Update!
I have updated this article for the 2020 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship application process. If you are applying in 2019 for the scholarship that will start in 2020, please read the new article! The information below may be out of date.
2019 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship Application Process
MEXT released the 2019 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship application guidelines on April 17, 2018. The guidelines this year are significantly more clear than in previous years, but I will break down what you need to know for the application, below.
This article is focused on the MEXT scholarship for Graduate Students (a.k.a. Research Students, in MEXT’s terms). There is also an application process for Undergraduate Students, but I will not be discussing that in this article. Undergraduate applicants, college of technology applicants, and specialized training applicants can find this year’s guidelines on MEXT’s website.What Degree Programs are Available?
MEXT uses the word “research student” to refer to all graduate level students. You can apply for any of the following programs:
- Non-Degree Student
- Master’s Degree Student
- Doctoral Degree Student
- Graduate-level Professional Degree Student (MBA, JD, etc.)
Fields of Study
You should apply for the field of study that you majored in at university or its related field. If you plan to change fields, you need to be able to show a concrete relationship between your past studies and what you will study in Japan. It is up to you to make this clear!
Your field of study also has to be available at the graduate level at a university in Japan in a language that you speak. If you can find at least one graduate program taught in a language that you are fluent in in Japan, you will be fine.
Programs that require practical training, such as performing arts or programs that require technical training at a factory or company are not permitted. You can study Japanese performing arts from an academic perspective, so long as no practical performance training is required.
Finally, for medical or dental fields, you would not be able to participate in any clinical training until you receive the relevant licenses from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. This essentially means that you would need native-level fluency in Japanese.
Benefits
- Exemption from paying tuition, entrance examination, and matriculation fees.
- Monthly stipend:
- Research Students: JPY 143,000/month
- Master’s Degree/ Professional Degree Students: JPY 144,000/month
- PhD Students: JPY 145,000/month
- (Undergraduate Students: JPY 117,000/month)
- Cost of Living Adjustment: JPY 2,000 – 3,000 in selected areas
- Round-trip flight ticket to Japan (covered by MEXT or the university). Note: only the international portion of the ticket is covered. You are responsible for all domestic travel costs in your home country and in Japan, plus the airport usage fees and fuel surcharges.
Scholarship Period
The maximum Scholarship period is:
- Research (non-degree program) students: Up to 24 months if you arrive in April or up to 18 months if you arrive in the fall semester (September/October).
- Master’s Students: 24 months
- Doctoral Students: 36 months
It is possible to apply to extend the scholarship if you advance to the next level degree (from Research Student to Master’s or Doctoral Degree or from Master’s to Doctoral Degree). However, you cannot extend the scholarship period if you fail to complete the degree within the time limit above.
Who is Eligible?
You must meet all of the eligibility criteria below to apply:
Nationality:
Must have the nationality of a country that has relations with Japan. In principle, applicants with Japanese nationality are not eligible. However, a person who lives overseas and holds Japanese nationality as a dual national who then gives up his or her Japanese nationality prior to the start of the scholarship will be eligible.
Age:
The basic requirement is that you must have been born on or after 2 April 1984.
Exception: If you were born before the date above but you were not able to apply while you would have been eligible due to one of the following reasons, as approved by MEXT, you may still apply.
- Mandatory military service
- Civil war or rebellion in your country
- Suspension of higher education activities in your country
Note: Exceptions absolutely will not be granted for the following reasons: personal financial situation, family reasons, health reasons, previous education or employment-related reasons.
I think it would be a hard sell to qualify for this new exemption. It probably applies to about 0.001% of potential applicants. But it’s a nice gesture, I guess.
Academic Background
In the past, MEXT’s eligibility criteria for academic background were perhaps the most confusing to interpret. This year, MEXT returned to listing five to seven possible eligibility criteria for each degree, but buried in each list is one very simple and easy to interpret requirement:
If you have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, you are eligible to apply for a Master’s degree. If you have a Master’s or Professional Degree or equivalent, you are eligible to apply for a Doctoral Degree.
For well over 99.99% of applicants, that is all you need to know. If you don’t have the requisite degree, then you can consult the other requirements.
One additional note this year: If you are applying for a medical, dental, veterinary, or pharmaceutical doctoral program, you must be pre-approved by a university in Japan.
Language Ability
At the Embassy level, there are no specific language ability requirements to apply. However, after the document screening, you will take language proficiency tests.
The embassy only requires that you “be willing to learn Japanese”.
Ultimately, when you apply to universities for a Letter of Acceptance later in the application process, you will need to meet their language ability requirements, so it is a good idea to research those in advance.
Health
You will need to submit a Certificate of Health (Excel file from MEXT’s website) from a doctor stating that you have no physical or mental conditions hindering your study in Japan. It is the doctor’s discretion as to what would count.
Arrival in Japan
You must be able to arrive in Japan during the dates specified by MEXT and your university. Once you choose the semester that you will arrive, you are not permitted to change it.
This year, for the first time, the application form allows you to choose a spring arrival, fall arrival, or to leave it up to the university to decide.
Visa and Residence in Japan
The criteria for this used to be vague, but this year MEXT has made it clear at last! The newly clarified criteria is:
“An applicant shall, in principle, obtain a “Student” visa at the Japanese diplomatic mission located in the applicant’s country of nationality, and enter Japan with the residence status of “Student.” Accordingly, even if the applicant already has other residence status (“Permanent resident,” “Long-term resident,” etc.), the applicant must change it to the “Student” status and re-enter Japan. Moreover, the applicant should be aware that after expiration of the status as a MEXT Scholarship student and even if the student again applies for their original resident status of “Permanent resident” or “Long-term resident,” the such resident statuses might not be necessarily granted.”
Basically, this means that you have to be able to obtain a “Student” visa in your home country and use that to arrive in Japan. If you are living in Japan with any residence status other than “Student”, you have to give up that status and leave Japan. (If you are in Japan on a “Student” status, there are additional requirements, explained below).
If you are not living in Japan, then you should have no problem. The only potential concerns are:
- You have been deported from Japan in the past and are not eligible to re-enter the country by the time your scholarship would begin.
- There is something legally preventing you from leaving your home country, like lack of access to your passport, a criminal conviction, etc.
Both of those possibilities seem very unlikely!
Disqualification Criteria
Anyone meeting any of the criteria below would not be allowed to apply and would be disqualified even after acceptance if they were found to meet the criteria.
- Any members of the military or civilian employees of the military, as of the date of arrival in Japan.
- Anyone who cannot arrive by the date designated by MEXT or the university.
- Anyone who received a MEXT scholarship (other than the Japanese Studies Scholarship, Young Leaders Program, Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering Departments, or the MEXT Honors Scholarship in the past) in the past. Unless they have completed three full years of schooling or research activities since the end of the last scholarship.
- Anyone currently enrolled in a Japanese university with a “Student” residence status of or who plans to enroll in a Japanese university with a “Student” residence status before the start of the scholarship.
Exception: If you are currently a self-financed student in a Japanese university and will graduate and return to your home country before the start of the scholarship, you are eligible. - Anyone who is planning to receive a concurrent scholarship from any other organization.
- Anyone who applies before graduating from their current program and fails to graduate before the start of the scholarship
- Anyone who holds multiple nationalities including Japanese nationality who fails to give up their Japanese nationality before the start of the scholarship.
- Anyone who changes their residence status to any status other than “Student” after arriving in Japan.
- Anyone who has completed a doctoral degree and does not intend to enroll in a degree program in Japan.
Where and When do you Apply?
You apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate that serves the area where you live. You can find the list of Japanese embassies or consulates around the world at:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html
I recommend using a Control-F search on that page to find your country. It may not be listed under the region of the world that you are used to.
