I am now a senior majoring in Maths with a minor of Economics in US and I am considering some English graduate programs that does not require Japanese language abilities.
I am currently looking at programs at University of Tokyo UTIPE and GSAPS program at Waseda Univ and I am planning to apply after this semester ends.
I was wondering if there's any one here who knows these kinds of programs could give me some advises. I've asked UTIPE admission office for the stat of past applicants for the programs but they said this info is not available. Are there many students applying to these kinds of programs nowadays?
Plus, I'm not from a top school here in the States (ranking around top 100 in US) and my GPA is not very high ( right now around 3.15). How difficult is it for me to get into these two schools with this GPA and current school ranking? What do you think is the most important aspect that these two programs require from students?
Knowing the statistics of past applicants isn't very helpful anyway as it does nothing to improve your own application and can only serve to discourage you. I would say it is safe to say that most schools in Japan get students from Korea and China and rarely from America, so you're already in a special boat.
What year are you? I would work as hard as possible on improving your GPA and do well on your GRE's. If it's not possible or too late to do either of these then focus on what you can i.e. statement of purpose and your letters of recommendation. If either program has an entrance exam then I would make sure you do as well as you possibly can on those; do not take them lightly. It very well could be the most important piece of your application.
I applied to an international graduate program in Japan with a 3.42 GPA in Physics and average Physics GRE scores. They didn't tell me why I was accepted but I had two really good letters of recommendation and I did really well on their entrance exam which I'm sure offset the average GPA and GRE.
It's hard to say how difficult it would be for you to get in either school but your chances of getting in are exactly zero if you let that stop you from applying. Moral of the story is, focus on the things you can still do that will improve your application and don't worry about the things you can't change.
Thank you very much for your reply! I am currently a senior and I will graduate this December.
Hopefully my grades will boost up a little after this semester and i am taking summer courses to improve my GPA also. I am taking GRE this June.
These two programs I mentioned have pretty early deadlines (August and September) so I might just apply with a GPA of around 3.2 or 3.3 (if things are going on well with my finals for this semester and the summer courses). And this is why I am asking for the GPA and other stat.
For me it is a slightly different case than the other students cuz I am an international student from China studying in US. So I don't know if they will put me with the pool of applicants from China or with students from US.
I also asked the Maths department of Todai and they said Japanese is not a prerequisite for entering their master program of maths. So this program is also an option for me.
I was thinking that the Japanese schools seem to be trying hard to attract foreign students and the American schools tend to have some advantages over Japanese schools regarding post-graduation salaries, facilities, faculties and other things. Would this help when applying to top universities in Japan from an university that's not among the top in US?I know it might seem silly to ask this kind of questions but I do want to know what my situation is.
Additionally, where did you take the entrance exam? In Japan or US? Did you directly enter the program after application or did you apply to be a research student before entering the program?
Also I don't know if every school requires this but Univ of Tokyo is requiring a certificate of health along with the application package. Did you have this ? if you did, where did you go to get this ? Just any hospital around community?
Thank you very much for your advice. And I do agree with your saying that focus on the things you can do to improve and don't worry about the things you can't change. I will try my best to apply for these programs no matter what. ^^
---------- Post added at 12:29 ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 ----------
oh and do you mind telling me what program are you in now? Although I dont have many choices about schools I still wanna figure out the environment and everything to see if that's the right place for me.
Thanks again!
For me it is a slightly different case than the other students cuz I am an international student from China studying in US. So I don't know if they will put me with the pool of applicants from China or with students from US.
Even though you will technically be applying as a Chinese student they will only care about your US schooling most likely. It does, however, give you benefits in applying for many scholarships since most of the scholarships for studying in Japan are restricted to Asian nationals.
I was thinking that the Japanese schools seem to be trying hard to attract foreign students and the American schools tend to have some advantages over Japanese schools regarding post-graduation salaries, facilities, faculties and other things. Would this help when applying to top universities in Japan from an university that's not among the top in US?I know it might seem silly to ask this kind of questions but I do want to know what my situation is.
Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if Japanese universities accept foreign students more frequently because US universities are more attractive and thus American students are more likely to choose a mediocre US university over a top-ranked Japanese one?
From the viewpoint of a graduate student American universities definitely have more financial support for students. My research adviser in Japan said almost all Japanese graduate students (in Physics at least) are privately funded, either through part-time jobs or through their parents. Foreign students have it a little easier because of the MEXT scholarship. I would definitely say Japanese universities are actively recruiting foreign students behind the government's Global 30 initiative. I would even go so far as to say that being a foreign student makes it easier to be accepted, although I have no data to back this up.
In terms of facilities and faculties, however, it really depends on the school and what field you want to get into. I would say the university I studied abroad at in Japan had much better physics facilities than my university in the US.
Additionally, where did you take the entrance exam? In Japan or US? Did you directly enter the program after application or did you apply to be a research student before entering the program?
