Passed the Primary Screening? You’re almost there!
Important: I have posted an update to this article for the 2018 Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, including revised advice on how to contact universities and professors. Check it out here!
Passing the Primary Screening for the Embassy MEXT scholarship is the most important step, but now you need to find a university to accept you in order to ensure you receive the scholarship. And, of course, you want to find the best university for your studies.
Despite all the work you’ve done so far, you’re basically starting over on a whole new application, but I will walk you through the process in simple steps to help you avoid common problems and get your letter of acceptance fast.
What This Guide Covers:
- Guidelines for choosing your three universities and professors
- What the different student types are and how that affects your studies
- Mistakes that will guarantee rejection
- How to approach and communicate with universities
- Getting the Letter of Acceptance
Why I Can Help with your MEXT Scholarship Application
My primary job for three years at a large, private Japanese university was processing MEXT scholarship applications. I was the first point of contact for all applicants and personally examined every application that came through. On average, I handled about 40 Embassy MEXT scholarship applications per year and nearly 200 University MEXT applications. I want to use that experience to help you get your scholarship.
I learned two important things about the Embassy MEXT, in particular:
1. The University wants to accept MEXT scholars.
It makes sense for the university to accept Embassy MEXT scholars. MEXT pays for everything, so it’s guaranteed money for them, and more MEXT scholars means more clout for the university. So long as you clear all of the minimum requirements, they want you in. But most applicants did not get letters of acceptance at my university because:
2. Applicants get themselves rejected by making lazy, avoidable mistakes.
Let’s be clear. The university wants MEXT scholars and MEXT money. That doesn’t mean that they want you enough to put up with mistakes or laziness. Most applicants that I saw get rejected basically killed their own chances because they made it hard for the university to accept them, or they made themselves more trouble than they were worth. If you’re a pain during a month-long application process, the university really doesn’t want you on campus for 2-6 years causing problems.
How can you avoid doing that? That’s what I’m here to explain.
Choosing a University for your Embassy MEXT Scholarship
This article refers to the Embassy-recommended MEXT scholarship. I also have a series of guides for the University-recommended MEXT Scholarship, including an article on selecting a university.
When choosing where to apply for your MEXT scholarship studies, you need to evaluate three things: The university, the graduate school, and the specific professor. You only have three chances to get this right. If you don’t get into one of the three universities on your “Application for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho:MEXT) Application (Attachment)” then you lose the scholarship. Here’s how to make each one count.
National, Public, or Private
It’s right there in the application guidelines:
“If a candidate wants to enter a public or private university other than a national university, the grantee’s preference specified in the Placement Preference Form may not be met due to budgetary reasons concerning the school fees, etc.”
This means you should target at least one, preferably two to three national universities in your list.
You can certainly still apply to public and private universities, but have at least one national in your list, and preferably one that is not “formerly xxxxxx Imperial University” on the page above and is not in Tokyo, for reasons that I will explain below.
Location: Competition and “Safety Schools”
Competition in Tokyo or at Japan’s most well-known universities can be intense, since slots are limited. Consider at least one safety school.
I wrote above that you should have at least one non-“Imperial University” and at least one not-in-Tokyo university on your list. That’s because those have the highest level of competition. The former Imperial Universities are the heart of Japan’s university network. They are the largest and most well-known, which makes them the most popular. Tokyo, obviously, is the most well-known city and universities there attract more applications, especially from international students who might find living in smaller cities or rural areas to be intimidating. (It’s not. In fact, Japan’s small cities and rural areas are the best parts of the country!)
I’m not saying don’t apply to the University of Tokyo, if your heart is set on it. By all means, shoot for the best, but have a backup. It’s only prudent.
Pro Tip: Do not send multiple applications to the same university, even if it’s to separate professors or graduate schools. You’re not impressing them with your passion for the school, you’re proving that you’re unfocused and lazy.
Degree Program Language
You’re reading this page in English, so I’m going to make the assumption that you are not an N2- or N1-level Japanese speaker. That means you need a university that offers degree programs in English. Regardless of how well you did on that Japanese proficiency test during the Embassy interview, you are not going to get in to a Japanese-language program unless you have an N1 or N2 certificate from the JLPT. Even with an N2, you’re going to be a long shot for a lot of programs.
Stick to universities that offer graduate degrees in your field in English. At the very least, they’re going to be the places that are more open to international students and have better international services. You can find lists of programs below:
- Global 30: These 13 universities set up English-language graduate degree programs with MEXT sponsorship, so they are solid bets, but they’re not the only English-language programs. They’re also going to be among the best known and therefore most competitive.
- JASSO’s list of universities with English-language programs: Current as of March 2016 (thanks to commenter “Indojin” for the update!), this document lists non-Global 30 programs available in English. These are universities that established English-language programs on their own, not just to get a government grant, so you may find more openness to international students here.
- JPSS Information for Foreign Students: This site lists the graduate programs in English under each university name, helping you drill down further to find a program.
- Check University Homepages: The lists above are not comprehensive or up-to-date. If you’ve come across research by Japanese professors during your studies, check their university homepages directly to see if they offer degree programs in English. Having an English homepage is a huge hint!
But what about that language program mentioned in the MEXT scholarship guidelines?
That program is designed to teach you enough Japanese to navigate the local buses, hold a basic conversation with your classmates, and deal with your landlord or cell phone carrier. It is not designed to teach you academic Japanese. If you aren’t already at the JLPT N1 level, then no 6-month program will get you there.
If you want to take a Japanese-language degree program and you haven’t been studying intensely on your own for several years, you’re out of luck.
Once you’ve found a few potential universities (more than three for now), it’s time to drill down further:
Choosing a Graduate School
Identifying a university that offers degree programs in English is not the end. You need to make sure that your specific degree is offered in English. If you find a university that offers Computer Engineering in English, but you’re interested in Sports Science, that isn’t going to help you very much. The JASSO pdf linked above drills down to exactly which fields of study are offered in English.
Pro tip: Find the name of the specific graduate school and department at your first-choice university and write that for the “Field of Study in Japan” in your Application for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho:MEXT) Application (Attachment).
The most Important Step: Identify a Specific Professor who can Supervise your Research.
Next, you’ll want to review that graduate school’s professors to find the one whose research is most similar to your own. This is the single-most important point of getting acceptance. The most common reason by far I saw for Embassy MEXT scholarship applicants to get rejected at my university was that there was no professor who could supervise that research topic.
Most universities will have a database or at least a list of their professors and their research topics online. Read this carefully and look for similarities. If you cannot find a researcher database on the university’s site, google the name of the the university and keywords from your “Field of Study and Research Program Plan” document and see if any names come up in scholarly articles. If you can find articles in English, that’s even better, because it indicates the professor might be able and willing to supervise you even if you speak no Japanese.
Pro Tip: Write your “Field of Study” on your application form to sound as similar to this professor as possible and write the name of the professor in the chart.
Do not worry about being rude or forward by listing a professor’s name in the chart without talking to them first. It is far more rude (and hurtful to your chances of acceptance) to leave the professor section blank. That shows that you haven’t done the research and just don’t care. You don’t need to contact the professor now or later, as we’ll get to later.
Student Categories and How They Affect Your Studies
The MEXT scholarship paperwork uses some confusing terms, because they were originally written in Japanese and inconsistently translated into English. For example, the term “Research Student” refers both to “graduate student” in the overall name of the scholarship program and to “non-degree-seeking student” when you’re filling out the Application (Attachment). Here’s what the terms mean on that form, and how they will affect your studies:
Research Student
Research Student means that you are not enrolled in the actual degree program, but you take courses in the graduate school and receive guidance. It is possible to move up from research student status into the degree program, so this status usually serves as “conditional admission,” if the graduate school thinks you need a little more work before you enroll, or as a holding pattern if you arrive in Japan at the wrong time of year. For instance, if the degree program only takes in new students in April, and you arrive in September, then you’ll be a Research Student for your first semester.
Some students will stay research students for their whole time in Japan. For example, if you’re enrolled in a degree-seeking graduate program in your home country and just want to come to Japan for, well, research.
You can stay a research student for up to three semesters. After that, you have to move into the degree program or go home.
Even if you select “Research Student” the university, at its discretion, may place you directly into the degree program if you indicate that you want to progress to the degree eventually.
Master’s Degree Course/Doctoral Course
Select this option for direct admission into the degree program. Once you’re in the degree program, you have 2 years to complete your master’s or 3 years to complete your doctoral program. If you bust that time limit, your scholarship goes away. Moreover, as soon as it becomes apparent that you will not complete your program on time, the university is obligated to revoke your scholarship immediately.
If you are concerned that you won’t be able to adjust to the degree program quickly enough, go for the Research Student status to start.
As with the research student status, this is a preference only. The university may place you in a research student status first. This is most common if you arrive in a semester when they don’t take in new students.
Professional Graduate Course
This refers to non-academic degrees, such as MBA, JD, medical degrees, etc.
About the Language Training Program
Typically, you have no control over whether or not you are assigned to the semester of Japanese language training. Assignments are at the discretion of the graduate school you apply to. Typically, if you haven’t studied Japanese, you’ll be sent to the program, even if your degree program is all in English. As I mentioned above, the purpose of this language training is day-to-day functional Japanese, so it’ll be helpful even if you don’t need it for class and research.
If you are assigned to the language program, you will be a “Research Student” for that semester, so it will not count against your degree time. You may even be at a different university for that semester.
OK, now that we’ve covered how to select a university and the student types, let’s review your application so far:
Review: Have You Committed an Instant-Rejection Mistake?
Once you’ve thoroughly researched three target universities for your MEXT scholarship, double-check the list below to make sure you’re not committing one of the common instant-rejection mistakes.
- Applying for a Japanese program when you don’t have the language ability
I cannot stress this enough: I never once saw an applicant accepted who did not meet the minimum language requirement. In most cases, the professors wouldn’t even bother reviewing the application, even if the applicant had “alternate” credentials. - There’s no professor with your research field
You might meet all the requirements, but if there’s nobody that can advise you, you’re not getting the letter of acceptance. This is especially true in the hard sciences. I got dozens of applications sent back from faculty review committees with the simple note: “No advisor.”
