MEXT Scholarship for Postgraduate 2011: General Discussions.

Well, according to previous threads of last years, we could possibly get the results from the professors that who have given us loas at around mid Dec, which is only around one month left. I'm becoming a bit exciting as the big date is approaching and I guess I will actively contact my supervisor in Japan to see if he has got anything from MEXT. Wish everbody here good luck!

I've also sent emails to my professors and ask them to tell me if there is any information regarding the scholarship.

arghhh the waiting is really killing me :(
I really hope that we all got the scholarship so we can meet in Japan :D
 
@ MEXT 2011,
how do u know your "ranking" (being the last one who passed the embassy screening)?

Hello Prettybunny, you have to call the embassy and ask them about your "ranking". I hope you're not the last one in your country list. but even if it is the case, don't worry, the elimination base is not by "ranking". No one knows thier elimination criteria.
 
Hello Prettybunny, you have to call the embassy and ask them about your "ranking". I hope you're not the last one in your country list. but even if it is the case, don't worry, the elimination base is not by "ranking". No one knows thier elimination criteria.

Huh? I was told that it's by ranking. Geez, this is getting more and more troublesome...
 
hello everybody!!!

I've contacted my professor and he said "Don't worry. I believe that the budget will last forever"
It gave me a lot of confidence, I was so depressed during the last days... I think my professor the most wonderful person in Japan.

For those worring about the "ranking": I was an alternate and I was "updated" as a full-candidate so I guess I am the last in my list too (8th)

Keep your head up! let's just pray and have positive thinking!!🙂!
 
@ MEXT 2011,
how do u know your "ranking" (being the last one who passed the embassy screening)?

They sent us an excel file with the list of 11 regular nominees and 2 substitute nominees. I was a substitute, then one regular nominee declined his application and I took his place. So I am the 11th (the last one).
 
Hello Prettybunny, you have to call the embassy and ask them about your "ranking". I hope you're not the last one in your country list. but even if it is the case, don't worry, the elimination base is not by "ranking". No one knows thier elimination criteria.

I hope so Zaki30. Your comment gave me hope.
But I think it is a matter of ranking, because not all the successful applicants received the email from the embassy notifying them about the budget reduction.
I have received this email.
Giving hope to people and then taking it back is just unfair and painful.

hello everybody!!!
I've contacted my professor and he said "Don't worry. I believe that the budget will last forever"
It gave me a lot of confidence, I was so depressed during the last days... I think my professor the most wonderful person in Japan.
For those worring about the "ranking": I was an alternate and I was "updated" as a full-candidate so I guess I am the last in my list too (8th)
Keep your head up! let's just pray and have positive thinking!!🙂!

Good luck, I wish we all can overcome such predicament. :?
 
Last edited:
ykk,

I can't contact my professor and it's making me crazy.
I wish he stands me up like yours...
I'm so in blue these days...
 
Something that I wanna clear here.
1. The budget does decrease for our lot, which is quite certain and confirmed from several sources. I would guess a 1/4 reduction in embassy recommendation.
2. We do have a ranking after we went through all the processes in the embassy. The embassy will rank us all and choose the successful candidates starting from the top, strictly, if no particular reasons I guess. And the ranks of us each among all the recommended candidates will also be sent to MEXT for further review. But the thing is, as my embassy lady told me, MEXT will rank us all again, not necessarily based on the embassy ranking. So even if you rank last in embassy ranking, it's a reference and there are a certain chance that MEXT will rank the second last one to the last, so you are not the last. Anyway, I would guess that MEXT ranking should base largely on the embassy ranking, and maybe make a bit of variation by themselves.
 
@flidar
1/4 reduction in embassy recommendation !!
If this is true, I will have no chance of getting this scholarship.
This is very unfair. They should have applied the role of reduction to the coming years not this year after we passed the primary screening.
 
I've just had the reply from my professor
After contacting the International Students Affairs Secretary, I was told the following:
1- Next step will be acquiring a final acceptance letter from the university which informs the MEXT that the university has a place for me next year and I'm acceptable for them. This letter should be produced by end of December.
2- Although the usual procedure is that this will be the final step, this year will CERTAINLY include further disqualification done by MEXT due to the tight budget. He told me to call the embassy and try push the things until I'm sure that I have the scholarship. Final results will be between January and beginning of February.

