Hey guys, I'm new here.XD

I am now a senior majoring in Maths with a minor of Economics in US and I am considering some English graduate programs that does not require Japanese language abilities.

I am currently looking at programs at University of Tokyo UTIPE and asian-pacific studies program at Waseda Univ.

I was wondering if there's any one here who knows these kinds of programs could give me some advises. I've asked for the stat of past applicants for the programs but they said this info is not available. Are there many students applying to these kinds of programs nowadays?

Plus, I'm not from a top school here and my GPA is not very high ( right now around 3.15). Is it very difficult for me to get into these two schools with this GPA and school?
Thanks for help! ^^

If you have seen this thread already, you should check it out. The OP in this was also Math. This thread has a lot of general questions/concerns about grad school in Japan that you should consider.

http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=9104

I think for more helpful replies you should be clear about what kinds of programs you're interested in, OP. Just Asian-pacific studies and Economics? Or anything really?

Thank you guys for replying and giving this info!I am reading the thread now. XD

I want to apply to more programs but the thing is right now my Japanese is not good enough to go to normal Japanese programs. The only options for me are the programs offering all courses taught in English.

And I've asked Univ. of Tokyo Maths Department, and they said Japanese is not a prerequisite for entering their maths program. So this is another option that I could choose. But most of the schools other than Todai requires at least N2.

Right now I am going to apply for these English degree master programs and if not admitted, I might just go to Japan to learn Japanese for some time and then try to apply to normal Japanese-taught programs.

Concerning the financial aid, because I am not US citizen ( I am an international student in US) so its not possible for me to get MEXT scholarship.I am planning to be self-financed. Also as far as I know, under English degree programs, there are no such thing as entrance exams or first and second screening. You just apply as you do with US grad schools. So I might not be able to apply to be a research student for these programs ( U Tokyo Maths might be an exception though)

My concern is that, with these limited options of programs and schools, and since I don't get very remarkable GPA, nor am I from a top Univ. in US, how difficult is it for me to enter these English programs?

The Japanese universities seem to be trying to attract more foreign students and US schools tend to have huge advantages over Japanese universities regarding aftergraduate salaries and other stuff . Would that advantage also help when applying to grad schools in Japan? I mean would this situation tend to increase the possibility of getting into the top schools in Japan while you are applying from a school ranking around 100 in US? ( I know its kinda silly to ask this kind of probability questions since I will apply anyway but just want some advice to know my situation)

I am still reading the thread now so I might have more questions later and thank you guys so much for giving me some advice! =）

I think you should go ahead and mark University of Tokyo UTIPE off your list. They have made it clear they are only going to accept top tier university applicants (Ivy and near Ivy) and your GPA simply isn't going to cut it unless you can somehow pull off a near perfect GRE score.

Waseda seems a little bit easier to get into. As long as you keep your GPA above 3.0, come from a decent school, get a respectable GRE score, and can show proof of finances, I think you might get in.

What do you plan to do with your masters degree?

Where did you get the info of UTIPE only accepting first tier applicants? When I asked they said the stat of applicants is not possible. I do know that since it is the top univ in Japan it will be very hard to get into, but do they have a clear announcement or requirement saying that you need to come from a top univ? I mean it's never hurt to have a try though, even the chance is slim.

My plan for masters degree is to learn some practical knowledge that will be useful for later career. I don't want to go for PHD or do researches. The choices for me now is very limited as i could only choose from English programs. But I might could just pay more attention on the choices of courses once I get into any program.

kitakitsune Wrote:I think you should go ahead and mark University of Tokyo UTIPE off your list. They have made it clear they are only going to accept top tier university applicants (Ivy and near Ivy) and your GPA simply isn't going to cut it unless you can somehow pull off a near perfect GRE score.

Waseda seems a little bit easier to get into. As long as you keep your GPA above 3.0, come from a decent school, get a respectable GRE score, and can show proof of finances, I think you might get in.

What do you plan to do with your masters degree?

Waseda also has quite high standards. I don't think they'll accept someone with an average GPA from an average university.

