Fallacy Wrote:So for 12 year level math would you say it's more Algebra II or Pre-calculus? In the interview am I expected to be able to speak Japanese with them? Do you know of any good resources to help research Japanese colleges? Also, would it be bad to say I wouldn't mind working in Japan afterwards or do they want you to go back to America to promote relations? Sorry for all the questions, any help is appreciated. Thanks.

About the maths, just look at the past tests, they're very similar. Yes, you're expected to speak Japanese in the interview. If you can't speak it fairly well, then I doubt you'll get the scholarship. They seem to give out very few undergrad scholarships to developed countries, usually just 1 or occasionally 2, sometimes none. So if you don't impress them a bit you probably won't get it. Also, I'd say focus on the Japanese exam more than the maths; as I said, I did well on the Japanese and English but terribly on the maths and still got it.
I just did a google.jp search to find some recommended universities for my course. It doesn't have to be completely accurate, they just want to see that you've made the effort and are serious about it all.

And yes, say that you're gonna return home after graduating. They don't want you staying on, they want you going back and promoting Japan via this and that. They pay for your return airfare after all.
For example, I said that I'm gonna study Japanese history, then go home and become a newspaper journalist writing articles about Japan. They then asked me what I thought of the newspaper coverage of the tsunami in Australia, and I just said that I thought it was accurate but that the coverage died out pretty quickly.

Thanks a ton! I was starting to fret over the math part because I'm taking a statistics course my 12th year (terrible idea btw). Guess I have about 6-7 months to reach basic speaking and listening fluency in Japanese for this interview.

For the masters scholarship, they seem to want to see one's graduation thesis (or an abstract), while my course hasn't involved such a thing... I hope this isn't a big problem... anyone know?

When I was interested in the scholarship a few years ago I called the embassy and asked about the same question. They said that I could submit a writing sample in place of a thesis since I didn't do one in undergraduate.

In addition to that you need to submit a detailed plan of study and they told me this was the most important piece of the application.

Hmm... damn my examination based mathematics course. I have not a single piece of written work to my name that is suitable. :/ The plan of study is okay since the professor is helping me with it.

wefjlefj

You should get your professor to assign you some extra work.

And you really only need to send an "abstract" of your previous "submitted work". Not a full 20 page paper or anything.

Hmm, I'll think of something. Maybe I can retroactively write an abstract for one of my old computational projects or send them an abstract of the final year optional essay which I cannot yet start writing due to prerequisite courses being later in the year. >_>

I just started my final year 2 months ago so I hope they'd understand if I go with the latter.

What's your opinion about science education in Japan at Msc level (bioinformatics, specifically)? I'd really like to spend a few years in Japan but if the quality of the courses is too low, or my certificate will have no value, it may not worth the hassle.

thecite Wrote:Yes, you're expected to speak Japanese in the interview. If you can't speak it fairly well, then I doubt you'll get the scholarship.

I wonder if this is different in the US. I spoke Japanese in the interview but I was applying for a doctorate-level research scholarship and I wrote my application essay in Japanese. Other people who were interviewing at the consulate with me who were going for undergrad or even Masters-level scholarships didn't seem to have to do that.

Also my application process did not involve any math test. There was a required Japanese exam and an optional English exam that you were only supposed to take if you didn't think you did well enough on the Japanse one.

(As a side note, I don't know why, but the non-US English word "maths" really grates on my nerves.)

congratulations on getting it thecite!!!! Have a great time!!!!!

yudantaiteki Wrote:I wonder if this is different in the US. I spoke Japanese in the interview but I was applying for a doctorate-level research scholarship and I wrote my application essay in Japanese. Other people who were interviewing at the consulate with me who were going for undergrad or even Masters-level scholarships didn't seem to have to do that.

Also my application process did not involve any math test. There was a required Japanese exam and an optional English exam that you were only supposed to take if you didn't think you did well enough on the Japanse one.

(As a side note, I don't know why, but the non-US English word "maths" really grates on my nerves.)

I was talking about the undergrad scholarship; the application process is the same worldwide. If you apply for a natural sciences subject then you have to take two extra exams (5 altogether). It's not specifically required that you know Japanese, but when you're competing with 50 other people or so you're not going to get it without being to able to do well at the Japanese exam and interview.

IceCream Wrote:congratulations on getting it thecite!!!! Have a great time!!!!!

Thanks IceCream

Gahh, sometimes I think the more I hear about the mext scholarship the more I get confused .

There's one thing I never really had a crystal clear (as far as possible of course ) answer to though: how much does the university one attended count towards the letter of acceptance and/or the university you'll hopefully be sent to at last? From what I hear one could aim for the big names even if he comes from a normal/good University in his/her country (talking about applying for the research scholarship-master degree) but still...

Well, I applied *crosses fingers*

I'm heading to Osaka in the first week of April! Would have preferred Tokyo, but beggars can't be choosers.

Kansai is nicer than Tokyo anyway. :3

Did you apply through the embassy?

Well, I beg to differ. The nightlife and girls are better in Tokyo :p

Yeah, embassy recommendation.

I think I should find out about mine by around the start of March probably.

Was recommended for the scholarship, that means at least the university should accept me, right?!

Depends on the school. Which university?

I think if it's a big university that is used to dealing with Monbusho scholarship students you'll probably be OK, but I don't know enough about it to say for sure.

Thanks, I emailed my potential supervisor to see if he has an idea.

thecite Wrote:But god, I couldn't think of anything worse than being stuck here for the next 3 or 4 years.

LOL I wonder what would you say if you are living in a developing country.

dizmox Wrote:Was recommended for the scholarship, that means at least the university should accept me, right?!

From what I gathered at other forums, the hard part is the embassy recommendation. Most people who get it get accepted at a university, though it may take too long.

About English and Japanese exams, isn't it the other way around? English is compulsory and Japanese is optional?

(From Research Students Guide)
"Written examination: Must show that the applicant obtained scores better than a certain level either in Japanese or English."

Also about interview language (same source):
"Interview must also reveal that the applicant has sufficient Japanese or English
language ability to communicate with his/her adviser in Japan."

Source: http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/pdf/K...ou_EN_.pdf

Sometimes I find contradicting info, and even after A LOT of reading, there's some confusing parts of the application process.


For me, I was going to apply for 2013 research student, but then I realized that I'm using it just to get the hell out of here! Also I need some cash, so I need to work for now.
It's still a viable option, but the idea of getting a PhD is becoming more ridiculous for me (6 years)! Maybe if the research student scholarship only gives me the opportunity to work in Japan it'll be enough, or maybe the master's degree one...

I have a couple of questions to people that have applied for MEXT.

Do they check your financial history for the last 3 years and things like this? And I see they ask that you are in perfect health, do they actually do checks for this or is it just something you fill in on a form?

You have to get a health check. In the US they didn't check financial history.