MEXT Scholarship (Research/Graduate students) 2018

Just got a LoA from Todai, 3/3! Can't decide between Todai and Waseda and have to hand in the form today. Tokyo means I have to take the GRE but the letter they wrote was so welcoming I'm kinda tempted.
 
Is anyone else going to make the assumption that they've 'got' the scholarship - I think that's what I am going to do
I've got the 3 LOAs from Kyodai Todai and Waseda - can anything go wrong?
 
I'm carefully optimistic at this point and so is the lady at the embassy. Who knows what goes on at MEXT though...
Having said that, I did prepairing for the move.
 
Hello!! how is everyone doing? I'm a little trouble right now, my number one choice university has been mailing me to already prepare for my arrival but I haven't been placed in that university yet and now they are asking me to put them as my only choice in the placement preference but I can no longer do that plus is super risky because is a really expensive private university, so I have to see how can I tell them politely that we can only wait for the MEXT decision and hope for the best, has anyone else experienced something similar?
 
SayuKami21 said:
Hello!! how is everyone doing? I'm a little trouble right now, my number one choice university has been mailing me to already prepare for my arrival but I haven't been placed in that university yet and now they are asking me to put them as my only choice in the placement preference but I can no longer do that plus is super risky because is a really expensive private university, so I have to see how can I tell them politely that we can only wait for the MEXT decision and hope for the best, has anyone else experienced something similar?
Click to expand...

Just tell them your embassy already submitted your documents to MEXT. I had to do something similar and it went fine.
 
^ Yeah that's what I did! because actually my embassy told me exactly that, but I'm kinda nervous still, like hoping that won't affect my relationship with them, and now we gotta wait >.<
 
Hello, I have some questions that might have been answered somewhere else, but hopefully this is an appropriate place for them and won't be too annoying.

I'm thinking of applying for a research student scholarship next April. I want to use my master's thesis (probably modified slightly) for the research plan. Problem is I read that the research topic is supposed to be somewhat novel, while my topic focuses on the cultural differences between Japan and the West that both make it a difficult market for businesses to enter, but also a lucrative one as well (for reasons I won't go in detail here). Will this be considered uninteresting/already done/bad topic choice to the MEXT people, as far as you can tell?

Second, I feel I'm quite done with school work and writing papers after two degrees. My question is to people that are already/have been research students - what exactly is required of you once you are there? I've been told that there are some research students that do absolutely nothing for two years, but I've also read that they are supposed to go to their professor's lab and do research there. So what is it really like? Are you supposed to show regular progress with your paper, are there deadlines for submission, will someone there actually read the thing, or is it mostly for people that want to go into Master's/PhDs, meaning that you are not expected it to finish in those two years (and no one will pester you if you don't want to go into a degree)? Do you have to be in the university every day (or on some sort of regular basis)? Is this entirely dependent on the university/professor you get?

Third, I have a friend that's going to be in Fukuoka, so I'm looking for university/professor recommendations (business department, or economy) in that city that will basically leave me alone to do my own business.

My plan for the two years scholarship is more of an easing in time, since I can potentially find work with my Bachelors degree after the two years if I choose to, so I'm not really interested in university work (though I'm more than happy to study Japanese, which I hear you can do for 6 months, how hard is that btw?). After the scholarship period is over, is it easy to change your visa from a student one, to a working visa? Is it possible at all, is it too hard and possibly improbable? Or is it not that hard? Also, is it hard finding work as on the student visa?

I apologize again if my questions are annoying or inappropriate.

Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
Just updating that I got a timeline from the embassy. Answers will come in December... So stressful...Even with the LoAs who know what will happen
-_-
 
Xodarap said:
Just updating that I got a timeline from the embassy. Answers will come in December... So stressful...Even with the LoAs who know what will happen
-_-
Click to expand...
Yeah I was told similar timeline by the Embassy in London - 'final result and placement will be notified in December or January next year'
 
Hello!! my embassy told me that most likely by the end of December, but that sometimes they get replies in November and others in January, that is different for every applicant, I think that the ones that have a National University as their first option are the ones that get notified earlier and so on.

An0n said:
Hello, I have some questions that might have been answered somewhere else, but hopefully this is an appropriate place for them and won't be too annoying.

I'm thinking of applying for a research student scholarship next April. I want to use my master's thesis (probably modified slightly) for the research plan. Problem is I read that the research topic is supposed to be somewhat novel, while my topic focuses on the cultural differences between Japan and the West that both make it a difficult market for businesses to enter, but also a lucrative one as well (for reasons I won't go in detail here). Will this be considered uninteresting/already done/bad topic choice to the MEXT people, as far as you can tell?

Second, I feel I'm quite done with school work and writing papers after two degrees. My question is to people that are already/have been research students - what exactly is required of you once you are there? I've been told that there are some research students that do absolutely nothing for two years, but I've also read that they are supposed to go to their professor's lab and do research there. So what is it really like? Are you supposed to show regular progress with your paper, are there deadlines for submission, will someone there actually read the thing, or is it mostly for people that want to go into Master's/PhDs, meaning that you are not expected it to finish in those two years (and no one will pester you if you don't want to go into a degree)? Do you have to be in the university every day (or on some sort of regular basis)? Is this entirely dependent on the university/professor you get?

Third, I have a friend that's going to be in Fukuoka, so I'm looking for university/professor recommendations (business department, or economy) in that city that will basically leave me alone to do my own business.

My plan for the two years scholarship is more of an easing in time, since I can potentially find work with my Bachelors degree after the two years if I choose to, so I'm not really interested in university work (though I'm more than happy to study Japanese, which I hear you can do for 6 months, how hard is that btw?). After the scholarship period is over, is it easy to change your visa from a student one, to a working visa? Is it possible at all, is it too hard and possibly improbable? Or is it not that hard? Also, is it hard finding work as on the student visa?