Also I don't know if every school requires this but Univ of Tokyo is requiring a certificate of health along with the application package. Did you have this ? if you did, where did you go to get this ? Just any hospital around community?
The entrance exam was department specific, so the physics department uploaded questions as a PDF file onto a passworded website. It was only open for 72 hours and in that time span I had to upload my finished answers. However, I have heard of programs where you need a proctor to take the exam. I would imagine it depends heavily on the program you are applying for, but unless you are applying like any other Japanese student would (i.e. not through an international program), I doubt you have to take an exam in Japan.
I actually won't be starting my program until October 1st but I am officially accepted and sent my letter of intent to attend. The program is set up so that you first get your master's degree, defend a thesis and take a qualifying exam, and then go on to your PhD.
I did not have to do a certificate of health but when I applied to study abroad I did. I just went to my university's health center and had a doctor there do it. As long as a doctor signs off on it it doesn't really matter which doctor you get to do it.
oh and do you mind telling me what program are you in now? Although I dont have many choices about schools I still wanna figure out the environment and everything to see if that's the right place for me.
Thanks again!
I will be entering the IGPAS (International Graduate Program in Advanced Science) at Tohoku University. I'm not sure how strong the math department is at Tohoku but they are well known for engineering and physics so I'm sure their math department is fairly strong. If you still want to shop around for international programs you should check out the Global 30 course website here. It is a list of international programs in Japan that do not require Japanese.
Even though you will technically be applying as a Chinese student they will only care about your US schooling most likely. It does, however, give you benefits in applying for many scholarships since most of the scholarships for studying in Japan are restricted to Asian nationals.
Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if Japanese universities accept foreign students more frequently because US universities are more attractive and thus American students are more likely to choose a mediocre US university over a top-ranked Japanese one?
From the viewpoint of a graduate student American universities definitely have more financial support for students. My research adviser in Japan said almost all Japanese graduate students (in Physics at least) are privately funded, either through part-time jobs or through their parents. Foreign students have it a little easier because of the MEXT scholarship. I would definitely say Japanese universities are actively recruiting foreign students behind the government's Global 30 initiative. I would even go so far as to say that being a foreign student makes it easier to be accepted, although I have no data to back this up.
Yes I mean say as far as I know, if some student from China gets offers both from US and Japan, they might choose to go to US since there are more scholarships and stuff. So as the Japanese universities are trying to attract more students, would the top tier univ like Todai put their cut a little lower to consider a student from a lower tier univ. in US? Cuz i think most students from top tier univ. are continuing their study in US except for those doing Japanese-related study. And for those Japanese students from top tier univ here in States, they would just go to normal Japanese-taught programs.
The entrance exam was department specific, so the physics department uploaded questions as a PDF file onto a passworded website. It was only open for 72 hours and in that time span I had to upload my finished answers. However, I have heard of programs where you need a proctor to take the exam. I would imagine it depends heavily on the program you are applying for, but unless you are applying like any other Japanese student would (i.e. not through an international program), I doubt you have to take an exam in Japan.
From what I get from the maths department of U of Tokyo, they said:
"We provide an entrance examination by document-based selection for overseas residents.
You need not come to Tokyo for taking a entrance examination but
have to submit an application form for admission and send some materials for qualification.
In this application, applicants need to submit the documents and/or research paper which shows their excellent mathematical ability.
After we receive the application, some professors may give the applicant some math. problems by email
in order to examine his/her mathematical ability and knowledge."
I was not sure does they ever give me the entrance exam or just let some faculty email some maths questions for me to answer according to the email? Also they said after the application is received, some prof might contact me. They also said I need to take a look at the faculty info to select desired adviser. I heard that the applicants under regular application have to contact the prof even before the application sent and talk to them about the future plan and research stuff to get the faculty "approve" him/her to enter first before the review of the application. Do I need to contact a faculty in person also? Or things are different for international applicants from US?
I will be entering the IGPAS (International Graduate Program in Advanced Science) at Tohoku University. I'm not sure how strong the math department is at Tohoku but they are well known for engineering and physics so I'm sure their math department is fairly strong. If you still want to shop around for international programs you should check out the Global 30 course website here. It is a list of international programs in Japan that do not require Japanese.
I've checked this website and this is where I get to know the programs I am now going to apply. The thing is I am trying to go to univ in Tokyo or Kyoto , cuz these are two places that my boyfriend is gonna go. So I am not likely to go to places like Tohoku cuz its pretty far.
Although I am right now holding a degree of mathematics, I am not very strong at it, especially when it comes to applications to other natural sciences. And even though I don't get good grades for general, I have 4.0 major GPA for economics, which is why I am now considering economics masters besides maths programs. I am also doing undergraduate TA for economics and independent study, do you think I should mention this somewhere in the application form or should I just talk to my econ prof.s to see if they could write me good recommendations?
And thanks for all the info.
