Applying to language schools?

Hi ,
I was just wondering what peoples experiences were when applying for language schools. I have a few questions:

• How many language schools did you apply for? And does this mess things up for a visa?
• How much did applying cost? (application fees, document copies, photos, etc..)
• What did you do, or what would have you done if you were knocked back by all of them?

Wataame,

I have never studied at a Japanese language school, but I have studied abroad in Japan and also worked as an admissions counselor for a Japanese University. I hope my answers are helpful.

1. You don't necessarily have to apply for a lot (as long as you can get in), but I do recommend that you look at many. You will be spending 5 days a week there and I have heard horror stories about bad ones.

Applying to a school should have no effect on your visa. However, if you have been accepted to multiple schools DO NOT try to apply for a visa through more than the one you plan to attend. That will definitely get you in trouble and could cause you to lose the chance to get a visa.

2. Application fees should be relatively small. The fee to actually get the visa should cost around about $50 or so, but the rest of the fees shouldn't be much.

Passport photos and all the copies of the documents you need to send should cost very little.

I would be wary of any schools that charge a high fee just to apply to their school.

3. If the schools are refusing to accept you, then I would ask them why. Even if you don't get into that school it should help you get info to make changes for the next school you apply to.

Since the school will be sponsoring your visa they have some responsibility for you. If their students cause problems then it can make it more difficult to get visa in the future.

If they think that you will not obey their rules (not show up for class, have bad study history, etc) then they will be less likely to accept you. Keep this in mind when you are filling out your documents or writing papers.

Another thing you can do is to look at other options. Maybe do a study abroad or a attend a Univeristy.

Wish you the best of luck!

I applied to one school, was accepted. Paid 20.000y application fee I think, I didn't pay it seperately the only transfer I made was when I paid for tuition.
It's not hard to get into language schools unless they're really popular for some reason, there's so many of them.
I went to this one: tcc-ji.com it's a really small school close to shinjuku (it's in Nakano ku)
Was pretty painless, they rented me an apartment for 30.000y a month (although it was small and I had 2 roommates) and I got picked up at the airport by my roommate
Hope I helped

Thanks for the replies, it helps a bit.

japanesewords said:

Applying to a school should have no effect on your visa. However, if you have been accepted to multiple schools DO NOT try to apply for a visa through more than the one you plan to attend. That will definitely get you in trouble and could cause you to lose the chance to get a visa.

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I had the impression that the schools could/would not accept a student until the visa process was completed. But from what you said, this sounds wrong. So any school should contact you before forwarding your information to the visa office?

japanesewords said:

I would be wary of any schools that charge a high fee just to apply to their school.

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The 20,000窶ｰ~ aptiva paid, is what I had read at a few schools. Whilst not that expensive, if applying to multiple schools it can add up. What is considered a "high fee"?

aptiva said:

It's not hard to get into language schools unless they're really popular for some reason

Click to expand...

I guess this, added to my age and that I am not aiming to enter a undergrad university course afterwards is what worries me the most about being accepted or not. Hence why I was thinking applying to multiple schools (and/or university language courses) was the way to go.

wataame said:

Thanks for the replies, it helps a bit.
I had the impression that the schools could/would not accept a student until the visa process was completed. But from what you said, this sounds wrong. So any school should contact you before forwarding your information to the visa office?
The 20,000円 aptiva paid, is what I had read at a few schools. Whilst not that expensive, if applying to multiple schools it can add up. What is considered a "high fee"?
I guess this, added to my age and that I am not aiming to enter a undergrad university course afterwards is what worries me the most about being accepted or not. Hence why I was thinking applying to multiple schools (and/or university language courses) was the way to go.

Click to expand...

My school accepted me, then they got the "certificate of eligibility" from the gov't, mailed it to me and I applied for a visa in the embassy. In my case the school acted as my guarantor, many schools don't do that and that makes the application process a pain in the butt.
Also, before officially applying try just emailing the school and asking if you'll get in. In my case I was pretty much accepted even before I sent them the documents, they were just to make things official, and the application fee was mostly meant to pay them to talk to the gov't about my visa it seemed.

It was really really easy just apply early (~4-5 months before date of entry) since it takes a while for your visa to go through

Oh, and I also had no plans to enter a japanese university. (although that changed after I tried living in Tokyo^^) That had no effect on the acceptance.

You're only applying for language school, not a national university or something. You'll get in

wataame said:

I guess this, added to my age and that I am not aiming to enter a undergrad university course afterwards is what worries me the most about being accepted or not. Hence why I was thinking applying to multiple schools (and/or university language courses) was the way to go.

Click to expand...

I don't think there will a Japanese school that will ever reject you.(Popular or not) They are a bussiness, and they get more money the more students they get, so yeah. The only reason you wont be able to get in is when the immigration denies you your COE. If you fill your application and got all the requirement ( guarantor and stuff ) you'll get in 100%.

No point of applying on multiple school either. If you got rejected at the immigration you will still get rejected even if you try to apply on another school. The immigration should be your main concern, not the school itself.

and age and not entering university is not a problem.