In general application deadlines are between mid-May and early June. However, each embassy or consulate sets its own deadlines, so be sure to check the embassy or consulate webpage for specific application instructions. Your embassy or consulate will explain exactly what you have to submit and how.
Your embassy or consulate may also have additional eligibility restrictions or required paperwork.
What you Have to Submit
Each of the documents below is required by MEXT. However, embassies may as for additional documents and may ask for each document at a different time, so again, be sure to check the specific instructions for your embassy!
For each document below, you will need to submit one original as well as two photocopies and they must be numbered in the top right corner. I will include direct download links to MEXT’s documents where available. Keep in mind that these are the documents for the 2019 Embassy Recommendation MEXT Scholarship Application for Graduate Students, if you are applying for any other kind of scholarship or at any other time, do not use these links!
I will be posting separate articles soon about the Application Form for this year and about the other required documents. Be sure to subscribe to my MEXT scholarship mailing list to be the first to know when those articles are posted! I will also send you a sample of the application form as a special thanks.
- Application Form (Excel format from MEXT website)
As a special thanks to mailing list subscribers, I will send you a sample of the completed application form that you can use as a guide! - Placement Preference Form (Excel format from MEXT website)
- Field of Study and Research Program Plan (Word format from MEXT website)
Click here for my article about how to complete this form. - Certified grade transcript for each academic year of the last university attended. This must show the grading scale and all grades earned in each class. If enrolled in graduate school, you must also submit your undergraduate transcript. If you transferred universities or studied abroad, you will likely also be required to submit your pre-transfer transcript or the transcript from your study abroad university.
- Certificate of graduation or degree. A copy attested by an official at the university will be accepted as an original. Do not submit your original diploma as submitted documents will not be returned to you!
- Recommendation from the president, dean, or your academic advisor at the most recent university where you are/were enrolled in a degree program. There is a template available (Word format) on MEXT’s website, but a freeform letter is acceptable. Note: The template letter is from previous years and includes out-of-date instructions. You no longer have to submit the letter in an unopened envelope.
- Certificate of Health (Excel format from MEXT website)
- Abstracts of graduation theses or published articles, if available
- Certificate of language proficiency (language proficiency test scores), if available. No original is required for this item, only copies are needed.
- Recommendation letter from present employer, if employed.
- Photograph(s) or digital audio recordings of applicant’s works, if applying for fine arts or music programs.
Be sure to check with the Japanese embassy or consulate in your Home Country! They may have additional requirements or may require the documents above at different times during the process.
The embassy or consulate is also your only source of information about the application deadline and the means of submitting the application!
Good luck with the MEXT scholarship application in 2019! If you have any questions I didn’t cover, let me know in the comments, below!
Be sure to sign up for my mailing list below to be the first to find out when new articles about the scholarship are available, too.
Want to know more?
My new ebook, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship describes the scholarship in detail, including the purpose and coverage, the eligibility criteria, how to develop a successful applicant mindset, and how to craft your application strategy for the greatest chance of success!
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Andrew, the newest TranSenz supporter on Patreon. Patreon supporters get priority responses to any questions as well as advance access to news and offers.
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Hello! My name is Vivian. Please I would like to know if any decision has been taken for the recently concluded MEXT 2019 scholarship. I really wish to get an update concerning that or maybe if you can point me to the right direction where I can get updates on that.
Thank you.
Hi Vivian,
Are you referring to the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2019 arrival, or the ongoing process for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2020 arrival?
This article is about the application process from last year that concluded months ago.
Please let me know which process you are referring to so that I can follow-up!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, that k you for your swift reply. O am talking about the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2020 arrival. The deadline was 14th of June, 2019. My application got to the Embassy on the 12th of June, I was scared it wouldn’t reach the designated into before deadline.
Please has any further step being taken? The guidelines stipulated that first screening will hold around May to July 2019. Successful applicants will be contacted around this time too.
Thank you.
Hi Vivian,
I didn’t realize that you’re already submitted for the Primary Screening. That makes a huge difference in terms of the timing.
The timeline for the Primary Screening is different for every country and Embassy, so my best recommendation to you is to check the website of the Embassy or Consulate where you applied. Their site should have their individual schedule, including when applicants will be notified of the results of each stage and when the exams/interviews will be held.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis.
Hi Travis
I am going to apply for the Master in Business Administration so, what is the research requirement for the mention degree.
Thanks
Hi Aimal,
I would recommend that you check the website of the programs that you want to apply to in order to see what they expect for a final thesis or culminating project and structure your Field of Study and Research Program Plan based on that final product.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
How to find university for MS computer science?
Hi Muhammad Ali,
Check out my article on how to search for universities and professors that teach your field of study in English.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis,
I’ve been reading your blog and it’s very informative, so I was wondering if you can answer these questions I’ve had for a while.
So I planned to apply to a few Japanese universities this summer for the October 2019 intake (Master’s programs in astrophysics) as a self-finaced student. In fact, I have already applied to University of Tokyo, and the other deadlines are in June. The professors I contacted gave me permission to apply, but they recommended the MEXT scholarship (I did not know the details as I wasn’t eligible to apply last year) but I told them I was able to self-fund. So then I looked at the embassy recommended MEXT scholarship in my country and it seems really good. So now I have already put together an application for it, just waiting on medicals and doing last few rounds of edits. My questions are:
1. What if I get rejected by the UTokyo (or the other universities), but pass the embassy’s preliminary screening? Would I have a better chance of getting a LoA from those same universities or do I have to find other options?
2. What if I get accepted as a self-funded student, but also pass the embassy’s first screening? Would I be able to ask those universities to give me a LoA and postpone enrollment to 2020?
3. Also, the research topics I came up with (with the help of the Japanese professors) are not exactly the same, but both are within my field of interest and previous study. I was thinking for my reseach plan/theme I would go into detail on one of those topics, and then mention my interest in related topics, what do you think?
I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Robert,
1. In general, the Embassy’s Primary Screening is a much stricter evaluation that the university’s entrance exam, so if you can pass that, you should be able to get an LoA. The biggest exception to that rule is when applicants apply to universities that don’t offer their field of study or don’t have a professor who can supervise them, but it sounds like you have solved that problem.
Ultimately, too, you have the option of starting as a non-degree student via the MEXT scholarship that you wouldn’t have as a self-funded student, so that should lower the bar to getting an LoA, as well.
2. In that case, you would reject the admissions offer from those universities (not postpone). An LoA is completely separate from the regular admissions process. Tell them that you are declining the admissions offer because you passed the MEXT Embassy Primary Screening and ask for an LoA so that you can start with them a year later. There should be no hard feelings at all. We had a student do the same at a university I worked at in the past.
3. I would recommend that you focus on only one research topic, but mention that you will work with your professor to refine it on arrival or work on a research project of your adviser’s designation. You only have two pages for the Field of Study and Research Program Plan, so focus is key.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much Travis! Fingers crossed 😀
Hello Travis!
I’d like to ask, what reasons do people have in choosing between April and October? Other than the school calendar (but say all the schools I’m interested in offer enrollment in either semesters) is there any other factor I’m not considering?
Maybe I’m just being a bit paranoid hehe thank you so much for your hard work! Regards
Hi Nick,
The biggest factors I know of for the spring/fall decision are:
1. Program start date (and accounting for a semester of Japanese language study and/or a semester as a research student).
2. Personal circumstances (e.g. not being able to go until the fall because you won’t have graduated yet, or whatever works best for your timing)
3. For Research Students who do not intend to continue to a degree: you get four semesters of research student status if you arrive in the spring but only three if you arrive in the fall.
That’s really all I can think of! Nothing to be worried about.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! I would like to ask your advice on my situation.