I apologize again if my questions are annoying or inappropriate.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Hello! I will try to answer the best that I can but please take into account that all the people in this thread will be arriving to Japan next year.

1) I'm not familiar with your topic, but in general it gotta be something that you feel confident about, that you can say is useful for Japan and your home country, or for the world, that it hasn't been done before or that you are at least bringing something new to the table. Is all about selling your research as something that is worth spending money in.

2) Most of the time they expect you to proceed to a degree program, if you don't have such intentions then you gotta make that clear to the universities from the beginning, and if that's the case they will most likely ask you then why do you want to do this research in Japan? what are your goals? About what do you do as a research student that changes depending on the university, the department and the professor, that's why is really important that you are clear about what your expectations are. Be really careful about this, because you are supposed to return to your home country when the scholarship ends.

3) If you are just going to be a research student then they will expect you to research... not to be looking for work, and as a student you can only get a part time job, and if you are serious about working in Japan then I think you gotta be at least JLPT N2, if you have a friend in the same line of business as you I suggest you ask him about this first.
 
Hello everyone!

The wait is killing me. Also, there's something I'm nervous about: I submitted two LoA's from Osaka U, but under different institutions/professors/labs. I got an email from the International Student Affairs verifying this, and the exact wording was "Could you explain what exactly happened," and the tone was as if I've done something wrong? ; ; Could this possibly hurt my chances? They were different labs and different professors, and the sender wasn't a native speaker, so I kept telling myself that he probably didn't mean to incriminate anything.

I politely replied within the day that I submitted both to the Embassy (after talking to both professors and wanting to be a student under either one), but I also submitted a placement preference form, and that it is up to the Embassy to place me under an institution. It has been almost 2 months without a reply, so I'm really scared.
 
I know a person who submitted three LoAs from the same university, same department and different professor names and he had no problems whatsoever. So I believe you can rest easy.

The wait is killing me too. I'm a bit older than your average applicant and that worries me -_-.
 
Xodarap said:
I know a person who submitted three LoAs from the same university, same department and different professor names and he had no problems whatsoever. So I believe you can rest easy.
Click to expand...

Oh, thank goodness. Your post gave me hope. Good luck to you, too!! :)
 
Alexaandra12 said:
JET is just another option should I not get MEXT, but if I do get the scholarship, I'm going to prioritize it.

Should I get MEXT, I plan to get a job probably after the six month language program. I was wondering if it was possible to change visa statuses while under the scholarship.
Click to expand...

You have to maintain your "Student" residence status throughout the scholarship period. If you change it, you will lose the scholarship and all future benefits.

You can work up to 28 hours per week on Student status if you apply for a part-time work permit (you can do this at the airport when you arrive and get instant approval). However, universities and MEXT highly discourage it unless it is directly related to your research. (TAing, etc., is usually fine, though).

Their opinion is that the MEXT scholarship should be enough to live on, so you should be focused on research, only, not working for extra income. They can't necessarily force you to not work, but they will probably try to pressure you into it.
When I worked with MEXT scholars at my previous university, that was one of the least fun parts of the job. Even though we had no enforcement ability, I had to try to talk scholars out of working.
 
Sorry I'm new to this forum and I posted the earlier message empty.
1. Has anyone given Todai as their first preference? What department have you been selected in?
2. Anybody from India here? Any idea when the list will be out?
 
I went with Todai second and I regret it, my prof wrote me such a nice letter a second after I handed out the forms. I mostly put Todai second because I didn't take the GRE yet and they absolutely require it. Anyway, I was told answers will be out in December and can drag until early next year.

As for making the assumption I got it. I've started taking steps to prepare but nothing concrete. I sent some feelers to people to see if I can secure a job for my wife and stuff like that. I think I'll start selling the stuff in my apartment. I'm going to Japan with my wife, clothes and PS4 :P.
 
Hey guys, I'm new here. I just want to say good luck to all of us applicants, hope we get into the university we are aiming for. :)
 
I've given Todai as first titech as second and Osaka as third. Hoping to get in Todai itself.
Damn! this wait is making me go completely impatient lol
 
I'm aiming for Todai as well. I got Tsukuba and Nagoya as my 2nd and 3rd choices respectively. Which graduate school you got into in Todai?
 
estrebilloph said:
I'm aiming for Todai as well. I got Tsukuba and Nagoya as my 2nd and 3rd choices respectively. Which graduate school you got into in Todai?
Click to expand...

I've got in Grad school of agri and life science
Dept of biomaterials

What school have you been selected in?
 
Hello... It's 2 am here, I have work tomorrow but I just spent 3+hrs reading this and last year's thread.

Thank you for sharing! I think I feel more stressed than I was before but oh, well. I only got one LOA but I'm trying to be positive lolol

Anyway, nice to meet you!
 

Similar threads

N
  • Sticky
MEXT Scholarship through University Recommendation
75 76 77
Replies
2K
Views
338K
Chris_05
C
Nico Ramos
MEXT Scholarship (Graduate Students) 2017
46 47 48
Replies
1K
Views
154K
Ajay809
A
E
MEXT Scholarship 2015 (Research Students)
32 33 34
Replies
832
Views
161K
Sunidhi
S
Dangosan
MEXT Scholarship 2016 (Research)
39 40 41
Replies
1K
Views
169K
Geomar
Geomar
W
Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Postgraduate!!
106 107 108
Replies
3K
Views
488K
indojindesu
indojindesu
Back
Top Bottom