MEXT Scholarship (Research/Graduate students) 2018

[indojindesu]

Hello! I just had the interview! they told me that I was very likely to get selected, but they didn't told me when would they give the results, so around how long did it take for your embassy to contact you? I'm so anxious!

About 3 weeks

 

[unnecesart]

Here we wait for about 5 – 6 weeks.

 

[Centuries]

About two weeks here.

A question: how long should I wait before trying to contact a professor if they haven't responded? A week?

Getting nervous.

 

[indojindesu]

About two weeks here.

A question: how long should I wait before trying to contact a professor if they haven't responded? A week?

Getting nervous.

A week sounds ok. Sometimes they are really busy.
Send a follow up email after a week. I know its very stressful to wait.
Edit : Try sending the email in the morning (Japan time) so that it wont get buried by other emails.

Worst case : contact the university/department and ask them to put you in touch with the professor or find a new professor.

 

[SayuKami21]

Oh boy I'm going to die from waiting xD thank you for the answers!!

 

[Salpies]

Oh, good to know that. Let's see what happen.
Also, I am curious.. My main option is Hiroshima University. For which program did you apply?

I got accepted as a research student and I'll take the PhD entrance exam for HiroDai in January. The university is amazing, I love it here, hope to see you in the future!

 

[Akumzui]

Hi all,
I am happy to say that I was recommended, and now am off to getting those LoA. Does anyone know how likely I am not to get the scholarship at this point? One of the interviewers told me that I should apply to the University of Tokyo, and since he mentioned that, I have been now considering it seriously. The problem is however, I am told to only contact 3 uni's, and with toudai, I would be contacting 3 (former) imperial universities, which as we all know are the most competitive (my initial 3rd choice was not a former imperial university). Would anyone know if that would impact my chances in receiving the scholarship in this second stage? cheers

 

[NinjaCloud]

Hi guys. I've been lurking on this thread but this is the first time I'm actually posting anything. I'm actually one of the MEXT applicant this year and seeing all the posts of "getting in" is making me nervous. For those who got recommended, where did you apply and when did you have your interview? Anyone else applying through the Seattle consulate, like me? Thanks for sharing. The best of luck for everyone, but especially me

 

[Akumzui]

Hi guys. I've been lurking on this thread but this is the first time I'm actually posting anything. I'm actually one of the MEXT applicant this year and seeing all the posts of "getting in" is making me nervous. For those who got recommended, where did you apply and when did you have your interview? Anyone else applying through the Seattle consulate, like me? Thanks for sharing. The best of luck for everyone, but especially me

Hi there. I applied at the Denver consulate, and my interview was about 3 weeks ago.

 

[NinjaCloud]

Hi there. I applied at the Denver consulate, and my interview was about 3 weeks ago.

Wow. Guess I should be expecting something by next week then and Congratulations!!

 

[Alyssa]

I am applying MEXT for PhD degree and my preferred university wants to interview me to assess my research ability. Does anyone here have experience about it? What do I should prepare for this interview? Thank you.

 

[Alexaandra12]

I have successfully passed the initial screening and I'll be off to get the LOAs! I wish you all the best for luck when getting LOAs and to those who are still waiting to pass the interview.

 

[Centuries]

Congratulations all! And good luck on your LOAs!

Question: is it a problem if the professor that agrees to advise me is different than the one I placed on the form? I haven't heard anything back. : (

 

[Centuries]

Another thing... two schools state that I should not contact professors before submitting for LOAs, just place who I would prefer to advise me on the form... if that professor can not advise me, will I be assigned to another? Or will my application be tossed?

I am not too worried about Waseda, because it sounds like they will try to find an advisor regardless, but I am worried about Todai - their application procedure is really complicated and I worry about wasting more time.

 

[Akumzui]

Congratulations all! And good luck on your LOAs!

Question: is it a problem if the professor that agrees to advise me is different than the one I placed on the form? I haven't heard anything back. : (

My consulate says that's ok.

 

[Andrik]

Hi guys, I'm new here. A couple days ago, I passed the primary screening, and I was told to get my LoAs! I got a question about trying to get LoAs from multiple universities!

Is it okay for me to send the same research proposal to different profs? I originally wrote my proposal for a project specific to a professor (in biomedicine/life science/biochemistry/molecular stuff). I've met this prof before, and he told me that he'd be interested in taking me on as a student if I can get the MEXT scholarship. Following the suggestion of the embassy, I also want to try applying to two other universities, but the programs I want to apply to, tell me that I must contact a prof before submitting an application.