I am interested in applying for MEXT for the 2020 intake. If ever I get accepted, I plan to leave by October 2020 (personal preference). However, I am a fresh graduate as well and I’m currently seeking a full-time job. My ultimate goal is still to be able to take up MS in Japan (hopefully, by year 2020) but since that time is still far off (~1.5 yrs away) I also want a full-time job to sustain myself until then. I’ll submit my forms to the embassy without a recommendation from my employer, but if ever I get a job in the next 1-2 months from now, will that be taken against me by the embassy? That I sought a full-time job with a pending MEXT application, and that I didn’t indicate in my forms whatsoever?
Thank you so much!
Hi Patrick,
No, I do not think MEXT will have any objection to your seeking employment while waiting on the scholarship results. They only thing they would object to would be you enrolling in a university in Japan in the meantime as a fee-paying student.
As long as the information on your application form is true as of the date of submission (e.g. employment status), there is no reason MEXT would penalize you if that information changed later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi I am Mohammed who is undergratuate living in Kenya as a refugee .so do I qualify to apply the scholarship as a refugee
Hi Mohamed,
As far as I know, there are no special provisions for applying as a refugee. You would still be required to apply at the Embassy of Japan for your country and meet all of the other requirements.
My best advice to you would be to contact the Embassy of Japan for the country where you have citizenship and ask them.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey I just had a question about the letter of recommendation from your employer. I have been doing a good job but haven’t quite been at my job a year yet. Based on my supervisor’s attitude, they might not approve of me seeking out this scholarship considering i haven’t been there that long (7 months). In addition, my supervisor is extremely busy because they run my region’s division, so even if they wanted to write me one, there would be a very slim chance that they would get it done in time. Anyway, would it be fair for me to ask someone else (who is senior to me) at my company to write me one, considering it say’s “from your employer” and not specifically “your direct boss/supervisor”? I believe in my case it would give me a letter that isn’t rushed and also from someone who supports me pursuing this. Thanks.
Hi Rory,
The requirements in Japanese say that the letter has to be from your supervisor. In the English translation, “Employer” is meant to refer to the person who employs you (supervisor), not just a coworker within the same organization. Since the Japanese version is clear and in cases of conflict, the Japanese is held to be correct and the English just a translation for convenience’s sake, I would recommend that you stick to getting a letter from your boss.
Part of the purpose of this letter is to indicate that your supervisor would be willing for you to leave your job to take the scholarship, or rather, that he or she would not prevent you from taking it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi i really want to apply a undergraduate scholarship! I just want to ask if that scholarship is still available? i need your help 🙁
Hi Abimhael Cariaso,
The undergraduate scholarship is available again this year, but as always, it is only available in some countries. My area of specialization is the graduate scholarship, so I do not follow the undergraduate as closely.
I would recommend that you check the website of the Japanese Embassy in your country to see what instructions they have for applying for the undergraduate scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey, I would like to start preparing the documents early, but I am wondering if the date on the documents (application form, health certificate, etc.) should be 2019 or 2020 (if applying in 2019)?
Also a question in regards to the health certificate. It requires a chest X-ray, but should I somehow attach the photo with the application or is it only for the physician that fills in the form?
Thank you.
Hi Mariusz,
I would not recommend trying to fill out the Medical Form in advance. If you want to start working in advance, I would suggest that you focus on the Field of Study and Research Program Plan, since that should take about a month to complete, if done well.
For the forms that you have to complete on actual worksheets, I would recommend that you wait (about a week or two) until the official forms for this year to come out. While it is not likely that anything specific will change, there could be a minor formatting change, etc., that would make you have to recomplete the whole thing.
For the chest x-ray, not, you do not need to attach the photo, the form just asks the doctor to fill in the photo’s reference file number and indicate the results.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, Am finding it hard to locate university for my research, Pls am a Graduate of Building technology and i will be glad to per take in the MEXT scholarship.
Hi Adeniran Adeshola,
Once you’ve read the article on getting started that I just linked in your last comment, I recommend my article on how to search for universities that teach your field of study in English to help you find the best universities to apply to.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, Am an HND Graduate in Building technology, I am from Nigeria i will love to apply for the Research program.. Please i need more light on these am i good to enroll or is just for the University Graduate and Undergraduate
Hi Adeniran Adeshola,
I’m afraid I do not know what HND means. Is that the equivalent of high school or university?
I would recommend you start with the article I just published that introduces the scholarship and how to get started. After reading that, you should be ready to read the more in-depth guides on the areas that you need more help with!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
This page is very helpful and providing good opportunities to students. I am applying for masters degree scholarships as an international student. I am searching and applying and I also found some in thescholarshipsblog.com but I am searching for more as my class fellows also want to apply. Anyone please help me in this. Thanks
Hi Mahira,
If you are looking for universities in Japan that offer your field of study to be able to apply for the MEXT scholarship, I would recommend my article on searching for degree programs taught in English.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis ! It’s been a while, how are you doing ?
Last summer you have helped me with the university and professors report, after that I bought your MEXT book and have been waiting for the second one ever since. Any idea on when it might be out ? Would be great if it was before this year’s embassy selection haha which I’m planning to participate in. Actually I’ve been very busy this year since it’s my senior bachelor year with the theses and such so haven’t had much time to spare for my MEXT preparation but I’m glad that I had already started digging into it a little bit last year, so more or less I know what I have to do, but I’m pretty sure I’ll still use your field of study/research program plan check and application completeness just check in case when the time comes !
Anyway, I have a few questions again regarding the universities I’m interested in and the research program plan.
1) Regarding the application for LoA’s, one of the universities I’m thinking about doesn’t have an option on their application to start as a research student, does that mean it’s impossible to do so there or it still is but it’s just not on the list ?
2) Most of the universities do name all of the documents I need to provide for LoA concretely but one of them does not it says ‘Copy of all the documents submitted to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate General (Application form, research plan, an official transcript from one’s university, attachment, etc) Does the etc mean that they want literally everything that I submitted, even including the medical report or preference form ? (Even though in your articles you always say that these should not be submitted or asked)
3) If I want to mention specific courses in my research timeline do I only use specific course of one university or can I use multiple ones ?
4) And if I start as a research student, while making a timeline for my research plan do I need to include this half a year as a research student together with the two years of degree or not ?
Thanks in advance !
Hi Lawrence,
Of course I remember working with you last year!
I have finished writing the second book and am currently working on the ebook formatting, plus creating the companion worksheets, email course, etc. I hope to have it available next month, in enough time for you to be able to make use of it in time for the Embassy Selection this year. I’ll be sure to let you know!
1) Many universities will not offer that option for general applicants, but may make it available for MEXT Embassy Recommended Scholars. But even if they do not accept Embassy MEXT scholars as research students, you could still apply there and they could accept you to start directly as a degree student (ultimately, that status is solely up to them, anyway).
2) Last year, for the first time, the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship guidelines said for the first time that you should not submit the Placement Preference Form and Medical Form. Previously, they said to submit a copy of all documents . . . it sounds like the university you’re referring to simply might not have updated their instructions. I would recommend not sending the placement preference form or medical form in that case (provided that this year’s guidelines also say not to send them). If they ask, tell them the guidelines said you were not supposed to.
3) I would recommend that you base your courses off your first choice university. If it is possible to avoid using the exact course names and describe the courses in a way that it could refer to a specific course at multiple universities, that would work best. For example, if your first-choice university offered ASN530 Political Economy of East Asia and another offered ECN525 East Asian Political Economy, you could write “Political Economy of East Asia” and that would easily be understood in both cases.
4) I would recommend including it (and even including the semester of Japanese language study).
I will be in touch again soon about the book.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
That’s some great news ! I’ll make sure to get it when it’s out.
There’s actually one more dilemma that’s kind of bothering me right now or maybe few.
