Temple University, Asia Pacific Uni or ICU, please help me!!

loslakers · 22 Jul 2009

Alright, now I have been researching these schools for the past couple of months and been trying to get some personal info from anyone who have been to these schools on how they got in, and their maybe their educational record prior to applying (if it isn't too much to ask).

I went to Japan a few months back just to visit and fell in love with the place, and since im in college right now (community college to be exact), i been thinking to transferring to a university in Japan. However, my grades are not excellent (currently around a 2.4 in college, 2.1 in HS which im not proud of), so im having concerns if i will even be accepted. Now, I am aware of expenses in Japan as I said I have been researching, but financially I should maybe be okay. I have heard that FAFSA works with Temple University so that would be great, but again Im not sure, nothing confirmed. So if I can get any info from anyone who has gone to any schools I listed (or suggestions to other international universities) with info on your academic history prior to applying would help tremendously. And bonus, if you can share the university facility and atmosphere and whether you would recommend someone to that school.

Again, this would help like you have no idea.

Muchas Gracias

Danny

nice gaijin · 22 Jul 2009

I don't know about Temple's requirements, but that GPA isn't going to get you very far. Even getting into an exchange program will be difficult with grades like that. I'd start working harder on raising the GPA if you want to make yourself more appealing as a candidate for study abroad.

loslakers · 22 Jul 2009

Totally agree with you regarding my GPA. It was much lower just because I was younger and cared more about friends and playing sports. I did refocus and brought it to a respectable 2.4 and still rising. I could just wait another year and half and better my gpa, but I really want to go want to go by spring of 2010, so if I have to I will, but Im really trying to go asap.

Emoni · 22 Jul 2009

The minimum GPA for most study abroad programs (not transfer) is a hard 3.0 limit. A 2.4 GPA is not even remotely competitive. I'm glad you are focusing on raising your GPA, but you're going to have to work a hell of a lot harder to make up for your irresponsibility when you were younger I expect.

Your best bet for getting in is to contact the college or check their entrance/transfer requirements. Yes, I believe Temple University is the ONLY college in Japan that FAFSA works for, which is shocking actually. However, I wouldn't imagine you would get much with a 2.4 GPA for FAFSA anyway.

Look, I'm going to be very straight with you. Just transferring to a Japanese college "cuz you had a nice vacation in Japan" is not a good reason to go. In fact, it is an awful reason to go. Your reason has to be a LOT deeper than this, and so does your study purpose. Obviously, you haven't taken study seriously up to this point and only recently started to improve your GPA. I don't mean to discourage you, I just mean to set you straight. Want to study in Japan, or even transfer? Then do this.

1) Get your GPA up. You need to start hitting 4.0's EVERY semester and work for it. No excuses. None.

2) You need to know why you are going to study in Japan and have a good reason for it.

3) You better damn well know Japanese or set a strong base for yourself. I don't care if a majority of the classes are in English, low level Japanese doesn't cut it for living in Japan. It only works for a vacation.

4) Start learning about Japan. Coming and posting here was a good start.

5) Check Temple University's website or even call their admission department via Skype. Find out what they need, or even if transfers are possible. It is likely you may have to start from scratch.

Just to give you a background on my academic experience and why I know what I'm talking about. I studied abroad at Waseda and Yokohama National University for two years (funded by over $40,000 scholarships), graduated with two degrees Summa Cum Laude in the US (3.9+ GPA), and will be going back to Japan for graduate school in Japan in two months. I've done a lot more than this, but I believe the above should be enough reason to listen and take what I say seriously.

I GREATLY value international study abroad, and I'm not trying to discourage you, only trying to help you if you are really serious about this. You can go, you can study in Japan (there are other options such as year study abroads like I did through four year uni's in the US), but you have to know that this is serious stuff and get your act together.

Good luck.

loslakers · 22 Jul 2009

Emoni said:
The minimum GPA for most study abroad programs (not transfer) is a hard 3.0 limit. A 2.4 GPA is not even remotely competitive. I'm glad you are focusing on raising your GPA, but you're going to have to work a hell of a lot harder to make up for your irresponsibility when you were younger I expect.
Your best bet for getting in is to contact the college or check their entrance/transfer requirements. Yes, I believe Temple University is the ONLY college in Japan that FAFSA works for, which is shocking actually. However, I wouldn't imagine you would get much with a 2.4 GPA for FAFSA anyway.
Look, I'm going to be very straight with you. Just transferring to a Japanese college "cuz you had a nice vacation in Japan" is not a good reason to go. In fact, it is an awful reason to go. Your reason has to be a LOT deeper than this, and so does your study purpose. Obviously, you haven't taken study seriously up to this point and only recently started to improve your GPA. I don't mean to discourage you, I just mean to set you straight. Want to study in Japan, or even transfer? Then do this.
1) Get your GPA up. You need to start hitting 4.0's EVERY semester and work for it. No excuses. None.
2) You need to know why you are going to study in Japan and have a good reason for it.
3) You better damn well know Japanese or set a strong base for yourself. I don't care if a majority of the classes are in English, low level Japanese doesn't cut it for living in Japan. It only works for a vacation.
4) Start learning about Japan. Coming and posting here was a good start.
5) Check Temple University's website or even call their admission department via Skype. Find out what they need, or even if transfers are possible. It is likely you may have to start from scratch.
Just to give you a background on my academic experience and why I know what I'm talking about. I studied abroad at Waseda and Yokohama National University for two years (funded by over $40,000 scholarships), graduated with two degrees Summa Cum Laude in the US (3.9+ GPA), and will be going back to Japan for graduate school in Japan in two months. I've done a lot more than this, but I believe the above should be enough reason to listen and take what I say seriously.
I GREATLY value international study abroad, and I'm not trying to discourage you, only trying to help you if you are really serious about this. You can go, you can study in Japan (there are other options such as year study abroads like I did through four year uni's in the US), but you have to know that this is serious stuff and get your act together.
Good luck.