Of course finding an appropriate professor in the researcher’s database doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get in. The professor might not be able to take on more advisees that year or might even be retiring. That’s why you have three schools on your list. - Being Late: Hard Deadlines and De Facto Deadlines
Your application papers have to reach the university by August 31 — that’s the hard deadline established by MEXT. Universities are required to reject any applications that arrive after that. But the de facto deadline may be much earlier. I’ll cover deadlines more below, but try to get your complete application to your universities by the first week of August, at the latest. - Sending an Incomplete Application
If you do not send everything the university asks for (we’ll cover contacting the university below), they your application will be stuck in the administrative office until the rest of the materials arrive and may never make it to the professors for review. Even if the missing document is something relatively inconsequential, universities will insist on the minimum requirement for completeness. Get used to this.
Got all that? Good. Now we’re going to talk about how to approach the universities for the best chance of success.
How to Approach the University
Step 1: Don’t approach them yet. Do a little research, first to find out how to submit your application. You’re applying for graduate studies, after all, if you open up your communication with the university by contacting the wrong person (for example contacting professors directly), you’re immediately showing them that you’re too lazy or incompetent to do basic research.
To find the right office to send your application, go to the university’s website and search for “MEXT” or “Monbukagakusho.” Look for the result that shows application guidelines or the word “Embassy.” If the website doesn’t have English guidelines, you can search for:
国費外国人留学生 or 大使館推薦
Copy/paste either of those terms into the university’s search bar and then use google translate to look at the resulting page.
Note: Google translate is horrible for Japanese to English translation, but all you need is the email address for the office. Even Google can’t screw up the translation of an email address, I think.
If the university search doesn’t work, then go to big Google and search for the university’s name as well as the terms listed above.
Who to Contact
The Embassy is going to tell you that you need a Letter of Acceptance from a professor, but that’s not accurate. You need a Letter of Acceptance from the university that is signed by the professor. That means that you need to go through the administrative office that handles applications.
If you’ve done the search above, the chances are good that you’ve found the administrative office responsible for MEXT applications. If not, then you need to find the contact information for the university’s International Office or the Administrative Office of the graduate school where your professor teaches. Do not contact the professor directly at this point.
Let me say that again, because it can mean the difference between success and failure: Do NOT send your MEXT scholarship application directly to the professor.
Professors do not handle applications. Most don’t know what to do with them, so they bounce around in email for a while until, maybe, they find their way to the right office. Sadly, I saw a few cases where it took over a month for an application sent to a professor to reach my office, and by then the deadline had passed.
If the University has MEXT Scholarship Application Guidelines
Follow them to the letter. Remember what I said above about incomplete applications? Make sure you have everything together and send it the way the university wants. For bonus points, stack the documents in the right order in the envelope and use dividers labeled with the form name. (If you’re emailing the application, scan each file as a separate pdf and name if according to the university’s terms).
Some universities will accept emailed applications, but others will only accept them by post. Sometimes it will depend on whether or not your embassy stamped each page of your application (like they are supposed to) or just the top page. If it’s not clear, email the university to ask.
Send all of the items in the university’s guidelines and only the items listed in the guidelines. Extras will be disposed of. When I processed applications, we left out everything that was not in our list of mandatory documents.
How to Contact the University
Open with a short, professional message, formatted like an email ,not an SMS, and including proper greetings and your name at the end. Tell them what program you’d like to apply for and which professor, indicate that you’ve read the guidelines, and ask if they accept applications by email (if it was not specified online).
Even if you know that the university accepts applications by email, you do not want to attach your application to the first email. If the attachment is too large or if the destination mailbox is full (a high possibility with so many other students emailing in their applications at the same time), your message won’t get through and you won’t know it, so you’ll be sitting there waiting for a reply to an email that never reached the university! So, email them first to tell them that you will follow up with your attached application in the next message.
Never, never, send your university a one-line email with no signature that says “sent from my iphone.”
Pro Tip: Does your email address sound professional? If your address is borderline inappropriate, overly cute, or easily mistaken (e.g. uses the number 0 in place of letter O), consider getting a new one like firstname.lastname@gmail.com.
If the university accepts applications by email, scan each document into a single pdf file and send it. If you send each page as separate jpeg files (or worse, tif) or even as individual pdf files, you 1) Risk that the email will be so large that the university’s server will reject it and 2) show the university that you’re too lazy, incompetent, or self-centered to learn to use a scanner correctly.
If your scanner does not scan to pdf or does not scan multiple pages into a single file, use software to combine the individual scans and convert the final product to a pdf.
What to Expect from the University
I wrote above that universities want to accept Embassy MEXT scholars, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to roll out the red carpet for you. At this point in the application process, there’s a low possibility that you’re going to end up at the university you’re talking to, and they know it. For example, where I worked, out of the 40 or so annual Embassy MEXT scholarship applications I handled, only 4-5 ended up at my university each year. At this point, the university knows that 80-90% of the applicants won’t end up going there, so they are not that enthusiastic.
In many cases, Japanese universities will only contact you when something is wrong. They won’t go out of their way to acknowledge receipt if everything is complete or to send you status updates. If something is missing, though, you will hear from them. So, no news is typically good news, but it’s also a good idea to follow up with an email asking if everything was complete.
If you send your application by post, most universities will not email you to let you know it has arrived. They assume you will check the tracking information yourself.
Once your application reaches the university, here’s what happens:
- The administrative office responsible for your application will make sure everything is complete, log it in to their processing system, and forward the necessary parts on to the graduate school administrative office.
- The graduate school administrative office will include your application in the next regular faculty meeting.
- The faculty council will review your application and make a decision during the meeting. Your acceptance or rejection often depends on the result of about a 2-minute review.
- The professor that accepts you will complete the letter of acceptance and send it to the graduate school office.
- The graduate school office will pass the letter to the original administrative office, who will log the result and send it to you.
The important thing to note is that waiting for item 3, above, takes the most time. Your application will spend a lot of time “waiting for review,” especially if you send it in August, school vacation. Your application will sit and wait for the next faculty meeting for approval. That can be over a month if the timing is bad and during that time the university won’t have any status update for you, as frustrating as that will be.
Getting the Letter of Acceptance (Naidakusho)
Where I worked, we emailed a copy of the letter of acceptance to the applicants then send the original by regular airmail. Not express, not registered, just regular mail.
It happened several times that the Letter of Acceptance was late, thanks to the time it took to make the decision and the time for the airmail to arrive. In those cases, almost every applicant we talked to was able to take a printout of the emailed Letter of Acceptance to their embassy and use that to move forward with their application process while waiting for the original to arrive. If your Letter has not reached you and the deadline is approaching, check with your embassy/consulate to see if that’s an option.
And that’s it! Once you have the Letter of Acceptance turned in to the Embassy/Consulate, the rest of the scholarship process is in MEXT’s hands. You should have your final decision and placement by December/January, if the old timeline still holds up.
What are my chances of getting the MEXT Scholarship at this point?
You’re about to get paid to get your degree in Japan. Congratulations!
MEXT conducts a final screening of all applicants, but the purpose of this screening is not competitive, it is to make sure that you meet all of their eligibility requirements. Yes, the embassy and university should have checked these during your application, but MEXT won’t let a scholarship grant go through without double-checking.
Your final university placement, though? A lot of that is going to be related to internal budgeting and politics (e.g. preference for national universities, etc.) and balancing the number of applicants among universities as much as possible. There is no way to predict where you might end up.
But at the end of the day, you’re getting the MEXT scholarship, which can mean up to 6 years of paid graduate education, so it’s a great place to be, no matter what. Congratulations!
FAQ
I will update this with your questions from the comments below, so please send them in!
- My Embassy/Consulate says I need to submit my Letters of Acceptance by mid August, but the university says they can’t send them until September, at the earliest. What should I do?
This is often a misunderstanding, so double-check with the embassy/consulate to see exactly what they need. In most cases that I saw, students only needed to submit the list of universities and professors they were applying to by mid-August. You can do that without waiting for the university’s reply, so long as you’ve done your research above. If your embassy/consulate really needs the Letter of Acceptance that early, talk to the university and ask if there is any way to accelerate it. Also, check to see if the embassy will accept emailed letters of acceptance, since the post takes a while.
Questions?
Before asking any questions in the comments below, please read through the MEXT Scholarship Application FAQ top page and specific FAQ pages to see what I’ve answered already and to find tips about how to get your questions answered faster.
You can ask your questions in the comments here, on the FAQ page, or by email and I will answer them by updating the FAQ and letting you know when the answers are available.
I’d also recommend signing up for my mailing list to get notified whenever I have updates to any of the FAQs or new articles about the MEXT scholarship!
I’m from India and my preliminary application got rejected in June 2019 by the Embassy of Japan in India, even tho I fit in every criteria with having good research paper and Bachelor score.
I want to pursue MBA/Masters in Japan by having so much passion and attraction towards Japan plus having good Japanese language skills as well.
I did my best to get more information and guidance from Mumbai & Delhi Embassy and from Japan Information Center (JIC) but both Embassy and JIC ignored and payed no attention to any of my request.
I’m very disappointed and discouraged by the Indian MEXT scholarship faculty.
Now I have to waste more of my two years to get that scholarship.
I hope they would bring more attention to this problems, providing more information and guidelines on their website with proper updates.
Thank you.
Hi Parth Dalvi,
All I can tell you is that it’s a competitive application. Even if you think you’re a good candidate, if there were a large number that had better grades or better Fields of Study, then unfortunately, there has to be a cut somewhere.
MEXT, embassies, and universities will never tell you why you didn’t make the cut, under any circumstances (they would only tell you if you had failed to meet the eligibility requirements). The best thing you can do is take a hard look at your application, knowing that it did not meet their cut, and figure out where your weak spots were so you can improve them in the future! I know of applicants who have made it in on their second or third tries.