I kinda feel like this is backstabbing my original prof (who btw is still my first choice), but I really want to have other universities, in case my first choice application goes awry. Cause, you know, nothing is ever certain, especially in life science research.

What do you guys think? :/

 

[Centuries]

Hi guys, I'm new here. A couple days ago, I passed the primary screening, and I was told to get my LoAs! I got a question about trying to get LoAs from multiple universities!

Is it okay for me to send the same research proposal to different profs? I originally wrote my proposal for a project specific to a professor (in biomedicine/life science/biochemistry/molecular stuff). I've met this prof before, and he told me that he'd be interested in taking me on as a student if I can get the MEXT scholarship. Following the suggestion of the embassy, I also want to try applying to two other universities, but the programs I want to apply to, tell me that I must contact a prof before submitting an application.

I kinda feel like this is backstabbing my original prof (who btw is still my first choice), but I really want to have other universities, in case my first choice application goes awry. Cause, you know, nothing is ever certain, especially in life science research.

What do you guys think? :/

I think this is okay. They must understand that as an Embassy-recommended MEXT recipient, you have three slots for LOAs. I imagine this happens often. If you are conversing over email, send a tweaked research proposal that eliminates names/locations/etc.

 

[Andrik]

I think this is okay. They must understand that as an Embassy-recommended MEXT recipient, you have three slots for LOAs. I imagine this happens often. If you are conversing over email, send a tweaked research proposal that eliminates names/locations/etc.

Thanks for the advice, Centuries. I feel confident again, haha!

 

[Alexaandra12]

I believe all my choice schools would prefer me to email my documents to them, however I am wondering would it be best for me to scan everything into one entire document and send it to them or just have individual PDF files? I know I read somewhere that the email may be rejected by the university server due to too many files.

 

[Houjou]

Hello all! I just received the call that I have been selected. The interview was exactly 1 week ago.

Now I need to contact my professor and blablabla. I wonder, if the professor really wants you, what are other ways this can still go wrong? Can the government change the budget and leave out a bunch of selected applicants?

 

[Centuries]

I believe all my choice schools would prefer me to email my documents to them, however I am wondering would it be best for me to scan everything into one entire document and send it to them or just have individual PDF files? I know I read somewhere that the email may be rejected by the university server due to too many files.

I think Transenz's guide has good advice on this! Definitely scan and upload all documents as one PDF file, but Transenz suggests sending a polite email letting them know you are a preliminary MEXT candidate and to verify that they will accept/will receive your email. Let them know that you will be sending your document as one PDF.

 

[Alexaandra12]

I have sent all my stuff off to the schools... so let's hear what they have to say! Best of luck to those waiting on those acceptances.

 

[Centuries]

I have sent all my stuff off to the schools... so let's hear what they have to say! Best of luck to those waiting on those acceptances.

Woo hoo! Good luck! What schools did you choose?

I am still waiting for my certificate of health form to be sent back to me, then I can send out as well. Hoping to have everything out by this Friday. My doctors office had a hard time with the form and it took them forever to figure out what to do with it... hope everything is okay with it.

 

[Alexaandra12]

Woo hoo! Good luck! What schools did you choose?

I am still waiting for my certificate of health form to be sent back to me, then I can send out as well. Hoping to have everything out by this Friday. My doctors office had a hard time with the form and it took them forever to figure out what to do with it... hope everything is okay with it.

Thank you . Good luck to you too. I chose Chubu, Nagoya, and Kyushu . Nagoya just got back with me last night because the professor I chose didn't teach a research seminar, so he couldn't take on a research student. So they asked me to choose another. I sent them three other people so hopefully someone works lol.

I just sent an email to Tokyo Metropolitan University so I'll see what they have to say.

 

[Centuries]

Thank you . Good luck to you too. I chose Chubu, Nagoya, and Kyushu. Nagoya just got back with me last night because the professor I chose didn't teach a research seminar, so he couldn't take on a research student. So they asked me to choose another. I sent them three other people so hopefully someone works lol.

I just sent an email to Tokyo Metropolitan University so I'll see what they have to say.

I bet Nagoya will help sort it out! They are on my list, as well.