Emoni, let me just say thank you for your post, I value it highly and helps my big decision I will make that will affect my life in a huge way.
Regarding my interest of going to Japan is more than me enjoying the vacation time I spent there, and didnt really delve into it because the main question was irrelevant to that. I went to Japan for vacation (Out of any place in the world that I could have chosen) because I have always had a huge admiration to their culture ever since I was a child. Knew many Japanese, spent time in their homes as a child, and my middle school was a Japanese school during the weekends, we had Japanese days on wednesdays where we would learn about the culture and even had Bento for lunch. Of course, there is more but I can write an essay about, too much for a post. So, by going to Japan only confirmed my love with country and only made me love it more. That's why I want Japan.
With regarding my grades, yes, you are right in every way. I now will pay for my irresponsible past and making this climb much harder than it already is. I like your tough love attitude towards me as it is the truth, and only makes work harder. I am very happy to see that you have the experience in studying in Japan and sharing with me your thoughts, it really helps.
And if starting from scratch for a university in Japan is true, then this decision would be easier to make because I am not throwing away 1.5 yrs away for that. Hopefully that isn't like that anymore. I also thought of if getting loans would work? Any idea on that? For 2 yrs of school, shouldn't cost so much, or at least wont be as much compared to being there 4 yrs (assuming all credits transfer).
Thanks again

Emoni · 22 Jul 2009

Your reason for your interest and visit sounds like a very good start, albeit a bit vague still. Plenty of time to flesh it out as you look more into things.

I assume by your comment about losing 1.5 years of college you mean that you wouldn't go to Japan if you had to lose all of that? Hmm... if so, it would show me that you aren't that serious. It took me 8 years to graduate from college with my two degrees, each year was of value, classes or not. There is no such thing as wasted time if you are spending it doing something. If you have a goal, and are working towards it, that is the true purpose. Right now, you're in community college which is a great place to start in my opinion. I spent almost 4 years in community college before transferring. The fact you've only gone for 1.5 years means it should be quite easy to turn your grades around and get them up to at LEAST 3.4 by the time you finish college if you work at it.

I also didn't know what I truly wanted to do till I was 23 years old. Try things, follow your interests. If you are interested in Japan, the hell with whatever one else says or tells you, go for it full blast and try it out. That is the purpose of college I believe. This is missing in Japan and other countries, and is probably the most shameful part of university study in Asia.

What if you spend the next 3 years studying in your home country? That's fine! You can learn more about Japan, follow your interest, up your grades and of course, learn the language (which is a never ending journey itself). After you transfer to a college here, you can easily do a study abroad program with full US financing to almost any college that is connected in Japan for a year, just check the colleges you plan to transfer to. By that time you may know more specifically what interests you (rather that JUST a general "Japan").

Explore. You have the chance now, use it. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't. It is hard work, but NOTHING easy is worth squat. You may think 1.5 years is a lot of work and a long time but it is NOTHING, so don't fret over it.

Just so you know, it took me 1.5 years after graduating and HARD work studying like a maniac, rejection letters, and tons of applications before I got into graduate school in Japan. I'm now accepted as a grad student at the University of Tokyo and start around October.

Simply put, everything is up to you and your choices that you make every single day and how you spend your time, and don't lie to yourself that you're past a point of no-return.