You can also seek outside opinions and reviews of your application to see what might have gone wrong, but I would not bother trying with official sources like the embassy, they would never be able to help.
One thing in your comment that through up a red flag for me was when you said “MBA/Master’s”. Those are two different degrees and if you weren’t focused enough to know which one that you wanted to apply for, that could have easily been enough of a problem for your application not to get through. (I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but that language worried me.)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
Once again, thank you for all your hard work and helpful information about the scholarship, it really did help IMMENSELY. I heard back from the embassy that I was selected to show up for testing and interview this week for the scholarship! Anyway I kind of have a long one for you.
My question now is, I had gotten in contact with one of the professors at Josai University because the pharmaceutical graduate program there offers cosmetic formulation courses, which is something I am very interested in. I had contacted the professor of the lab to inquire if the graduate course would be taught in English or if it is possible for someone to take the course with just elementary level of Japanese. The professor replied and told me that the masters course does not serve lectures in English, but that they would “support me as much as possible” and that he hoped I would still be intersted in the course. They also told me that there are 1-2 foreign students in the doctoral course currently. The professor also said that they have accepted one student from the Philippines with elementary level of Japanese and are considering to accept one more from Thailand who only speaks English into his particular lab.
From here I am a bit confused on whether the professor is trying to indicate to me that the graduate course is possible to complete with little to no Japanese language ability? He never outright said, “Yes it is possible to do the course with only English” even though I had asked him directly, is it possible to be successful in this course with little knowledge of Japanese. What do you think of this? Is it safe to assume that the school would allow me to enroll in the masters program then?
I listed the professor and the university in my placement preference form anyway just in case when I had submitted all my documents to the embassy in the first place. But now I am unsure what to reply to the professor. He told me in his email that he would like for me to submit a research paper detailing what my research plans are, but should I now reply and tell him that I am applying for MEXT?
Sorry for the long one, thank you as always!
Hi Jen Ta,
Thank you very much for your kind words! I am very excited to hear that you have made it to the interview stage.
In my experience, if a course is taught in Japanese, that means that you will have to write your final thesis or project in Japanese. How much coursework is involved may also vary from program to program, but you can assume that would all be in Japanese, too. So, any support you would have would be unofficial and it would be up to your professor to help you meet the requirements in Japanese, not waive them.
That said, it does sound like he is willing to accept your application, so it is something you can consider. (That does not necessarily mean that the university as a whole would be certain to give you a Letter of Acceptance, but it does sound like a strong mark in your favor). I think you would have a much easier time applying to an English-taught program, but if you are really set on Josai for the research opportunities, you can always apply. I would recommend that you apply as a research student first, so that you can give yourself as much time as possible to bring up your Japanese level in advance and also take extra time for your coursework and research output.
It sounds like you already have a bit of a relationship established with this professor, so this would seem to be a good time to tell him that you are applying for the MEXT scholarship and are partway through the primary screening. You can also send him your MEXT Field of Study and Research Program Plan.
The good news for you is that you are already having this dialog, whereas most applicants won’t get much of a response from Japanese universities before they pass the primary screening. That means that even in the worst case that he can’t accept your application, at least you should find out early, with enough time to consider an alternate program.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello! thank you so much for all your hard work and for all this valuable information. I would like to ask you for some advice. I’m an English teacher and I would like to apply to the research program but I’m having problems finding information about the area of education, or linguistics studies or cross linguistics. I have English level C1 and Japanese level n5 so I would have to opt for something fully in English. Could you help me find a list or a searcher for that area?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Worried Teacher,
Thank you for your kind words!
Yes, you would certainly need a program taught in English with n5 Japanese. If you haven’t seen it yet, my article on how to find universities and professors that teach your field of study in English could be a good place to start looking! I introduce several ways to search.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Transenzjapan,
I am applying for the MEXT 2020-21 term. As I have read the blog, I have got an idea that once one passes the first screening, he/she could be at least 80% assured to get the scholarship. What I want to know is that what are the things to be careful of in the first screening or what decides who is passing the first screening?
I am applying for a PhD. I have far far better grades in masters compared to that I had in the bachelors. I learnt from your website that a 2.3 gpa out of 3 is required from the last 2 years of my study and I checked I have at least 2.5 out of 3 in my 2 years of Masters program.
I have written the study plan and the proposal and all in as much appealing way as possible stating my objectives clearly. How much do you think these could help in clearing the first screening?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Mainak Ghosh,
I would say that once an applicant passes the primary screening, the chances of winning the scholarship are closer to 99%. There are no more competitive steps after that point. All you have to do is to get a Letter of Acceptance.
The most important factors in passing the the Primary screening are your GPA and your Field of Study and Research Program Plan. A 2.5 out of 3 is not particularly high, given the competition level for the scholarship, but if you have a great FSRPP, then you should be able to make it through the document screening to the tests and interview.
One other article that might help you prepare is my article on how to best improve your chances to win the scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi TranSenz,
Maybe this is not the correct thread, but I was wondering whether the Supervisor of a MEXT student receives a bonus or if he/she receives a larger budget to do research. I am a current MEXT scholar and I hear many of these rumors from other MEXT students but I have no way of confirming whether this is true or not.
Hi Byron,
I have heard other people come forward with that rumor in the past, but there is absolutely no basis for it that I am aware of. I can say for sure that it is not something that MEXT has determined (or that MEXT awards). Individual universities may have some policy to give bonus research funds to professors who successfully recruit international students, but that would be a university or graduate school level decision.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Good day, please what is the country quota for Mext graduate scholarship through embassy recommendation especially in view of African countries ?
Hi Enchuks,
There is no official list of the quotas for each country each year. In some cases, embassies will tell you how many slots they have at the start of the application process, but that is not guaranteed.
Another way to guess how many slots are available in your country is to look at the news articles on the embassy’s website from the previous March or September/October. You might be able to find a press release there saying how many MEXT Scholars they are about to send to Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello TranSenz,,
thank you so much for this post it was very informative for me during the application process.
I would like to take your advice about something causing me worries. I have passed the first and second screening and achieved an acceptance letter from a public university, Now I am waiting for the final screening results, but the problem is that all the students from my country have received theirs except for me !!!! I called the embassy and they told me that it (still under discussion) and the result has not come up yet. could you please inform me why this is happening?, is it bad or good, is it due to a delay from the university or the embassy, why some approvals may take longer than others?????
Hi Sabine,
You said that you had a letter of acceptance from a national university, but did you submit multiple letters of acceptance? Or perhaps list universities on your Placement Preference Form that you did not receive LoAs from?
One common reason for delays is if MEXT is not able to place you in the first university that they reach out to. Once you pass the Secondary Screening, MEXT will contact universities from your Placement Preference Form one-by-one to ask them to formally accept you. At that point, if the first university that they reach out to decides that they are unable to accept you, then MEXT would have to go through the same process by contacting the next one. That would result in your final results taking longer than other applicants.
I hope you hear back from the Embassy soon! As long as you passed the Primary Screening, MEXT will keep trying to place you, it may just take a little longer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Transenz,
thank you very much for all the help, and today I have received the results of the second screening and have PASSED!! going to Kobe University.
however, now that i have this information, do I wait for communication from the university, or should i inform them? also, How do I break the information to the other professors who gave me LoAs?
Hi Kevin,
Congratulations!
I would recommend contacting each of the professors (or universities, if you did not contact professors directly) that issued you an LoA to thank them for their consideration. For the universities where you were not placed, tell them that MEXT placed you somewhere else but, since you will be in the same field, you hope to thank them in person and possible work together in the future.
For the university where you were placed, if you are in contact with the professor, you can start talking about your research.
As for the administrative details like travel and visas, etc., the university or embassy will contact you about that, so you do not need to reach out to them with those questions yet (especially if you are arriving in fall).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi TranSenz,
Thank you for post.
I applied and got accepted to MEXT scholarship Nikkensei Programme (日本語日本文化研修留学生)
and studied in Japan for 1 year when i was undergraduate.When i was in Japan i was hearing that after returning your country and graduate from your universtiy its possible to get same scholarship again for post graduate study (2 years) very easily.I googled but couldn’t find much information about it.What should i do to get same scholarship again?
Hi Tin,
The scholarship category that you received in the past (congratulations, by the way) is only for the one year study abroad, but you can apply for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship for Research Students or the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship for research students, and either of those would cover a full Master’s degree (with the possibility of extending to a PhD).
All of the guides I have written on this website (as well as my book) are about that exact scholarship application process, so any of them should help you. But if you are just getting started with thinking about the application process, then I recommend my guide about how to get started with the application.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, and thank you for your post.
This year is my second attempt at the MEXT research student scholarship. Last year, I preemptively got tentative acceptance to Osaka University, which I brought up in my screening, but didn’t pass. This year, I passed the screening and received my LOA from Osaka. There’s a particular lab I’m very set on, so this is the only LOA I went for. I want to be confident that they won’t take me out during the second screening, but I can’t help but worry. Any rough idea of the odds? Applying from America, Tennessee embassy if it matters.
Hi Concerned Student,
You should have nothing to be concerned about!
In every case I have ever heard of, students who passed the Primary Screening and get at least one LoA always passed the secondary screening and got the scholarship.
In your case, since your LoA was from a National University, that reduces the risk even further.
Really, the only ways I know of to get eliminated in the secondary screening are if you are planning to research weapons or dual-use technology or if the embassy/consulate made a significant mistake and failed to notice that you were ineligible for some reason. Neither of those two things should be a risk, so you should be hearing good news soon.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your reply, that’s really great to hear. No weapons/dual-use research, and I’ve looked through the requirements enough to know I’m eligible for sure. Looking forward to Japan!
Hi Slightly Less Concerned Student,
I am glad to see your moniker change! I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your screening process and placement in your first choice university!
