mostly travel back and forth from your lab, and just eat at the school cafeteria, you should be able to save half, if not more. I feel like buying a PS3... but I'm not...

[clipvain]

You're not talking about me are you? haha.
Yes 150k yen is more than enough to live a great school life. If you are like me, and you mostly travel back and forth from your lab, and just eat at the school cafeteria, you should be able to save half, if not more. I feel like buying a PS3... but I'm not...

Hee ive been reading silently but you made me want to applaud you! It's too easy to give in to temptations to overspend there, in my personal opinions hee... but have you done some travelling around, since it can "enhance your understanding of Japan & its culture" =P Would be quite a waste if not...

[jitney]

You're not talking about me are you? haha.
Yes 150k yen is more than enough to live a great school life. If you are like me, and you mostly travel back and forth from your lab, and just eat at the school cafeteria, you should be able to save half, if not more. I feel like buying a PS3... but I'm not...

I was on student-exchange during my undergrad at TUFS (Tokyo Gaidai) and we only got 80,000 yen per month on the short-term student exchange scholarship and it was more than enough to survive on.

It all depends if you know how to manage money. There were some students who managed to spend 15,000 yen a month on cell phone bills because they insisted on using their Japan cell phone to call long distance instead of using something like skype instead...

[menrui]

I still give into temptation of course. For example, I bought some expensive shoes and socks last month. And I'm really considering buying a really expensive camera...

I've done "some" traveling... but not as much as ling fan over there. My lab days/hours really limits me. I've become a stranger at our dorm.

[ooilingfan]

expensive socks, menrui?? why's the obsession with socks anyway, dude? =p

yea, if you're anti-social like menrui you can save a lot, he's probably the most cash rich among us all.

Money comes and goes very fast =p but if short term exchange students can live on 80,000yen (from there they still have to fork out for rent), 155,000yen is a comfortable stipend. Undergrads live on 120,000yen for years and still manage to save.
The real killer is actually Rent. If you're not careful, it'll cost you 200,000-300,000yen upon signing of contract, and 50,000-70,000yen monthly for a decent single room studio apartment. Usually dries up your savings upon moving into private housing... which is why saving is very important during your months in the dorm. Some lucky students "inherit" apartments from seniors who are moving out, saving them a fortune. Some opt for cheap accommodation or private dorms

[menrui]

I think I'm just a shoe person. I bought some nifty soles to go with those shoes too.

Hey~ I'm not anti social... just a bit busy that's all.

And I'm not rich. I'm just saving for a rainy day.

[ooilingfan]

I think I'm just a shoe person. I bought some nifty soles to go with those shoes too.

Hey~ I'm not anti social... just a bit busy that's all.

And I'm not rich. I'm just saving for a rainy day.

Haha, i'm just pulling your leg man.
Don't take it seriously. =p
Goodluck in your lab work.

[SOLDIER1st]

Wow... you're really quick to reply =P. You've already acquired japanese efficiency! I'm glad!! hehehe...
Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
I would like to ask you now about the Master course topic. Is it difficult to enter a Master's course in the Uni? And how does all this "Research Student to Master's Course -Jedi- path" ;-) work?
I'm going in as a Research Student, but my plans are for getting a Master's degree. Does anyone know how this works? What are the odds (yeah, I'm a fan of probabilities :-) ) of getting in as a regular Student from the Research Student status?
Another important thing... work!! well, namely Internships... Is it possible to do an Internship while being a Research Student? I believe that I speak for all when I say that working in a japanese company will definitely make a difference both in professional experience and of course, the CV :P.
One final topic: 日本語！！ :-S How big is the language barrier in the Uni? in daily situations (getting food, hitting on girls :P) ??. The MEXT Scholarship includes 6 months of intensive training, right? What do you have to say about it? I'm fluent in english and german (I don't believe german will help much though :-( ) is that enough to at least survive in the concrete jungle? :P
Don't get me wrong, one of the main reasons I applied for the scholarship was for the opportunity to learn japanese, but right now my japanese is quite basic... so I want to know how difficult is to live in japan with only a basic command of Japanese.
Well, I'll just wait for yer comments! Have a nice day!

[menrui]

Difficulty/odds and path really depends on your professor. Some professors will gladly accept you just because you are a scholarship student, and on the other end, some may seriously make you compete for slots. As for path, you might take some time for jpn classes, some research, then enter the masters course, or jump into the MC right away.