I'll be contacting the embassy by Sunday after the Islamic holidays are finished. Meanwhile I'll be preparing some evidences of my academic skills to be presented to them. I hope that they can be forwarded to the ministry or something... :?
 
I wonder if being late with the LoAs will not be a disadvantage - I received my LoAs only in the end of September and asked the lady in the embassy to change my preferences for the universities. They even took the envelopes to prove to MEXT that I received the LoAs too late. I hope that this won't really matter...

Generally, I can think of 3 objective criteria for the further disqualification:
1. people who are ranked at the last places in the embassy ranking
2. people who have already been in Japan on another MEXT scholarship
3. people who were recommended by embassy but didn't receive any LoAs

3 is against their own rules, 2 is very very wrong (affects me directly) but I can see where the logic comes from, and 1 is the most rational, I guess. And there's also the subjective criteria, like simply deciding they like one applicant but don't like another (based on proposal, research theme, whatever). I'm afraid they'll go for that criteria.
 
I wonder if being late with the LoAs will not be a disadvantage - I received my LoAs only in the end of September and asked the lady in the embassy to change my preferences for the universities. They even took the envelopes to prove to MEXT that I received the LoAs too late. I hope that this won't really matter...
Generally, I can think of 3 objective criteria for the further disqualification:
1. people who are ranked at the last places in the embassy ranking
2. people who have already been in Japan on another MEXT scholarship
3. people who were recommended by embassy but didn't receive any LoAs
3 is against their own rules, 2 is very very wrong (affects me directly) but I can see where the logic comes from, and 1 is the most rational, I guess. And there's also the subjective criteria, like simply deciding they like one applicant but don't like another (based on proposal, research theme, whatever). I'm afraid they'll go for that criteria.

I'm with you on the 1st point. I think that the second point is wrong because what I know that people who had MEXT scholarship before will have a better chance to "extend" it. Finally, as you said, the 3rd point will just disqualify you from the scholarship.

However, I would like to draw your attention to the point that the most important points in the selection process for this particular scholarship are: your researching skills (proved by evidence sent with the application) and the viability of your proposed research. At the end, it is not a scholarship for the students that have "high grades", but it is rather a scholarship for "researchers".

Note: everything above applies only to the post-graduate scholarship
 
I wonder if being late with the LoAs will not be a disadvantage - I received my LoAs only in the end of September and asked the lady in the embassy to change my preferences for the universities.
Hmm....I wanted to rank my preference but somehow was told that there isn't such option. Anyone else from Malaysia can kindly enlighten me on this?
 
Hmm....I wanted to rank my preference but somehow was told that there isn't such option. Anyone else from Malaysia can kindly enlighten me on this?
hey blurcheryl, are you asking if we are allowed to change the preference as what we already stated down in the application doc?
I'm afraid not, cos i encounter the problem of preferences in which I didn't manage to get a LOA of my previous stated PROF/UNI. So i asked about changing, but they said it's up to them to select based on your LOA as well as the overall allotment. Hope it helps... :)
 
About the 3 objective criteria for the further disqualification

1. people who are ranked at the last places in the embassy ranking
This might me as important criteria as they have to check all the applications and there is less than a month of time ... BUT they can always switch the places in the ranking.

2. people who have already been in Japan on another MEXT scholarship
I don't find this disqualifying. The judges in the interview made many of us some questions about our readiness towards the "cultural shock" --- this may not be very important to some of you who live in Asia, but I live in the other side of the world, and all we get from japan daily is anime in kids channels and sushi highly overpriced.

3. people who were recommended by embassy but didn't receive any LoAs
this is indeed a negative point but it wasn't mandatory to get LOAs (remember the note that said "MEXT will find a university for you")


Am I too optimistic? :-)

Think above all that this is not in our hands, there is nothing we can do about it more than wait 👍
 
Wow, this is quite intense! I suppose it's no consolation to say that it's out of our hands, but it's so draining to constantly think about "Am I going to make the cut?". Take a deep breath, count to 3 and exhale.