In the future, I hope to see a reply from “Confirmed MEXT Scholarship Recipient Student”.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Got it! At this point, it’s just final paperwork. I do have some logistical questions now though. My flight information will be given sometime in March, but I’m curious if there’s any way to know where I’d fly from and fly to. I’m also uncertain about what to expect upon landing. Do I just land and go find my advisor, or is there something like an orientation?
Hi Confirmed MEXT Scholarship Recipient Student,
For your flights, in general, you would fly from the nearest international airport to your home in your home country to the nearest international airport in Japan to your university. Any domestic travel arrangements (getting to the international airport in your home country, including any domestic flights, as well as getting from the airport in Japan to your university) will be your responsibility to arrange/pay for.
That said, your university will probably tell you which day that you need to arrive in Japan and may offer pick-up assistance on that day from the airport. It all depends on your university. But they should at least tell you when, where, and how to arrive, plus what to do next, so that you won’t be lost when you get there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Thank you very much for helping us all to reach our dreams.
I apologize because maybe you already answered this but I need to be certain.
I have passed the primary screening for the MEXT Scholarship for Graduate Students with the Embassy and contacted Universities. I had received a Letter of Acceptance three weeks ago from one of the universities I contacted and thought that would be all but yesterday the Kyoto University who I have also contacted said it will also send a LoA and accept me as a “research student” for 2019 and the “apply for the Graduate School next” . The thing is I had kind of given up on Kyoto because the prestige and the difficulty in passing the entrance examination. Kyoto University requires much more documents, in addition to TOEFL and GMAT scores.
I read you already answered to another question:
“If you arrive in April, you can remain in the “research student” status for two years, including the six months that you spend in the language program, so MEXT would not cancel the scholarship on you at this point.”
But I need to make sure MEXT and Kyoto University will allow me to extend my scholarship for another year in case I don’t pass the entrance examination for year 2020. I am almost sure I will be able to be accepted the first time and will strive to that end but I don’t want to risk going for just one year and coming back without the Degree.
Also I want to ask if there is a possibility to change the university for year 2020 in case I am not accepted in Kyoto University to my other university of choice.
Hi Gab,
Thank you for your kind words and congratulations on your progress so far!
I have never heard of a MEXT scholar starting as a research student and not being able to pass the entrance exam at the university. Even at Kyoto University, the entrance exam should be a less competitive and challenging process than what you have already been through in passing the Primary Screening. Don’t undersell your achievements!
If you arrive in April, your maximum stay in Japan as a research student is two years. If you arrive in September/October, the maximum time is 1.5 years. You cannot extend that time as a research student under any circumstances, so during that time, you would have to apply to extend your studies as a degree-seeking student and pass the entrance exam.
When you apply to extend from research student to degree-seeking student, you are allowed to specify up to two universities in the application form. So, if for some reason you were not able to pass Kyoto’s entrance exam but you passed the exam at the other university, you would be able to extend your scholarship as a degree-seeking student there, as a back up plan.
But really, that should not be a risk. I think you’ll do a lot better than you assume.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Your blog really helped me during my Monbukagakusho application. Thank you so much.
Currently, I passed the primary screening for Monbukagakusho Research Student 2019, I read your comment section and found you wrote this :
“the universities are not allowed to ask you for the Placement Preference Form anymore, so they wouldn’t see the rankings you chose.”
I have a story, firstly I asked university A for a LoA, the professor asked me “Is my laboratory your first choice?” to which I replied “I still don’t know yet, it depends on the response of other professors, but yours is my top two”, then the professor agreed to make me the LoA.
Then I asked another university, let’s call it B, first he also asked me the same question, to which I reply “I still haven’t decided”, then we had skype interview, he also gave me a paper regarding his recent research. The next day, I emailed him again expressing my interest and also requested for LoA (because he told me to tell him if I am really interested in his research). But then again he asked me “Is our laboratory your first choice?”
At that time I am confused, but then I decided that A will be my first choice, so I tell B honestly “No, I have decided that A will be my first choice.” (Although at this time A hasn’t even sent me the LoA, but I heard from the professor that it is currently being made). Then after I replied to B, I no longer received any reply from him.
So my question is :
1. How should I respond to “Is our laboratory your first choice?” question? Should I just lie?, I felt really bad about lying, and don’t think it was the right thing to do.
2. If what you write is correct, why do I still get asked by such question? Isn’t that the same thing as knowing university preference?
3. Is it really safe to submit one LoA? (Btw, two of them are national university), should I approach B to request for LoA?
Thank you so much Travis!
Looking forward to hearing from you
Hi Raivata,
I’m sorry, but not surprised, that you faced this situation. Let me answer your questions out of order.
2. The university is not allowed to ask for your placement preference form or to factor that into your decision, but individual professors who consider whether to accept you to their lab would want to know how serious you are about studying with them. During this time of year, professors and universities are flooded with requests from applicants who haven’t done any serious research about their programs and are just desperate to get an LoA without caring much about the lab. Naturally, professors would want to weed out those applicants.
I think that would be particularly true if the professor is from a private university. Since MEXT is much more likely to place Embassy Recommended MEXT scholars in national universities, professors and universities know from experience that if they are private and they are your second choice behind a national university, it is essentially impossible for you to be placed there. (If a private university is your second choice behind another private, then it is also highly unlikely that you would be placed in the second one, too).
1. I would certainly never encourage you to lie in your correspondence, but here is a way you can get around that question:
If a professor asks you if they are your first choice, you can say that you have not decided yet because your interaction with them and with the other school is an important determining factor. Tell them that you do not want to make such an important decision based only on researching the university’s website and that you will only decide on your first choice after you have had a chance to interact with each of the professors and get to know them a little better through the LoA application process.
3. Yes, it is safe to submit fewer than 3 LoAs. Even if you have only 1, you should be fine. 2, especially 2 from national universities, should leave you with no trouble at all.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
2. I see, but in this case, two of them are national universities, guess I am just lucky to get asked twice.
1.. A really great answer, didn’t think about that. I will try it if I get asked again.
3. I am glad to hear that, it lessen my worries.
You are the best Travis! thank you for your answer, really helpful will definitely try looking for two LoAs!
Hi Raviata,
I’m glad I could help! And before I forget, thank you for sharing your situation. I hadn’t thought about professors asking directly about your choices even if you don’t submit the Placement Preference Form. I’ll have to include that in the strategy for next year!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Traviss!!
I just want to let you know that currently, I’m typing this reply at the one of Tohoku dormitory, which means…. yeah I got my MEXT scholarship and will be enrolling as a master student at Tohoku University officially from October 2019.
It was a quite troublesome and worrisome journey though since I mailed like 15 professors but only got a reply from 5 professors, 2 of which rejected me.
You’re doing an amazing work by helping people from around the world in their MEXT application, I just can’t thank you enough! Your advice back then was so helpful and relieving!
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Ravaita,
Thank you very much for your feedback and follow-up!
Nothing about this site makes me happier than hearing success stories like yours. I also appreciate your sharing the struggles you had in finding an advisor for your degree. That is a valuable point of reference for future applicants.
Thank you again. I wish you the best of luck with your studies!
– Travis from TranSenz
Travis,
Thank you for all the information. This is by far the most useful website I’ve found giving information about MEXT. I had a few questions and would be really glad if you could answer them.
1. I am currenty in Tokyo for an exchange program in Waseda university. I am a third year student and am willing to apply in japanese universites through MEXT in the year 2019. The university accepts all the MEXT documents till August 24, but I think the applicaton deadline for the scholarship has passed. Is it possible for me to apply through the domestic selection while I am here(till august 6)?
2. Should I ask my professors for the letter of recommendation? Will my chances of getting selected for the scholarship increase after getting the LOR?
3. Should I wait for another year to apply in MEXT or should I look for other scholarships like JASSO.
Hi Pratishtha Singh,
Thank you for your kind words! It is my goal to be the best source of information on the MEXT scholarship.
1. I think the August 24 deadline is for applicants for the 2019 Embassy Recommendation MEXT scholarship. To be able to apply for that, you would have already had to pass the Primary Screening conducted by the embassy or consulate in your home country. In every country that I am aware of, the embassy’s deadline has passed, so it would be too late too apply for that approach this year.
For the domestic selection approach (Top Global Universities), each university has its own application method for that, so you would have to see what the guidelines are for Waseda. However, if they are accepting applications for that now, then it is probably for the scholarship that starts this fall. If you are an exchange student now, I assume you have to go home to finish your degree before you are ready to come back to Japan and start the MEXT scholarship.
2. Your Letter of Recommendation must come from someone at the university where you are a matriculated student. Depending on whether you apply for the Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship or University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship, there may be specific restrictions on who can write it, so I recommend making sure you understand the guidelines for your application process.
3. It really depends on when you plan to start your degree! If you plan to start your degree in Japan in Fall 2018, then it is too late for any of the MEXT application processes. If you plan to start in Fall 2019, then the University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship is still an option.
You can only apply for the JASSO scholarship if you are already enrolled in a Japanese university as a fee-paying student. There is no way to guarantee the award before you matriculate, so I would only suggest pursuing that if you can afford to finance you degree entirely on your own, just in case you do not get it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
PS, If you want to know more about the difference between the application processes, all of the eligibility criteria, and how to create an application strategy to increase your chances, I cover that in detail in How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship.
Thank You Travis!
Dear Travis,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights on how MEXT scholarship works. Thank you for patiently replying to all those who are commenting in this blog.
I just have a simple question. I successfully passed the primary screening in our embassy for teacher training. I just would like to know my chance of getting the scholarship. How do MEXT conduct the final screening? Is it still a competitive way of screening?
Hi Joven,
Thank you for your kind words.
Congratulations on passing the primary screening! Now, all you have to do is acquire at least one Letter of Acceptance. If you can get at least one LOA, then there is no reason that you would not earn the scholarship.