1) First one is about the language proficiency test. Since I’m not native English speaker for degree in English I have to take TOEFL/IELTS or such and I believe I would need to submit to the universities when asking for LoA’s but not necessarily for the first screening as it’s option (correct me if I’m wrong) But I came across this note in the 2019 embassy MEXT guideliness of applying for LoA: ‘Certificate of language proficiency (only if submitted to the diplomatic mission)’ the only if submitted part got me confused. because I haven’t taken the test yet and was thinking only to do so later, perhaps after I submit my documents to the embassy, but now I’m not sure if I should take it before and submit it to the embassy too. So my question is must I submit it for the LoA and if so, does it have to be necesarrily stamped by the embassy or not ? That probably will determine if I should take it and submit to the embassy for the primary screening or not.
2) A shrot one perhaps and just making sure. I came across somewhere that for the letter of recommendation only the dean recommendation is valid but elsewhere it says that even academic advisor is fine. So I can just get a recommendation of my current academic advisor ? Because I was planning to get it from him.
Hi Lawrence,
Thank you! If you are still interested, the book is out now and you can find out more here, if you haven’t seen my other announcements already!
1. You are correct that official language proficiency tests are not required for the Embassy’s primary screening – at least as of last year (I am waiting on the official guideline release for this year, which should come out soon!) If you do have one at the time of the primary screening, then you should, of course, submit it.
The list of documents that you are referring to is the minimum mandatory list of documents that you have to send to the universities to apply for a LoA. The note you mentioned indicates that if you submitted your language proficiency certificate to the Embassy, then you must also submit it to the universities. However, even if you did not submit language proficiency scores to the embassy, you can still submit them to the university. At the bottom of that table is a note saying that you must submit any other necessary document required by the university, so a new language proficiency certificate would be included in that term.
2. For the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship application, a letter of recommendation from your advisor is fine (at least as of the last several years). A letter from the Dean or higher is only required for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis,
I got your book and been studying it already, as well as laying down some thoughts for my field of study and research program plan.
Thanks for the answers too, here’s a couple more:
1) When submitting the documents is there any best way to put them in the envelope, order them or anything like that ? I think you explained this somewhere but I forgot where was it. Can I just stack the 3 copies of each document on one another in the order as it is decided by MEXT or clip them together or something ? As in from document 1 to 8 etc.
Also they want us to number them in the right upper corner, so does that mean we need to number all three copies of lets say document 1 as ‘1’ or does it mean you just number the originals and then make a scan of it with 2 more copies?
2) Is there any outline or requirements for the abstracts of theses?
Hi Lawrence,
Thank you very much! I hope the book has been helpful in your process.
1) If your embassy does not give specific instructions for how to submit and organize the documents, then I would recommend grouping all of the application forms together, then all of the Field of Study and Research Program Plans, etc. That way they can see that there is indeed an original and two copies for each one as they go through.
There should be numbering instructions included in the application guidelines when they come out. (Since that has the potential to change, I don’t want to specify them here). I would also group each set of documents together with a paperclip and would avoid using staples if at all possible.
It should be fine to number the original and then make a copy of it.
2) There is no universal format requirement that I am aware of, other than that it must be in English or Japanese. Typically, I would recommend keeping it within a page. It also has to be the abstract of your most recent graduation thesis, not a paper of your choice.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Yes it is very helpful and even though I haven’t started actually writing anything yet I’m laying it down in my head and got a plan. I got some wonderful insight about how it should be written, what to inlcude and what should better be left out, I will very likely use the good points about the successful applicants from the past that you gave, for my own plan.
1) Just a quick follow up about the documents. Yes there is no specific requirements from the embassy and It is pretty much clear now with the documents that only have one paper. But what about the application form and field of study/research program plan numbering then? Because there are multiple pages to them and not just one. Let’s say for application form as of 2019 there were 5 pages so would you just paperclip them all together and number only the top page as ‘1’ or number all 5 pages as ‘1’ ?
Thanks !
Hi Lawrence,
The application guidelines for 2020 just came out today! I will be writing more about that later.
1) For the forms that have more than one page, the guidelines this year say that you should number the top-right corner of only the first page.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis !
I got one more short question again. I asked my advisor for a recommendation letter just now and he’s asking if it really doesn’t have to be sealed in an envelope and such, I told him that it doesn’t and that’s what you said in this guide too. But the 2020 letter example form says that it has to be again, so I’m not sure now, are these directions still out of date or they changed it back again?
Thanks !
Hi Lawrence,
The “sample form” they give you used to be the required form years ago, and at that time, you were supposed to submit it sealed. However, it is no longer required that the letter be sealed – they just never updated that sample. Of course, it is up to the recommender to choose whether to submit it sealed or not.
If your recommender does choose to seal it, please ask the embassy what they would like you to do – I have seen different responses in different countries in the past. Some told applicants to open it and make copies, others told them to submit it as-is and the embassy would do the copying.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Mine has something to to do with selection of universities that are into my field of research. I am still in the process of applying for the MEXT Scholarship for teacher training students and have problem with filling placement preference application form. (Teacher Training Students)
Name of University, five digit course code, teaching field. how do i get these univerities and their course codes especially those affiliated to this scholarship scheme?
Hi Samuel Owusu Dankwa,
I’m afraid I do not have any expertise in the Teacher Training Scholarship, but maybe someone else can comment and answer your question.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for this website!
After reading your article, I have a question about my situation. I want to change my major so I’m concerned about what you said in FIELDS OF STUDY.
I majored in Civil Engineering when I was a undergraduate, but I want to change my major into Computational Neuroscience which has little relationship with Civil Engineering. I’ve leaned the required subjects by myself and I’ll attend graduate school entrance examination on February.
Will I be about to apply for MEXT scholarship?
Can I apply for the scholarship after passing the exam?
Regards.
Hi Zheng,
That is a difficult switch. I would not count on being able to apply for the MEXT scholarship with such a dramatic change.
Ultimately, it is going to come down to how well you are able to sell the relationship between the two to the review committee. They typically want to see that you have formal academic training related to the field and are prepared to conduct research.
When you said that you are attending the graduate school entrance exam, is that in Japan or in your home country? If you were to earn a Master’s in Computational Neuroscience in your home country, then you would be able to apply for a PhD in that field through the MEXT scholarship later.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Good day Travis,
Thank you for the comprehensive information. I would like to know if I can still reapply given my case. I used to qualify for a Teacher Training Scholarship in Japan through MEXT and Philippine Embassy. I turned it down due to some personal reasons. So now, the scholarship application is open again but I am working in Indonesia. I am interested to apply again though. Am I going to contact Japan embassy in the Philippines or here in Indonesia? Thank you!
Hi CJ,
Rejecting the scholarship once does not render you ineligible in the future, although it may impact reviewers’ impression of you on a personal level. As long as you meet all of the stated eligibility requirements, then you can reapply.
You would have to apply in the country where you have citizenship (the country that issued your passport).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! First of all, thank you very much for making this website, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the MEXT scholarship without it!
I’d like to ask a rather technical question regarding the extension of the MEXT Scholarship for Research Students (if you do not mind). I am currently a Research Student at Yokohama National University and I decided to apply to join a Master’s program at Waseda, starting from April 2019. I have been admitted and I will soon have to apply for an extension of my scholarship in order to be able to follow this (one-year) Master’s program. My extension should normally be treated by MEXT around February 2019.
The issue is that Waseda just let me know today that I should already pay the tuition/admission fees by mid-December (650 000 en), and that they would pay me back only once the extension of my scholarship would be formally confirmed in February. They didn’t refer to any procedures and did not provide me with any kind of form to fill out to this end. Also, theoretically, this would also mean that new MEXT recipients who just got the scholarship would also have to pay in advance their tuition fees for this program, as the deliverance of the scholarship is usually confirmed around January anyway.
This is of course problematic, given that if my extension is rejected, I could only get back half of what I initially paid… As far as I understood, MEXT recipients should not have to pay tuition fees. I should stress that the program was created last year (https://www.waseda.jp/folaw/glaw/en/about_llm/) and that they let me know before I applied that they accepted MEXT students.