loslakers · 22 Jul 2009

Emoni said:
Your reason for your interest and visit sounds like a very good start, albeit a bit vague still. Plenty of time to flesh it out as you look more into things.
I assume by your comment about losing 1.5 years of college you mean that you wouldn't go to Japan if you had to lose all of that? Hmm... if so, it would show me that you aren't that serious. It took me 8 years to graduate from college with my two degrees, each year was of value, classes or not. There is no such thing as wasted time if you are spending it doing something. If you have a goal, and are working towards it, that is the true purpose. Right now, you're in community college which is a great place to start in my opinion. I spent almost 4 years in community college before transferring. The fact you've only gone for 1.5 years means it should be quite easy to turn your grades around and get them up to at LEAST 3.4 by the time you finish college if you work at it.
I also didn't know what I truly wanted to do till I was 23 years old. Try things, follow your interests. If you are interested in Japan, the hell with whatever one else says or tells you, go for it full blast and try it out. That is the purpose of college I believe. This is missing in Japan and other countries, and is probably the most shameful part of university study in Asia.
What if you spend the next 3 years studying in your home country? That's fine! You can learn more about Japan, follow your interest, up your grades and of course, learn the language (which is a never ending journey itself). After you transfer to a college here, you can easily do a study abroad program with full US financing to almost any college that is connected in Japan for a year, just check the colleges you plan to transfer to. By that time you may know more specifically what interests you (rather that JUST a general "Japan").
Explore. You have the chance now, use it. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't. It is hard work, but NOTHING easy is worth squat. You may think 1.5 years is a lot of work and a long time but it is NOTHING, so don't fret over it.
Just so you know, it took me 1.5 years after graduating and HARD work studying like a maniac, rejection letters, and tons of applications before I got into graduate school in Japan. I'm now accepted as a grad student at the University of Tokyo and start around October.
Simply put, everything is up to you and your choices that you make every single day and how you spend your time, and don't lie to yourself that you're past a point of no-return.

Well, I have now about 2 years of going to community college and 1.5 completed, so all Im saying is that I dont want to throw those years credits away. I am very serious about FINISHING school and secondly Japan. Main reason I wouldnt want to fo to Japan if I threw away my 1.5 years of school away, that would mean more time and money. Now assuming that I do get FAFSA approved or maybe a scholarship, then I wouldnt mind, but again I am not sure and thats why I wouldnt want to throw away, did that make sense? Now, I am 22 years old and believe now what I want my future to be a part of, so, I would like to be able to start working on a new career by 26 or so, again, thats just what im aiming for. So 1.5 yrs worth of credits is alot of time to throw away (literally speaking as in credits) and in turn I wont be able to reach my goal.
I have also looked into studying abroad from a Universites in my state (Washington) and there is nothing that is around a year long, mostly all semesters and no programs that interest me. So, thats why I've already made my choice of trying to move to Japan to study rather than abroad for a semester. Plus, living in the states my whole life from West coast to east coast and back to west coast, I really want to live in a different country other the states, just for awhile. And if Japan does not go through, I will try somewhere else if I have to, and Temple also has campuses in London and Rome. But again, Japan is my main objective (following getting my education that is).

Emoni · 22 Jul 2009

Credits... units... means nothing as long as you are headed towards your goal or at least know what it is. Remember though, having a goal and having a goal that you understand and hold important for reasons are two different things.

Beware of setting deadlines for things that you don't even have defined yet.

If you truly want to study in Japan, then you do anything you need to do. It all depends on how badly you want it. The very fact you said that you don't want to give up the two years of work for aiming towards Japan tells me you won't do what it takes to be a full student in Japan. Plus, you also have already considered going to another country if Japan doesn't go through. If you really were dead set, you simply keep trying for the same or find another way to go.

You might be able to do study abroad later, but that is up to you.

luckyme · 22 Jul 2009

I don't know where you intend to study in Japan. I'm studying in Tokyo right now and I saw a lot of advertisement that needed English native speakers. I think if you are native one, you could earn 2000-3000 yen per hour just chatting with Japanese students. It's in Tokyo. You can consider it for you financial budget.

loslakers · 22 Jul 2009

Emoni said:
Credits... units... means nothing as long as you are headed towards your goal or at least know what it is. Remember though, having a goal and having a goal that you understand and hold important for reasons are two different things.

Beware of setting deadlines for things that you don't even have defined yet.

If you truly want to study in Japan, then you do anything you need to do. It all depends on how badly you want it. The very fact you said that you don't want to give up the two years of work for aiming towards Japan tells me you won't do what it takes to be a full student in Japan. Plus, you also have already considered going to another country if Japan doesn't go through. If you really were dead set, you simply keep trying for the same or find another way to go.

You might be able to do study abroad later, but that is up to you.

Again, I am only stating I wouldnt give it up foremost because of money, but if money is available (which I'm hoping it will) then no problem. Like I said, most important is my studies, and as much as I want to go to Japan, I need to make the best choice. I just cant afford 4 years with financial help, I would be a homeless. Im optimistic. I wouldnt be posting threads in every Japanese forum I could find if I really wasn't devoted to this. Trust me, I will go, this is what pushes me to excel at school. It will happen

luckyme said:
I don't know where you intend to study in Japan. I'm studying in Tokyo right now and I saw a lot of advertisement that needed English native speakers. I think if you are native one, you could earn 2000-3000 yen per hour just chatting with Japanese students. It's in Tokyo. You can consider it for you financial budget.

I want to to go to ICU (International Christian University) or Temple University of Japan which are both in Tokyo. Do you know what school that was? Thanks for the post, really helps.

Temple University, Asia Pacific Uni or ICU, please help me!!

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