The Secondary Screening is not a competitive screening. It is just a final review to make sure everything is in order. In some cases, they also check to make sure you are not researching forbidden topics, like technology for weapons of mass destruction, but that should not be a concern for the Teacher’s Training Scholarship!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear TranSenz,
I already sent the application form with my document to embassy in order to study undergraduate course. by next two weeks I will have had primary screening. would you like to tell me how can I prepare myself for the screening? and give me additional information what is expected from me?
Hi Desalegn,
The next thing you need to do is to prepare for the tests and interview.
Passing those is essentially the last step of your application process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I am applying for the 2019 MEXT Scholarship (Research). I understand that you might be very busy and thank you for managing this blog. This is the most informative website regarding the MEXT scholarship and I was quite surprised by the application process during the process of my research and preparation. I have a few questions after going through the information on your website. I hope that I didn’t overlook or misunderstand anything in the comment sections.
1. For the placement preference form, is there a need to write the department/division/program aside from the name of the graduate school under that column? Right now, for my choices, they’re all Graduate School of Engineering so I was wondering if there is a need to add on other than specifying in the field of study.
2. For the timeline in the research plan, I am wondering whether to factor in an additional 0.5 year. Right now, I am intending to take JLPT N2 in December but as I saw from the comments, it is up to the university to decide whether we are required to take up the language program? So, can it be ongoing with the research before entering the degree program? This means a total of 0.5 year for learning the language and the research, followed of 2 years of the program). Hence, regardless of whether we are required to take up the program, it will be 0.5 year before the degree starts. Does stating the first course as Master’s affect the chances of getting into the school as compared to indicating to enter as a research student first? Or if I state to enter as research student first, is it possible to enter the Master’s program directly? For most of my choices, the degree can start in either semester, so as long as the entrance exams are passed, it means that the degree program can be started?
3. For the choices of the universities, are we allowed to contact more than 3 universities and up to a maximum of 4? Is it too late to email the professors now? I am currently considering 3-5 national universities (for my course, the national universities are better, with 2 in Tokyo and Hokkaido U ranking first as it fits my research scope the best). Will the ranking of Hokkaido U above the other universities, such as Tokyo U, affect the chances of getting LOA for the others if I do not get my first choice?
I’m really sorry for asking so many questions. I’ve read through the comments sections but I still don’t understand some parts of the application process.
Thank you so much! Thank you for your kind understanding.
Hi Teng,
Thank you for your kind words!
1. I would recommend writing the department unless there is a significant difference in department names between your schools. You do not necessarily need to write it as “Department of”, just as a field (e.g. Engineering – Robotics)
2. It is the university’s choice as to whether or not you will take the language program. You would be able to do a little research during that time, but your primary focus would be language. I would recommend not including it in your research timeline, since it is not sure if you will have that time or not. If you are not taking the language program, it may be possible to start the degree program directly.
If you say that the first course that you want to take is the Master’s course, it is still possible that the university will give you a letter of acceptance as a research student. They would not reject you straight up over that. I will cover the process of upgrading from research student to master’s prior to arrival in an article next week about acquiring letters of acceptance.
3. It is not too late to contact universities. You cannot officially apply for a Letter of Acceptance until after your pass the primary screening. I also cover this in more detail in the article that I will publish on Monday (working on the final touches now!). As I cover in that article, the universities are not allowed to ask you for the Placement Preference Form anymore, so they wouldn’t see the rankings you chose.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you very much for your reply!
Dear Travis,
I would like to update that I was unsuccessful in my application this time, and would be trying through university recommended scholarship or trying again next year. However, I had tried to liaise with some of the professors. Two didn’t reply while one directed me to the student office. Would it be appropriate to inform them of my primary screening results? As it was often mentioned that it would not be good to bring up the scholarship until it is confirmed, I am deliberating whether to email them, especially since for one of the universities, the website mentioned that it would be better to liaise directly with the student office.
Thank you!
Hi Teng,
I’m sorry to hear that your application was not successful this time, but at the same time, glad to hear that you will be trying again!
If you had mentioned to the professors that you would be applying via the MEXT scholarship, then I would suggest at least emailing the one that replied to you to let him know that you were not able to get it, but that you still remain interested in studying under him and will continue to try in the future. Thank the professor for their assistance (even though they didn’t really give any . . .) and leave things on a polite note.
If you hadn’t mentioned that you were applying for the MEXT scholarship, then there is no real need to bring it up now.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
PS, I will be putting out new articles and information oriented toward the University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship soon!
Thanks again for this brilliant tutorial.
One question: what if I want to go to Japan exclusively for research (no classes), do I still need to worry about an English program?
Also, considering I apply now for next October and I speak moderate Japanese (N4), and I go to Japan one and a half year later and stay there as a research student, and then three semesters later (another one and a half year, so 3 years in total) my Japanese is N1 level, I still can’t join a Japanese course then?
Hi Keyser,
Thank you for your kind words.
Even if you plan to come to Japan as a research student, you may still be expected to attend classes – this is something you would work out with your advisor. For your research output, as well, you would really need to talk to your advisor at your university about his or her expectations and whether or not you would be able to produce your final work in English.
You would be accepted for the scholarship based on your language ability at the time of application. They will not give a conditional acceptance based on whether or not you master Japanese before arrival. So, you would have to be accepted as a research student at your current ability level. You would have the opportunity to extend to a degree program if you meet the language requirements later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis !
I hope you’re doing well.
I keep overthinking over a problem i’m facing regarding the Placement form, I have picked 3 professors from different universities with a very similar research interest as me and they are all under the same graduate school name. but the problem is that 2 of the professors are under a very similar department and the other is not for example:
University 1: Graduate school of Science & engineering >>> Information Science
University 2: Graduate school of Science & engineering >>> Human Information Science
University 3: Graduate school of Science & engineering >>> Computer Science
I’m worried about computer science since the title is not the same as information science but they are similar and close to what i want to do especially the professors under them all have the same interest as me and now i don’t know what should I write in the “Field of study in Japan” section.
I greatly appreciate your help, thank you so much for your time.
Hi Njood,
I recommend that you fill out the “Field of Study in Japan” field with the name of the department at your first choice university. Even though the names do not exactly match, that would be enough information for the third choice university to understand what you are interested in.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Ok great, Thank you so much !
Dear Travis,
Thank you so very much for writing such a detailed guide. I have two brief questions that would assist with my application process and I would really appreciate it if you had the time to answer them. I am applying for Embassy recomendmendation Master’s course.
1) I am in a situation where I have a accidentally aquired a recommendation letter from both the President and the Head of Engineering, one covers academic another that is for extracurricular activities. Should i submit both?
2) I have been in touch with universities to ensure that I would have supervisors available for my topic. I have only started learning Japanese a few months ago so i am only at around N4 level but the Master’s courses require Japanese fluency. Could I ask the admin offices to write a letter that they would accept me under the condition that I pass N2 within a month before departure and include this in my application?
Thank you,
Marina
Hi Marina,
Thank you for your kind words!
1) If the President’s letter is also the one that covers your academics, then that is the best one to use, but there is no harm in submitting both!
2) You do not need to acquire letters of acceptance until after you pass the Primary Screening, but MEXT will not accept a conditional letter in that situation, so you would need unconditional acceptance to the program. If you are applying in an Engineering field, you should be able to find several universities that teach Masters’ Degrees in Engineering in English! My next article on this blog (coming out tomorrow) will cover how to find universities that teach in English! If you’re on my mailing list, I will let you know as soon as it is posted.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thanks again for all your hardwork in making life easier for us 😀
I have an inquiry though. My first preference was for applying to Tokyo Institute of Technology for an English medium taught architecture course program [International Graduate Program (A) ] . I know I should have figured this long ago, but i just realized this issue only now. In their website, they only have a detailed description for the application for this program through the university recommended Mext scholarship. Furthermore its stated that you cant upgrade from a research student status to this particular program . Hence is it possible that you cant apply for this program through the Embassy recommended as it automatically gives you research student status? Also if that is true, i still don’t want to risk losing the opportunity to apply through embassy recommended. Can I apply for both and then cancel on the embassy option (if i get ) incase i get approved for university recommended? Or will they cancel my application right away if found out?
Thanks again for everything!
Hi Jeslina,
Thank you for your kind words.
Usually the application process and rules for Embassy Recommendation and University Recommendation. It may be that for the University Recommendation, you would not be able to be a research student. However, I would recommend that you check with them to see what is possible as an Embassy Recommendation scholars.
Either way, if you apply for the Embassy Recommendation MEXT scholar, it is possible to start directly as a degree-seeking student. There is no requirement that you start as a research (non-degree) student. That is not automatic.
As for applying for both, the application timeline is completely different, so it is possible. If you apply for the Embassy recommendation, you should know by the end of July or so if you have passed the Primary Screening. At that point, you are almost guaranteed to receive the scholarship, so if you pass the primary screening, there is no need to apply for university recommendation. If you do not pass the Primary Screening, then you would find that out before the University Recommendation application starts, so there would still be time to apply.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
This is completely unrelated to the post. I am sorry for that. But, I’d like to know for being eligible for the undergraduate degree do they look at individual subject marks of all the subjects or the averaged out total percentage?
Hi MJ,
I don’t have any direct experience with the undergraduate scholarship, but if they evaluate it the same way that they do the graduate scholarship, then you would convert each grade/mark separately to the MEXT scale and then consider the overall average. (It is important to note that you cannot simply convert the overall average from one scale to the other!)
By the way, I cover the eligibility requirement in this article, but it is for the graduate scholarship, since that is what I have focused my research on so far.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the reply!
Also one quick question, do extracurricular activities hold any importance in the application process?
Hi MJ,
If you simply mention that you participated in extracurricular activities, then that won’t help you to any significant degree. If you can show how participating in extracurriculars helped you develop specific skills or interests related to your research or gave you experience that you can use, then that will help.
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it matters how you present it!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz,
I have a question about the language training semester phase. I’m kind of nervous about the relationship with the supervisor, so I would like to know if I’m supposed to be working on the project in parallel with the language course.