I would therefore like to know:
1) Is this normal? And is there anything I can do about this? If someone has experienced something similar, I’d be very interested!
2) Are extensions of scholarship usually accepted? MEXT already let me know that, in principles, they had no issue sponsoring me for a one-year Master’s program. But I would just like to make sure that extensions of scholarships are usually granted or not!
My current university is already on it, but I’m of course very keen on having your opinion on this issue, as I have to decide very soon whether or not I’ll have to pay!
Really sorry for the monologue and thank you very much for your kind support!
Hi Johnathan,
Thank you for your kind words and feedback!
Your current situation is not unusual. When MEXT scholars initially apply for the scholarship as you did at YNU, that is a combined university and scholarship application in most cases. You would only get in if you were also going to be awarded the scholarship. However, for MEXT scholars who transfer universities – either when they change from research to master’s degree or from master’s to PhD – the application process for acceptance to your new university and the application process to extend your scholarship are not linked. So, the new university would be treating you like any other fee-paying student at this point.
Since you are changing universities, it is very important to have the support of your current university’s adviser. In the application for the scholarship extension, there is a section your adviser needs to fill in to describe whether or not they support your extension and your potential change of schools. (I am assuming that you are a embassy recommended MEXT scholar, since university recommended scholars cannot change universities.)
Once your scholarship extension application is approved through the application at your current university, you would provide that info to Waseda and they should start the refund process then.
1) Yes, it is normal. Waseda would be considering you to be a normal, fee-paying student until your MEXT extension is approved. For most of the students I have talked to in the past, the timelines worked out better for them, so that they only had to pay the application fee (and later get that refunded). All other fees were due after their MEXT scholarships were confirmed in those cases, so they did not have to pay and get them refunded. I don’t know of anyone who had to pay as much as you did.
2) Yes, in my experience. I have never heard of an extension application being denied. Since I stopped working with MEXT scholars directly, they added language to the extension saying that not all extension applications would be accepted, but as long as your academic performance is excellent, then there should be no problem. Your current university just has to put your nomination for extension out there. If your current academic adviser is on board, then there should be no problems or obstacles!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
My BS program is recently completed but its take long time for degree issue……. Can I apply for MS in Chemistry ? My CGPA is 3.97/4.00
Hi Kamal Asghar,
If you have completed the program and are just waiting on your degree to be issued, you should be able to apply. You would just need to obtain a document from your university saying that you had completed all of the degree requirements (and when).
I have an article about how to calculate your GPA on the MEXT 3.0 scale that you can use to find your GPA for the scholarship, but given the numbers you gave me, I do not think you would have any trouble with the eligibility!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am student of software Engineering( 3rd sem)…Can i apply for undergraduate programme?
Hi Tanveer,
Unfortunately, I am not sure I understand what you mean. What are you in the 3rd semester of?
If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and plan to quit that program and start over in Japan, you may be able to apply for the undergraduate program, as long as you meet the age and other requirements. But I would recommend that you finish your undergraduate degree and apply for the MEXT scholarship for your graduate school, instead!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello brother’s can i apply now to MEXT scholarship for 2019 ?
Hi Abid Jadoon,
The Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship application deadline for 2019 is long passed, but you can still apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship this year!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello
I am live in Japan I want to study my master’s degree can I get a MAXT scholarship?
Hi Humaira,
I recommend that you read my article about eligibility for the MEXT scholarship to see if you meet all the criteria!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
HI.I am completed the 1 month student exchange program in Gifu university in 2017.Can me apply for the MEXT for master degree program.
Hi SONTAKKE KIRAN BALASAHEB,
Completing a 1-month exchange in Japan would not affect your eligibility in any way (although it could make your application stronger if you use it well).
As long as you meet all of the eligibility criteria, you are able to apply.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
From what i’ve observed participants should submit recomendation letters of their home university from the president, dean or acedemic advisor (of the university).
But what if my university does not have a president or a dean can i get my reccomendation letter from one of my proffesors ?
Since my university is property of the government, the head of my university and the faculty(law) where i’m currently studying, purely is for the organization of the university and the faculty. So if these persons would be the ones writing this letter there will be a high possibility that they might give unaccurate information of me in the letter. So is it better to make one of my proffesors write the letter who have alot more information of me ?
Hi Maria,
Any time in life that you approach someone to ask them to write you a letter of recommendation, you should always supply them with the information they need. Don’t make them do the research, even if it is a professor who knows you better. For example, you should provide a list of your accomplishments, significant achievements, etc.
I usually go so far as to write a draft of the letter of recommendation, myself, and offer it to the person as a base template.
If you do go that route, then I recommend that you work with the professors who know you better to draft the template or list of accomplishments.
Ultimately, the Dean/President only has to sign the letter. It doesn’t matter if someone else wrote it!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Maria,
If your university does not have a Dean or President, you must have someone in a similar position, such as a Vice Chancellor in place of a president – whoever the top person is at your university. A “Dean” is someone who is in charge of an entire college or faculty within the university, so if your university uses a different title, you would have to find the person with the same level of responsibility.
A letter from a professor would not be an acceptable replacement.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I recently completed Msc in geography . I want to apply MEXT scholarship for MS leading to PhD. I need help the procedure for Applying MEXT scholarship. how the deadline of MEXT scholarship fall 2019.
Hi Zaheer,
The only application process left that would allow you to arrive in Japan to start your studies in Fall 2019 is the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship for 2019. The link goes to my most recent article about how to choose a university, figure out that university’s application process, and get started with your application. I hope that will answer your questions!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Travis for the explanation. I understand now
Hi, Travis!
I passed the first screening and already have a confirmation from Toyo university, letter will arrive later on. I am wondering after completing MA from Toyo, may I move to another university for PhD and choose another department within MEXT scholarship?
Hi Asel,
Congratulations on passing the Primary Screening!
Since you are an Embassy-Recommended MEXT scholar, toward the end of your MA, you will have the opportunity to apply for an extension and at that time, you can select up to two universities to apply to under the extension. You would also have to pass those universities’ entrance exams.
You would have to keep the same field of study, though, so transferring to a different department might not be possible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thanks for the reply and explanations!
Thanks for the awesome site! I have the following question and worries.
I’ve heard a rumor that the Japanese take it really bad when you turn down an offer. My case is the following. I have completed my Master programme and am currently applying for a research-student scholarship from MEXT (Embassy recommendation). Only the final screening remains (interview). As I understand, the competition (language test, research project evaluation, interview) is organised by an international organisation at my home country and after that this organisation gives the embassy a list of the successful candidates and the embassy recommends them to MEXT for a scholarship.
I have one more application running at this point – for a PhD (not related to Japan in any way) in a completely different country, and I think I would prefer going there. I am afraid (because of the rumor I mentioned) that as soon as I get recommended by the embassy to MEXT for a scholarship, I can no longer withdraw without negative consequences. I imagine that if I turned down an offer, MEXT would put me in some ‘black list’ which would hinder future applications for Japan on my part (at least ones that involve MEXT). And I wish to pursue an academic career, so I would have many more stages of applications – PhD, post-doc, …). And more importantly, I expect that I will really want to be in Japan at some point, because my fiancee is in Japanese studies and thus is likely to live there at least for some period of time, so I absolutely don’t want to ‘burn my bridges’ to Japan.
So, how justified would you say my worries are? And if you think they are indeed somewhat justified, when would you say an early enough moment for withdrawal is, so that there are no such negative consequences?
Hi MarPet,
Your worries are natural, but ultimately I would say they are overblown.
There are no direct negative consequences for withdrawing from the MEXT scholarship before completing the screenings – for you, anyway. If you pass the Primary Screening and then withdraw, you may have effectively denied the scholarship opportunity to another applicant.