---------- Post added at 02:23 ---------- Previous post was at 02:07 ----------
oh and also, for the UTIPE program in Tokyo, there is only one application deadline (August 24th)for both the 2013 April entrance and Sep entrance( you have the choice to choose when to enter though). However, for the GSAPS program in Waseda, the deadline for April entrance is Sep while the deadline for Sep 2013 entrance is April. As I am also applying to other univ in Japan as well as universities in US for graduate school, an early offer would save me from doing all the applications to all the other schools (since the application for US schools are normally having deadlines of Jan or Feb). But at the same time, as I am taking my last semester starting from Sep and I am pretty sure I will improve my grades through this semester, applying later might improve the chances of getting into the programs because of better grades.
Do you think i should go ahead and apply for April entrance for Waseda or should I just wait till next April to apply for the fall entrance?
I am also doing summer classes to boost up GPA and this semester would certainly help when the grades come out but I'm not sure how much I could get it improved by the end of summer.
Yes I mean say as far as I know, if some student from China gets offers both from US and Japan, they might choose to go to US since there are more scholarships and stuff. So as the Japanese universities are trying to attract more students, would the top tier univ like Todai put their cut a little lower to consider a student from a lower tier univ. in US? Cuz i think most students from top tier univ. are continuing their study in US except for those doing Japanese-related study. And for those Japanese students from top tier univ here in States, they would just go to normal Japanese-taught programs.
I honestly do not know. My gut instinct says the cut-off is lower for international students because a lot of Japanese universities are trying to increase their foreign student population. But, as I stated earlier, don't worry too much about your chances. Just apply and see what happens.
They also said I need to take a look at the faculty info to select desired adviser. I heard that the applicants under regular application have to contact the prof even before the application sent and talk to them about the future plan and research stuff to get the faculty "approve" him/her to enter first before the review of the application. Do I need to contact a faculty in person also? Or things are different for international applicants from US?
I had to contact a professor ahead of time and have them accept me before I could apply for my program, so that seems to be a pretty standard practice. It doesn't have to be in person; email should be fine. I was at an advantage, though, because I had already studied with my research adviser when I studied abroad and he told me ahead of time he would accept me if I applied.
Although I am right now holding a degree of mathematics, I am not very strong at it, especially when it comes to applications to other natural sciences. And even though I don't get good grades for general, I have 4.0 major GPA for economics, which is why I am now considering economics masters besides maths programs. I am also doing undergraduate TA for economics and independent study, do you think I should mention this somewhere in the application form or should I just talk to my econ prof.s to see if they could write me good recommendations?
I would definitely mention that in your statement of purpose or your resume/curriculum vitae. As for recommendation letters, try and get one from a professor who can say the most about you. The more they can say, the more you stand out from the generic "This student got an A in my class" type recommendations. If you've done any undergraduate research with a faculty member definitely try and get one from them. I would also consider getting a letter of recommendation from the professor you are TA'ing for and/or from whoever is guiding your independent study.
Do you think i should go ahead and apply for April entrance for Waseda or should I just wait till next April to apply for the fall entrance?
I am also doing summer classes to boost up GPA and this semester would certainly help when the grades come out but I'm not sure how much I could get it improved by the end of summer.
If you have a 4.0 GPA in economics and are applying for an economics program then there is no need to wait and try to boost your GPA. Most programs really only care about your major GPA anyway. That being said, if you are taking summer courses to boost your GPA and none of those courses are higher level economics/math courses, the selection committee probably won't care much. A 4.0GPA in econ with a 3.0 general GPA is much better than a 3.0GPA in econ and a 4.0 general GPA.
If you have a 4.0 GPA in economics and are applying for an economics program then there is no need to wait and try to boost your GPA. Most programs really only care about your major GPA anyway. That being said, if you are taking summer courses to boost your GPA and none of those courses are higher level economics/math courses, the selection committee probably won't care much. A 4.0GPA in econ with a 3.0 general GPA is much better than a 3.0GPA in econ and a 4.0 general GPA.
I do have two econ courses and two more maths courses next fall to finish up my major and my minor. I think I will do well on these, but for the general GPA, i guess it's gonna be just a move by 0.1.
I am a transfer student to current school. So I have two transcripts. My GPA for old school is pretty high (>3.5) while my current one is low. I did very bad on courses like Nutrition/psychology these kinds of general requirements. Plus I was absent for school for a semester for medical reason, after which I went to school again but did pretty bad (that's when I took nutrition/psy) Do you think i should explain this somehow during the application? I am repeating these courses this summer so hopefully the grades will improve.
For the certificate of health, do you just do all the tests at the school clinic? Or did they refer you to another doctor that could cover your insurance? This is the first time I need to fill in this kind of forms and basically the first time that I need to go to a doctor after coming here so I have no idea what to do.
Depending on what my friend who has been admitted into Waseda said, that program is fairly easy. But regarding my poor grades I am still kinda nervious. >____<
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