Should I contact the supervising professor immediately after the arrival? Or do I wait for the end of the language training? Thank you.
Hi Anya,
I would recommend that you get in contact with your supervisor even before you arrive to start talking about your research and preparation. Most students I knew in the language program would visit their supervisor regularly as well and keep up their research prep and pre-study throughout that program. That makes the transition easier and gets you a head start on your research.
Of course, it is ultimately up to your advisor, but it makes the most sense to me that he or she would not want you to be completely out of your field of study for a whole semester.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for your helpful advice and for this website.
Hi Travis!
First of all, thank you so much! I would have probably never got the scholarship without all the information you have shared on this website!
I would just like to ask you one question regarding the status of “Research Student”. I have received the final confirmation for my scholarship (embassy recommendation) last January and I am going to move to Yokohama this April to start as a Research Student. The plan was initially to follow six months of Japanese classes and then directly move up into a Master’s degree programme. I should stress that the programme I intend to follow is taught in English: I didn’t actually have to take these classes, it was just to come to Japan 6 months in advance.
Nevertheless, after contacting my graduate school, I was informed that I (stupidily) forgot to sign up for the entrance exam (which took place two months before I passed the second screening from the Japanese government). Therefore, the graduate school let me know that I should take the next entrance exam next year, in order to join the master’s programme in October 2019, so 1 year-and-a-half after my arrival in Japan.
Therefore, I would just like to know: can my scholarship still be cancelled at this stage? As the idea was to join the Master’s programme after 6 months, I’m just a bit afraid that having missed the entrance exam may simply lead to the cancellation of my scholarship…
Thank you again for your support!
Hi Johnathan,
Congratulations on winning the scholarship and thank you for your kind words!
If you arrive in April, you can remain in the “research student” status for two years, including the six months that you spend in the language program, so MEXT would not cancel the scholarship on you at this point.
If you spend one semester in the Japanese language program and two semesters as a research (non-degree) student before matriculating to the degree program in Oct 2019, you would be well within your limit. You’ll have to apply to extend your MEXT scholarship when you move up to the degree program, but you would have had to do that anyway. You’ll have two years of scholarship from the time you enter the Master’s program, so don’t worry about losing that.
By the way, the Japanese language program is designed for students who are taking their degrees in English. It is not something that will get you to the point of being able to do advanced research in Japanese, it is supposed to help students with minimal Japanese language ability gain the skills they need for daily life in Japan.
Congratulations again and Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
In my country, the deadline for the Embassy application is by the 18th of May. Do you know roughly when I will be getting the results for the primary screening? Also is there some sort of start date for sending the screening results to the university for the LOAs? I know that its ends by August 31st.
Thanks again for all your help!! 🙂
Regards,
Jeslina.
Hi Jeslina,
The results of the primary screening come out anywhere between early July and early August, depending on the country and embassy. Even if you have an earlier submission deadline, that doesn’t mean your results will be earlier, though. If you can tell me what your country is, I might have information about the dates from last year based on feedback from other applicants.
As soon as you receive your Passing Certificate of the Primary Screening, that is when you should (immediately) start contacting universities to ask for LoAs. You can start building a relationship in advance, but can’t officially ask for an LoA before then. You must contact the universities before August 31, but you do not necessarily need to get the LoA issued by then.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
That was a really quick reply! 🙂 Anyway I am from India. Also when will be the deadline for LOA submission to the embassy?
Thanks again!
Jeslina.
Hi Jeslina,
Last year, the embassy’s submission deadline in India was May 25, but that may not be consistent across all embassies and consulates, so I recommend that you double-check with your secific embassy/consulate when they post the application guidelines, approximately in May.
The LoA deadline is also set by each embassy/consulate individually and I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find the dates for India last year. Maybe someone else reading this has better information?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, just want to give a big hearty thanks to you and this informative site for the wealth of information regarding the MEXT Scholarship. I received notification of the final result today, and I was assigned to my first choice, Keio! Probably wouldn’t have made it without this site. Thank you as well for your patience and perseverance in answering my many questions to the best of your abilities. Please keep it up and continue to inspire others to get the scholarship!
Hi Dianne,
Congratulations! I am very happy to hear that you got the scholarship and got into your first choice!
Thank you very much for your feedback and for sharing the result!
Good Luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
P.S. If you don’t mind sharing, was Keio the only school on your Placement Preference Form, or did you have a second and/or third choice, as well?
Hi Travis! In my experience, Keio University requires that you submit the Placement Preference Form to them, listing it as the first and only choice in order to successfully obtain an LOA. Will try provide more details through email!
Hi Dianne,
Thank you for your feedback. I have heard that rumor several times in the past, but I’ve also heard stories of people being placed there even though it was their second choice, so I was curious to find out directly from a successful applicant :). Thank you!
Good Luck with your studies!
– Travis from TranSenz
My professor was told by the administration that he could only give me an LOA if Keio was listed as the first choice. I hope this helps!
It does, indeed! Thank you!
Hello Travis! Thank you so much for the tremendous help you offering,I would like to ask you questions regarding the MEXT undergraduate program although I know it is not exactly your area , but I would be truly grateful if you were to answer them.
Firstly, if I was to have the the minimum entry requirements for a certain university ,and I wish to enter a certain univeristy though I am not taking the direct placement option , but the normal preparatory one with the one year language program, despite that fact that I know that MEXT designates a university for its students , so what I am asking is can I make a request to MEXT telling them that I want to enter a certain university knowing that I have the required qualifications and that I demonstrate high academic achievements during the preparatory year?I mean can I really enroll at the unversity I like having the required conditions ?
Secondly, what form of the letter of recommendation by the principal or teacher is required?and will it be of equal value to the principal’s if it was by the teacher?
Thirdly, will the preparatory one year language program provided by MEXT enable us to tackle the univesity ‘s Japanese langauge level easily and sufficiently ? (Like will it get you to N1 level for the JLPT if you were to study real hard as is required by utokyo and other unviersities I guess ).
Fourthly,for the undergraduate embassy examinations is there a specific curriculum that applicants should study or is it just based on how much knowledge you have of your high school curriculum you have studied?and how can you prepare yourself wholly to ensure passing the examinations with high grades?
Fifthly, what are the questions that are asked at the interview, and how can you guarantee that you pass it successfully?
Sixthly, could you be please name some of the universities that their medicine bachler’s certificate is officially recognised by most countires like US, England,Canada, what I mean is like for job opportunities because I heard that some are not really recognised by their certificate so one has to be careful in choosing the right university?(and definitely medicine department atTokyo university is well-recognised worldwide , isn’t it? so one does not have to worry about getting a job with his certificate being obtained from there?
Lastly, I know this question is a little bit out out of our topic the MEXT scolarship , but I would like to ask it becuase you are in Japan and you work at Japanese university so I thought you probabley have better knowledge than I do, do you know what are the entry requirements for international students (Specifically, the Irish Leaving Certificate) for medicine at the undergraduate level at the University of Tokyo?
I would like to mention that I have looked into the website of utokyo but the page for the undergraduate ( high school) admission requirements for medicine says it is under construction, so I emailed the undergraduate medicine admission office asking them of any entry requirements like grades but instead they did now answer my question by saying they do have entry requirements or they do not , rather, they told me that you must have a sufficient proficient knowledge of Japanese to tackle down traditional courses, and that there is special screening and examinations for international students and then I asked them again but they sent me the exact same email they sent before.
And I am real sorry for these long questions that are probably very tiresome to answer.but I have been looking for someone to answer my questions for a long time and I think this is the right place.So thank you, thank you for everything..Thank you so much!
Hi Anais,
I’m afraid I do not have the answers to your questions and it would take a significant amount of time to research them all and write up an article about the undergraduate scholarship.
I may tackle the undergraduate scholarship in the future, but for now my focus – and all my time – is dedicated to the graduate scholarship (which has about 4-5 times the number of slots and is available in significantly more countries) and enhancing the resources for that scholarship on this site.
If you need your answers urgently, I would suggest that you find an expert on the undergraduate scholarship or do some research on your own.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello. I am Komal from India and I received a call from the Japanese embassy about clearing the preliminary screening for undergraduate program. Does it mean I have been selected for the scholarship?
Hi Komal,
As far as I understand, there is a primary and secondary screening for the undergraduate scholarship. If they have confirmed that you passed the primary screening, that does not necessarily mean that you will receive the scholarship. The results of the secondary screening should be released no later than January.
For the graduate level scholarship, I know that practically everyone who passes the primary screening ends up receiving the scholarship, but I don’t know whether or not it is the same for the undergraduate scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
I want to get enrolled in Kyoto University for Undergraduate program in Engineering (under MEXT embassy recommendation programme) and they offer this program only in Japanese. But I don’t know Japanese (Although I am trying to learn).
So I want to ask ,
Will Kyoto University will reject me even if I study one year Japanese language under MEXt?
Should I apply for Kyoto University or not?
Hi DN,
The undergraduate program works a little differently. Typically, you don’t choose a university. You apply for the program, spend a year in language training, then MEXT chooses a university to place you in.
There is a process where you can apply for direct placement to a university, but you have to be able to meet the university’s language requirements, so you would not be able to apply for a Japanese-taught program.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! I am mext scholar under teacher training category. After the scholarship and when I return to my country, does it mean that I cannot go abroad immediately? Thanks!
Hi Melai,
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with or reference material for the Teacher’s Training scholarship, so I’m not familiar with the conditions.
Hopefully someone else can post an answer!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi TranSenz,
First of all, I can’t resist myself to thank you a lot for your awesome contribution on this blog, It’s really awesome.
Here I’m Santanu from India, been nominated for 2018 MEXT Scholarship from India (Embassy Recommendation ). I’ve submitted the LOA’s to the Embassy before the mentioned deadline and I’m waiting for the final screening, My Univ preferences are
1. University of Tsukuba
2. Tohoku University,
now here is my questions,
1> How the MEXT select the final students ?
2> What is the chance of selection at this point ?
