Mext Undergraduate Scholarship Acceptance Rate

Application for the 2022-2023 Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship for Undergraduate studies are currently being received. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as Undergraduate Students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarships Program.

The MEXT (MONBUKAGAKUSHO) scholarship program is open for candidates enrolled in an undergraduate course at a university, or who are receiving preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects prior to placement at the university. This is a unique opportunity to get quality education for free in Japan.

Winners of this Asia scholarship should be able to arrive in Japan between April 1, 2023, and April 7, 2023. If an applicant is to enroll in his/her university from the fall semester through direct placement, he/she must be able to arrive in Japan during the period specified by the accepting university within two weeks before and after the starting date of the university’s relevant academic term for that year.

Applicants wishing to apply for a Research, Master’s or PhD degree program should click on the following link: MEXT scholarship program for graduate studies. If you want to check out other governments scholarships, please click here.

MEXT Undergraduate Scholarship | Storytime | What to expect in the process

Tips Before Applying

Okay, you’re interested in the MEXT scholarship. The first thing that you have to ask yourself is “Why Japan?” If you’re entering graduate school, you might even ask, why do you want to pursue further studies? No one can give you the right answer but yourself. This is important because the application process for MEXT is grueling and long. It can take up to one and a half years from the time you start your application to finally getting the final confirmation of your scholarship. Making sure that your heart is right for MEXT will get you through that process and give you the ‘stamina’ to commit to your decision.

Hence, this is my first tip: be prepared to have stamina and perseverance. I would say that this is one ‘informal’ way that MEXT weeds out candidates. Some applicants do decide to quit in the middle of their application process, and for different reasons. But if in the beginning, you find your motivation and commit to the process, it will save you time and money. And even if in the end, you did not get the scholarship, it’s ok. If you really know that you want to study abroad in Japan, there are still a lot of other options aside from MEXT.

Make sure to know the schedule of the test, the interview, and other pertinent deadlines. Make time to prepare beforehand. It’s be wise to free up your day or several days before the test and the interview so that you can focus on these tasks.

Research, Ask and Connect

The next tip is to really do your research. You’re already doing it by reading this article, good for you! But there’s a lot more to learn from MEXT. How long is the program your applying for, and is it in English? Can you adjust to the weather in Japan, or how about the culture? I can’t answer all this here but there’s a lot of resources on the internet including from MEXT itself. While you’re at it, look for people who have been MEXT scholars or know about the MEXT program. Asking people who have experience with this scholarship will give you an advantage. If you don’t know anyone, ask your professor, or anyone from your university, heck even on Facebook. Look for people who might know someone who knows someone, you know what I mean.

During the Application Process

If you’re applying for graduate school, the MEXT program prioritizes good research proposals that are relevant to Japan. But aside from that, is your research relevant to your chosen field or discipline? Does it benefit society? These are just simple questions to ask yourself when coming up with a good research proposal. Find a person or resource that can help you write your proposal better. When choosing your research subject, it’s important to find an adviser who is an expert in that field and is willing to take you under his arm. The adviser-student relationship in Japan is very important and is quite similar to a master-apprentice relationship. This is also a requirement for MEXT so you should really research which Japanese professors can potentially help you with your application.

When Choosing a University

MEXT will ask you for three Letters of Acceptance (LoA) from three different universities. You will have to get in touch with your three chosen universities and ask how you can get an LoA from them. Each university has its own process, but most likely, they will ask for you to identify an adviser and possibly to get in touch with that adviser. When you apply and give MEXT these three LoAs to MEXT, you will have to rank them by priority, but in the end, it will be up to MEXT to choose which university they will place you in. Whichever comes first, choosing an adviser, or choosing a university then finding the right adviser, do consider these: Include at least one university from your choice that is a government university. Because MEXT is a government scholarship, it makes sense for them to prioritize state-funded universities as tuitions are relatively cheaper than in private universities. Another factor is if you can get an LoA from one or more of the top-ranking universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo, Waseda University or Kyoto University. This would really make your application strong in the eyes of the panel. In my case, I actually applied to get an LoA from four universities just to make sure that if I did not get LoAs from one of my original universities, I can send my ‘back-up’ LoA as a replacement. Luckily, I got all of the four LoAs so I ended up sending MEXT my three original universities.

You can treat the scholarship as a competition, but the problem is you don’t know other’s performance or progress so the best thing to do is just do your best. After making sure that the content of your application is excellent, another way to step up your game is to be attentive to details – make sure that your application is well-polished. First, make sure everything is complete, from items you need to answer in a form up to the actual documents that you need to submit. This attention to detail also applies to grammar and punctuations in your application as well as the neatness of your documents (no creases, using nice and new envelopes, etc.). If the panel sees that you really put the effort into your application, it will give them a good impression, which increases the chance of your application being noticed and possibly being considered.

mext undergraduate scholarship acceptance rate

Increasing your chance to get into MEXT is not an exact science. Luck and the right timing may also be added factors so putting in the effort, taking it seriously and committing to the task are just some attitudes that can take you ahead of the competition. Having a good research proposal and an adviser who can vouch for you will really give you a strong chance to be accepted. Ganbatte ne!

References

Hokkaido University – International Graduate Program (website)

Hokkaido University – International Graduate Program (brochure)

JASSO International Students in Japan 2018

JASSO Result of an Annual survey of International Students in Japan 2018

MEXT – Study in Japanhttps://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title02/detail02/sdetail02/1373897.htm

MEXT STUDENT FROM GERMANY: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES (video)

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mext undergraduate scholarship acceptance rate

Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies Eligibility

To apply for the MEXT (MONBUKAGAKUSHO) scholarship, candidates must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan.
  • Age: Applicants, in principle, must have been born on or after April 2, 1998. Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.)
  • Academic Background: Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions. However, applicants desiring direct placement must satisfy either the following ①, ③ or ④ condition.
    1. Applicants who have completed 12 years of schooling in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2023 are eligible. However, applicants wishing to enroll from the autumn term through direct placement must be expected to complete 12 years of schooling by August 2023.)
    2. Applicants who have completed their studies at a school equivalent to a Japanese upper secondary school in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2023 are eligible.)
    3. Applicants who have successfully passed an academic qualification examination that is equivalent to the completion of 12 years of schooling in countries other than Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above condition by March 2023 are eligible.)
    4. Other than the above ①, ② and ③ conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a Japanese university at the time of application.
  • Japanese Language: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan before and after arriving in Japan. In addition, in principle, applicants must be willing to carry out their academic studies in Japan in Japanese.
  • Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician attesting that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
  • FAQ

    Is it hard to get MEXT scholarship?

    Usually in big universities like The university of Tokyo or Kyoto university, it is more difficult to get MEXT than other universities. And sometimes, some infamous universities did not have any international student while they could offer many scholarships.

    How many people get accepted in MEXT?

    Approximately 50 students receive this scholarship annually.

    Is MEXT for undergraduate students?

    (UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS)

    The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as Undergraduate Students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program as follows.

    What GPA do you need for the MEXT scholarship?

    To be eligible for the MEXT scholarship, one needs to demonstrate excellent academic achievement with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.30 (out of 3.0) in his/her recent academic degree and is expected to maintain the equivalent level during the entire scholarship period.

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