There is no black list of applicants that withdrew during the application process (if you withdraw after arrival in Japan, that would be a different story), but you may have trouble if you try to apply through the embassy for the MEXT scholarship again in the future, if someone there remembers that you withdrew once in the past. But that would be personal, not official.
Withdrawing from the MEXT scholarship also would not have any impact whatsoever on other scholarly activities in Japan, such as Post-Docs, etc. (The MEXT scholarship wouldn’t cover a post-doc anyway).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for the reply! But the time in which it is possible that I realize I have to withdraw my application is after the final stage of the screening and before arriving in Japan, when a lot of documentation, including letters of provisional acceptance, is being exchanged between Japan, me and the Embassy. How about in that case?
Also, won’t they have, like such procedures always have, a list of reserves in addition to the list of winners so that if some of the winners withdraw (at least if they do in the first weeks/months), their places will be given to the next candidate in the ranking list?
Hi MarPet,
If you withdraw at that stage, you would certainly be denying the scholarship opportunity to another applicant. Some embassies do have a reserves list, but there is also a cut off deadline on when they can bump someone up from the reserves, and that would be relatively early on, most likely before the Secondary Screening starts (around October).
Technically, the only time withdrawing would affect your eligibility to apply for the MEXT scholarship in the future would be if you withdrew after arriving in Japan. The only other thing you would need to worry about would be that the later in the process you withdraw, the more people you affect, and that means more people may be unwilling to work with you in the future.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Many thanks for the detailed reply!
Could you also do a post on the requirements for applicants for the undergraduate scholarship?
Hi Sadaf,
I am considering tackling the undergraduate scholarship once I have completed my resources on the graduate scholarship, yes. But I have so much left to say about the graduate scholarship that it will be a few years before I can get to it and research the whole process!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
Hope You are healthy.
What are the differences between “Embassy Recommendation”? / “University Recommendation?
I am Promptly sorry if you have answered this before.
Hi Fawzia,
I wrote an article that covers the difference between the Embassy Recommended and University Recommended scholarship that should help answer your question.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi travis,
just want to know two things.
first, is it necessary to submit transcripts of all my previous studies as i only have transcripts of my lower secondary education, upper secondary education and undergraduate education. its been a long time i’ve completed my primary education and i don’t have transcripts of this education right now. also i am a little confused with academic record section that which education refers to which class so please guide me through that.
second, it was mentioned that IELTS is not necessary for this scholarship so please guide for that too
Hi Shoaib,
You only need to submit your academic transcripts for your last degree program/education. So, if you are applying for a Master’s degree, you would submit transcripts for all years of your undergraduate degree.
The only exception would be if you have earned less than two full years of grades in your current/most recent degree. In that case, you would need to include the transcripts for the preceding program, as well. However, you should never need to submit transcripts for primary and secondary education.
IELTS is not required to apply to the embassy for the scholarship. However, keep in mind that some universities will want you to submit formal language proficiency test scores when you apply for a Letter of Acceptance. If you find out that the universities you want to apply to have that requirement, then I recommend taking a language test as soon as possible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello
Is this scholarship free of charge for a bachelor’s degree?
I am a resident of Afghanistan and I’m studying Mechatronics engineering at a university
Will I qualify for registration?
Thank
Hi Azizullah Parsa,
Yes, there is no application fee for the scholarship.
You will qualify if you meet all of the eligibility requirements I wrote about in this article.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
The health certificate seems to include a rather expensive x-ray. You mentioned above that it was your doctor’s discretion as to what should count – does that mean not everything in the form is necessarily required, i.e. the x-ray potentially is not required? Thanks.
Hi Steve,
I don’t recall ever having said that it was your doctor’s discretion. As far as I know, every item must be complete unless your embassy specifically tells you otherwise.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Dear Sir I have done bs chemistry and I want to do master in chemistry. I have downloaded the mext schlorships forms and I fill it but the university is left please what is the process to find the university
Hi Zakir Ullah,
I recently wrote an article on exactly that subject that should help. Here’s the link to my guide to finding universities and professors in Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi TranSenz, i really appreciate your posts on this blog a lot… thanks a lot, i applied for the undergraduate program last year but unfortunately i was not selected ..but this year i intend to apply for the research program..
my guestion is this…can i apply without sending my academic transcripts because am yet to graduate by august – september this year and my transcripts will not be ready till late october or should i just wait for the next year ??
and also please i need clarity on the meaning or difference between masters and research program
thanks
Hi Samuel Chike,
To apply for the program for Research Students, you would need to have completed your bachelor’s degree already, or be expected to complete it by the time that you would arrive in Japan.
When you apply, you would have to submit your transcripts up to the most recent semester. It doesn’t matter if they are not complete through the end of your Bachelor’s degree yet.
A research student is a student at the Master’s level (or Doctoral level) who takes classes and conducts research but is not enrolled in the degree program or earning credits toward the degree. Typically, Embassy recommendation applicants start as research students for a semester, then take the entrance exam at the university and progress to the Master’s program.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! Thanks so much for all the helpful articles on applying to the MEXT program.
Question for you that I can’t seem to get a clear answer for – in the applicantion instructions for MEXT research students, it asks that prospective applicants apply for graduate programs related to their undergraduate majors. Do you know how strict this stipulation is?
I majored in business as an undergrad with a concentration in accounting. I’ve been out of school for a few years and am working in a field unrelated to accounting. I’m much more interested in pursuing research/education related to my career field. I feel like I could make a case for this but I don’t know if I would be put out of running for the scholarship because I don’t satisfy the requirement.
Do you have any advice/thoughts on this situation?
Hi Anna,
There is no specific rule on how closely related your degree fields have to be and unfortunately, I do not have any evidence to show whether it is strict or not. (If a student is rejected, the embassy or university does not give the reason, so there’s no way to tell if the problem was the research fields or not).
Part of the issue, as I understand it, is that there are not many graduate programs that you can jump into without having some undergraduate background in the same field. Otherwise you would be behind the others and risk not being able to complete on time.
If you can justify how they are related, why your previous studies led to your current study interest, and that you have the necessary background to succeed in your new field of interest, then I think you still have a chance to apply. It’s up to you to be creative. You can use your interim career as part of the explanation, but I think you would still need to relate it to your previous studies.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Pls I need help in filling the application for Mext embassy recommended for undergraduate for example what is your specialized field of study in high school
Hi Juliet,
My expertise is in the scholarship for graduate students. I have never looked at the application form for undergraduates.
If your high school had a specific focus, write that, but if not, then I would recommend writing something like “general college prep” or any particular field where you took extra electives – especially if related to your field of study in Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks a lot for this site I need direction and guideline in filling Mext embassy recommended application form 2019
Hi Juliet,
I just wrote and published that post after your comment. You can find the article here.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I can’t find a hint that states that the recommendation letter is no longer sent sealed
Oh sorry i meant unopened envelope.
Hi Abdou,
You’re not going to find a note saying that it is “no longer required” since they never highlight the changes that way. The important thing to note is that in the application guidelines, there is nothing that says that the letter has to be sealed.
The sample letter says it should be sealed, but that is just a sample format and comes from a time when it had to be. Free-form letters are used now, so you don’t need to use that template.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
thanks again. And what ?If my country doesn’t use English and I need to simplify the matter and use that template? Should i seal it because it is written on it to seal it ?
Hi Abdou3004,
In that case, I would recommend that you double-check with the Embassy, just to be sure. They may have specific instructions for you. I have heard of different countries treating it differently in the past.
In general, I think it is not a problem if you use that format and do not submit it sealed, but if your reviewer reads the instructions and insists on following them, that could be a complication. Ultimately, the embassy’s guidance should be your final standard.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I am following your content very carefully and wish to congratulate you for this amazing assistance you are providing everyone. Could you help me with the following?