3> When the final result are given ?
4> How will I know the result ? (If I get any mail from Japan or the Embassy will let me know if I got selected )
5> I can’t find how many scholarships will be granted this year.
It will be my pleasure if you please help me to clear my doubts.
(For your kind information I’m the only one passed the preliminary selection out of three from my field of study (Mathematical Sciences) this year.)
Hi Santanu,
Congratulations on making it this far in the process! If you’ve passed the primary screening and acquired at least one LoA, you are almost guaranteed to receive the scholarship.
1. The final screening is just MEXT making sure there have been no mistakes along the way. It is not a competitive screening. They will make sure you meet all the requirements then try to place you at one of your chosen universities.
2. Practically guaranteed. I heard a rumor of one applicant once getting rejected at this stage, but I cannot confirm it personally. Everyone I know of who made it this far got the scholarship.
3. Officially, it comes out next February, but some people hear earlier, based on the country. Sometimes universities contact applicants directly (even though they’re not supposed to) as early as November. Last year in India, the results came out aroudn Jan 25.
4. The embassy will contact you, typically by email.
5. That isn’t publicized, but the Embassy knows. As far as I know, they only recommend as many nominees as they have scholarship slots available.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
This website is really helpful
Thank you for that
I’m doing master under MEXT embassy recommendation, I’m planning to move to phd program
Do I need to meet certain criteria (GPA) to be accepted?
Thank
Regards
Hi Albano,
There’s no precise standard, you just have to show outstanding performance in your academic results (grades/research) to make sure you earn your university’s recommendation to extend.
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend you discuss your plans with your advisor and the international office (or office that manages your scholarship) to see what they would expect to recommend you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am selected for university recommendation MEXT Scholarship in this September. Now I am in Japan. But, in the meantime, I am selected for another scholarship in other countries. If I want to move another country in this december, Do I have to pay back the scholarship stipend which I received?
Hi Mirka Turkin,
To the best of my knowledge, you are not required to pay back the scholarship if you leave partway through.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
This is the most informative blog about MEXT scholarship :-).
I’m enrolled as a research student in a Japnese university since last April. But I would like to apply for a PhD position at another university. Is it possible to do entrance exam of another university and get the scholarship extended?
Thanks again.
Hi Andy,
Thank you for your kind words.
While it is technically possible to change universities when moving from research to degree-seeking student, you would need a very solid reason for doing so, as well as your current supervisor’s approval. (Of course, this assumes that you are an Embassy-recommended scholar. It is not possible to move universities if you are university-recommended!)
There is a specific block in the extension application form where your advisor must give their feedback on your decision to move, so it would certainly have to be something that satisfied that professor. For example, if the professor was retiring or was not able to supervise you at the next level (e.g. no appropriate degree program). It may even be possible if your research and your professor’s are too different, but MEXT could come back and say that you should have known that from the beginning, so I can’t guarantee that reason would work.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you very much for clarifying that.
Greetings
I’m currently studying in Saitama University (6 Months now) under MEXT Scholarship Embassy Recommendation.
My research interest is different from my current supervisor.
I would like to know if its possible to change university since i’m planning to continue to Ph.D, i think i should work with a professor with same interest.
Thank You
Regards
Hi Albano,
It’s technically possible to change universities when moving from a research student to degree-seeking student status, but you must have a very good reason for doing so and you must get your advisor’s approval. There is a feedback section your advisor needs to fill our in the extension application form if you plan to move.
You didn’t specify what your current level is now, but if you’re a research student moving to Master’s next then eventually to PhD, then I would advise you to wait and move when you move up to PhD. It is a bit more straightforward and probably more likely to be approved at that point. (I worked with several students who moved universities when progressing from Master’s to PhD, but never saw a student move when transitioning from research to degree).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Sir
One again thank you so much for you quick reply.
I got the scholarship also thanks to your advice in this website.
I’m doing master degree now and I would like to know about GPA, do I need to meet a certain GPA criteria to be accepted extension for PhD program?
Thank you so much
Hi Albano,
Congratulations and thank you for your kind words! I’m very happy to hear that I was able to help in some small way.
To advance to the PhD program, the first, most important step is that you meet the university’s requirements. The university has to be willing to accept you to the PhD and recommend you for the scholarship.
For MEXT, you would still have to meet the same requirements as you did for initial acceptance (2.3/3.0), but I would recommend that you shoot for higher!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis, thank you for these helpful informations, i have received more than three LOAs, i am sure of the two first choices of the placement preference, but for the third choice i have to pick only one university, and i have two letters left , and i am not really sure which one to choose, should i choose right away and apologize to the other professor and university? or should i wait until i receive the orginal letters by mail than choose? ( is it direspectful to tell a professor and his university of affiliation that have sent you a LOA that you are not gonna write them down in the placement preference? ) , thank you
Hi Chimchim,
Ultimately, you are only going to be placed in one of the three universities, so you’ll have to turn down three of the four offers anyway.
Unless your first two choices are both private universities, from what I’ve seen, the likelihood of being placed in your third choice university is very small, anyway.
Since you have no control over which of the universities on your placement preference form you end up in, I would recommend that you wait until you have your final placement then contact all the universities where you weren’t placed to thank them for their support.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much M.Travis, that’s a relief, actually all of the 4 universities are national, thank you very much, this was really helpful.
Dear Travis,
Thank you for this very helpful guide! I would just like to ask you a couple of questions regarding the MEXT Scholarship for research student (Embassy Recommendation):
1) I have passed the primary screening in Belgium and I am now receiving my first LoAs. One of the universities I have contacted (Rikkyo University) recently let me know that the Master’s program I applied for does not require the completion of a master’s thesis. Therefore, the administration office asked me if I was still interested in applying for this program. Is it still possible to be granted the scholarship without writing any thesis (and thus without pursuing the study project presented during the primary screening)? Weirdly enough, I have already obtained the consent of a professor who agreed to become my supervisor, while he is working for a master’s program that does not require to write a thesis…
2) I should normally obtain around three LoAs from different universities. When these LoAs will been sent to the Japanese authorities for the final screening, what will happen next? Will I have the choice between one of these three universities or will the Japanese government choose one in particular for me (except if I can indicate an order of preference)?
Thank you very much for doing this! Without this guide, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have got the scholarship :p
Hi Johnathan,
Congratulations on passing the primary screening and receiving your LOAs! Based on my past experience, at this point you’ve practically got the scholarship secured.
Thank you for your kind words as well!
1) MEXT does not require you to submit a thesis, just to complete your degree with excellent performance to the satisfaction of your university. I’m assuming you can still pursue the research you want, even if you don’t have to write it up as a thesis (you could publish it instead, for example), but it’s up to you to decide whether you want to have a thesis program on your CV. That can be helpful for applying to PhD programs later.
2) MEXT will choose for you among the (up to) three universities that you submit LoAs for. Typically, they would make a decision and approach one of the universities first (either your top choice or, in the case of budgetary concerns, your top national university choice) and only approach the others if the first decides that they are ultimately unable to accept you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks a lot for answering so fast! It’s much clearer now
Dear Travis, thank you for a very useful and informative guide.
I applied for MEXT scholarship through the Embassy of Japan in Egypt and I successfully passed the primary screening. Right now, I am acquiring letters of acceptance from universities. I had my eyes on Tokyo Institute of Technology, but their application process is quite confusing in comparison to other universities (or so it seems to me). Maybe you can help me clear this up; MEXT requires that all universities receive applicant’s documents by 31st of August, but when I contacted the International Student Exchange Division that is responsible for MEXT inquiries in the university, I was informed that I can’t apply now, and that I will apply next year after I finish my 6 months of Intensive Japanese Language course. Does this sound right? All other universities are asking for my application by 31st of August as expected, but I don’t understand how I will spend the first 6 months in Japan knowing that I officially haven’t applied yet to the program. I was told that all I need right now is the supervisor’s acceptance, which I will submit to the Embassy. I was also told that the professor is the primary person who should fill the letter of acceptance, even though I was told that it is managed by the admission office. Something feels confusing and I just want to make sure that there is no miscommunication going on. Thank you in advance for your very helpful assistance.
Hi Omar,
You’re right, that is weird.
Did you make it clear to them that all you were asking for was a Letter of Acceptance for the MEXT scholarship? Maybe they thought you wanted to submit an application directly for admission.
Titech’s website specifically has instructions for applying for a Letter of Acceptance for the Embassy-recommended MEXT, so if you did not follow those instructions to apply, then I recommend you try again by that route.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you for this useful information.
I have a question though. If one has not made the right choices when filling in the placement preference form at the first stage of the application, would it be possible to change this form later, after passing the primary screening? Is it possible to request acceptance letters from other universities and changing the form afterwards?
Thank you very much for your help.
Hi Romia,
That depends on your embassy, so I would recommend that you ask there.
In the past, I’ve heard that almost everyone who asked was able to change their placement preference form after passing the primary screening and receiving their LoAs.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis!
I’m a research applicant from Bangladesh for MEXT 2018 (embassy). My subject is Environmental Engineering. I have already passed the written test and am one of the 18 students remaining on the list who will face the interview on august 10th, 2017 to be cut down to a smaller list of probably 10/11.
They have asked us to submit the application form before that interview along with our Placement Preference Form. Now I have started to contact professors and have already managed a reply from a professor in Osaka University who is willing to be my advisor. My top three choices are
1. Tokyo Tech
2. Kyoto U
3. Osaka U
Q1. Now if I get a positive reply from the professors of all these three top class universities will it still be risky to aim high? I am talking about the safety choice situation here
Q2. Is it okay to not think about the degree seeking position right now? As far as I could gather from all the replies above it says that the situation can be changed once I get enrolled as a research student, study for sometime and then try to migrate to a degree seeking position.
Thank you for your blog. It really helped me a lot!
Hi Tozo,
I’m afraid that at this point, my answer is useless to you. But I hope you have made it past the interview and have collected your LoAs!