I dont know anything about internship

You might not even need to speak Japanese to get by graduate school. You dont really need Japanese to buy food. You could probably get a gf without knowing any Japanese either ha, but she might be using you just to learn English :( .

Some Japanese people can speak English, and many people will help you. You will do fine.

[mazygekon]

Tomorrow I have interview in embassy, yes it’s a bit late, and anyway, I have a question to ask. I decided to drop my 2nd and 3rd choice and apply only to the University of Tokyo. But, I still didn’t get any definite reply from the professor. Is there any chance that when I send my document still be accepted, because I chose to go straight to master course. and what should I tell to the people in the embassy>?

or it is not adventage?

[menrui]

yes there is a "chance", but I wouldnt take it. You dont have a "definite" decision from the professor and you are trying to apply to University of Tokyo, I would suggest that you have a 2nd option.

In the case that you do only apply to univ of tokyo, and they dont accept you, MEXT will choose a school/prof for you.

[ooilingfan]

Tomorrow I have interview in embassy, yes it’s a bit late, and anyway, I have a question to ask. I decided to drop my 2nd and 3rd choice and apply only to the University of Tokyo. But, I still didn’t get any definite reply from the professor. Is there any chance that when I send my document still be accepted, because I chose to go straight to master course. and what should I tell to the people in the embassy>?

or it is not adventage?

like menrui said. risky
they won't offer you just because you have no other options. They might just not give you at all.
Todai is competitive and you should have a backup.

[ellefruit]

agreed! i'd keep in your 2nd and 3rd options. todai weren't insistent on exclusivity in my case - i doubt they'll be in yours either, unless you've seen it written on their web.

question:
are we actually allowed to have part time jobs when we're on scholarship? i hear you all say its enough to get by, i'm sure it is.. but i'm a material girl, what can i say.

aside:
gon apply to do JLPT 1 this december.. eeeek! but i have to do something useful between now and april, right? lawl.
xx

[SOLDIER1st]

Well, actually, we can't work part time with the visa we get ("College Student" or something like that). However, we may have a permit from the Uni to "Engage other activities other than those stated on the visa" and we can work only if the money we get is insufficient to cover our expenses or if it's going to be spent right away, never to save money nor sending money overseas. At least, that's what I read in Todai's website.

I think the guys pointed it out well and we can live with the scholarship's money quite comfortably. The deal is, I would really like to do an Intership, working in my field of study in a japanese company. That way I get some job experience AND get extra money to live large in japan!:blush:

... dunno if it's possible though... :?

[ooilingfan]

Well, actually, we can't work part time with the visa we get ("College Student" or something like that). However, we may have a permit from the Uni to "Engage other activities other than those stated on the visa" and we can work only if the money we get is insufficient to cover our expenses or if it's going to be spent right away, never to save money nor sending money overseas. At least, that's what I read in Todai's website.
I think the guys pointed it out well and we can live with the scholarship's money quite comfortably. The deal is, I would really like to do an Intership, working in my field of study in a japanese company. That way I get some job experience AND get extra money to live large in japan!:blush:
... dunno if it's possible though... :?

what you read about part time job is true.

and forget about internship if you're a science student. here everybody dedicates (or forced to dedicate) 110% of their time in the lab. Japanese students usually work 6 1/2 days in the lab. And working hours is usually 9am - 9pm. Time constraint alone will take 'part time job' off your mind, let alone exhaustion.
And if your supervisor is also another workaholic, good luck getting him to sign your permit for part time job =p
though theoretically allowed, technically it's impossible 99% of the time.
There is one feasible way to get extra cash though, after 1 year, you can sign up as a tutor, tutoring undergrads for your supervisor.

[gilmwa]

My chosen Prof. informed me that a LOA was sent to me end of last week. It hasn't reached me yet (feels like its taking forever..). And the Embassy has informed me that they are posting my application forms to Japan today. They assured me that I need not worry because they can send the LOA to Japan on its own as soon as I receive it - but I am worried. I have every reason to worry, don't I?

[wulanrahmadhany]

Hajime mashite

Minna san Douzo Yoroshiku.

I'm a newcomer from Indonesia and I am a candidate for MEXT Research Student 2010. I already got LOA from Nagoya Univ (Graduate School of Economics) and Kobe Univ.(Graduate Scholl of Business and Administration).

Waiting for your sharing. Thanks =)