I am completing my Master’s Degree in a foreign country and intend to apply for the MEXT Scholarship with embassy recommendation to do a PhD in Japan.
I can much more easily get a recommendation from my Bachelor’s adviser in my home country than from my current one.
Would it be all right for me to submit my fellow countryman’s recommendation, instead of one by my current foreign adviser? If so, should I explain these circumstances anywhere in my application?
Thank you!
Hi Barata,
Thank you for your kind words!
You are required to submit a letter of recommendation from your most recent university (your Master’s Program). You do not have the option to choose a professor from your Bachelor’s degree instead.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I wanted to ask you a question regarding university…even if I apply through MEXT embassy recommendation do I still have to take their entrance exam?( cause I was going through some of their websites and got confused whether its necessary to take it or not )
Hoping to hear from you soon!
Hi Aishwarya,
Yes, you will still have to take the university’s “entrance exam” to matriculate to the degree program. You may start at the university as a research student (no entrance exam required) and take the exam after you arrive at the university. (Depending on the university, the “entrance exam” may be only a document screening, so in that case, you could “take the exam” just by mailing in the application documents.)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Does the date on the letter of recommendation from my former university matter? since I am graduating in May 2018 and will be applying for 2019 intake?
And is the same letter of recommendation is to be used for MEXT scholarship application process as well as while applying for universities?
Hi Ask,
The date of your Letter of Recommendation should fall during the application period for the scholarship you are applying for. If you are applying in May 2018 for the scholarship that starts in 2019, then the letter would be dated 2018. If your letter was over a year old when you first submit it, they might ask you to get a replacement.
You will send all of the same documents to the universities that you submitted to the embassy. (If you pass the primary screening, you should get the documents back for this purpose).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
HI ,TRAVIS
I need to know about the supervisors names that I should to fill in application forms How to do that ?How do I know if they will accept me or not ?
AND
What about the embassy examination Is there any source to prepare from other than the previous exams ?
thank you very much
Hi Afnan,
Once you have selected your supervisors and carefully evaluated whether or not their research is close enough to yours (for more on that, please see the articles I published on finding degree programs and supervisors!), you would eventually have to get in contact with them. You cannot ask them for Letters of Acceptance until after you pass the primary screening, but you can still start networking!
The past tests are the best way I know of to evaluate your abilities versus what the expectations are. If you find that you struggle with a particular area, then I would recommend finding another textbook that helps with that specific area. (If you’re applying for the graduate scholarship, only the language tests matter).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
As an Indian citizen working in Japan, what are my possible options in applying for MEXT Embassy recommended scholarship?
I contacted the Indian embassy and they mentioned that I will have to travel to India and be present for the interviews in case I pass the initial selection. I’m wondering if there’s any other way I can apply for Embassy recommended MEXT scholarship within Japan without travelling to my home country.
Your support would be very appreciated!
Hi Jam,
Unfortunately, there is no way other than what the Embassy told you. The application guidelines require that you undergo your screening at the Japanese diplomatic mission in your home country.
The only other option would be to apply for the University Recommendation scholarship application process later this year.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Is it possible to get Letter of Acceptance as an undergraduate student? Thanks for help.
Hi Malak,
You do not need to get a Letter of Acceptance for the undergraduate scholarship application. This article is about the application process for graduate scholarship applicants.
(You can find the application guidelines for undergraduate scholarship applicants linked at the top).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, thanks so much for your detailed explanation so far, its been really helpful and educational, I just want to ask a few questions, please I am applying for embassy recommended MEXT scholarship, (1). can I use my previous research topic for the current topic in Japan as my previous topic as only one out of the numerous characteristics was achieved due to lack of proper equipment. (2). I did industrial chemistry and petrochemical technology, with a CGPA of 3.23, do you think an Msc in Chemical Engineering will be a good choice or a non degree course should come first
Hi Marion,
Thank you for your kind words.
1) Yes, building on your previous research is a good idea. It shows that you have the background and understand what you’re doing.
2) Unfortunately, it’s impossible for me to tell what a CGPA of 3.23 means without understanding your grading scale. In some countries, that’s a good grade, but it others it would not be. I am working on an article now about how to convert your grades scale (and cover it in depth in my upcoming book, as well).
In general, I recommend starting as a non-degree student for a semester first, if possible. That gives you time to adjust to your studies and life in Japan and gives you a better chance of long-term success after you start your studies.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
I could not find the “pre-approval by university” in the guidelines (I want to apply for a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences) where can I find such information? Thank you very much for your help.
Hi Omar,
I’m sorry about that. It looks like one of my links wasn’t working properly. Here are the guidelines that describe how you much have pre-approval.
Pre-approval only applies to doctoral-level programs. You would not need it for a Master’s Degree.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello! Thanks a lot for your work. Could You help me out in understanding how the Letter of acceptance work? Do undegraduates needs them? If so, when? And also, as far as I know, undergaduates dont have a research or field of study plan, so how can we contact the proffesor? Thanks !
PS. I preordered your book, but I just want to make sure, will there be also help for undegraduate students? Cheers.
Hi Jake,
Letters of Acceptance are required for the Graduate application process, only. For the undergraduate scholarship application you don’t get to choose your university, so you don’t need LoAs and you don’t need to contact professors.
Thank you for sharing that you pre-ordered the book! I’m afraid, though, that you might want to reconsider. I do not cover the undergraduate scholarship specifically in the book. I do cover things like establishing a successful mindset to approach the scholarship and developing an application strategy to improve your chances of success. If you decide that’s not what you want, you may want to consider cancelling the preorder. I’d rather you didn’t end up with something that doesn’t meet your expectations!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
First of all, thank you so much for all your amazing help and support throughout these past few years. It’s truly just like what everyone has been telling you all this time: we wouldn’t even know how to fill out these papers without you!
I just have a few questions. I’m a Yemeni student and our application process for the embassy recommendation just started only a few days ago, and everything is quite different for us this time around too. We no longer have Word files (this is my first time applying, but previous posts showed both pdf and word files too), it’s all pdf only. And what’s also new is that it’s the pdf type that enables you to fill it in, if you choose to type instead of handwriting, but your word length is limited. (See here for reference).
This is somewhat helpful in some parts of the application, but others, and especially in the “Field of Study and Research Plan”, it’s extremely strict, don’t you think? I don’t know why they gave us this much limit, when it seems like it’s not the case for some others (like the one you linked here). I would’ve preferred to write my plans and research topic in Word, as I was planning on going a little deep and provide thorough ideas and details on my research as well as use tables and whatnot. My friend who applied last year and got accepted had written 2 pages worth of research topic alone, and provided images and tables too!
I don’t suppose I’m allowed to include extra papers either? I mean, I know I can still edit the pdf in Word and have my space, but I’m fearing that since they gave us this “limit”, it might affect my application? But I’m also worried that summarizing everything and giving as little details as I’m allowed to might affect it too! I’m so confuuused! v_v
Hi Miko,
Thanks for sharing that site.
That looks like it’s a Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, but the documents I linked in this article (in excel and word format) are from MEXT’s site, so those are official and there should be no problem with using them. In any case, this form is no different than it was in previous years. Only the file format is different.
The Field of Study and Research Program Plan also says “additional sheets of paper may be attached, as necessary”, so if you need more space, you can simply add more pages. I would not recommend adding too many, though. The reviewers don’t have that much time to read. I would stick to 3 to 5 pages at the most (and 5 only if you have graphs, etc. that take up a lot of space).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
I have followed your blog ever since I decided to apply for the Mext 2019. You and your work are incredible. Many thanks.
I intend to apply for the Embassy-recommendation scholarship 2019 for a master’s degree. For the recommendation letter, must it necessarily be a lecturer from my former University or I could equally get one from a supervisor from work.( I work with a Engineering firm).
Thank you.
Hi Sey,
Thank you for your kind words!
You need recommendation letters from both your last university (adviser, dean, or president) and your employer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello transenzj! Thank you again for this great post. I’ve read many posts and comments in this blog but I still may have missed a thing or two about the admission criteria. I understand that the criteria consists mainly of:
-GPA of last 2 years attended
-Research Plan
-Interview
I am finishing my undergraduate this semester, but I will probably give up Mext for master’s degree, mainly because of a not very competitive GPA (2.3, although most of my colleagues here would have a GPA below 1.5/3.0) and also because I just got into a full-time job and would prefer not asking for a letter of recommendation now.
So my current plan is to do master’s degree here in my country while working, get a near perfect GPA and apply for the 2022 scholarship for doctorate.
I have four questions:
1) Do you think the university may not look favourably to someone who took 3 years or more to finish the degree?
2) What about my undergraduate GPA? Even if I get the approval of the embassy, would it be a demerit in the eyes of the university where I am applying to? Are they really blind to the grades outside the last 4 semesters?
3) Throughout the master’s here I will take about 5 courses. If for example I take all 5 courses in my first year and then spend 2 years writing my thesis, if I understand correctly, my GPA will be calculated based on the year that I took the courses + the last year of undergraduate degree? If that is the case, I will probably take the courses over 2 years.
4) Is it safe to assume that the scholarship for doctorate is about as competitive as for master´s?
Thanks for your attention! Stay awesome.
Hi Vinicius,
Thank you for your kind words!
I don’t mean to doubt you, but are you sure that your GPA conversion was correct? You said that most of your colleagues would have a GPA of 1.5 out of 3.0, but that means that they are all just barely passing their degrees. Even if your grading system is really strict, that is taken into account in the conversion process, so a lot of people find that their GPA on the MEXT scale is much higher than they expected. (I go over the conversion process and several examples in my upcoming book, but it’s not quite ready yet).
In any case, I can’t fault your decision to go for a perfect GPA in a Master’s in your country! That would certainly elevate your chances.
1. In Japan, a Master’s degree is expected to take 2 years, but there is no prejudice against systems where it takes three. It would all depend on the reason. If you take longer to complete your degree because of fieldwork demands or the program length, that would not be a problem. If it was because of poor academic performance, that would be a problem.
2. As of this year, I understand that they would want you to submit your undergraduate grades as well, but they will only calculate your last 4 semesters of grades for eligibility. It’s what you’ve done recently that matters most!
3. If two years of your degree are dedicated completely to research and there is no grades or evaluation (including a grade for your thesis) then, strictly speaking, they should take the last 2 years of grades where you were undertaking classes, but this could be within the area of a judgement call.
4. There is no separate category for Master’s and Doctorate. Everyone is competing in the same pool, so the competition is the same.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis. Sorry for the late response, I have been collecting information from people who got the scholarship from my country (Brazil) and the process has a few minor differences. If you are interested in them:
– All the documents must be sent in Portuguese at first. Only after getting the embassy approval that I will have to translate them to English by myself and send again to the embassy/consulate.
– The letters of recommendation are only asked after the embassy approval.
– A guy got a letter of recommendation from a lecturer (not supervisor) and it worked fine. (I know that in the instrunctions it says clearly “president/dean/supervisor”)
– The same guy had a not very good gpa and was admitted into a former imperial university.
– Another guy bombarded professors with emails. (This means that he didn’t need to limit to only 3 universities at first, maybe only after getting the LOAs). In the end he could only get a LOA from Keio, and was admitted by Mext.
– Some consulates here strongly advice you to not talk to professors before the embassy approval, while others may even facilitate the process if you show that you already have an (informal?) Professor’s approval.
-Probably my consulate has more lax initial requirements due to the amount of candidates. My city has a huge number of nikkeis. Probably over 80% of the scholarship recipients are nikkei.
My biggest worry is related to grades. Unfortunately I still don’t know how much it matter. Actually my mext gpa for 2016+2017 is 2.0. And after this semester(2016-2 to 2018-1) around 2.23. By the end of the year (2017 to 2018) I should get a gpa of around 2.45.
Although I have a gpa of 2, actually I am thinking that I still have chances with the consulate. So I have a question:
If I get an approval from the consulate can I still face problems with the universities?
Ps.: To explain better how grades work here, it goes from 0.0 to 10.0. I need only 5.0 to pass a course. The faculty does not provide an “alphabet” equivalent to this grade system. My faculty is notoriously hard and although it is a 5 year program, the average time to finish the undergraduate degree is 6.5 years (mainly because the good students usualy do exchange programs for 1 year, and the average students fail some courses an have to take it again). Some course have above 50% fail rate. If I had the chance to give a “fair” grade conversion, it would be from (0 to 5)=0, (5 to 6)=1, (6 to 7)=2 and (7 to 10)=3. Although there is a chance that the consulate understands this, I doubt that the Japanese university would.
Thank you for reading another huge block of text!
Hi Vinicius,
Thank you very much for sharing your experience!
It sounds like the consulates there run a pre-screening process to help whittle down the numbers before they have everyone go through the process of getting everything translated. Your comments and description are very helpful. I have a few notes to add, as well.
Contacting professors: You cannot contact professors to ask for an LoA until after passing the primary screening, so some people will recommend that you do not other until then. (I used to recommend this, too, but changed my mind). If you are in contact before that, it is not related to the MEXT application but rather building a relationship.
Limiting to Three Universities: You are right, you are only limited to submitting LoAs from three universities. You can contact as many as you want in the meantime!
Regarding the GPA, it would only be checked at the embassy/consulate level for the purpose of screening your eligibility. However, the universities may look at it and if they think that you are not a strong student or not likely to succeed, they may decide not to issue a letter of acceptance.
There must be some form of official grade conversion scale for your grades and it is your responsibility to provide it with your application so that the embassy and university understand what your grades mean.
If students from your program are going on exchange, then they would have to be able to convert their grades for the exchange program. I would recommend you check with the exchange office to see if they have a scale. If you can convert your grades to a 4.0 GPA system or letter grade system, then you can use that to convert to MEXT.
It might also be the case that your university does not include failing grades in the final grade calculation. That would affect your overall GPA significantly, too.
I hope that helps!
– Travis from TranSenz
Is the employer recommendation optional or an absolute requirement? What if the employer is not supportive of an employee leaving to pursue something like this?
Hi Sammy,
Yes, the Employer Recommendation Letter is a requirement. It’s exactly because MEXT is concerned that your employer might not want to let you go. The Letter of Recommendation helps prove that you will be able to leave your job to pursue the scholarship.
I would recommend that you check with your embassy, though. They may ask you to submit it later in the application process in some cases.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Sir!
Is the upper age limit for MEXT UG scholarship extended from 1996 to 1994 ? Can you confirm it?
Hi Avinash,
According to the application guidelines (linked at the top of the article) the age requirement for the undergraduate scholarship is:
“Applicants, in principle, must be born between April 2, 1994 and April 1, 2002.”
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, may I know if its possible to get directly an acceptance from the university for a degree granting program by-passing the research program (non-degree)? I’ve read it in the guidelines and it says its possible. I’m just wondering if the unis in Japan directly accepts students to degree granting programs. Thank you very much! 🙂
Hi Toggs,
Yes, it is possible, but it is up to each individual university to decide whether or not they will allow it. When you contact universities after the primary screening to ask for an LoA, be sure to ask about the process for coming directly as a degree-seeking student.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am guy of 31 years old, I’m newly married and I’m interested in MEXT scholarship in Japan, if I am giving the scholarship to study in Japan, can I live in Japan with my wife?
Hi Paul Oluwase Babalola,
Yes, MEXT scholarship winners can invite their family to Japan as dependents. You would have to come to Japan first and complete the paperwork here to get her a Certificate of Eligibility before she would be able to apply for a visa and come to Japan as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz