Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Postgraduate!!

[MatsuyamaHime]

*sigh* I guess I'll go for it again this year.... Third time's a charm?

 

[lsw5]

shaun, congrats ! have u got the official letter yet?

I have not heard anything.. email or letter. am working in spore now.. wonder if that would affect my application.

well, fingers crossed.

 

[Grieverheart]

I was really stuck at what I should write in the research plan :S .I want to continue my studies in theoretical condensed matter(specialized in computation methods). Anyways my research plan was not too specific and quite short too (only 30 lines). Well, the topic requires cooperation with experimental researchers (they would provide the task and the experimental data to work on), so I couldn't be too specific. I hope I can at least get a chance for an interview >_<.

 

[uranussama]

Hey everyone. I tried for a Japanese Studies MEXT scholarship last year and I got to the 'final round' (after embassy recommendation) and was ultimately denied at the very last minute. This year I'm trying for the postgrad research scholarship. My research program has to do with sociological and anthropologcial perspectives on gender in Japan and I have two professors who are willing to work with me. I see on the guidelines that a requirement is an "abstract of thesis" and until just now I took that to mean your research thesis or outline, as it were. But now I'm hearing it means a thesis you wrote in school?
I wasnt required to write a graduation thesis at my school and I didnt really have any big papers apart from regular old class assignments. But I dont want my application to be incomplete; does anyone in AMERICA know whether or not this is a must-have? I dont want to include some lame underwhelming class paper but at the same time I dont want to submit an incomplete app either, you know? Thanks. =)

 

[gcarmelino]

*sigh* I guess I'll go for it again this year.... Third time's a charm?

I'm on the same situation, this will be my third time as well.
Good luck for this time.

 

[Alejandro Ortega]

yo~ i received a notification to attend the written test this coming 31st May

Hi Shaun,
I was wondering if you passed the English language test and how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?
Thanks,
Alejandro Ortega

 

[Alejandro Ortega]

hi arap!!! ^^
sorry i haven't monitor this thread lately, i'm quite busy packing my stuffs and prepare things though i have resign from my current job now.
i think menrui and ooilingfan have given a very good answer for your questions. i try my best to answer your question, hope it will be useful:
1. GPA sure is very important, i don't mean to let u down. but i'm sure that wouldn't matter if you had prepare an excellent research topics & proposal that could impress the judge. i don't know about other countries, but in indonesia submitting a research proposal is a must.
2. i have two recommendation letter, one is sealed, the other is not. i think you don't have to worry too much about it. sealed or not, you still have to make 4 copies on each of it, right?? oh ya, you have to use the form given by the embassy (official form), so i think two recommendation is enough.
3. well, as what ooilingfan have said just try to make it as clear as possible. if think the judges prefer a simple but well written one. just don't make it too long.
4. don't quit your job ^_^ you know that the waiting part for the final result is really killing us... i might space out thinking about the result everyday if i we're not busied by my job. i even think that one of us got insomnia while waiting for the result, right ooilingfan??
you've gotta work harder for your thesis from now, use your spare time. it doesn't mean that you dig your own grave when you being unemployed. some of my friends who received the scholarship even haven't graduated by the time of the application.
5. it's a really good thing that you already have a prof who is willing to be your prospective supervisor in Japan. i bet it would strengthen your chance to get the scholarship. he would be a great help to make perfection for your thesis
just give it a try ok!! i also failed on the interview round for this scholarship when i was applying for diploma degree, who knows that i would managed to get this for my master degree... ganbatte!!

Hi ATZ,

I was wondering how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?

Thanks,

AO

 

[dalmatian]

Hey yipiyaya8,
I dun really think how solid your proposal is is measured by how many pages you have. But i do think you must be clear on what you want to do. This is my opinion but even if you don't have any references, it would be good if you have a clear methodology on how you are going to perform your research. I understand the deadline for this year has already passed so you must have submitted your proposal already. So don't worry too much. Just prepare for the exam and maybe fine tune your proposal when you get called for the interview. i think that they call quite a large percentage for the test. at least in Malaysia. So good luck!!

hi clockworkorange,

I am new here and also applying for monbukagakusho 2010. Regarding the research proposal, does it mean that we are allowed to revise the proposal if we get called for interview?

thanks.

 

[kouki]

>dalmatian

In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.

 

[thetrystero]

changing field of study after submission

>dalmatian
In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.

since the application isn't presented to the japanese authorities, has anyone tried changing to a completely different field of study after submission/english test?

 

[dalmatian]

>dalmatian
In Malaysian's case last year, we can revise our proposal (perhaps do some addition to the proposal), when we are called for the interview.

hi, thanks for the clarification.

 

[tomayto]

hi all,

i apply last year and fail the interview... i re-applied again this year. i am also going for the 31 may english test. last year i remember downloading past years english question with answer. but i am having difficulty finding the site now. anyone could help me? thanks

 

[clockworkorange]

Hi dalmation,

As kouki says, yes, we can revise the proposal. But I think this is because in Malaysia, when we sent in our applications initially, we didn't have to send in everything at one go. I think we didn't send in our medicals check-up results and recommendations at the beginning of the application. we only sent in everything after we cleared the exam. I don't how it is in Indonesia.

To trystero,
Nope, I haven't heard of anyone changing their field of study AFTER submission or AFTER the english test. I wouldn't advise it either. Unless you have a VERY VERY good reason, you'd probably get soundly trashed by the interview panel. And i think it would be reasonable for them to do so since their selection is based A LOT on the research proposal. If one decides to abandon the original proposal, then what is the basis of selection now? In any case i don't even know if its allowed so you have to check with the embassy.

Hi tomayto,
Good luck to you this year!! I can't remember the exact address but i think you can get it if you google "study in japan". Also i think the answers to past year papers are in another thread of this forum. Under "studying in japan".

 

[tomayto]

thanks colleen for the info, i'll try to search again

found it! here is the link incase anyone else looking for it

www [dot] studyjapan [dot] go [dot] jp/en/toj/toj0308e.html

 

[Shaun]

shaun, congrats ! have u got the official letter yet?
I have not heard anything.. email or letter. am working in spore now.. wonder if that would affect my application.
well, fingers crossed.

Hi lsw
i havent received the letter yet. but the person in charge informed me just bring along my IC and the reference number in email then can take the exam on that day...
Maybe you can call them and ask.... good luck!

Hi Shaun,
I was wondering if you passed the English language test and how was is it? How was the interview this year, I mean, what kind of questions they asked for?
Thanks,
Alejandro Ortega

Hi Alejandro
we will be taking the exam this coming 31st May
dun know will pass it or not yet. Interview will be in later stage...
just hope can pass the eng. test

 

[dalmatian]

hi clockworkorange,

thanks for the information.
In my country, we have to submit all of the documents completely.

 

[harryfht]

About the English

I think the test of English is the same for both Undergraduate and Reseach students. So there's many people who has already taked the test(Malasyans, I mean). Maybe I any of you can contact with one og those students they can give you some tips.

 

[tomayto]

i just got back from the englisht test
they change the format and it was A LOT easier than the previous year
the focus is more on the conversational english this time

btw i heard ms yin saying that this year they gonna take 30 candidates
sound a lot to me... is it more the last year? anyone have any idea? colleen?

 

[axo4067]

hi.. how r u?

I am new here but I have been reading this thread for awhile.

I have also just come back from the English test. Yeah, like tomayto said, the questions were different than the sample paper I got online. I thank God that it was easier. I knew that the format would be different since similar format had been presented over these years.

Actually, 70 will be chosen out from the crowds. It's not 30. So yeah...

I wonder how long it would take them to announce the decision.\

 

[Alejandro Ortega]

Hi Tomayto and axo4067,

Thanks for the information. So... Did the test ONLY in speaking mode (conversational)? No paper test or something like that? What kind of questions did they asked you?

I hope I will beat the test this year...

C

 

[Janghaili]

Tomayto or other who've gone through English Exam for MEXT Research 2010. Appreciate if you could help providing more on the format and strategies for the test. Though your guys believe the test is easier than the previous tests, your illustration will help to prevail this worry.

 

[Shaun]

Like they said, the exam seems much easier than last year. Some part remained and some did not.
If you are referring to past year question, Section I still was remained but become section V in the exam. Section V also remained turn up to section I and II (around 14~15 questions). There were new sections like III & VI and those questions with multiple selectable answers like "fill in the blank" with several words below. Section V was to rearrange the sentence with 5 given wordings. It was easy and non grammatical or tested on your English power. .

Yeah... 70 / 178 person. The percentage is around 40 %.
Are they choosing based on prorated? Then I think those selected person shall be at least 90% correct in their answer sheet coz this year seem like bit easy. Sigh…

 

[tomayto]

yup the question format is as what shaun said
my strategy is to start from section III onwards since the question is shorter and take less time
then only i continue with section I & II
but dont worry so much about the time since i managed to finish it like 20++ mins ahead of time (i think most of the candidates too)
last year i require the whole one hour finish the test. so there is a lot of time to check your answer

good luck!

 

[clockworkorange]

wah..so the english exam was easier this year? cool

To tomayto,

Last year from the exam, i think ard 70 something ppl were selected. I'm pretty sure someone posted the statistics on this forum but you'll probably have to sift through pages of posts before you get to the one you want.

As for how many obtained the scholarship last year (for Malaysians), it was 31 if I'm not mistaken. But two of them declined the offer, so only 29 are going to Japan. I'm talking about the postgraduate exam here.

Seems like a lot of things have changed from the last year to this so I'm not really sure if last year's selection criteria (as related to us by the representatives from the Japanese embassy) really applies.

At any rate, all the best!!

 

[BlueCheese]

I'm a little confused by the "APPLICATION FOR JAPANESE GOVERNMENT(MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP (ATTACHMENT)" form in that it asks for the field of study and gives a line, and then a second line with "Detailed field of study" in brackets. It only gives one line for this so I'm not really sure what I am supposed to put here when the study program is asked for elsewhere.

Am I understanding it correctly that I have to do 3 copies of the main application form and only one copy of the attachment form?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.