I'm also sure that those universities would have a website. It would provide more reliable information than some stranger from the internet.

spielmann Wrote:Concerning the financial aid, because I am not US citizen ( I am an international student in US) so its not possible for me to get MEXT scholarship.I am planning to be self-financed. Also as far as I know, under English degree programs, there are no such thing as entrance exams or first and second screening. You just apply as you do with US grad schools. So I might not be able to apply to be a research student for these programs ( U Tokyo Maths might be an exception though)

MEXT is not a US only thing its a Japan thing. If you are applying straight from the US then you will have trouble, but if you can return to your home country and apply through the Japanese embassy there.

As far as entrance exams. It still really depends on the university. As far as I know Waseda phased in an English Entrance exam system. So it will really vary from school to school.

Quote:The Japanese universities seem to be trying to attract more foreign students and US schools tend to have huge advantages over Japanese universities regarding aftergraduate salaries and other stuff . Would that advantage also help when applying to grad schools in Japan? I mean would this situation tend to increase the possibility of getting into the top schools in Japan while you are applying from a school ranking around 100 in US? ( I know its kinda silly to ask this kind of probability questions since I will apply anyway but just want some advice to know my situation)

Generally the "attracting more foreign students" seems to be aimed at trying to attract other East asian countries instead of students from the US; based on what others have told me. Japanese schools are interested in attracting US students, if they were, they'd scrap entrance exams for them and simply use GREs.

kitakitsune Wrote:As long as you keep your GPA above 3.0...

How old are you?

If you went to school 20 years ago, a 3.0 would be considered a "B" average. That has changed recently. Believe it or not, the GPA scale has been watered down. Now, an "A" average is rated at 5.0.

spielmann Wrote:Where did you get the info of UTIPE only accepting first tier applicants? When I asked they said the stat of applicants is not possible. I do know that since it is the top univ in Japan it will be very hard to get into, but do they have a clear announcement or requirement saying that you need to come from a top univ? I mean it's never hurt to have a try though, even the chance is slim.

They say it right here.

http://www.gaia.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/utipe/qa/qa01.html

AThe UTIPE makes admission decision based on total evaluation of all information received from applicants and recommendation letters. There is no pre-set minimum standard for each item (TOEFL and GRE). However, faculty members are well aware of standards and evaluation procedures of the top schools in the US and UK and UTIPE admission procedure will be comparable to top graduate schools in economics in the United States and United Kingdom.

Norman Wrote:

kitakitsune Wrote:As long as you keep your GPA above 3.0...

How old are you?

If you went to school 20 years ago, a 3.0 would be considered a "B" average. That has changed recently. Believe it or not, the GPA scale has been watered down. Now, an "A" average is rated at 5.0.

Um

Well I graduated from undergrad in 2008 and I'm currently in a masters program now, using a 4.0 scale...I've never heard of any school switching over to a 5.0 scale.

@kitakitsune & Norman:
I wonder if you can basically beat the "average" standing if you enter as a 研究生 and then take exams following year. As is the common route for many foreign students.


EDIT:

Norman Wrote:

kitakitsune Wrote:As long as you keep your GPA above 3.0...

How old are you?

If you went to school 20 years ago, a 3.0 would be considered a "B" average. That has changed recently. Believe it or not, the GPA scale has been watered down. Now, an "A" average is rated at 5.0.

Reapeating what kitakitsune said, what uni did you go to that had a 5.0 scale? The only time I have EVER heard of 5.0 scales has been with high schools.

Norman Wrote:Waseda also has quite high standards. I don't think they'll accept someone with an average GPA from an average university.

I'm also sure that those universities would have a website. It would provide more reliable information than some stranger from the internet.

The feeling on the street for foreigners studying in Japanese universities (as well as Japanese people) is that Waseda is much easier to get into than Tokyo.

I know a few people from lower-tier US universities in the Asia-Pacific program at Waseda. I don't know their specific GPA or GRE scores but I can assume they were not much higher than average. They did speak good Japanese and were JET program alumni if that contributed to their acceptance..

vix86 Wrote:@kitakitsune & Norman:
I wonder if you can basically beat the "average" standing if you enter as a 研究生 and then take exams following year. As is the common route for many foreign students.

I know people do this on MEXT but I don't know any specifics about how people not on MEXT do it.

@vix86

The research student option is not available for English programs I think. But as what I got from the Maths department of Univ. of Tokyo ,they are accepting english-speaking students under their regular programs so this might be an option. So yeah that is also one of my questions. But would research student be easier to apply for?

Also, MEXT only apply to students studying at local universities in my country so I don't get any chances for that. For the "attracting student" thing, because my case is a little different. i am from China and currently studying in US. So I actually not exactly know if they will put me together with students from US or those from East Asia.

kitakitsune Wrote:

Norman Wrote:Waseda also has quite high standards. I don't think they'll accept someone with an average GPA from an average university.

I'm also sure that those universities would have a website. It would provide more reliable information than some stranger from the internet.

The feeling on the street for foreigners studying in Japanese universities (as well as Japanese people) is that Waseda is much easier to get into than Tokyo.

I know a few people from lower-tier US universities in the Asia-Pacific program at Waseda. I don't know their specific GPA or GRE scores but I can assume they were not much higher than average. They did speak good Japanese and were JET program alumni if that contributed to their acceptance..

So do you know are there many east asia students in this program or most of them are students from US? I am very confused what they are going to do with me since I am from Asia but right now studying in US.

kitakitsune Wrote:I know people do this on MEXT but I don't know any specifics about how people not on MEXT do it.

1 person isn't a lot of anecdotal evidence, but my friend's friend entered a grad program in Japan (Hokkaido U.) and did his first year as a research student and then entered regular program. He graduated and went to work for a very top tier IT company here in Japan.

On point of entrance criteria though, doesn't it depend pretty heavily on the program you are going into as well. There has to be some programs at 東大 that are easy to get into compared to others.

I don't know the demographics of the program. I can ask my friends but I'm pretty confident it is Asian skewed.

When you apply they will most likely treat you as an US applicant because that is where you went to university. Meaning they will look closely at your university, GPA, and GRE and compare it to other Americans.

I could be wrong though. Best of luck. You should check out MEXT in your home country. Have you considered MEXT -> MBA program in Japan?

vix86 Wrote:

kitakitsune Wrote:I know people do this on MEXT but I don't know any specifics about how people not on MEXT do it.

1 person isn't a lot of anecdotal evidence, but my friend's friend entered a grad program in Japan (Hokkaido U.) and did his first year as a research student and then entered regular program. He graduated and went to work for a very top tier IT company here in Japan.

On point of entrance criteria though, doesn't it depend pretty heavily on the program you are going into as well. There has to be some programs at 東大 that are easy to get into compared to others.

so do you have any idea what are the easy programs for 東大? Most of my coursed learned during under were Maths/Econ/Fiancne/Management so I think I could do all the related majors.

For the universities, there's another limitation for me because I wanna stay in Tokyo or Kyoto cuz these are two places that my boyfriend is going. Places like Hokkaido are pretty far away. I might apply to univ in these places also but am not likely to go unless there's no other offer.

kitakitsune Wrote:I know a few people from lower-tier US universities in the Asia-Pacific program at Waseda. I don't know their specific GPA or GRE scores but I can assume they were not much higher than average. They did speak good Japanese and were JET program alumni if that contributed to their acceptance..

I have a friend that's an under from my current univ that got into the program of Waseda and that's where I get to know this program. But I have no idea what grades she had then.This program, unlike the program of Tokyo, does not require GRE though.

kitakitsune Wrote:I don't know the demographics of the program. I can ask my friends but I'm pretty confident it is Asian skewed.

When you apply they will most likely treat you as an US applicant because that is where you went to university. Meaning they will look closely at your university, GPA, and GRE and compare it to other Americans.

I could be wrong though. Best of luck. You should check out MEXT in your home country. Have you considered MEXT -> MBA program in Japan?

For the MEXT because this scholarship is only available for domestic students studying in domestic universities and they have to get recommendation directly from the local univ in my country to get selected for this program. So there's no way for me to get it. I've been saving for tuitions for graduate school and I think i could find some part-time job after I go there so it is okay if I don't get any scholarship.

Also for the MBA, I wanna go for a master and get some years of work experiences before considering MBA so I might just apply to master programs for now.

Another thing is that, as my undergraduate GPA is not high, I am holding 4.0 GPA for my econ classes, that's why I think the econ master might be the right thing to do. I don't wanna delay my graduation so I only choose to finish the econ minor for now. I also did undergraduate TA and independent study for economics. These two programs in U of Tokyo and Waseda are both economics-related. I am not very strong with mathematics even though im holding a degree of maths but i think i might could do well for Econ. So should I mention this somewhere during the application or just talk to my econ professors trying to get nice recommendations from them?

oh and also, for the UTIPE program in Tokyo, there is only one application deadline (August 24th)for both the 2013 April entrance and Sep entrance( you have the choice to choose when to enter though). However, for the GSAPS program in Waseda, the deadline for April entrance is Sep while the deadline for Sep 2013 entrance is April. As I am also applying to other univ in Japan as well as universities in US for graduate school, an early offer would save me from doing all the applications to all the other schools (since the application for US schools are normally having deadlines of Jan or Feb). But at the same time, as I am taking my last semester starting from Sep and I am pretty sure I will improve my grades through this semester, applying later might improve the chances of getting into the programs because of better grades.
Do you guys think i should go ahead and apply for April entrance for Waseda or should I just wait till next April to apply for the fall entrance?
I am also doing summer classes to boost up GPA and this semester would certainly help when the grades come out but I'm not sure how much I could get it improved by the end of summer.
Thank you so much for all these advises, I only began to consider going to Japan this March so I obviously have no much information.

kitakitsune Wrote:...I've never heard of any school switching over to a 5.0 scale.

My bad. The GPA change was in K-12. Universities haven't switched, I guess.

Recently, I was surprised to hear from my sister that my niece had a 4.0 average, but had difficulty getting into a decent university. I later learned about the 5.0 adjustment. When I went to high school, we were on a 4.0 scale. I guess I confused the "schools" on that one.

spielmann Wrote:Do you guys think i should go ahead and apply for April entrance for Waseda or should I just wait till next April to apply for the fall entrance?
I am also doing summer classes to boost up GPA and this semester would certainly help when the grades come out but I'm not sure how much I could get it improved by the end of summer.

Math being a major part of your field (can't recall if you were Math right now or Econ). You should know that by time you have 100's of credit hours on record, that moving your GPA is going to require tons of classes. Some summer classes might help bump it up a tenth of a point, but thats it. You won't be getting it up to 3.5 or greater at this, not to rain your parade. Only thing I can suggest is start cramming for the GRE and get perfect scores on the Quantitative section. You might also consider taking the GRE Subject Test in Mathematics. No guarantee it will help but the standardized tests are really the best (only) way to show that you are up to stuff even if you GPA is kind of lacking. Beyond that, get really really good letters of recommendation and if you happen to know some people that know people that went to 東大 or have contacts there in the departments. Get them to put a word in for you.

kitakitsune Wrote:I think you should go ahead and mark University of Tokyo UTIPE off your list. They have made it clear they are only going to accept top tier university applicants (Ivy and near Ivy) and your GPA simply isn't going to cut it unless you can somehow pull off a near perfect GRE score.

The official mandate and the actual reality are rarely the same. After a quick look at the UTIPE program's website, it's glaringly obvious that there is no information on their current graduate students and the placements of students who've graduated from the program. Not even their university email addresses are displayed. And since TokyoU hasn't provided the information even after spielmann requested it, it looks very, very suspicious. Go to any Ivy League department webpage, and you'll see the current students and placement record proudly displayed.

At any rate, a 3.5 GPA is more or less a requirement to be admitted to any decent PhD program. There are exceptions, but they always compensate elsewhere in their applications (ideally, in research, recommendations, and the GRE, in that order). Anything below a 3.0 is basically impossible sans a miracle.