It's still a month before we find out about the decision, so let's focus on what we can do now, rather than focussing on the possibilities and probabilities of the future.
 
hey blurcheryl, are you asking if we are allowed to change the preference as what we already stated down in the application doc?
I'm afraid not, cos i encounter the problem of preferences in which I didn't manage to get a LOA of my previous stated PROF/UNI. So i asked about changing, but they said it's up to them to select based on your LOA as well as the overall allotment. Hope it helps... :)
Hey hhe,
Thanks for your reply. I was thinking I'm the only one who can't rank my preferences when everyone else seem to be able to do so.
 
@flidar
1/4 reduction in embassy recommendation !!
If this is true, I will have no chance of getting this scholarship.
This is very unfair. They should have applied the role of reduction to the coming years not this year after we passed the primary screening.
Hey, man, I'm sorry to cause you to panic. The most certain point is that there is a reduction.
As to the percentage of reduction for embassy recommendation, judging from the exact news from my embassy, it's 1/4 cut as we had 4 ppls for the last 7 years but this year would be 3. I think it various among embassies and the 1/4 thing is just my guess. So don't worry too much on the 1/4 thing which is merely a guess from me.

Anyway, as I checked the threads posted for the previous years' batches, the earliest news is from Osaka University as one previous scholar got an email from his prof informing him that MEXT has contacted him for signing documents at Dec 9th. Of course different universities varied and Tsukuba U, Tokyo U and Kobe U are all Dec 15.
Well, today is Nov 20th, not so much time left. Let's keep waiting and hope for the best!
 
Last edited:
...
Generally, I can think of 3 objective criteria for the further disqualification:
...
2. people who have already been in Japan on another MEXT scholarship
...

PeterSimon,

Which is the problem with people who have already been in Japan with scholarships?
 
Hey hhe,
Thanks for your reply. I was thinking I'm the only one who can't rank my preferences when everyone else seem to be able to do so.
ha, FYI, I also didnt get to rank lor. I didn't get any reply from the Prof i stated in the appli doc. I got 2 LOAs, so it's up to the embassy to select either one, or they will choose neither and get another one for me, or if worse come to worst, i get none and being dropped @@. So, wait patiently and see how la.^^
 
PeterSimon,
Which is the problem with people who have already been in Japan with scholarships?

There shouldn't be. But you know, there's always the possibility for MEXT to say "first-timers are priority". I've heard that some Japanese people are not very happy that certain foreigners keep getting various scholarships, paid by the people's taxes.
 
Here in Poland, we also haven't been notified about the position in the ranking. Just only if we have passed the first screening or not.

Kind Regards and Good Luck!
 
Hum... interesting, PeterSimon. Thanks!

Here in Poland, we also haven't been notified about the position in the ranking. Just only if we have passed the first screening or not.
Kind Regards and Good Luck!

Here in Brazil, they don't share these informations too. I don't know how many people have passed, who are these ppl, anyway... I just know that I passed at all.
 
I've just had the reply from my professor
After contacting the International Students Affairs Secretary, I was told the following:
1- Next step will be acquiring a final acceptance letter from the university which informs the MEXT that the university has a place for me next year and I'm acceptable for them. This letter should be produced by end of December.
2- Although the usual procedure is that this will be the final step, this year will CERTAINLY include further disqualification done by MEXT due to the tight budget. He told me to call the embassy and try push the things until I'm sure that I have the scholarship. Final results will be between January and beginning of February.
I'll be contacting the embassy by Sunday after the Islamic holidays are finished. Meanwhile I'll be preparing some evidences of my academic skills to be presented to them. I hope that they can be forwarded to the ministry or something... :?

Did you call the embassy??
If you have any news, please let us know.
Best regards
 
I did, and...meh
They said that the staff kept on changing and new information might be lost in between
However, he told me to email him all my concerns and he will reply by tomorrow
Although the guy was so helpful, but I didn't expect an instant reply... :eek:
 
Back
Top Bottom