Go to community college for two years (ideally in California so you can get residency) and get straight A's, then apply to UC Berkeley. I know a handful of people who've done this. I should also mention that Berkeley's tuition is around $11-12,000 USD for in-state residents and double that for non-residents. Although, the rampant budget cuts have been bumping this cost up year by year (in-state tuition was around $7,000 in 2007/2008). Oh, and Berkeley has an endowment that's comparable to the U.S. defense budget, which means that grant and scholarship money is more abundant than elsewhere.

imabi, other people have already said this, but I think it's worth repeating. If you're going to study a language or something in the humanities, try to double major in something "marketable." I say this wishing someone had really driven it into me. My BA in East Asian studies from a top-tier university has done jack squat for me, and I spend most of my time trying to explain what exactly I did as an undergrad. I cannot think of one of my peers who ended up working in their fields. My friend who got her MA and studied with Donald Keene (!) is now working as a photographer.

Yes, follow your heart, but be practical. It's no fun being broke. And the job hunt sucks.

Sorry to be a downer.

Edit: Just noticed you wanted to go into academia as a career. Would this be linguistics or would it be for teaching the language? If it's the latter, preference seems to be given to native speakers. It's also not a tenure track position, since they're not doing research. Plus, tenure track positions are on the way out in general and adjuncting is a really tenuous position to be in, since a school can choose not to renew your contract on a whim. All I can recommend is do your research and have contingency plans. And don't go to an unfunded grad program. That's how you rack up 6 figure debt.

Last edited by bluemarigolds (2012 April 07, 7:44 pm)

imabi wrote:

I don't need to take basics again though. And, getting to California would still not be that easy. I guess I really need to talk to my counselor about all the options. Thanks everyone for making suggestions. I really appreciate it.

Yes, you do need to take basics again. Almost any typical four-year university will require roughly two years of general education, which is why lots of people attend community college for two years and then transfer out. In California, most community college courses transfer over as credit to your general education in the UC system. Why spend a fortune on GE when you can pay a penny for the same thing at a community college?

Furthermore, what's so hard about getting to California? In the Berkeley area, there's plenty of dirt cheap apartments. I paid $400/month when I lived out there. You can make enough money to get by even working part-time. So, don't dismiss the idea without giving it a chance. It's much more plausible than I think you believe.

Last edited by vileru (2012 April 07, 8:27 pm)

imabi wrote:

I got accepted to Boston University. I'm really excited about that, but I really have no way to afford the $60000 annual tuition. My parents collectively make too much too get much financial aid, despite the fact that annual tuition is 60% of their annual income. My parents don't have any savings that amount to anything, and debt is another factor not considered.

I am not knowledgeable about this topic, so don't take my advice seriously unless you make sure it's legible from other, more knowledgeable sources, but perhaps have your parents make a new company, and write an income letter of the amount that is suitable for tuition support.

Last edited by jettyke (2012 April 07, 8:53 pm)

I'd defo look at who your teachers would be and go on as many forums as you can scouting out research on the place. I think you have a lot of skill and more importantly a huge amount of passion so I think you will get a job and defo publish a textbook. The education system wastes years of peoples' lives and thousands of dollars of people's money. It is very, very difficult to complain against a university once you have handed over your money, however egregious you believe their treating of you to be. Caveat emptor are the two words which best some up my advice to you.

[Lunatic's Anecdote] My personal anecdote is that I wasted two years getting into university, three years getting a degree only to find out that I had wasted five years in which I could have been loafing about. The Japanese guy who was "teaching" me told a student in the year below me that I got a good degree without mentioning that people who did no work got the same degree and that I walked into the university and tore said degree up. I was obviously livid and sent him an irate email where I swore at him 30 times. I personally witnessed people who in no way get deserved them, get the same degree which I and a handful of other students worked hard to get [/Lunatic's Anecdote]

I have a 4.56 GPA and am number 16 at my school. It would be higher if I didn't spend so much time on my site in 10th and 11th grade. I've compared the tuition of UT with BU and I could go to college for four years with money left over with the same amount of money I would spend at BU for 1 year.

Anyways, maybe going to UT for the 4 years--possibly going to Japan for one or two semesters--and going to somewhere like Hawaii for grad school would be a smart idea?

Oh, again, do any of you think that imabijapanese.net is a better URL? I've added it as a possible URL to the site. That makes three.

imabi wrote:

I think my AP courses will take care of my basics. I haven't gotten a non-qualifying score for my major. And, I'm probably going to get good scores on several more this year. I may just go to UT in Austin simply because it is so much cheaper and I am supposed to get a money offer from them shortly.

If I'm right, one AP course counts as credit for one college course. Two years of GE classes is equivalent to about 16 college courses. If you only have a handful of AP courses, they won't make a significant difference.

If you're serious about entering academia, attending an elite university gives you a massive advantage. It's highly unlikely that you'll get a decent job in academia unless you graduate from a program that's at least in the top 30 in your field. Unfortunately, top universities tend to be picky with their applicant pools, preferring those from elite schools because they are confident in the "strength of their programs and quality of their students." A letter of recommendation from a top researcher from an elite school is priceless. I've even heard stories of professors calling friends at other institutions to ensure that their protégés secure placements. It's definitely not fair, but that's how it works.

In general career terms, a degree from somewhere like Berkeley will make much easier to find a job than one from Hawaii or UT Austin (minus local or specialist positions). Berkeley has a worldwide alumni network, which means that finding work somewhere like Japan or Korea is relatively easier. If you're worried about scholarships, I should mention that I went to high school in Orange County (a relatively affluent area) and a friend at another local high school managed to receive several merit-based scholarships at Berkeley as an affluent white person.

I hate to express myself so strongly, but you seem ambitious and capable, so it'd be a shame if your plans didn't match your ambitions and capability.

Edit: isn't UT Austin higher ranked than BU? At least in philosophy, UT is a top 20 program, whereas BU is a nonentity.

Last edited by vileru (2012 April 07, 10:22 pm)

For the short term I think the only affordable option will be to go to UT. I could, if I get more funds through my work and research opportunities, transfer to somewhere else that is more reputable if I'm fortunate enough. I do see that you are really all for Berkeley. It's a really good school. I am also considering staying in Texas for a few more years, though, because my grandfather may not be on the Earth for that much longer. So, I don't really need to be on the other side of the country anyways.

The Japanese department at UT needs to get new blood into it anyways. Also, as far as AP classes are concerned, I'm probably going to have at least 5~6 guaranteed to receive credit for at UT.

As far as Japanese research is concerned, which is basically the main point of this forums, what sort of things would you make sure to look up on when it comes to dialects and Classical Japanese? These are two areas I'm trying to really study on in my spare time. I stumbled over 下関弁 and find it extremely interesting.

The only reason I mentioned Berkeley is because it's the top public university in the world with one of the best Japanese programs in the US that many students have transferred into via community college (about 2-3,000 annually). UCLA is another popular school to transfer into, but it's generally less preferred than UCB and I know nothing about its Japanese program.

P.S. Your current plan sounds good.

Last edited by vileru (2012 April 07, 10:39 pm)

I do know that it has a wonderful Japanese program, and it is definitely a good candidate for further studies in my career. For now with all the advice that you guys have given me, it really sounds like a good investment to go here for now. It will definitely be much affordable, and it can give me the time to really improve on what I've already made now.

I'm glad it can be of assistance to you. There's more in store in the future. Whenever I forget something, I can always go to what I've made to remind myself. I think it is by far the best decision I ever made in learning Japanese. I really think all you guys will like it much more once I have more time on my hand in the summer months to expand and improve on it. I intend to get at least 30 more lessons done over the summer. That will really give me a lot of time devoted to Classical Japanese studies.

My biggest priority is improving what I alright have. This will continue to be a long project as nothing will ever be perfect, but you can always try to make it the best you can.

I really hope something similar will come of me with Japanese as I can study it for hours and not get bored of it. I really have high ambitions for continuing my studies. I hope my enthusiasm will continue to produce good things for the benefit of everyone.

I have always wanted to take the beginner classes, although I would much suited just having my entire education administered in Japanese, just to see first hand good and bad teaching methods. Course, in saving money and because I'll have to take a placement test, that probably isn't going to happen.

This week I should be getting information on how much money will be allocated to me from UT. I'm sure I will feel much more at ease after finding out.