1. It is not at all risky to aim high, especially if you get positive replies. Since your top choices are national universities, that should be no problem as far as MEXT is concerned.
2. Yes, many applicants start as research students then take the entrance exam and enroll in the degree program after one or two semesters.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am Asil , I applied to the Embassy-recommended MEXT scholarship utilizing your amazing information and Thank God and you ,I passed the first screening ..
I actually thought I wouldn’t pass … the most obvious reason being (applying to a master degree to a field that offers only doctoral degree) .. but anyway I went to the interview and to try my chance … I expected to be asked about this matter .. still , I wasn’t asked about it further more I passed the first screening … Now I am very happy and excited yet at the same time worried , how should I inform the embassy in the right way (correct way) about changing my choice of application (would it be better to suggest obtaining a research chance or ask to be granted the doctoral chance before applying for Universities ?)
the reason for my mistake is it is normal in my country as well as many countries to find master degree in Dentistry (Endodontics ) but that doesn’t seem the case for Japan as they offer only doctoral degree …
and the only question I was asked regarding my study in Japan was the university of choice which I answered them quite well explaining the reason as the Professor I admire work as part timer in it and there is a Professor who is researching my field of study in the university … It seems that they took it as I already contacted them … even though I only contacted my admired professor .. please enlighten me and guide me to the right /correct way to explain or ask about this matter without offending them …
p.s. it was my dream since 3rd year of middle school to study in Japan and I really want to grab hold of this opportunity granted to me by God and your blog information
Thank you very much ,
Asil.
Hi Asil,
The degree plan you entered in your application is just where you will start. You can apply to extend it later. There are students who start as a research student, move up into a masters, and then eventually extend to get their PhD, as well.
I’ve never dealt directly with professional medical degrees before and I don’t know about the degree progression, but where I worked we did have one field of study that was a five-year PhD program with no master’s degree involved. Students in that program would apply through MEXT for the first half, equivalent to what would have been a Master’s in any other field, then would later apply to extend to the second half, or PhD equivalent.
Maybe you can do something similar.
In any case, the next thing you have to do is to get the Letters of Acceptance from the universities. Ultimately, it will be the universities that decide what program level they think it is appropriate to place you in (including research student status). I don’t think you really need to go back to the embassy to explain anything until you at least have a university offer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I will received MEXT scholarship in October 2017 and I am currently in Japan under a cultural visa which expires in the end of August, but I plan to return to my country in the end of July, since I have to get a student visa there. So, I would like to know if it does not affect anything about the MEXT process to obtain a student visa, even if my current visa would not expire before ?
Thank you!
Hi Ren17,
When you leave Japan in July, be sure to inform the immigration inspector that you are going home to your country and not coming back. (kikoku shimasu)
The inspector should punch a hole in your Residence Card, rendering it invalid and cancelling any remaining validity of that visa/residence status. Once he or she has done that, you would be able to apply for your student visa under the MEXT system with no problem!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you for those useful information. I wish I discovered your blog earlier!!!
I’ve just handed my application documents to the Embassy and been invited for the language test. As I understood, if I have the chance to pass the language test and the interview, I’ll choose 3 universities and send each of them separate applications for LOAs. In this case, do think I can revise my research plan when sending to the universities? I’m worried that my research plan still lacks in so many ways (after reading relevant articles on your blog).
Thank you for your time.
Hi Hara,
I’ve put together an FAQ about the Field of Study and Research Program that I hope will answer your question.
Check out the link above!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for your great helpful information !!
I have one question about getting the letter of acceptance. at this stage, do I need to send the university the whole application or just the MEXT certificate to get the LoA ?
By the way, I’m seeking Master degree for Embassy
-Recommended MEXT
Hi Madi,
You’d need to send them the entire application package that you submitted to the Embassy plus the Passing Certificate of the Primary Screening.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! Your posts are absolutely helpful! and are giving me tips that I didn’t take into account before. Thank you very much!
I’m from Mexico and I’m getting ready to apply, I have a 12-year-old daughter and I’ve read the comments about bringing family to Japan, they’re supposed to come 6 months after the student installation. In case of being selected as MEXT scholarship recipient, I’m eligible to apply for a complimentary scholarship that I would use for taking care of her expenses, but since MEXT doesn’t allow this, What would it be your recommendation to answer when prompted to tell how will I finance her living costs?. Is it ok to say that I will look for a part-time job? I was wondering if it’s correct to say so, I don’t want them to think that I will not be committed due to my daughter needs. I’m a single mother so I won’t be receiving extra money from no one.
Thanks!
Ade
Hi Ade,
I’ve actually known MEXT scholars in the past who brought both a spouse and child to Japan and managed to all live together on just the MEXT stipend. They lived frugally, but they were able to do it.
I know it is probably too late to help, but no, I would not recommend that you mention a part-time job. MEXT does not want you working outside of class, so that would probably be a mark against you as a candidate. The stipend is supposed to be enough that you can support yourself without having to work.
Once your daughter is in Japan with you, you should be able to qualify for prefecture- or city-subsidized housing. That should reduce your rent costs significantly and give you enough financial flexibility to support your daughter and yourself. It would be safe to say that you plan to consider that or sharing an apartment to reduce costs.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis!
First of all, thank you very much for your very informative blog! I’m thinking about applying next year and your blog has been absolutely amazing in answering most of my questions regarding the MEXT Scholarship application process.
However, I still have a small question which I hope you could clarify: you say that one “can only apply for the scholarship to study the same major you studied in undergraduate or a related field”. I’ve done my BA in Asian Studies, majoring in Chinese and with a minor in Korean, although I’ve also studied a whole year of Japanese during my degree.
I’m planning on applying for a masters in the field of International Relations/Global Studies, which is not exactly a “related field” of what I’ve studied as an undergrad. Will this automatically disqualify me? Will I only be allowed to pursue a masters related to languages/linguistics or is there some leeway here?
Thanks in advance!
Jp
Hi Jp,
I’ve put together an FAQ about the Field of Study and Research Program that I hope will answer your question.
Check out the link above!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
I have a question because I am a bit stuck right now. On the Placement Preference form for Graduate studies, do I need to put a professor even though I haven’t been in contact with one yet? And as for the start date, Keio has an English program that is in the Fall, should I choose the fall or choose April and go through the 6-month Japanese program?
I had gotten accepted to Keio, but couldn’t go due to finances, so I’ve had some contact with them.
Hi Leshe,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Due to the volume of questions, I’ve started posting answers to common questions in an FAQ, instead of answering directly in the comments. I addressed your question in a new FAQ post at:
http://www.transenzjapan.com/blog/mext-faq-contacting-professors/
Going through the Japanese language program is the university’s decision, not yours, so you don’t need to worry about choosing.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hello!
i have a question.
how can i get a name of professor in any university i choosen?
in my applicant form they ask to put 3 choices of university and the name of professor i don’t know how i will do to progess
helpme
Hi Arnauld Kwete,
Check the university’s website! Most universities will have a list of their professors online along with their research interests.
If you look on their website but cannot find such a list, then I’d recommend contacting the administrative office for the graduate school and politely asking them for recommendations on professors in your field.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, first off I would like thank you for this brilliant guide, it’s really useful! And I would to ask a few questions for the application for Research Students:
1) If I’m graduating in March and the application deadline is April, can I apply using my latest results? Because I will only get my undergrad cert during July so I wonder if I have to wait another year (graduating next year so I would like to know in advance)
2) Does your academic results matter when you apply for Research Student? Like is there a minimum requirement?
Thanks for answering!
Hi Janice,
Thank you for your kind words! I’m sorry it has taken me so long get back to you.
1) Yes. As long as you will graduate before you arrive in Japan, you can apply. Your GPA calculation would be based on your most recent 2 years of grades for which you have a transcript available.
2) Yes. The eligibility requirements for research student and degree-seeking student are identical.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis!
First of all thank you so much for this amazing guide! I had no idea on how to fill in documents nor what to expect. Your guide is so useful!
I have one question for you: I am applying for the MEXT scholarship embassy recommendation, but where I am stucked is in the university selection. I majored in business and my research plan is entrepreneurship and the best teachers with research in this field they are all in Tokyo. My university preference sheet has only Tokyo universities, do you think this is risking too much?
In addition, they are all private….but honestly I think i can get the letters! Please tell me what you think. Thank you so much!
Hi Emanuel,
Thank you for your kind comments.
There are two different things you need to consider here:
1) Universities in Tokyo are typically going to be the most popular and therefore have the most applicants. Therefore, they may have less capacity to accept you and it may be harder to get a Letter of Acceptance. Of course, if you’re sure you can beat out the competition, that is not a problem!
2) Having all private schools on your list may raise red flags with the Embassy during the screening stage. At the very least, you should be prepared to defend your choices.
Neither of these things is going to disqualify you. They may not even necessarily hurt your application. But you will need to work harder to impress the universities and embassy to get the results you need and you will need to have good reasoning to back up your choices.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am applying for the Embassy-recommended MEXT scholarship and have a question regarding the number of universities as my placement preferences. I know that the maximum is three, but is there a minimum? I would only like to have there one university since the research area perfectly corresponds to mine and I already spoke with the professor and he’d be willing to supervise me. Is it really necessary to put there more? I know it will lower my chances of getting the scholarship, but apart from that, is just one university on the list a problem?
Thank you very much for your reply.
Best regards,
Manuela
I’ve just read also the comments and found the answer. 🙂 I will list just one and if I get to the interview, I will explain my intentions thoroughly. I apologize for not reading through the comments earlier.
Thank you very much for the splendid articles and your generous help!
Manuela
Hi Manuela,
No problem! It can be hard to find what you’re looking for in the comment section. I’m glad you found what you needed.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Manuela,
There is no minimum, but you should be ready to explain in the interview why you only selected one. If you have a good reason for it, then that should not hurt your application chances.
I would recommend researching 1-2 alternatives anyway, if for no other reason than to show the interview panel that you researched other schools but ultimately rejected them for research reasons.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz