The most important step in applying for the University Recommended MEXT scholarship is selecting the university to apply to!
The University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship is the more complicated and competitive way to apply for the scholarship, but with careful preparation, you can stand out from the other applicants and earn the scholarship. Most applicants knock themselves out of the competition by failing to prepare their applications or research their universities.
In this article, I will explain the scholarship, how to choose a university, and how to apply. You can also find links below to my articles on how to fill out the application form, how to write your Field of Study and Research Program Plan (the most important document in your application) and how to maximize your chances of winning the scholarship.
Ready? Let’s get started.
University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship:
Eligibility
I have written extensively about the eligibility requirements in the past and updated them when last year’s University Recommendation application guidelines came out. I have also written a separate article on how to calculate your GPA for the MEXT scholarship.
Those three articles cover all of the details you need to know about the eligibility criteria for now.
However, one of the unique challenges of the University Recommendation MEXT scholarship is that MEXT releases the official application guidelines (sometimes with revised eligibility criteria) around December, which is generally after the application deadline has closed at universities. So, the information in the articles above is accurate for now, but subject to change. If you sign up for my mailing list (see the link at the bottom of this post), I will let you know as soon as the guidelines are released if there are any changes.
One change I anticipate this year is that MEXT will require all applicants to have language proficiency scores from an official test, such as TOEFL or IELTS. Last year, for the first time, MEXT said that applicants should have scores “to the maximum degree possible”. Because of the timing issue I mentioned above, this seems like a warning to universities that those scores will be mandatory in future years. I do not think that there will be any mandatory minimum score, but universities will be required to show applicants scores. Tests like prediction tests, institutional tests, etc., will not be accepted.
Again, that is only my prediction, but here’s the bottom line: You absolutely cannot hurt yourself by having those scores. You could, however, eliminate yourself from competition by not having them.
Benefits
The scholarship benefits are unchanged from last year:
- Exemption from paying tuition
- 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.
Benefits for the Top Global University Category Scholarship
There is a sort of sub-category of the University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship for universities that were selected for MEXT’s Top Global University Program. It’s a little too complicated to explain in this article (I will write a separate article on the subject later), but in some cases, those scholarship slots may be awarded through the same process as the University Recommendation application.
For the Top Global University scholarship slots, scholarship winners do not receive the round-trip flight ticket to Japan.
When to Start Your Application
You should start now!
Obviously, I don’t know when you are reading this or if the application process is open at the moment, but that doesn’t matter. For a successful MEXT scholarship application you should always start long before the application process opens. There is a lot of research to be done and several important decisions for you to make. One of those decisions – deciding which university to apply to – will determine when you can actually start the application process. We’ll get to that a little bit later on.
No, seriously, when does the application start?
Fine: The fall. It typically starts in the (Northern Hemisphere) fall. However, some universities will start accepting applications as early as August, some in September or October, and some as late as December. Ultimately, you can only find out the exact start date after choosing a university.
Technical Differences from the Embassy Recommendation Application Process
If you have applied for the Embassy Recommendation in the past there are a few key differences in the scholarship that you should be aware of. (If you haven’t you can skip down to the next section).
- You can only apply to one university.
- You can only arrive in the fall semester.
- There is no Japanese language training semester.
- In most cases, the university will decide if you are allowed to start as a degree-seeking or research student. If they accept degree-seeking students in the fall, then you will almost certainly start as a degree-seeking student. If they do not, then you would have to start as a research student.
Choosing Your University – The Most Important Decision
You can only choose one university to apply to, so this decision is critical and must come very early in your application process.
I have written another article about how to search for universities in Japan with English language programs in your field of study that should help you figure out which universities are even possible.
Focus on Partner Universities
However, keep in mind that you should select a university that has a partnership with your current university if at all possible. Some Japanese universities will only accept University Recommendation MEXT scholarship applications from graduates of partner universities.
Partner University Benefit: You have to submit a letter of recommendation as part of the application process. If your universities have a formal partnership, any faculty member can write the letter. If the universities have an informal partnership and history of interaction, then your letter must come from the Dean or higher. No partnership? Your letter of recommendation would have to come from the president of your university.
Another advantage of applying to a partner university is that it may be easier to learn their exact application process. As I mentioned above, not every university makes this clear or public. If there is a direct connection between your current university and the university in Japan, such as a connection between professors or between international offices, then you can use that to ask about the application.
Even if there is no formal partnership agreement between your universities, the existence of informal cooperation is also beneficial. Check with your university’s international office or international planning office to see if they can provide you with a list of all the Japanese universities that your university has partnered or worked with.
Applying to Non-Partner Universities
You cannot control what partnerships your university has in Japan, so you may find yourself in a situation where applying to a partner university is not an option. That doesn’t mean that you should give up! It just means that you’re going to have to work a little harder.
If you do not have the partnership connection, it may be harder to determine which universities will accept non-partner applications. So, even though you can only apply to one university, at the research stage, I suggest you come up with a list of several Japanese universities that you would like to apply to and follow-up to find the application process for each one. (I will cover that below).
The Numbers Game: Competition and Slots
I mentioned at the top that the University Recommendation MEXT Scholarship is more competitive. Just how competitive depends on the university and on your nationality.
Each university has a specific number of slots available, depending on the number of international graduate students it had enrolled during the previous year. As of the 2018 application cycle (the most recent one available), the base number of scholarship slots available to each university was determined as shown in the chart below. The calculation is based on the number of international graduate students enrolled at the university as of May 1 of the preceding year. That report is not yet our for 2018, so I have categorized universities based on their number of 2017 students. This number is subject to change.
Base Slots
| Number of International Graduate Students Enrolled | Number of MEXT Scholarship Slots | Universities in the Category (As of May 1, 2017) |
|---|---|---|
| 1001+ | 9 | University of Tokyo, Waseda, Tohoku University, University of Tsukuba, Osaka University, Kyushu University, Kyoto University, Hokkaido University, Nagoya University*, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Hiroshima University |
| 801 – 1000 | 8 | Kobe University |
| 601 – 800 | 7 | Ritsumeikan University, Keio, Chiba University |
| 501 – 600 | 6 | Sophia University |
| 401 – 500 | 5 | Meiji University, Yokohama National University, Kansai University |
| 301 – 400 | 4 | Doshisha University, Josai International University |
| 201 – 300 | 3 | Takushoku University, Hosei University |
| 101 – 200 | 2 | Ritsumeikan APU, Chuo University |
| 0 – 100 | 1 | Japan University of Economics, Osaka Sangyo University |
*Reporting was not sufficiently detailed for this university, but this is my best guess based on data available.
Modifiers and Other Scholarship Slot Types
The number in the chart above is just a base number. It can go up or down based on the percentage change in the number of privately financed (e.g. non-MEXT scholarship) international students enrolled versus the previous year. If the number goes up, there is a possibility of the university receiving more slots. If it goes down, slots could be taken away.
Also, if a university had zero new University Recommendation MEXT scholars during the previous year, than the maximum number they can nominate is 1, regardless of their student numbers.
Priority Graduate Programs
Priority Graduate Programs are specific programs selected by MEXT to receive a bonus allotment of slots for a period of three years.
MEXT used to select new programs each year, but stopped between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, MEXT selected new programs again, and you can find the list here (pdf from MEXT website). MEXT has also called for applications for new programs to be selected in 2018.
The programs selected in 2017 will all have a certain number of scholarship slots that are protected for their program for three years (scholars starting their studies in 2018, 2019, and 2020). If you apply to one of these programs and are eligible, then your chances of earning the scholarship go up exponentially since there are more scholarship slots to go around!
To give an example, one year when I was processing applications for a major private university that had 2 PGP programs with a total of 15 slots available, we had approximately 200 total applicants. Of those 200 applicants, 16 met the eligibility requirements for one of the PGP programs. The other 184 did not, and had to compete for the 10 general scholarship slots we had that year. So, 15 out of 16 of the PGP-eligible applicants (93.75%) earned the scholarship, but only 10 out of 184 non-eligible applicants (5.43%) did.
If there is a PGP program that matches your interest, it makes sense to target it, but the eligibility criteria can be very narrow. For example, one of the two programs I mentioned above was only available to Information Science applicants at the Master’s Degree level, who were applying for the degree program taught in Japanese. (The grad school also offered the same degree taught in English, but that was not eligible for the PGP slots) The other was only available to citizens of Thailand or Indonesia who applied in Life Sciences. Neither of those eligibility criteria were made public.
So, targeting a PGP program is a good idea, but you may not be able to find out in advance if you are even eligible, unless you have a partnership relationship that you can leverage for more information! For both of those programs above, relevant faculty members deliberately reached out to partner universities that would have eligible students to encourage them to have their students apply.
Priority Countries and Division of Scholarship Slots
To you, the MEXT scholarship may “just” be a ticket to advanced education and a life-changing experience. But from the Japanese government’s perspective, it is a foreign diplomacy tool. So, unfortunately, politics does play a role in the scholarship award. For the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, this is represented by the number of scholarship slots awarded to each country.
For the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, there are also rules on the nationality of scholars that universities can recommend. These rules have changed over time and could change again when the final guidelines are released for the 2019 application cycle, but in 2018, universities were told that at least 75% of their nominees had to come from countries on the list of “Priority Countries”, below.
That means that a university that had 8 scholarship slots could recommend a maximum of 2 students from non-priority countries; a university with 4-7 slots could recommend only 1; and a university with 3 or fewer scholarship slots cannot recommend any scholarship nominees from non-priority countries.
| Africa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Angola | Benin |
| Botswana | Burkina Faso | Burundi |
| Cabo Verde | Cameroon | Central African Republic |
| Chad | Comoros | Cote D’Ivoire |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Djibouti | Egypt |
| Equatorial Guinea | Eritria | Ethiopia |
| Gabon | Gambia | Ghana |
| Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya |
| Lesotho | Liberia | Libya |
| Madagascar | Malawi | Mali |
| Mauritania | Mauritas | Morocco |
| Mozambique | Namibia | Niger |
| Nigeria | Republic of the Congo | Rwanda |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Senegal | Seychelles |
| Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa |
| South Sudan | Sudan | Swaziland/eSwatini |
| Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia |
| Uganda | Zambia | Zimbabwe |
| Americas | ||
| Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil |
| Chile | Colombia | Ecuador |
| Guyana | Paraguay | Peru |
| Suriname | Uruguay | USA |
| Venezuela | ||
| Asia | ||
| Bangladesh | Bhutan | Brunei |
| Cambodia | India | Indonesia |
| Laos | Malaysia | Maldives |
| Mongolia | Myanmar | Nepal |
| Pakistan | Philippines | Singapore |
| Sri Lanka | Thailand | Vietnam |
| CIS and Russia | ||
| Armenia | Azerbaijan | Belarus |
| Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Moldova |
| Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan |
| Uzbekistan | ||
| Europe | ||
| Albania | Austria | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Bulgaria | Croatia | Cyprus |
| Czech Republic | Greece | Hungary |
| Kosovo | Liechtenstein | Macedonia |
| Montenegro | Poland | Romania |
| Serbia | Slovakia | Slovenia |
| Switzerland | Ukraine | |
| Middle East | ||
| Afghanistan | Bahrain | Iran |
| Iraq | Israel | Jordan |
| Kuwait | Lebanon | Oman |
| Palestine | Qatar | Saudi Arabia |
| Syria | Turkey | UAE |
| Yemen | ||
You can find the original list in Japanese here.
There are several notable countries not on that list, including (but not limited to): China, South Korea, all of North and Central America (except the US), all of Oceania, all of Scandinavia, the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain.
Students from China and South Korea make up nearly 48% of all international students in Japan, but they are not on the list. So if you’re from either of those two countries or from another country not listed above, you’ll be facing an uphill battle to get a slot.
How and When to Apply
As I mentioned at the top, every university has its own application process and rules, so the first thing you need to do is choose the university you will apply to. Once you have your target university, find out how they accept applications.
Approaching Via Partnership
If your target university is a partner, the most effective and advantageous way to approach them about the MEXT scholarship is via that partnership. Try to reach out through your university or faculty’s international partnership office (it may be called something different at your university).
If they can give you information about specific faculty or staff members who have worked with the Japanese university, approach those people and ask if they will contact the university on your behalf for more information. An inquiry that comes via a known conduit has a higher chance of getting a faster and more thorough reply. Even if the professor who has worked with the Japanese university is in a completely different field of study from you, you can still leverage that person as a connection. If you are hesitant to contact the professor directly, yourself, ask your academic advisor for assistance.
However, before approaching through a partnership, always do your own research first! Few things make a worse first impression as a research student than failing to notice information that was clearly available to begin with.
Independent Research
If you do not have a partnership between your universities, then the first thing you need to do is make sure that the target university will accept applications from non-partner universities.
Your first resource should be the target university’s website. Search the university’s website for the terms MEXT or Monbukagakusho or google the university’s name plus MEXT scholarship or Monbukagakusho Scholarship. Typically, one of those searches will give you the results you need.
You can also browse the university website’s admissions section. Usually, you will find information about the MEXT scholarship under admissions for international students in a scholarship section. You might find one page for the university as a whole or under admissions pages for a specific graduate school or program.
Even if it is not during the application cycle, you may often be able to find information from the previous year. That would at least be enough to tell you what the requirements and application timeline were and whether or not the university accepts applications from non-partners (assume they do, unless they specifically say that they do not).
Warning Sign: University Only Mentions Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship
If the university makes no mention at all of the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, that may be a sign that they do not offer a public application for it. MEXT scholarships nominees may be selected out of the top applicants for the regular degree program, they may limit applications to partners, or they may simply not participate in the University Recommended MEXT scholarship.
If you suspect this is the case, or you are otherwise unable to find any information on how to apply for the University Recommended MEXT scholarship, then your final course of action should be to contact their international office by email to ask.
Contacting the University
The best point of contact at the university would be the international office or the administrative office for the graduate school where you plan to apply.
When you reach out to that office, be sure that your email is polite, specific to that university, and indicates that you have already searched their website but were unable to find the answers you are looking for. I also recommend that you be able to explain in one sentence why you are really excited about that particular university, to make it clear that you have an academic interest and are not just looking for a handout.
What Not To Do/What I See Constantly
You don’t want to write an email that could have been sent to any university. I get these all the time and it is immediately obvious that the applicant has sent the same message to multiple universities and didn’t bother to do any research on their own in advance.
Some such inquiries are so incompetent as to have multiple universities in the “To” line of the email.
Trust me, no university wants an applicant that lazy, even on a paying basis.
Once You Have Your University Decided
Once you have chosen your university, confirmed that they will accept your application, and know the application period, it is time to get started on your actual application documents – even if the university won’t accept them, yet.
- The most important document in your application and the one that you want to start soonest is your Field of Study and Research Program Plan. This is the most important part of your application that is under your control. I recommend that you start working on it months in advance to give yourself time for the research and revision you need to make it shine.
- You may also need to start working on getting your Letter of Recommendation in advance, particularly if you have already graduated and need time to get in touch with your Alma Mater. The other item you might need to start working on is obtaining language proficiency scores from an official test, if you do not already have them.
- In general, you would want to prepare your other supporting documents, such as your academic transcript(s) about a month before the application period. For some of the documents, the university will want them to be issued within a certain period before the application deadline, so being too early can hurt you.
- You should wait until the university releases the application guidelines before completing the application forms. The university might have its own format for your to complete or might use a variation of an old MEXT application form, since MEXT tends to release the official forms late. Here is my article on how to complete the MEXT scholarship application form from the 2019 Embassy-Recommended Scholarship application cycle. The form will not be identical for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, but the questions should be similar, so this should help you prepare. If you join my mailing list (below) I will also send you a completed sample form that you can reference.
- Apply as soon as they start accepting applications! The earlier you apply, the more likely you are to get more thorough attention and be able to correct any deficiencies, etc., before the deadline. In my experience, we typically got 10% of our applications during the first three weeks of our application period and 90% during the last week, including about 75% over the last three days. If your application arrives during that final rush, it’s going to get a lot less personal attention.
Good luck with your application!
Interested in a More Detailed Walk-through?
Click here for more information about How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship.
Questions?
Let me know in the comments below!
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Hello,
I have completed my A levels and planning to take the University route for my Undergrad however I am concerned that do I need to ask professors for the acceptance letter ( like the Master’s students) or is there any other way. Your prompt response would be highly appreciated
Hi Muhammad Taha,
There are very few opportunities for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship for undergraduate students. You are essentially limited to the few universities approved for PGP programs (see my article from last year for the most recent lists).
The Embassy-Recommended application route offers much more opportunity.
If you apply for the University route, you would have to apply by following the application guidelines for the specific university that you want to apply to. It is going to be different for each program, so check the university website for details.
If you apply for the Embassy route, then no, you do not need to ask for an acceptance letter because you do not get any say in what university you get placed at. MEXT decides.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
Thank you for all the detailed posts.
I have a bachelor degree and currently employed which means I am not enrolled in any program/graduate school. have one major concern now, Is it a requirement to for a research student to be already enrolled to a school in their country?
Because I am not sure how to develop a research plan by my own. I am afraid that it is too late to start as the application closed on 31st of May and it was written in your blog it is better to begin the preparation process as early as possible.
Hi Fatimah,
No, there is no requirement that you be currently enrolled in a university when you apply. You can apply for the scholarship even if you graduated years ago and are now employed.
I have an article about how to format your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, and a book on the same subject that goes into detail about how to develop your research topic and plan from scratch, which might help. If you still have connections to your past university or professors there that might be able to help you, that would also be an option to help you prepare.
It is a little late to get started now, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. You’ll just have to be prepared to put in more work in less time to prepare and get everything ready for the submission deadline!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
first I would like to thank you for your valuable advice on how to become sucessefful in this opportunity. before asking the question let me tell you the status of where I am. I applied to the university-recommended MEXT scholarship. the university had linkage with my previous university where I am graduated. they have launched the project and started working on research projects. I had interviews with the supervisor and the project coordinator and then they become interested to come to Japan and study my master’s in their university as MEXT scholars. However, while I sending the necessary documents I forgot to write my name and keywords in the abstract. Do think that this can have a problem or lead to the rejection of the MEXT selection?
Hi Haymanot Yenesew,
I saw you had asked the same question on another page and I answered it there, first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for your contents, its really helpful. Thanks to you, if not because of your content, probably I will apply the MEXT University Recommendation to 2 diffferent universities and then get failed LOL. But I’ve some questions regarding to choose the university:
1. I face 2 difficult choice, should I apply to univ that partnering with my current univ but the professor’s research areas aren’t match with my research plan or should I apply to univ that don’t partnering with my current univ but the professor’s research are match with my research plan?
2. Is it wisely to create a research plan that match with the professor’s research area but actually not of my passion?
3. Some univ stated that GRE score is optional, how big is my chance will increased if I submit the GRE score?
Thanks
Hi Vian,
If you want to apply to multiple universities, I would recommend the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship (which should be starting soon).
Before I answer your questions, I think you really need to think about why you want this scholarship and this degree. What does it mean for you in the long run? That is going to impact your answers. For example, if you are really passionate about a particular research topic and want to keep working on that topic in the future, then it wouldn’t make any sense to change your topic and you would be better off applying to a university where you can follow that research.
1. As mentioned above, it depends how passionate you are about your research topic. If you are willing to change to a new research topic and can be just as excited about that, the university that partners with your current uni should offer a slightly better chance. But if it’s not worth it to you to change your research topic, then you would have to apply elsewhere.
2. I do not think so. You are going to be fully focused on this research for the next two to three years. It should be something that you are passionate about and will be motivated to pursue, even when times are difficult.
3. I do not know how the GRE score impacts your application or how individual universities use it, since I have never worked with a university that required GRE scores or even asked for them as an optional submission. I would think that it is slightly less important than your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, particularly if it is optional.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Hope that you are doing well.
I am writing to you to know about the entry of new students.
It is seen that, Japan is now allowing re-entry of old students. That’s a good news. But MEXT is still silent about entry of new students. As a recipient of MEXT scholarship for October 2020, I am concerned about my departure. I asked several times to my departmental office and professors but no one knows nothing. Here, in my country I quit my study and can’t apply for any job as I am expected to depart this October. If there is any updated news from your side, please let me know.
Moreover, if Japan plans for online classes, I am afraid of about my research works as my work will be totally lab based with very few lectures. What will be Japan’s plan for research students?
Hi Farhana,
I think that is the top question on all MEXT Scholars’ minds right now. The problem is that nobody knows the answer. Not universities and not MEXT. MEXT does not control immigration policy, so they have to wait for the decision.
Like you said, Japan just opened up to returnees, which is some progress, but I am afraid that it might not be enough. There has also been talk of opening up to new arrivals from certain countries and certain visa statuses, but so far progress has been limited.
I am continuing to monitor the situation as best I can here and will share anything new that I learn.
As for plans if universities go online (again) in the fall, that’s going to be university-by-university and department-by-department as they try to figure out how to serve their students.
I’m sorry I do not have any more concrete information for you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
I got in touch with a professor at Research institute for electrical communication, Tohoku university and he agreed on recommending me for mext scholarship. So
does that mean I needn’t submit any form or give an exam in September? What should I, as an applicant, do now?
Hi Sumith,
Even with the professor’s agreement to support your application, you still need to actually prepare and submit the entire application and complete all of the other procedures. The professor’s agreement just means that once you have submitted your application and they are in the process of evaluating them, he will speak up on your behalf, but you have to get to that point, first.
Are you applying for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship? In that case, the application guidelines likely aren’t available yet, but you can start preparing now for the things you know you’ll need, like the Field of Study and Research Program Plan, as well as the documents that you need to assemble. (If you are applying for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, then it is the application period now, so you need to start preparing and submitting your application right away, depending on the deadline in your country!)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
You should also be checking the university’s website frequently to see if there are any updates about the MEXT Scholarship Application process starting and be sure to follow their directions.
If I am graduated from university in Japan, does my chance to get the scholarship from university lower?
Hi Fauzi,
No. Graduating from university in Japan by itself is not going to have a significant negative effect on your application. I have known several applicants who earned their bachelors degrees in Japan then also earned the MEXT Scholarship for graduate school.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis!
I don’t know where to begin! Is embassy recommendation a must?
I am in a different town then where our Japanese embassy is right now, but the cases of Covid19 are increasing each day, so I am not allowed to travel at the moment! Please tell me what to do?
Hi Trito,
There are two ways to apply, via Embassy Recommendation (which is going on now) and via University Recommendation (which typically starts in the fall). I highly recommend applying for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship because you can complete more of the process in your home country and there are typically more scholarship places available.
If your country is experiencing travel restrictions, then the local Japanese Embassy should account for that in the application process. Have you checked their website for their instructions? It should include information about submissions, etc. Since the situation in each country is different right now, it is going to be up to local embassies to adjust their application processes as necessary, so following up with them directly is really best.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you so much for all your effort in writing up this informative blog!
I have been selected to be recommended from GraSPP to MEXT as a MEXT(PGP) scholarship candidate. However, I have been told that the final results will only be out end June.
I would like to ask what my chances are of successfully getting the scholarship?
Thank you for your help! 🙂
Hi Beatrice,
Thank you for your kind words.
For the PGP programs, each university has a set number of students they can recommend each year and that number has been determined in advance by MEXT. If you have been nominated, I cannot foresee any situation under which you would not get the scholarship in the end!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis
Thanks for the good work
Is PGP the same as special category?
Hi Joel,
Yes, they are different ways of saying the same thing.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
HI
HOW I CAN FIND THE UNIVERSITY FOR MASTER DEGREE .
i want to apply for architectural conservation
Hi Sayed Amin,
I have an article all about how to find universities and professors for the MEXT scholarship that should answer your questions!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am planning to apply for University of Tokyo information sciences department and went through the website in which they had mentioned a detailed procedure on how to apply for their master’s programme. As University of Tokyo has left admissions and the university recommended MEXT to the specific grad schools of the applicants choice, I was confused if this was for non-MEXT applicants or scholarship applicants although i do feel it was similar. Also they had mentioned some entrance exam which I have seen throughout at many admission departments of the same university. Is that a criteria for selection?. Does that mean i have to personally take this exam at the university? Or is it different for MEXT scholarship students ?
Hi Sakshi,
The information is pretty tough to find, but yes, the admissions process for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship at Todai is left up to the individual graduate schools.
For the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, it looks like they may only accept applications through designated partner universities, since there is really no information on their site about an open application process. It specifically mentions that there has to be an exchange agreement or the like.
https://www.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp/edu/inter_ex/oir/scholarship_e.shtml
In any case, the application period would be over for this year. I think you best chance would be to apply for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship application, which should be starting around mid-March.
Typically, you will have to take an entrance exam, but it won’t necessarily be a requirement during the application process, especially for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship. Many applicants will arrive in Japan as non-degree research students and will take the entrance exam after starting their studies, in order to move into the formal degree program.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, I applied for MEXT university recommendation. I contacted one of the professor and I haven’t got any reply from him yet and this was my first mail with him. So, should I mail him again or wait for his reply because i’m afraid I couldn’t manage to the deadline.
Thank you.
Hi Panha,
I am assuming that you have checked with the university and that contacting the professor is the correct way to apply there. (If you haven’t, make sure that you have looked up the instructions for that university and are reaching out to the right person).
If the professor is the person to contact, then I would suggest a polite reminder email about a week after your original message. . . Or less if you are up against the deadline and need a response sooner. In that case, I would recommend that you approach the email with something like “I’m sorry to bother you again so soon, but. . .” and then explain why you need the response quickly.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Sir I am from India and I have the consent from my proposed supervisor from Hokkaido University and Prof told me that she will give the application documents as soon as they are sent to them by the university. But I am not able to locate any information about the university recommendation procedure on the Hokkaido University’s website and what documents are needed for it. Please help me in finding out more about the process. I also would like to know if I need to give an IELTS exam for the application?
Hi Divyanshi,
I looked around their website, but I also could not find any specific information about how to apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship there.
It seems that each Graduate School runs its own admissions processes, so if you know which graduate school you want to apply for, I would recommend that you contact their admissions person to ask about the procedures for applying for the MEXT Scholarship. They should be able to tell you if it is possible and what the requirements are. (It may just be that you apply through regular process but also indicate that you want to be considered for the scholarship).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thanks again for helping all of us by providing valueable and trustworthy information.
I am looking forward to applying Tokyo University of Foreign Studies this year. I contacted with one of the professors, sending them my research plan. Professor told me that they can supervise me (指導できる) after I succeed in university recommendation and I should write to them (professor) again when my coming to Japan is certain. This made me extremely happy, but also left me with some important questions about the procedure. I’d like to write them one by one and I’ll be extremely glad if you could help me.
1- Will the university declare the start of applications publicly?
2- How many steps are there? After I send my files to the university, is it final?
3- Considering that the professor accepted supervision after I pass the university recommendation, what are my chances?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Hi Aaron,
Congratulations on making contact with a professor!
Unfortunately, there is no unified application process for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship. Every university handles the application differently, so you would need to find the procedures specific to TUFS.
1- This depends on the university. Some will announce an open call for nominations, others may select the top candidates from their standard application process, and still others may limit the application to partner universities. I would recommend that you do some research to find out what TUFS did last year. Look for old announcements on their website, or info from past successful applicants.
2- Again, this depends on the university. Typically there is a document screening and an interview to determine who the university recommends to MEXT.
3- Your chances depend entirely on the quality of your application and the level of competition. Having a professor who has agreed to advise you if accepted will not help you overcome a low (or lower-than-the-competition) GPA or mediocre Field of Study and Research Program Plan, so the best way to increase your chances is to focus on that FSRPP, since that is the only thing under your control at this point.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello
I want to know about contacting a professor for acceptance letter increases the chances and how can we contact them?
Hi Haleema,
In some cases, you are required to contact the professors before applying for a CoE. But even when you are not, if you have been in contact with the professor in the past and discussed your research and the professor has agreed to accept you, then you of course have a nearly 100% chance to get an LoA when you formally apply for one.
On the other hand, if you have never been in contact with that professor, you don’t know their situation. They might not be able to supervise your research, or they might be retiring, etc. That’s why your chances would be lower. There would be a higher possibility of problems that you can’t see in advance.
If you do some research on the universities’ homepages once you have identified a target professor, you should be able to find their contact information in many cases. If you can’t, then you can try to contact them via the administrative office of their graduate school.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello!
I have nominated by university as mext scholar, and what are the chances to receive this scholarship?
Thank you
Hi Umit,
I have never heard of anyone who was nominated by a university for the scholarship and did not receive it in the end, so based on my experience, your chances are practically guaranteed.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
i have read one at least a couple univesity guideline pdfs something like “MEXT makes the final decision, even if we recommend you, it is up to MEXT …”
Isn’t this referring to the second screening (the one by MEXT) ?
Hi Jack,
Unfortunately, I have to amend this statement this year. For the first time ever, I heard of applicants who were nominated but did not receive the scholarship.
The MEXT secondary screening is not a competitive screening. They are double-checking eligibility factors, such as whether an applicant has been nominated by multiple universities, or has any immigration trouble history in Japan that would prevent them from obtaining a visa.
And more importantly, they are also checking their numbers versus their final budget, and that was the problem this year. MEXT’s budget for the scholarship ended up being slashed by quite a bit, so they had to reduce the number of applicants they accepted from the universities’ nominees. In that case, though, it still wasn’t a competitive application. They came up with a formula to recalculate the number of slots available to each university then simply took the top students from each university’s nomination list, based on the rank order the universities submitted.
At least, that’s what happened as far as I have been able to tell from the reports I have seen.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I have been selected by the targeted university for MEXT university-recommended scholarship and submitted all the required documents.
After that, I have been told that the recommendation can’t promise MEXT scholarship receipt and result from the MEXT is planning to be notified of by the end of June.
What should I do at this moment? Should I email the university to follow up?
Hi Oliver,
Congratulations! By this point in the process, your scholarship award is practically certain and it is just a matter of waiting.
In terms of administrative processing, there is nothing you can do at this time. Even the university is just waiting for MEXT’s reply.
If you had any direct contact with your future advising professor, though, I would recommend that you continue to follow up with him or her to see if they have any advice for what reading or studying you should be doing now to prepare yourself to start your degree in Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
How do i select the School that i want
Hi Sodeeq,
You need to research universities that have degree programs in English in your field of study and have professors that could advise on your research subject. I have an article about finding universities and professors that teach in English that should help with your search.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi
I am form Afghanistan,
your application process is very hard.
please become it easy
not every one can apply
Hi Abdul karim himmat,
To be a little blunt, it’s not supposed to be easy. This scholarship is for the top scholars and having a challenging process helps to weed out those who aren’t willing to put in the effort. Even though I (Note: I am not officially related to the scholarship) work hard to try to make the application process clear, it is still supposed to require a lot of work.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,Travis, I’ve been reading your articles (and bought your book last year). They were extremely helpful, thank you so much! I’ve successfully been nominated by a uni for MEXT thru university-recommendation and am now just waiting for the final results. Would you know (or are they posting it somewhere on the net) when would MEXT be releasing the final results? I’ve been hearing news that it is June, some say July. Could you shed some light on this? I’m really eager to know what month and which week of the month, if possible, since I have planned arrangements which might be affected by the timing of the results. Thanks again!
Hi Joy,
Thank you very much for your feedback (and for buying the book!)
I am thrilled to hear that you were nominated by the university for the MEXT Scholarship!
MEXT releases the results by communicating them directly to the university that nominated you – they are not posted publicly. The estimated date of results is “by the end of June”, but MEXT notes that that is the estimated date, only. In recent years, they have often been late, releasing the results in early July, instead. Then you need to account for a day or so for the university to process the results and inform the successful candidates.
For what it’s worth, I have never heard of the case where an applicant was nominated by a university to MEXT for the scholarship but then ended up not receiving it. Even though the results might not be available until around the second week of July, I do not think that there should be any question of the outcome!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thanks for your enlightenment! Although the results won’t be up until July, your information really helped! I guess it really is just a waiting game for now. By the way, since I’ve taken the Uni-recommendation path I’d be starting my gradschool as I get there (unlike embassy path where I get to be a research student first). It’s an English program for international students but I’d still like to work on studying Japanese before I get there. Would you have any recommendations, by any chance, of a tool or platform that can help? I know your articles are focused on getting the scholarship (which are extremely helpful!!) but was wondering if you have tips on Moving to Japan (e.g. on learning some Japanese before going there).
A big THANK YOU again, Travis! All the best.
Hi Joy,
Thank you so much for your feedback! Nothing makes my day like hearing success stories. That’s why I keep this going 🙂
I know I need to work on articles about preparing to move to Japan. The demand for MEXT scholarship articles has kept my focus there, so I haven’t been able to do much, yet.
Unfortunately, my recommendations for learning Japan are probably not going to be all that useful. I used Rosetta Stone to study a little bit before I first came here and hired a Japanese major at a local university to tutor me, but that was in the days of dial-up internet and there weren’t the range of tools you have now. I have not tested anything personally in recent years, but I have heard good things about DuoLinguo.
I will work on those recommendations in the future (I actually planned the 7th book in the MEXT series to be all about moving to Japan, in part to force myself to do that kind of research so I can publish more articles here).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I totally understand. Thanks again for answering my queries. Noted on Duolingo. Will check it out.
All the best on your upcoming articles an books!
Hi Joy,
Thank you very much for your feedback!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Joy, congrats! What university did you apply?
Hi Rany, I applied to Keio University.
have you heard back?
congrats Keio
Hello Travis,
I can’t thank you enough for your blog! I guess yours is the only source on the entire web with such detailed, organized, tremendously useful data.
The University I work at has recently signed an MOA with a Japanese University, The dean recommended me to pursue my PhD at the Japanese University and a professor there has agreed to have me in his lab. I told him that I want to pursue MEXT scholarship via university recommendation and he said I could apply in May 2019 and sent me the application for previous year. I have asked a colleague he said that by applying on May 2019 I am expecting to arrive to Japan on September 2020 which I personally think is too much time to wait.
I have many concerns;
1. Can I apply to embassy recommendation in Mid-April and still apply to university recommendation in mid-May? If I passed the embassy recommendation I would arrive to Japan April 2020 and I wouldn’t know which university I’d join)
2. If I traveled on my expense to join the semester on April 2020 will I still be allowed to have the scholarship by September 2020? Or paying my own expenses for a semester cancels my scholarship?
3. If a professor agreed to have me under his supervision, what are the chances to grant the scholarship? I have two international publications, two Master degrees and a letter of recommendation from the dean of my university. My English proficiency is fluent yet I don’t have a certificate of official English test, I have started learning Japanese and intend to have the test within three to four months. Yet I’m married with two kids and I am intending to have my family with me.
I am really looking forward for your reply. Thanks in advance.
May I add that the University were I had my degree from is different than the university that I work at and which is actually signed the MOA with the Japanese university and recommended me. Will that be a problem in the recommendation?
My articles were under supervision of both universities.
Hi Yara Atef,
Yes, that does make a significant difference for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship. The university where you work does not matter, it is the university that you graduated from that is important. Your letter of recommendation should come from the university where you studied and the relationship between that university and the university in Japan is what would be more important for the MEXT scholarship.
However, having the relationship between the university where you work and the university in Japan at least allowed you to make that connection with the professor, so that is already a key advantage!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Yara Atef,
Thank you very much for your kind words.
May 2019 should be the application timeline for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, not the University-Recommended, but since that process comes first, I would recommend you to try for it anyway. (It is also ever-so-slightly less competitive). In general, the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application process starts in the fall. Unless the professor is referring to a Top Global University category scholarship, which could have a different timeline, but I do not know if that is the case.
1. Yes, because you will have time to withdraw from the university process if you pass the embassy’s primary screening. In general, the deadline for universities to finalize their nominees under the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship and submit them to MEXT is in March. So, even if the application process at your university were to start in May, it would not finish until March, which would give you plenty of time to withdraw your candidacy there if you pass the Embassy’s Primary Screening (which you should know by the end of July).
2. Paying your own expenses and enrolling early in a Japanese university would disqualify you from the scholarship. It specifically says that applicants who are currently enrolled or who intend to be enrolled, in a Japanese university as a fee-paying student are not eligible. (The only exception is if you are enrolled in a course that will complete before your MEXT scholarship begins, such as a short-term language course, but that does not sound like what you meant.)
3. Your chances all depend on the competition and how hard you are willing to work, particularly with your Field of Study and Research Program Plan. At the Embassy level, having a professor’s support could be a slight advantage. At the university level, having that relationship would provide more of an advantage, but at the same time the overall competition would be higher, too. I have articles on how to improve your chances and how to write a strong Field of Study and Research Program Plan that I think could help you. Getting an official English language proficiency test would also help. Japanese language proficiency is not likely to be that significant of a factor, unless you reach near-native fluency.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
Thanks for the useful write-up. Would you please check below concerns?
Right now I have two options to pursue PhD study at Japan. One professor from Nagoya university has agreed to manage RA ship for me, will get 90,000 yen/month. The doctoral course scheduled to start from April, 2019. Another professor told me to apply for MEXT scholarship, course will start from October, 2019. So, I’m in confusion and I would be grateful if I get advice regarding this.
Anyway, I have some queries-
1. As far as I know, in case of MEXT The supervisor emails if someone gets selected by the university committee in late February (pls correct me if I am wrong). I have to sit for doctoral entrance exam in February for Nagoya uni. So, is it ok to apply for MEXT scholarship and also give the entrance exam, then if I am selected, I would drop Nagoya uni and vice versa?
2. How is my chance to get full tuition waiver and/or getting MEXT scholarship from 2020 as privately financed student and/or any other financial support from Nagoya University considering I’m provided with RA.
Thank you.
Hi Abdullah,
1. I do not know the exact dates for this year. Last year, they changed somewhat from the past (moved later), and there are multiple scholarship types that have multiple timelines, so I cannot be 100% sure. In my experience, the universities I have worked with or seen results from have released the results of their internal screenings (i.e. the names of the applicants who will be recommended to MEXT) all at the same time, by early March (as of last year’s date change). But in the meantime, your plan seems like it should work. If you apply now for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, hopefully you will have the results of that application before you have to make a decision on whether or not to enroll at Nagoya University (after you learn the results of the entrance exam).
2. The chance of getting the MEXT scholarship after arriving as a fee-paying student is significantly lower. Most of the MEXT scholarship slots are awarded prior to arrival. Once you are on campus, the competition for full-scholarship slots would only get higher, if there were even any available.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
First of all, I would like to say thank you for your advise in this blog. However, I would like to ask the GPA requirement to extend MEXT scholarship from master course to doctoral course. Is it 2.50/3.00 or 2.80/3.00? I have read some references in Japanese but my Japanese is not reliable so I would like to ask you.
Thank you for your kindness!
Hi Evan William Chandra,
The requirement is 2.50/3.00 if you started as a Master’s level research student or a Master’s degree student. If you started out as an undergraduate MEXT scholar, then proceeded to a Master’s degree, the requirement to apply to extend again to a Doctoral Degree would be 2.80/3.00.
Thank you for bringing the extension application paperwork to my attention! I think that deserves a dedicated article, so I will get to work on it as soon as possible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your fast response! Your blog is as informative as always!
Pls sir how do I apply for undergraduate program
And when is the deadline for 2019 applicant
Hi Osazee,
My site is focused on the graduate scholarship, because that is my area of expertise. Much of the information here should still be helpful for undergraduate applications, but I do not have any specific information about that process.
In general, you can only apply for the undergraduate scholarship via Embassy Recommendation. The deadline for 2019 would have been back around May, so your next opportunity would be to apply in May 2019 for the scholarship starting in 2020. Since the application process can be slightly different in every country, you would have to check the website of the Japanese Embassy in your country starting in early April next year to see when they post the application guidelines and get the information you need.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello!
I read your article after the university I am applying for confirmed the delivery of my app documents and they said they were complete! Here’s hoping I get through the documents screening stage #fingerscrossed.
Just a question:
While I feel good about my chances (the professor even told me they look forward to working with me on my research plan), is there a chance that you pass the university admissions and NOT get the MEXT?
I mean, it will be truly a bummer that the University accepted you and fail to get the scholarship. You can still study bt the tuition isn’t cheap (and defeats the purpose of applying for the grant in the first place).
I know I am thinking too far ahead, but I am just curious if this case has ever happened in the past i.e. get admitted by the Uni but not a scholar. Or if the University accepts and recommends you, the MEXT is basically in the bag?
Thank you so much and your blog has helped me a lot. All the best!
Hi Des,
Thank you for your kind words! I wish you good luck on your application.
Typically, for the MEXT Scholarship application process, universities only grant acceptance to the students that they will nominate to MEXT for the scholarship. Since the university knows in advance how many students it can nominate that will be accepted, the chances of a university accepting a student through that process and that applicant not receiving the scholarship in the end are practically non-existent. As you put it, if the university recommends you, the MEXT scholarship is basically in the bag!
However, since universities only accept the number of students that they can nominate to MEXT through this application process, that means that applicants that the university would normally accept, if they had applied as fee-paying students, might not all be accepted.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your guidance.
I have one question relating to the MEXT Scholarship-University Recommendation procedure.
My prospective university has issued two deadlines for submitting application documents. The first one is for PDF copies with the purpose of checking whether the documents have any mistake. And the second one is for submission of hard copies if the documents have no problem.
My question is that can I change a bit the content of the field of study and research plan after the first submission? Because I don’t have enough time to completely review my research plan before that day.
Thank you.
Hi Khanh Quan,
Since this is a policy decided by that particular university, and I don’t know what university it is, I’m afraid that I cannot give you a certain answer. I would think that they would allow a minor change, such as making your grammar more clear, but not any significant changes, such as methodology, research focus, etc.
It depends, too, on whether the university plans to screen the pdf materials or only check them for mistakes like missing answers. If they are only checking for mistakes, then there is a better chance that they would accept changes later.
To be a bit blunt, the university is almost certainly not going to accept “I didn’t have enough time” as a reason for a change. If your research was ongoing and developing, that would be different, but even then, their expectation would be that you submit a complete plan based on what you know now for the purpose of screening and update it before you actually start your research.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
As mentioned in the other comments section for the embassy recommended scholarship, I am currently in the progress of trying for the university recommended scholarship and hence, decided to post here on a relevant page. Sorry to have yet more queries but I would like to enquire if the recommendation letter to be submitted along with the application package can also be unsealed (similar to the embassy recommendation) as the university also stated that it could be of free format. Another question would be whether it is okay to indicate that I am willing to be considered for acceptance by a different supervisor/laboratory as I do not want to close my options to gain different kinds of exposure as encouraged by my undergraduate professor. Yet, I am not sure if it is appropriate as it would seem like decreasing the level of interest in the laboratory of my first choice.
Thank you!
Regards,
Teng
Hi Teng,
Unless the university specifically states in their application guidelines that the Letter of Recommendation should be sealed, then it is fine to submit it unsealed. MEXT does not specify how universities should collect those letters.
Regarding considering other laboratories/professors, yes, I think it is fine to indicate. I would recommend phrasing your statement to indicate that you think the laboratory or professor you chose is the most appropriate to supervise your research based on the information that you have been able to find, but if the university decides that your research would fit better under another professor or laboratory – or if your first choice laboratory is unavailable for some reason – you would be willing to defer to the university’s judgement regarding your supervisor.
That says that you are interested, but admits that there may be considerations that you are not aware of.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you very much for your kind help!
Regards,
Teng
Hello Travis,
Thanks for the great article. It really give me a broad understanding on scholarship in japan.
I was offered by a senior who already finished PhD program via MEXT Uni Recommendation. He said the professor agreed to supervise me for PhD program started in October 2019 and I just need to sent the documents needed for selection purposes. How big is my chance at this stage? And when will usually the final announcement be made?
Thank you in advance, nice to know you!
Hi Krisnanda,
The application for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship is highly competitive. Unless there is a Priority Graduate Program in your field, typically, only one applicant per graduate school is going to earn the scholarship, and there may be dozens or more applicants in your field.
Having a connection on the inside is a great thing, but you still need to work hard to make sure that your application is better than anyone else’s.
Based on last year’s schedule, the university’s screening should be done by around the end of February/beginning of March, then MEXT’s final results would be available around the end of June.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the response!
Please correct me if I’m wrong. From some sources and your article I conclude that:
– first, I need to get a uni that accept uni recommend mext and a supervisor that willing to accept candidate.
– then, I will compete with other applicants who apply for the same graduate school at the uni for the limited slot of the University.
– finally, after I get the LoA, I will again compete with other applicants who apply to other uni and the Japanese government will decide who get mext.
Hi Krisnanda,
That’s close, but not quite it. It’s actually a little simpler than what you wrote.
(Before you start any of the steps you mentioned, you need a well thought-out research topic).
– First, you would need to find a university that accepts applications for the university recommended MEXT Scholarship, and preferably find a professor there who would be willing to supervise you (not mandatory).
– Next, you would compete with all of the other applicants who apply to the university. It may be done on a university-wide basis, or you may be competing for a specific slot or slots pre-allocated to the graduate school where you are applying. In either case, yes, this is where you are fighting for limited slots.
– Here’s the big change: Once the university decides to nominate you to MEXT, your scholarship award is essentially guaranteed. There is no competition with applicants to other universities. At that point, it is just a waiting game as MEXT processes the applications and makes the final official decisions.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Wow, that clears everything I had on my mind! so basically 90%-ish of the decision is held by the University?
Well, thanks again for the explanation.
I’ll try my best!
Hi Krisnanda,
You’re welcome! MEXT essentially decides how many slots to award each university (that would be their 10%) and then double-checks the universities work at the end and makes sure applicants meet all the criteria. That is the extent of their “selection” role.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
For the MEXT scholarship application process (via university recommendation) , are there any more than one admission period for each universities ?
I have decided to apply for the MEXT Scholarship University Recommendation 2019 .As I will take the IELTS exam in late Dec, I think that most universities’ deadline will be closed. So do I have any other chances this year?
Thanks for your replying in advance!
Hi Paria,
Typically, there would only be one application period for the University-Recommended MEXT scholarship per year. In most cases that I know of, the application period would end before your test date. If you are intent on applying for this year, I would recommend considering changing your language proficiency testing plans to something earlier.
Otherwise, you would be in time to apply for the Embassy Recommended MEXT scholarship for 2020, which would start in the spring.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Travis. Thank your for providing us with detailed information regarding MEXT scholarship.
I have actually sent my documents to Keio University, but being the reckless person I am, I forgot to send the legalized copy of my original graduation certificate, and only sent its legalized translation. Thus, I believe that my chance of passing became very little to none.
What I want to ask is, can I still be able to apply MEXT through university recommendation in the next admission period? I at least know that my senior applied for the general admission in Sept, submit her application for MEXT in Jan/Feb, and got her official announcement in May.
Keio still got one application period left for the Sept semester (period III), which the final announcement will be in February. Do you think I could make it if I apply again in period III?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Wina,
I’m sorry to hear about the problem you faced.
According to Keio’s website, for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, they select candidates to nominate from among the successful admissions applicants, so there is not a dedicated application process only for MEXT scholars, as far as I know. You would have to apply for their standard admissions for Fall 2019 entrance and hope to be one of the top candidates. Unfortunately, since the system is unique to Keio, I do not have any inside knowledge, but I would think that if you applied again, as long as that application process finished by January, you would still have a chance to be among the candidates recommended to MEXT.
Your senior might have more insight into the particular system there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello again Travis. I actually passed the screening and already received my LOA.
It’s just that I haven’t got any e-mail regarding the scholarship yet. It could mean that I am not nominated, or they haven’t sent out the emails.
My senpai received hers in the 4th week of December. Now it’s already passed the 4th week of December. Do you think it’s possible that Keio doesn’t stick to the pattern? (They stick to certain pattern for the screening process). Or should I just assume that I didn’t get nominated?
Hi Wina,
I just published an article this morning about waiting on the results of the Secondary Screening and University Placement that I think should help answer your questions (and reassure you!)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, sorry for not being clear. I’m was actually asking about the university recommendation. Thus, I believe that it has no connection at all with the embassy recommendation. For what I know, Keio selects its nominees from people who have passed their general screening first. But they’re secretive about the MEXT (uni recommendation) selection process. My senpai told me about hers, but I don’t know about the others. I read on some forums that some people got their email confirmation later than Dec, could be January/February.
Hi Wina,
Despite the fact that you commented on the “University Recommendation” article, I was confused because you mentioned passing the screening and receiving your LoA and I have only ever heard those terms in relationship to the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship.
All I have seen from Keio is that each graduate school nominates people for the scholarship from among their pool of general applicants, so you would have to be the top (or maybe 2nd to top) privately financed applicant in your graduate school to be selected and nominated.
So far, though, MEXT has not yet released the official University Recommended MEXT Scholarship guidelines or forms for 2019 admissions, so it is possible (it would make sense to me) that Keio is waiting on that release before deciding on its nominees, just to make sure it knows the number of slots and eligibility criteria, since those can change.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Travis, This is Wina again. For some reason I can’t reply to your newest reply to me.
Again, sorry for not being clear. The screening I mentioned previously refers to Keio U general admission, I passed both documents and interview screening (There are only 2 stages of screening for admission). I think I probably confused the term? What I received was Certificate of Admission/入学許可書. I thought it was the same thing as LOA. But it only stated that I got accepted and is expected to start my study next fall.
Could you give me the link to the official University Recommended MEXT Scholarship guidelines? I understand Japanese so it’s okay if it’s only in Japanese.
Hi Wina,
Thank you for the explanation. You didn’t do anything wrong in your explanation – I just saw words that I thought I recognized and jumped to the wrong conclusion. I understand what you’re looking for now!
As of today, MEXT has only released the official application guidelines for the PGP (Priority Graduate Programs) for the 2019 University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship. The guidelines for the general category (which is what most applicants would be going for) have not yet been posted. I’ve never heard of them being posted at different times before and need to look into that more. Once the general category guidelines are available, I will be reaching out to everyone on my mailing list to let them know!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
About your suggestion to focus on only one university, is it alright if I apply for a university whose screening process results come out on February/March and, in the event that I don’t make it, apply to another university that opens its application on April? Or would you advise against it?
Thanks and more power!
Hi Paolo,
For the MEXT scholarship application process, I think you will find that all of the universities’ application periods overlap, since they all have the same deadline for when they need to submit their list of nominees to MEXT.
However, if you did find a situation where one application period ended before the other began and you were not successful in the first, then there would be no rule against applying for the second one, as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Can undergraduates also apply for the university recommended?
Hi Henrietta,
In general, I’m afraid not. The Embassy Recommended University Recommendation is the only one that accepts general applicants for the undergraduate scholarship.
There are, however, 7 programs that were selected as Priority Graduate Programs for undergraduate students, which means that they can accept undergraduate students for the MEXT Scholarship. You can find the list on page three of the list of 2017 Priority Graduate Program Selection Results (Direct link to PDF on MEXT’s website).
Since the programs were selected in 2017, they are eligible to accept students in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Just few questions:
1. Is it possible to apply for both University and Embassy-Recommended Scholarship at the same time?
2. Is there a rough estimate of how much money does an applicant needs to prepare for the application process and before receiving the first stipend?
3. Do you have suggestions in finding accommodations in Japan if ever accepted.
Thanks
Hi Reymark,
1. The application processes do not overlap. By the time the University Recommended MEXT scholarship application process starts for any given year, the Embassy Recommended scholarship would have passed the Primary Screening stage. If you pass the primary screening at the embassy and get at least one LoA, then you are practically guaranteed to earn the scholarship, so you would not need to apply for the University route. On the other hand, if you were to not pass the primary screening, then the Embassy application would be over for you, so you would not be applying for both at the same time.
2. MEXT says about $2000 US, though I would recommend more if your university does not offer accommodations. You typically won’t receive your first stipend payment until the end of your second month in Japan, because of the time it takes to register everything and get your accounts set up, so you need to tide yourself over until then. During those first months, if you have to find your own apartment and start a contract, that can require a lot of money up front.
3. It all depends on the university you end up at and the location. If the university offers housing for the first semester or year, I recommend that, as it’s helpful as you settle in. If they do not offer housing, they should have an office that can help you find student-friendly apartments in the area.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
GOD!!!! I almost create a disaster. Thank you a lot for the information.
Hello,
I have just read your article of MEXT University Recommendation. You mentioned that applicants can choose only one university to apply. So meaning that if I choose more than one my application will be disqualified? I want to choose more than one because I want to ensure that I will get acceptance at least from one university. Thank you so much for replying.
Hi Panha,
Universities are required to ask you if you are applying to more than one university for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship and to make sure that, if you are, you cancel all of your applications but one.
If you were to apply to two universities and both somehow failed to check and nominated you for the scholarship, not only would your scholarship be cancelled, but every other applicant from both universities could also lose their scholarships.
It takes a lot of work to apply for this scholarship and you will actually have a higher chance of success if you focus all of your energy on creating an application package targeted at one university, networking in advance, and going out of the way to impress them than you would if you were to split your efforts and make only mediocre applications to multiple schools.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hello
i applied for the embassy recommandation i did past the first screening but unfortunately i didn’t pass the written exam (may be my limited japaness langugae).
so i decided to apply again via university recommandation .
i already started in july to sent email to the student support office and i got a reply .
they told that i should find at first, a supervisor because all the academic information will be communicate through him.
i sent an email to a professor but i didn’t got a reply.
should ‘i wait until september before sending a second mail or may be it’s August (vacation time) ?
Could’i sent an e mail to other professors in the same departement?
Hi Hanane,
August is summer vacation for Japanese universities, and most professors will be away, so it is a difficult time to get a reply from any of them. I would suggest that you try again to reach the professor in early or mid September, he or she should be back on campus by then.
Before you give up and try another professor, especially one in the same department, I would suggest that you reach out again to the first one. Also, if the pprofessor doesn’t reply, you could consider contacting the administrative office of the graduate school where the professor works, tell them you have been trying to contact him or her, and ask for their help.
After you have exhausted all options, it would be courteous to email the professor one last time to say that you will be contacting someone else, instead.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hello , after lot of e -mail, finally the professor answer me he told me that he can’t supervise me because of two things :
1- mismatching (because of the topic ).
2- Competitiveness : because every year he have lot of prospective students with priorities , The priority is based on CV, transcripts and the research proposal , he told me that my research plan is weak .
about research plan i wrote it based on your article , but i think that the professor need more data with academic refrences,
and reading all his argument make me think that it’s really very competive and if the professors have already a waiting list from their students i don’t have any chance , and about research proposal (they really want more data , academic reference ) but i’m just a prospective student i have only a general idea about my research i didni’ take lesson to have this deep research .
i hope that you understand my concern.
Hi Hanane,
I am sorry to hear that the professor you approached was not able to supervise you. The University Recommended MEXT Scholarship is indeed highly competitive. It is not uncommon for a university to be able to nominate only one applicant per graduate school. So, to get the university’s nomination and earn the scholarship through this route, you would have to be the single best applicant in all of “Science and Engineering” or all of “International Relations”, etc. It’s not about having a waiting list. If the professor has been approached by even one applicant with a stronger application, then he would have to turn you down.
In my experience, being refused because of a research topic mismatch is one of the most common reasons, and there is really nothing you can do about it besides approach a different professor who is more closely related to your research topic. It doesn’t matter how strong your application is in that case. You cannot overcome a research mismatch.
Regarding the strength of your research proposal, I’m sorry if my article was misleading. The article on Field of Study and Research Program Plan elements was my suggestion on how to format your research proposal. In that article, I assumed you already had a strong research topic and proposal that you had vetted with your current academic advisor and just needed help in how to write the plan.
I am currently working on a book entirely about the Field of Study and Research Program Plan and, in that book, I cover how to develop a research question and proposal and how to make sure that it is strong and unique. I will be writing more articles about that process on the blog later, as well. In the mean time, I would suggest that you work with a professor in your field to develop a stronger plan for this application cycle. Even if you are “just a prospective student” you need to present an excellent plan with academic references and data.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz