Questions about the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship? Find the answers here!
When readers send me questions by email or through my contact form, I add them to a list to be addressed in these FAQ articles. Here is a collection of the most common questions I have received about the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship.
Feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments for the quickest response, or to reach out to me by email or through the contact form to have questions added to this page in the future.
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Choosing Universities
Can I apply to more than one university?
No, but that’s a good thing!
Per MEXT’s rules Universities are required to check to ensure that you are not applying anywhere else – they ask you to certify it in the scholarship application form. If you admit to applying to multiple universities, they will tell you to choose one. If you somehow make it through the application for more than one university, not only will you be disqualified, but every nominee from both universities could be disqualified too.
So why is it a good thing? Two reasons:
- The University Recommended MEXT scholarship is incredibly competitive. Typically, only one person per field of study can earn a nomination at any university. You need to focus all of your energy on applying to a single university to have the best chance. Splitting your effort would make your application weaker.
- If you could apply to multiple universities, everyone else would be able to do so to. That means that you would have fewer chances of getting the scholarship, not more, since you’d be competing with the best applicants at every single university.
What university should I apply to?
Check out my article about choosing universities for my tips on how to choose the best university for you.
Can you help me choose one?
Yes, but if you want to commission me to do individual research, that comes with a fee. If you are interested, please reach out to me through the contact form.
Application Documents
Thanks for sending the sample MEXT application form, but I need the original. Where can I get it?
You should get it from the university where you plan to apply. I am not trying to be difficult here: You need to get in touch with them directly to use their format (there may be differences) and make sure you review all of the other documents they require, plus their submission requirements.
My transcript is not in English or Japanese, can I translate it myself?
No. Any official document, such as a transcript or certificate of graduation, that is not written in English or Japanese have a Japanese translation attached. You have to submit the original plus a translated certified by a professional translator or by an official at the issuing institution. So, the only way you can translate it yourself is if the issuing university is willing to certify your Japanese translation as being accurate.
You are allowed to provide your own translations of any freeform documents, such as your thesis abstract. Of course, in that case, you should just write it yourself in English to begin with.
Where can I find a translator?
You can often find translators online, but if you want to find someone that you know is reliable, you can check with the Japanese Embassy or Consulate nearest you. They should know translators in the area that they can refer you to.
Who should write my letter of recommendation?
For the University Recommended MEXT scholarship, your letter of recommendation should come from a Dean or higher. (Not a vice dean or deputy dean).
The dean doesn’t know me, can’t I have my professor write it instead?
Your professor can write it, but it should be the Dean that signs it.
It doesn’t matter if the Dean knows you or not. If you are one of the top students in your major (and you should be), you should be able to get the Dean to sign a letter of recommendation for you. The Dean doesn’t need to write it himself/herself, the Dean just needs to sign it. Your academic advisor should be able to help you lobby for and obtain the Dean’s signature.
My Diploma won’t be released until a year after my graduation, how can I submit a Certificate of Graduation for the MEXT scholarship application?
A “Certificate of Graduation” doesn’t have to be a diploma. It can be any official document from your university certifying that you have graduated. If your transcript shows that you have graduated, that can count as a Certificate of Graduation. A letter from your university registrar on university letterhead would also count.
You should never ever submit your original diploma. You won’t get it back!
Do you have questions about the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship that I haven’t answered above?
Ask them in the comments below and I will update this page as soon as possible. (Please keep in mind that it may take some time for me to catch up).
I’d also recommend signing up for my mailing list, below, to get notified whenever I have updates to any of the FAQs or new articles about the MEXT scholarship!
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Hi Travis,
I had applied to a Priority Graduate Program at Tohoku University. I was nominated for MEXT and have been waiting for the results. My friend who applied for the same program has gotten his results on 11th July itself. But i am still waiting, They asked me to fill a document on 8th July in which I had to fill about my employment, family, debt, etc. I asked the university they told me the government asked for some extra documents, apparently they said this was extra screening.
I am still waiting for my result, what are my chances of rejection in this case?
Hi Kushagra,
I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of a case like yours before. For SGU applications, MEXT’s Secondary Screening is generally little more than a rubber stamp.
The few things that I know they double check are whether your research has the potential to be used for weapons technology, whether you are affiliated with military research, and possible whether or not you have a history of being deported from Japan or a criminal record in Japan.
Given that they are asking about your employment, family, and debt, it sounds like they might have concerns about you, personally, related to one of the reasons above. You might just be in the unfortunate position of having the same name or family name of someone on their watch list (I once worked with an applicant whose application was delayed because he had the same first and last name as a wanted terrorist, which caused some delays with his visa.) However, if you have worked in relationship with military technology in the past, or your family has, they might be investigating your background to make sure that you are not a security risk.
I hope it is just a mix-up and that you hear good news soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I got my results today and I have been selected for the MEXT.
Thank you for your encouraging words. You have been a great help to me while preparing for the MEXT scholarship. I was actually rejected in the embassy recommended, then I found out about PGP through you, and finally, here I am.
Your blogs and books have been of great help, without them I would have not been able to clear this hurdle.
Thanks and Regards,
Kushagra
Hi Kushagra,
Congratulations on winning the scholarship!
It sounds like you have been through a particularly long and challenging application, but it paid off in the end! Thank you very much for sharing your feedback. I am happy that I was able to contribute!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I’m thinking about applying to the Mext via the University Recommendation and I was wondering, do I have to pay the application fee to submit my candidature to the university/scholarship?
Hi Melissa,
If the university has a specific application process for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, then no, you would not have to pay an application fee. However, if the university selects their MEXT scholarship candidates out of the pool of general applicants and you have to apply for “normal” admission to qualify, then you would need to pay the admission fee. In that case, it would be refunded later if you were nominated/accepted for the scholarship.
The exact process is going to differ from university-to-university, so you’ll have to check the instructions for the university you want to apply to.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Transenz,
Hello Traviz, I have applied MEXT university recommendation in September 2021 in one of the Private University in Kyoto. A long short story I recommended by the Univerity to MEXT. It’s been anxious for me to wait for the Final Screening result from MEXT since March.
I have a question regarding the acceptance rate for those who applied to Private University for the MEXT university recommendation, could you give me any information? Since it is already July and no announcement yet.
PS: thank you for your blog it was very useful for my application to make the Field of study and fill the form.
Thank you.
Best Regrads
Hi Dave,
In my experience, once you have been recommended by a University to MEXT for the scholarship, the acceptance rate is essentially 100%. MEXT tells universities in advance how many nominees they can have accepted and universities only fill their quotas, so there is no reason you would be rejected (there is no competitive evaluation anymore at that point).
It isn’t uncommon for MEXT and universities to be late with the announcements of results, but I have heard rumors that some results have started to come out this week, so hopefully you will hear good news soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Traviz,
Thank you so much!
I received an email with the final result just a few days ago!
Thanks to your blog, it’s very useful. Dear anyone who read this, you need to read this blog thoroughly before you applied to your University. This blog is one of my references. Very useful.
Regards
Dave
Hi Dave,
Congratulations! I am very happy to hear that your application was successful.
Thank you for your kind words, as well!
Good Luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, i hope you are well i wanted to ask what should i do now as i was not able to clear primary application process for mext, there were are around 1900 applicants this year and is highly competitive, but i dont know what to improve on research plan as i was very sure i would get selected but was instead rejected, i also asked 3 mext scholars to review my research plan and they all said it was pretty good,i am lost. although i will apply for university recommended mext ,so when should i reach out the prof. about it and should i directly ask them about the research plan or share research plan. and also can you provide any stats for universities ,it will help me if i apply for universities which will have lower applicants hence the chances will be higher. fyi i am applying for masters in machine learning (Information Tech)
Hi Yuraj,
I am sorry to hear that you didn’t pass the primary screening this year. The scholarship is always highly competitive, but I’ve been hearing that there have been record numbers of applicants in many countries this year. Now that the country is finally open again, I guess everyone who couldn’t apply over the past few years is doing so at once!
Frankly speaking, “pretty good” isn’t nearly good enough for a FSRPP, especially if that comment is coming just from other MEXT Scholars and not with someone with experience reviewing applications. I think you should get a professor to review it, perhaps a professor you know from your previous university or a contact in Japan, if you have one, and make sure it is “excellent”.
The University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship is even more competitive, since there are generally fewer slots per university, so you’re going to want to work on improving your application before then. But if you’re looking for the best chances, then I recommend that you try to find PGP programs in your field, since those have limited eligibility criteria and will therefore be less competitive. I included links to all of the PGP programs that were valid last year in my most recent article about How to Apply for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, so you can read more about them there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis thank you very much for the response, i just read the response now, i will look into the application more strictly , but i wanted to ask if don’t have any publications , i only have a proceedings of my research from college what can be done about it, also is pgp program list is of 2021 and 2020 are there any new programs and should this be a good time to contact a professor and lastly can i apply for mutilple universites/programs because there will be no conformation or rejection and acceptance early
Hi Yuvraj Singh,
It is not a problem that you don’t have any publications. Most applicants do not, as many, particularly at the Master’s level, are coming straight out of school and wouldn’t have had time. Even applicants for the PhD programs rarely have more than their Master’s thesis to show.
For the PGP programs, MEXT is currently accepting applications from universities for the 2022 selection and the list of selected programs won’t be available until early December. For programs that are newly selected this year, it is possible that universities will run a supplementary application at that time, since that will be after the usual application deadline, but there’s no way to know in advance what universities and programs might be on that list.
August is not a great time to try to contact professors, because most universities are on summer vacation and this is also when Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholars are contacting universities to ask for Letters of Provisional Acceptance, so you might get confused for one of those applicants. I think you’ll have a better shot of getting a response if you send your message around mid-September, as professors will be back and preparing for the start of the fall semester.
You can only apply to one university per year for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship. Applying to multiple universities can get all of your application disqualified.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, i am here again, i was not able to pass university recommended mext as well,
i Applied for Ritsumaken university and after 3 rounds of interview i was unable to pass. i dont know where i lacked( maybe be due to i did not give any good english proficeincy test document instead just submitted certificate form my previous college)
should i ask them about where i lacked or what to improve. or although they stated it clearly the result is final should i ask them about if there is gonna be a waiting list for some applicant similar to previous year.
are there any pgp program which are still open for machine learning or data science? i was unable to find any.
should i just give up, becasue i dont think even in embassy round this year i will make it since number of applicants are increasing especially in India, i will have to wait another year just to apply. please suggest what should i do.
Hi Yuvraj,
I am sorry to hear that your application wasn’t successful.
The MEXT Scholarship application is not just about being “good enough” to get in or meeting a certain standard. It’s a zero-sum game, so you have to be better than the other applicants. It’s possible you did everything right, but that there were other applicants with research proposals that were more closely related to the professors’ research interest, etc.
I do not think the university will tell you anything about what you can do to improve your application, because it’s related to other applicants and telling you about them would not be allowed. (Actually, I worked at Ritsumeikan processing MEXT applications many years ago and it frustrated me that I wasn’t allowed to tell applicants what they could do to fix problems with their applications. That was why I initially started this blog!)
Unfortunately, I do not know of any other programs that are still accepting application for this cycle.
At this point, I think you should ask yourself if there is anything you can do to improve your application. You can’t change your grades, obviously, but can you work on your Field of Study and Research Program Plan to make it more appealing? Can you make connections with a professor in Japan who will be more likely to support your application next time? I have seen applicants make it in with almost the same application in their second or third year of trying (including one from India), but that’s a roll of the dice and I don’t know what else is going in your life, if you can afford to keep waiting. But if you can make your application stronger, I think there is still merit to trying again!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis sorry for the trouble but could i trouble you with some questions i had
1: what are the chances of me getting in
2: total of how many tests do i have to write
3 ; i really like japan and want to do my bachelors , masters ,and most likely my phd too in japan itself so what are my options or which of the MEXT scholarship should i take or are there any better options
4: which is better embassy recomendation or university { which has the better chance of me getting in
Again sorry for the trouble and thank you in advance :-
Hi Bryan,
The MEXT Scholarship is highly competitive, so your chances of earning it are based on how hard you are willing to work to make it happen. Based on your questions – most of which you could have answered by reading some of the other guides on this site – my first impression is that you probably need to be willing to do more research and work on your own if you want to have a shot.
1. The scholarship is highly competitive, but there’s no way for me to tell you your chances. It all depends on your performance in the application and your competition.
2. It depends on the field you want to apply in. I recommend that you read the application guidelines for the details. The guidelines linked above are from last year, since this year’s are not out yet, but the information about the process should not change.
3. I am not aware of any “better” scholarship than the MEXT scholarship, at least in terms of comprehensive funding.
4. If you are applying for the undergraduate scholarship, then embassy recommendation is essentially your only option.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! Thanks for posting useful information. I was nominated for university MEXT scholarship by University of Tsukuba, but I still did not write my entrance exam. I had online interview with professor and he told me that he supports my application. Initially, I was supposed to start as research student, but professor told me that I can start Master’s studies right away and have to have an entrance exam, but they let me know that I was nominated. So here is my question: Will results of my entrance exam play an important role? What are my chances of getting accepted?
Hi Hana,
Congratulations on being nominated by University of Tsukuba!
Generally, for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, applicants are expected to start directly as degree-seeking students. But about the entrance exam, it varies from university to university and even between graduate schools in the same university. I have seen cases where there is no actual written exam, and the evaluation of the application documents is deemed to be an entrance exam, but there are other cases where students have to sit for written and/or interview exams.
I don’t know what your chances are of passing the exam, since I don’t know the contents or your particular situation, but I can say that the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship is highly competitive, so if you were selected for nomination, you are probably among the top applicants they received this year, so you should be confident that you can pass the entrance exam.
As long as they haven’t said that passing the exam is a precondition to your final nomination, then you should be able to proceed with the scholarship even if you do not pass it for some reason, but I can’t be completely certain.
I would recommend that you follow-up with your advisor about what the exam format will be and what it will cover, if you can. That should help you understand what you need to do to prepare so that you can be sure of passing it!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I hope you’ve been well! I am Michael. I would like to ask a few questions about MEXT Scholarship for master’s degree (University Recommended).
So far, I have applied a university recommended scholarship and passed through the preliminary screening, and now I am moving to admission process. Most probably I will get the scholarship eventually.
At this point, I also saw another university call for MEXT Scholarship (University Recommended) applicants. This university is also attractive to me.
I do understand that a applicant cannot apply more than one at the same time. But how they how a student is applying for more than one? To my understanding, they will know when two same documents passed to MEXT, am I right?
If this is the case, essentially, we could apply more than one, but need to “BRAKE” ourselves before the universities sends two exactly the same documents to MEXT, am I right?
If it is true, may I know at which stage the university will send document to the MEXT? Is each university send the finalized name list to MEXT at the same time or on their own timing?
May I know are you recommend student to apply for more than one university to secure the chance to get scholarship?
Thank you so much!
Hi Michael,
I absolutely do NOT recommend that you apply to multiple universities for the MEXT Scholarship in the same year. That would be a violation of the rules and I would never encourage it. I think you should drop that thought immediately.
In the MEXT Scholarship application form, there is a question that asks if you are applying to other universities for the MEXT Scholarship that year and you are required to answer honestly. Any deliberate lies on the application form can result in you being disqualified from the scholarship (as would be deserved!), so you would have to tell the truth in that question, and in that case, the university would have to reject your application.
Do not apply to more than one university for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I hope you’ve been well! I am Bernard Tiong. I am asking the question about MEXT Scholarship for master’s degree.
May I ask if I can apply for University Recommended and Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship simultaneously?
As you mentioned in your article, the correct way is to apply for Embassy Recommended first, then University Recommended, but I will be graduating in September 2022, so now I am planning to apply for University Recommended so I no need to wait to enter my master study if I successfully get the scholarship.
However, University Recommended is extremely challenging, so actually I am putting my hope on Embassy Recommended one (In my country, Embassy Recommended application opens around March or April 2022), but I also wanna try for University Recommended.
Therefore, I am wondering if I can apply these two simultaneously (University Recommended first and then Embassy Recommended)? May I know for the University Recommended, around when I can unofficially know if I get accepted, based on your extensive experience? If I can unofficially know my University Recomeneded final application status before the application of Embassy Recommended, then I have no concern and worries for applying Embassy Recommended, either not to apply because already get accepted in University Recommended, or apply because not accepted in University Recommended, am I right?
Hope you can answer my inquires because I saw some online articles saying students shall not apply both at the same time. If cannot apply both at the same time, I definitely will go for Embassy Recommended because I don’t want be disqualified from applying Embassy Recommended because of already applied for University Recommended because the chance to get accepted in Embassy Recommendation is much higher than University Recomended
Lastly, I will be appreciated if you can send me an email after addressing my question so I know my question is answered.
Thank you so much!
Hi Bernard Tiong,
I saw that you had asked the same question on another page and answered it there, first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am planning to file an application for MEXT Scholarship through University recommendation. However, the program I wish to enter is not an English taught program (Masters in Psychology). With regards to this, I have a couple of questions.
1. Will MEXT provide the 6 month Japanese language training for those applying through University Recommendation and wish to enter a Japanese taught program?
2. Do I still need to take TOEFL for the application requirements or do I need JLPT instead since I want enter a Japanese taught program?
Thank you.
Hi Angelo Bundac,
If you want to apply to a course taught in Japanese, you would already need to meet the language ability requirements before you apply.
1. No. The 6-month language program is only offered through the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship. Also the program is almost never offered to applicants who want to study in Japanese. The language program is designed to teach day-to-day survival Japanese, not academic Japanese. It is for applicants in English-taught programs with no Japanese language ability. If you apply to a Japanese-taught program you have to meet the language requirements at the time of application, so you would not need the language program after arrival, anyway.
2. Yes, you would need to submit JLPT scores (most likely level 2 or level 1, depending on your program’s requirements) instead of TOEFL, but the application guidelines at your university should have specific instructions.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I’m from Ethiopia and I want to apply for MEXT scholarship masters. but currently i’m 4th year university student ( one year left to finish, I will finish by june 2022). so currently, can I apply for MEXT scholarship 2022?
Also which is better from university recommendation and embassy recommendation, to get the scholarship?
Hi Moibon,
There are pros and cons to both the Embassy and University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application routes, so I cannot say which is best for you. I recommend that you read my introductory articles where I discuss the two types and differences.
I am also preparing to release an updated article about the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship next week. If you are on my mailing list, you will get a notice when that comes out, but otherwise just check back!
One thing I can say is that the application start time is different. There is still time now to apply for the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship to start in fall 2022. However, the deadline for the Embassy application has long since passed. The Embassy application will open next in approximately mid-April 2022 for scholarships starting in April or fall 2023.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you, Travis, but can I start the application while I’m on undergraduate program? just before graduating from undergraduate?
Hi Moibon,
You can apply before graduating, as long as your graduation will come before the start of the scholarship payment.
In that case, you would need to submit a “Certificate of Expected Graduation” instead of a “Certificate of Graduation” when you apply, showing your future expected graduation date.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, Travis,
I am an M.S. student and applied for the Ph.D. program in Japan. In late March this year, I was recommended by the university for the MEXT scholarship (possibly through the PGP category as I’m not a national of any priority countries). While the application guide says that I can expect the final result in early August at the latest, I have not received the final decision until now. Last week when I contacted the university officers, they told me that it was still in the screening process. I am getting stressed now and would like to know if this is normal. Do I still have the chance to get this scholarship? After all, it seems to be very late,
Thank you very much!
Hi Cheng Jie,
It sounds like you were recommended under the Top Global University scholarship category. I have seen some universities mention in their guidelines that results from this category were expected in early August.
Universities in that category have a certain number of scholarships they can distribute among their students each year, as long as they don’t exceed the maximum allowable number of scholarship recipients. Since this category of scholarship is not necessarily limited to new students, the final approval period is much later.
I can certainly understand your nervousness about the scholarship award, since the projected notification timeline has passed. But, in general, the universities have discretion with this scholarship and MEXT simply double-checks the applications, so you should not be subject to any more competitive screenings at this point.
It is possible that Japanese immigration policy is holding up the decision, since right now it is not possible for foreign nationals to newly enter the country in most cases. MEXT Scholarship should be an exception, but the policy is not clear and that could be part of the hold-up.
For now, I think you can assume that this is just a bureaucratic processing delay, not a reflection of any problem with your application or your chances. I hope you hear back soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thanks for your kind reply. After waiting for months, I got notified by the university today that I was not selected as a MEXT recipient. The university also mentioned that the Japanese government would not disclose the reasons for the decision. I’m somewhat frustrated, and don’t know if it is related to my major, nationality, or the Covid-19. Anyway, I may just have to accept the result and keep moving forward. Thank you again for your detailed guidance.
Hi Cheng Jie,
I’m so sorry to hear that! Also quite shocked.
The only thing I can think of that might have caused this decision is COVID-19 and the immigration restrictions in place. Perhaps “Top Global University” scholars are not eligible for the exemption to immigration requirements that has been rumored for MEXT Scholars, since the scholarship type is technically aimed at students who are already in Japan. . .
Again, I’m terribly sorry to hear this. I never saw that result coming!
I hope you will have the opportunity to try again in the future.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Travis!
お世話になっております。
I am applying for a Masters Degree in XX University through University Recommendation. I read in your website that XX University only recommends at most 3 applicants to MEXT. However, in the website of the graduate program (Engineering) I am applying to, they presented a table of how many scholarship slots were awarded to the program. I’d like to attach the table, but in it there are 8 slots for MEXT Scholarships each year for 2019, 2020, and 2021. The XX University also sponsored additional 9 slots, the Graduate School sponsored 2 slots and the Graduate Program sponsored 1 slot in 2021. So this year, there are 20 scholarship slots given. For 2020, they gave 23 slots. As stated in the program’s website, these scholarships sponsored other than MEXT also has the same funding as MEXT’s. I have a feeling that this is PGP. How competitive is PGP? Do you have tips for PGP applicants?
Also, my UG university is not a partner university of XX University. Although coming from a partner university is not stipulated in the program guidelines, what do you think of my chances securing a slot? My UG degree is well-matched with the program, and I have all the qualifications as per the program’s guidelines. I also came from a priority country for MEXT scholarship. Another thing, I read in your website that those that are not coming from partner universities need to have recommendation letters from the University President. However in the program’s guidelines, it was specified that the two recommendation letters should come from faculty members of the university and one of them must be from the applicant’s direct academic supervisor. I am thinking of asking recommendations from my college dean and my professor/acad supervisor, but do you think I should go with the Dean and University President recommendations, even though the President is not a faculty member?
I apologize for the long comment. But thank you ever so much for helping out aspiring scholars like me. I wish you more success in your life.
宜しくお願い申し上げます。
Hi Macky,
If the university is saying that they can nominate more than 3 MEXT Scholars, then there are one of two possibilities.
The first is a PGP program (if they specified that the 8 slots are valid for three years, then that sounds like a PGP program). In that case, it is likely that the slots are restricted to a specific graduate school and degree level.
Another possibility is the Top Global University (also called SGU) MEXT Scholarship. Universities that are selected for the Top Global University Project can have a certain total number of scholarship places available each year under that program, including both new selectees and continuing students.
In the case of PGP slots, these are the least competitive type of MEXT Scholarship, usually because the eligibility criteria are so narrow that most applicants do not qualify, so you are only competing with other qualified applicants.
For the SGU slots, it is slightly more competitive than PGP, since you are competing against all other international students applying to or already enrolled at that university, but it is still less competitive than the General Category!
In my article I wrote that a letter of recommendation from the president of your university was required if there was no partnership or history of collaboration between your universites, but in the most recent version of the scholarship guidelines, that does not appear to be a requirement anymore. I am working on updating the article now to reflect the changes from the last year! In the meantime, I recommend that you submit the letters as indicated in the university’s guidelines. If they need a Dean or President recommendation later, they will let you know.
I can’t say for certain what affect being from a non-partner university will have on your chances. It’s all relative to the other applicants and how you stack up against them. I would expect that being from a partner university or not would serve as a tie-breaker in deciding between two applicants if their other performance in the application was about even.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi TranSenz,
I have been nominated for Top Global MEXT scholarship by a university in Japan. However, even if it is almost end of the July, I heard nothing from the university. They keep telling me to be patient until early August when I send an email to them. Do you have any idea about this? Is it something bad? Because most universities have already informed the students about the final decision by MEXT. Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Murat,
The Top Global University Scholarship category is on a different schedule from the University-Recommended MEXT Scholarship and Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, so you should not worry that other applicants have heard about their scholarships and you have not.
For the TGU category, it’s almost entirely up to the university’s discretion, so you should have nothing to worry about, it is just a matter of processing time before you get the final result.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks a lot for your kindness and the information you shared. I didn’t know that TGU is a different path than the university recommendation. Do you have any idea about the possibility of getting the scholarship? Is it same like the university recommended MEXT or more competitive?
Hi Murat,
For all versions of the MEXT Scholarship, the primary screening is the most competitive. University’s know how many slots they have available and only select that number of students. If the university has nominated you to MEXT, then your scholarship should be a sure thing. In the case of TGU scholarships, this is even more sure than the other types.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Transenz,
Please i would like to ask if the Embassy recommended scholarship announcement comes late, like if they say end of June, do they really contact you then? And if you don’t pass the screening or you’really considered ineligible will you be informed?
Hi Tomiwa,
Some embassies contact all applicants and some only contact successful applicants. Since the end of June has passed and that is when they said they would contact you, then I think it’s a good idea to reach out to them to ask about your status.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Transenz,
I applied for a Embassy Recommendation but I haven’t gotten a reply yet. I just want to know if you’ll be informed if you don’t pass the primary screening and is the announcement of results sometimes late. Like they said successful candidates will be contacted at the end of June but can it happen later than that? Thank you.
Hi Tomiwa,
Some embassies/consulates contact all applicants and some only contact the successful ones.
Since the end of June has passed, if you have not heard anything, I recommend that you reach out to them to ask!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Sir,
I hope you are doing well. I wanted to ask about university recommended process chances if one professor is willing to accept me as his student.
I did apply for embassy recommended which I had been working on for the past year but unfortunately I did not make through the document screening even though I was fully satisfied with my research plan. Anyways, may I ask if there is something that can be done about now.
Also, I want to say that your work has been very helpful and I cannot thank you enough for everything. Waiting for your kind reply. Thank you very much.
Hi Hope,
I am sorry to hear that your application for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship was not successful, but I am glad to hear that you are trying again for the University Recommendation!
If a professor is willing to accept you, that’s a good first step. For the general category University Recommended MEXT Scholarship, each university has only between 1-3 slots for students that they can recommend, so it is very competitive. It would help if the professor was not only willing to supervise you, but also enthusiastic about your research and willing to advocate for you in the university decision/screening process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your response. I apologise for the late reply. I will try my best to convince the professor for the same.
Hi Travis,
I hope you are doing well. I want to ask do you have any idea when mext scholarship university recommendation will be announced for this year? Since my university said the result might come out by end of June. Thank you.
Hi Josh,
I think you’re referring to the results of last year’s application, right?
Every year, MEXT says the results will come out by the end of June, and most years they’re a few weeks late. I would be surprised if they were released by the end of June, but you should certainly hear something by mid-July.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis. Just want to inform you that university recommendation result has been announced today and i got a place! Thank you so much for great information!
Hi Josh,
Congratulations and thank you for sharing the great news!
Good luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Hope you are fine in this pandemic, and thank you for making this blog so people like me can get very useful information regarding mext scholarship.
I learned that I was nominated by a university in Japan to Mext to get the scholarship. The professor (I apply in his lab) informed me that the number of slots for his university was cut (now only around 4, 2 years ago there were 8).
I read your answers in this thread that Mext only “doing double check”, in your opinion, does it mean that no more competitive selection/screening an this stage? (Reviewing the research plan, points gained from university’s screening, comparing to the other applicants, etc).
Regards,
Ruks
Hi Ruks,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
Once the university recommends you to MEXT, there are no more competitive screenings. A couple years ago, there was a budget cut that resulted in MEXT reducing slots at the last minute, but I have seen no indication that something similar will happen this year. So, every applicant nominated by a university should receive the scholarship in the end!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
so I keep sending E-mails to professors from the labs I chose until one accepts me and then I go on with the application procedures ?
Hi Hala,
If you are applying for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship, you do not need to contact professors or get their acceptance until after you pass the Primary Screening. If you contact them before that point, it should be to network and build a relationship.
When you do reach out, I recommend that you spend time researching each of the professors to make sure that they are a good fit for your research and then take the time to write individual emails, customized to that person.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Mr. Travis,
First of all I would like to say thank you for your useful information that can be accessed freely on this website. I have been nominated to MEXT through university recommendation because of your information provided. My academic advisor told me that the final result from MEXT would be announced in June.However, I have just realized there is a rule that the candidate could be rejected if the research were arousing proliferation concerns including those over weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related items.I am so anxious since my research plan entitled “The Analysis of Japanese Security Dilemma: Japan’s Decision Making in Revising Article 9 and Effort in Maintaining Security”. In the introduction, my research plan discusses disputes over sovereignty between China and Japan. Then, it also mentions the tension between North Korea and Japan since North Korea has continued its nuclear weapons activities. Therefore, I want to ask you whether this topic is likely to be rejected by MEXT or not?
I really appreciate your help and time.Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Emmanuel
Hi Emmanuel,
Congratulations on earning the university’s nomination! That’s an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the effort that you put into your application.
I do not think your topic is problematic at all. When MEXT refers to rejecting applications where research is related to proliferation of WMDs, they are not talking about social science research, but rather nuclear physics (etc.) research where the results could be used in creating actual weapons or delivery systems.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Mr. Travis,
Thank you for your response and information.
I was nominated by university recommendation for the SATREPS and e-Asia Categories. Do you think the chance of being accepted will be the same as other MEXT program such as PGP & General Category? In your article, you said all SATREPS and e-Asia applicants are related to ongoing projects and pre-screened by that agency. But, I am not sure whether my research plan can be categorized as an ongoing project or not.
Best regards,
Emmanuel
Hi Emmanuel,
I’m not as familiar with SATREPS and e-Asia as I am with the other categories, but my understanding is that your application would have needed to go through a pre-screening by the cooperating organization and that the number of eligible applicants is rather small while the number of scholarship places is comparatively large, so you should have a better chance of selection.
Especially if you have already passed the university screening and been nominated, you should have nothing to worry about!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I have been following your blogs about the MEXT University Recommended Scholarship and I thank you for all your advise. I have received my nomination for MEXT Scholarship last March 2021 and still awaiting for the result from MEXT come July-Aug. It’s really my desire to pursue my doctorate degree from Japan. I am currently teaching at a university here in the Philippines. My question is, is there a return service required from the scholarship? If I apply for a study leave in my university, they told me that I have to give a return service after. But if I resign, will there be a return service for MEXT scholars or is it required that I have an agency/institution to serve the return service? Thank you once again and hope to hear from you!
Hi Mishael Joy Barrera,
Congratulations on your nomination for the scholarship! In my experience, almost every applicant who gets nominated by the university for the scholarship ends up earning it in the end.
About your question, I am afraid that I do not know what a return service is. I’m only familiar with it as something used in the mail. Could you explain it?
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for your response. In our case, return service is when we have to go back to our institution to ‘payback’ in the form of service. For example, we have this policy that if we go on study leave for 3 years, we have to stay/serve in the University for the next 6 years after we obtain the degree and return. It’s like a bond that we have with the institution as a way of giving back. So I was thinking, if ever I resign from my job and pursue my doctorate degree, will there be a ‘return service agreement’ that I will be violating? Just some thoughts at my end. Thanks again for your help.
Hi Mishael Joy Barrera,
Thank you for your reply and explanation. Now I understand! We called that a “Service Obligation” in my old job. Sorry I wasn’t able to put it together.
MEXT does not apply a return service to scholarship winners. Your current job or your country may, but that should be the only obligation that you have to meet.
The only additional condition from MEXT is that you would not be able to apply for another MEXT Scholarship in the future until you have completed at least three years of full-time work or study, counting from the month after your last scholarship award. (You can extend your scholarship while still studying in Japan, but cannot apply for a new scholarship after it ends).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! Thank you for all your great contents! I have a question to ask. Recently, i have been selected as one of the recommended student to get university recommendation scholarship through MEXT-IPGP from one of the university in Japan. And they said that the result will come out in June 2021. So, do you know what is the chances for me to get MEXT-IPGP? What is the difference between IPGP and other general category? Thank you in advanced!
Hi Zack,
I haven’t heard of IPGP before, but I assume it is another way of saying PGP (Priority Graduate Program). Perhaps the acronym was updated.
For PGP applicants, once you are selected by the university, you are practically assured of earning the scholarship. I have never heard of anyone in that category not earning the scholarship after the university nominated them.
In the PGP program, the university is guaranteed to have a specific number of slots for the program each year, so after they nominate their candidates to MEXT, all MEXT is doing is double-checking that there is no problem with your eligibility and there are no other issues (e.g. that you haven’t applied to multiple universities in the same year).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, I have received the MEXT scholarship university recommendation for UG, from national univ. and they have asked to go back to my home country and return back with student visa. I live in Japan as dependent and done my schooling.
How this works? does it mean I am already awarded for MEXT, is there any allotted slot for national univ. what if i am unable to travel due to covid. Request your guidance. Thx
Hi Ram,
I saw your question on another page and answered it there, first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I have applied MEXT via university recommendation and has just got nominated by the university. I understand from the university, though, that the final confirmation to whether or not I will get the scholarship will be announced in August 2021.
I would like to ask the same question as others: is my chance of getting the scholarship high, low, or unknown?
The reason why i am asking is the case in 2019 which you have mentioned where MEXT decided to cut quota. Did this happen in 2020?
Thank you very much in advance! I have been reading your blogs for years and they have been very very helpful. It’s actually because of your blogs that have brought me this far. 🙂
Stay safe!
Hi Pitty1997,
Thank you for your kind comments!
Of course, I cannot say for sure, but based on my experience, you should have a very high chance of getting the scholarship.
I have been working with this scholarship since 2011 and the 2019 incident you mentioned was the only time I have seen the scholarship numbers cut for either the embassy or university. That coincided with the year that Japan made higher education free for some income brackets (meaning that MEXT paid students’ tuition), so I suspect that was a year of unprecedented budget issues for MEXT.
I do not know of any reason why something like that should happen again this year. It did not happen in 2020 (though there were many other problems that year with the pandemic and students not being able to come to Japan. . .)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I would like to let you know that I have just received the notification from MEXT today where they have confirmed my scholarship! You were right about the chance of rejection being slim despite the pandemic. Thank you very much for your help! 🙂 I also hope that this comment will be a small encouragement to other friends who are expecting for their MEXT result as well.
Hi Pitty1997,
Congratulations! I know it has been a long wait, but I am thrilled to hear that you received good news in the end.
Good Luck with your studies in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi there.
I have a question with regard to university recommendation for MEXT scholarship.
If I am signing a pledge letter stating that if recomended I will not be allowed to enter or transfer to other universities, and I make firm commitment to avail MEXT, then can I forfeit my application and candidature after being recommended by the University?
Hi Saibrata Punyasloka,
Yes, you can withdraw and forfeit your scholarship later. MEXT is not going to come to your door and arrest you. They have no authority to do anything to you except to deny you the chance to apply again in the future, of course.
However, if you think there is a chance that you might withdraw, I would recommend getting your priorities clear now and decide whether or not you are going to do so. If you withdraw after the university has already nominated you, then they cannot nominate a replacement student and you would have denied the scholarship opportunity to another applicant as well as denying the university the chance to host a scholar.
If you make your decision sooner, that gives the university a chance to move on and another applicant the chance to study in Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I would love to know more about the special training area of the MEXT Scholarship.
I am really interested in applying for next year, I plan to start getting prepared now so that I don’t end up doing anything late.
Hi Kaidyn,
I’m afraid that I don’t really know what you mean about the “special training area”.
My experience is in the application process for the scholarship for graduate students, so that is what most of the resources you will find on this site are about. If you are interested in a different type of scholarship, I might not have specific resources for it, but if you can clarify what your interest is, I might be able to help!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, I’m from India. I have completed my bachelors in Mass communication and journalism. But now i want to get mext to study fashion designing at Bunka fashion college. But a consultant told me that i should choose a course for graduation as same as my UG. So am I not eligible to apply?
Hi Zeba,
For graduate scholarships, MEXT requires that you apply in a field that you majored in before at university or its related field. However, from what I understand, Bunka Fashion College is a “Specialized Training College”. So, the program there leads to a professional certification that would be lower than a bachelor’s degree, in terms of degree equivalency.
As such, the academic eligibility requirement is that you must have completed high school. (Completing university already will not make you ineligible, but since it is not required, your field of study at university should not impact your eligibility).
You must have been born on or after April 2, 1996 to be eligible for this year’s application cycle, though, so in some cases, that age requirement keeps college graduates from applying.
You will also likely need to justify in your application or interview why you are applying for a lower degree than what you currently have.
The MEXT Scholarship for Specialized Training College Students is not exactly my area of expertise, so I am afraid that I am limited in what other advice I can offer. You can find the application guidelines on MEXT’s site, here. Please do keep in mind that most of what I have written on this site is based on the scholarship for graduate students, so it might not apply in your case.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, Travis,
My name is Cici, I have applied for the embassy recommended MEXT scholarship. Can I also apply for the University recommended MEXT scholarship to increase my chance of getting this scholarship? In addition, except the listed three schools on the preference form for the embassy recommended MEXT scholarship, if I can apply for the University recommended one, should I apply another one that’s different from the listed three?
Hi Cici,
You cannot have two ongoing applications for the MEXT Scholarship at the same time. So, if you have applied for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, you would not be able to start an application for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship unless you had received confirmation that your application for the Embassy had been rejected.
If MEXT discovers that you have multiple applications going (Embassy + University or multiple University Recommended MEXT Scholarship applications), they will disqualify you.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I have question for you. I want to start my master’s at Japan and I already found a supervisor. My supervisor advised me to apply through embassy recommendation. But in my country it is highly competitive. I am not sure if I can get it or not. My supervisor said that if I fail from embassy recommendation we could try university recommendation. My question is they should be separate processes right? Can I apply through university recommendation if I rejected by the first phase of the embassy recommendation?
Have a nice day!
Hi Osman Halil,
In general, the University Recommendation is much more competitive, in my experience, at least for the general category slots. So I recommend that you put your full effort into the Embassy Recommendation.
They are completely separate processes. So, if you do not pass the Primary Screening at the Embassy, you will be able to apply for the University Recommendation, provided that the announcement comes in time. (You cannot be actively applying for both at the same time).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis
Thank you so much for sharing your information about MEXT scholarship.
I have 3 questions regarding previous recipients of the MEXT scholarship. It seems that after 3 years of employment there is the possibility of applying again. I was just wondering:
1.Does MEXT require some proof of employment such as a copy of contract?
2.How do you think a freelancer would be regarded?
3.Does the kind of employment matter?
Thank you in advance!
Alice
Hi Alice,
As far as I know, MEXT does not have a specific requirement for how you need to prove that you have had three years of employment history in the meantime, which would mean that it would be up to the individual university or embassy to determine what they want you to submit.
I handled one application like this in the past, back when the requirement was that you had to have three years of education and research experience (before employment was counted). In that case, we decided what the applicant needed to submit. So, I will answer your questions as best I can based on that and my experience working in Japan.
1. Yes, I think they will most likely ask for formal documentation from your employer showing the period of employment. It could be a contract or it could be a certificate of employment/letter created specifically for this purpose.
2. Japan isn’t particularly proactive about freelancing in general, so I’m really not sure if they would accept it as employment. In the best scenario, they might accept a letter of explanation from you that also listed your contracts that you had accepted, perhaps paired with a business account statement showing income. In the worst case, they could ask you to compile three years worth of individual records from companies that hired you.
I would recommend that you check with the embassy where you will apply for their guidance.
3. As long as the employment is full time, it should count. However, I would assume that they will be looking for you to have made proactive use of your last MEXT-sponsored degree in contributing to your society and the relationship with Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Do you know what’s the latest date that university recommended scholars usually get the MEXT results? I’m still waiting for mine and I’ve seen a lot of people get theirs since last week! Just a bit worried. Thanks.
Hi JR,
I have seen the results as late as mid-July in the past, but usually that’s because the results are delayed for everyone. Once they start coming out, they usually come out for all applicants within a few days (depending on the university’s internal processing before they contact applicants).
One possible exception might be if General Category and PGP Category results are released separately. Do you know if the results that have come out so far are from the same category of scholarship as yours?
Also, make sure that you have whitelisted the university that you applied to in your email service and that you are checking your spam email box, just to be sure. Sometimes scholarship announcements sound like spam and get filtered.
If you are really concerned, you can also politely contact the university.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I applied to a master’s program at Kyushu University and to the MEXT scholarship with them. I got a positive e-mail from the university, they recommended me for the MEXT scholarship apparently.
I asked them if I could still become a privately-financed student in case of not being able to get the scholarship. And they said that I need to apply separately paying the application fee and doing the process all over again. They told me that there is a high possibility that I will get the scholarship since the students they reccomend end up getting the scholarship most of the time. But of course there is no guarantee.
I wanted to ask for your valuable opinion. Do you think that it’s a high possibility that MEXT gives me a scholarship at this point? Do you think that I should apply once again just in case? I am worried that if I don’t get the scholarship, I will be back where I started. I thought even though I don’t get the scholarship I would be still able to start studying if I just paid and didn’t need a separate application. And I don’t understand the point of applying with the same documents once again. Please excuse me for my long comment, but I really wanted to ask you what you thought about this. I am freaking out about it even though it is great news. I would be really grateful if you could answer. Thank you for your time and for creating this great blog.
Sincerely,
Larisa
Hi Larisa,
Congratulations on earning nomination for the scholarship!
Up until a year ago, I would have told you that at this point, your scholarship award is all but guaranteed. MEXT’s review of nominees is not competitive and there are no more true screenings to go through. They are just checking to make sure that the university didn’t make a mistake (I’ve never known that to happen) or that you weren’t nominated by two different universities, etc.
But last year, MEXT suddenly cut the budget and the number of scholarship places over the summer and, for the first time, not everyone that was nominated earned the scholarship.
I suspect that was a one-time event. Last year, the Japanese government introduced free higher education for Japanese citizens in certain income brackets, and I think that took a major hit on MEXT’s budget. I do not suspect something like that will happen again. (Even the major spending that is being done on COVID-19 countermeasures is coming from special emergency funds, not being taken from existing budgets). Besides, this year, MEXT already started with a much smaller number of scholarship places available for each university. By the way, that means that the application process was more competitive than it has been in the past, and you still earned the nomination!
I think that you can be quite confident that you will get the scholarship and I do not think it is necessary to also apply as a fee-paying student at the same time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for your quick response. That’s great to hear, I feel better now. My professor will be asking to other professor’s to make sure if anyone was denied by MEXT before just in case. And I hope nothing will happen similar to last year and things will go smoothly for me finally. And also, thank you so much for making this blog. It really helped me to understand the complicated and stressful process. I am really thankful to you. Keep up the great work!!
Sincerely
Larisa
Hi Larisa,
Thank you very much for your feedback.
I hope too that there will be no more unpleasant surprises this year . . . and that the virus situation settles down enough by the fall semester that we can see an end to these international border restrictions and travel problems so that all of the scholars are able to get to Japan!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Apologize if I jump into this thread as indeed am currently have similar situation but for undergraduated scholarship.
So, basically the university nominated me as their candidate for MEXT scholarship and after read this blog, i feel worry.
i also received recommendation for KAIST scholarship, but i more into MEXT (Japan). the person in the university told me to cancel the KAIST because MEXT do not allow it. What should i do ? thanks.
Janice
Hi Janice,
All University Recommended MEXT scholarships for undergraduate students are PGP program scholarship – that means that the number of slots is confirmed in advance and you should have nothing to worry about from MEXT’s review of your application. It is not a competitive review anymore at this point.
The only concern would be whether or not MEXT makes major slashes to the program, but I would not anticipate them to do so two years in a row.
As long as the KAIST you’re talking about is the KAIST I know (Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), then there is no particular conflict to worry about. Of course, you cannot accept both scholarships, because you cannot attend two universities at once. But as far as I know, you do not have to make the decision about which one to cancel until you are formally selected for the scholarship and have to choose.
Of course the university in Japan does not want there to be any possibility that you would not choose MEXT, because they would have lost a scholarship slot on you. So naturally, they want to make sure you will choose MEXT.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear, Travis.
I just again applied for the International relations program of IUJ (for 2021) because I didn’t got the scholarship (ADB) last year although I’ve been nominated. But this year I saw in their Scholarship guidelines that there is now a slot for MEXT Univ recom and MEXT Top Global Univ award. Apparently the process of IUJ is that you’ll apply then they’ll nominate you. They don’t encourage touching base with the Professor yet but mentioned that we should be ready for a Skype interview just in case of a nomination. If ever is there an effect that I rejected the admissions last year for this year’s Scholarship nomination? Also would you know generally what are the weight of points/rubric for all the admission documents? Is there an effect that I submitted my application very early (within the week of the opening of application). Would you also know how many slots are there for the University recomm?
Btw Hi Larisa, how was scholarship nomination went?
Hi Pao,
I do not think that declining the admission last year because you were not able to get funding should hurt your MEXT Scholarship application – after all, funding is included!
There is no published rubric or points for the evaluation of application documents and it is going to be different at every university, but in general, I find that your GPA and Field of Study and Research Program Plan have the highest weights. Applying early isn’t going to give you an advantage in the evaluation, but it could help in that the university will have more time to review your application in advance and let you know if anything needs correction or replacement before the deadline.
As for the number of places, it hasn’t been determined for this year, but you can find my article about the number of places and the distribution from last year, here.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for this, Travis!
Dear Transenz, thank you so much for creating this blog. It’s very informative and helping. I want to ask question, but dunno if this already answered or not yet. Please tell me if there’s already QnA about this.
I want to apply research student (i’ll short it as RS) program, because there are no option of Master and Phd program directly and we have to apply as research student first (in my embassy’s guideline). The RS has 1 or 2 years period of study, in addition 6 months japanese language course before that. But the thing that confuse me is, if applicant only have english proficiency and choose the study field where there are (perhaps) no english major, is it possible the applicant can achieve N2 just by learning 6 months language course? Or do I have to choose major with the english course? But then, I have to choose different major from my past undergraduate study which has english major, and limited university choices. I still want to apply for mext this year, so do you have any advice about that?
Thank you!
Hi Lola,
The Research Student period is up to two years including the 6 months of Japanese Language training.
That Japanese language program is only designed to get you to the point of being able to survive daily life in Japan. It is not an academic program and there is no way you could go from zero ability to N2-level Japanese during that time. So, in your case, you will only be able to apply for degree programs taught in English in Japan. I have an article about how to find those programs and potential advising professors that could help you get started. But in general, think broadly about your field of study and related fields. If you find yourself limited by the number of programs that are an exact match for what you studied in undergraduate, try to think of what could be closely related.
I would also highly recommend that you start studying Japanese language on your own now. Even though you will have that 6-month program once you arrive in Japan, during the application process (for the Embassy Recommended MEXT Scholarship, at least), you will take a Japanese language proficiency test, and leaving that test blank can ruin your application chances.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I had successfully passed preliminary selection and selected in waiting list for university of Tokyo MEXT-university recommendation in international graduate program for civil engineering and infrastructure studies. What are the chances that I will get the scholarship? I am very much worried.
Hi Ayesha,
Congratulations on passing the primary screening at Todai!
If the University of Tokyo has confirmed to you that you are one of their candidates that will be recommended to MEXT, then at that point your chances to win the scholarship would be very good.
However, if there is still another university-level screening before determining the final nominees, then your chances all depend on the strength of your application against the other applicants.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi ^^ Travis
I am Fay, greeting from Thailand!
I have 1 quiestion so far to ask you about this mext schorlarship.
As far as i concerned, i graduated with Bachelor of Arts majored in English degree, ‘Is it possible for me to further my master degree through mext university recommendation in field of international relations?
Hi Fay,
The MEXT scholarship requires that you apply for a degree in a field of study that you previously majored in at university or its related field. There is no specific, clear definition of what “related field” means, but I have written about my interpretation of it in several article on this site as well as my first book, How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship.
Essentially, you have to make a case for how your field of study in Japan is related to your previous degree, so it all comes down to how convincing you can be!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Transenz
I appreciate your help and the incredible blog for MEXT.
I have a specific question when it comes to filling the application.
In my state in India we have a different system of high school. The sole purpose of high school is to get you admission to colleges.
I was in a high school till august 2014. But there are state exams which were conducted in march 2014, this is considered the graduation date but not exactly true. Because we still have to attend college till June and finish our college exams in that month before going to a university; the college exams are what give you admissions and these end around the start of august (there are multiple government universities under different systems so each has their own exam at their own time). Could you give me a suggestion on how to include this when filling the application.
Also I moved to the USA for my bachelors in 2015 i.e. i started my bachelors in January 2015 as an undergraduate. I am not sure on what to say regarding why there is a gap from 2014 august to 2015 january.
I am planning to apply for the mext for graduate school in Japan specifically a doctoral program.
Thanks for your help
Hi Shane,
Thank you for your kind words.
If you have a high school diploma, what does that diploma say about your graduation date? Even though you would not be submitting that diploma, it would be a good reference.
Otherwise, I would recommend that you indicate the date that your enrollment in (attendance at) high school ended. In the Japanese way of thinking, they are really looking for the dates that you were attending school as a student.
You do not need to say anything in particular about the gap between when you finished high school in India and when you started university in the US. Having a few months’ gap there is not likely to be an issue in any way.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
HI Travis
Thanks a lot for the reply.
There isn’t a diploma per say but there is a transfer certificate which says that I finished my education in march 2014. the other thing I have is a scores sheet issued by the government which says June 2014.
If it is dates attended I can put in June 2014 as it was the actual month that I finished my high school.
Thanks for the help
Hi Travis,
My name is Kameel from Australia. I am interested in pursuing a masters degree through the MEXT scholarship and feeling overwhelmed with the choices of university..
How can I get in contact with you regarding, choosing a suitable university and the fees that you would charge?
Looking forward to discussing things further.
Regards,
Kameel Ismail
Hi Kameel,
Thank you for reaching out to me.
I have an article about How to Find Universities and Professors that teach your field in English that might help you.
I also have a page about my coaching services, but right now I am unfortunately unable to conduct live coaching sessions because my schedule is unpredictable. I typically can only offer reviews of applications or field of study and research program plans. But if you have an idea of something specific that you would like, please send me a message through that page to let me know and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I applied university recommend MEXT Scholarship 2019through Kyoto University. When does the result come out mostly?? Could you tell me any information about it, please?
Hi May,
According to the application guidelines, the final results should come out “in June”, which usually means “on the last day of June.” But that is the day that MEXT plans to inform universities of the results. MEXT is often late, and it may take universities a little more time to get the results to you.
It wouldn’t hurt to ask Kyoto University on July 1, though, if they have any news!
I hope to hear good news from you soon.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Today the result is out. I didn’t pass.they chose 4 out of 8 candidates. If you have any information about the scholarship, please inform me. Thank you Travis.
Hi May,
I’m very sorry to hear that!
You are only the second person to tell me that the results have been released, and the other person mentioned a cut this year, too. I am still trying to figure out what happened and get more details. If you are willing to share what university you applied to and what scholarship type (regular, PGP, Top Global), that would be very helpful, but I understand if you do not want to share.
This has never happened in the nearly 10 years that I have been working with this scholarship. I am so sorry that it happened to you, but I want to do everything I can to understand it and make sure I can give future applicants more appropriate advice.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Sir!! I’m Priyadarshini Dwivedy and I am pursuing Master’s degree in fish biotechnology at Chennai currently. Due to my vacations I’m in my home state Odisha since April last week. Therefore, I had 2apply for Embassy recommendation MEXT scholarship from here itself. But recently, a dreadful cyclone Fani hit our state so bad, that we lost our all networks, electricity and literally everything even living in a city. The last date for it’s application was 13th May 2019. And due to the super cyclone, I and one of my friends couldn’t connect to our university to get the required documents for application within the time. The mail ID that we were given to submit the documents, received our mails at 1am of 14th May. I’m not sure if they’ll accept or not. We are looking forward for the University recommendation for MEXT scholarship. We need a proper guide. Please help!! I even mailed you and got back the sample application form, which is why I’m so grateful to you!! Please do reply, I expect one..
Hi Priyadarshini Dwivedy,
I was sorry to hear about the supercyclones that hit in India. I admit, though, that I hadn’t thought how it might affect MEXT Scholarship applicants. I hope the embassy was forgiving given the circumstances.
The university recommended application process usually begins in the fall, and they begin accepting applications at the various universities before MEXT releases the guidelines. So, the chances are good that I will not have a new article up before you apply. In the meantime, I would recommend that you refer to my University-recommended MEXT Scholarship application articles from last year, since that is also what the universities will likely be using for reference!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for all this helpful information!
I saw that UTokyo (Graduate School of Arts & Sciences) asks students to pass a “preliminary screening” in their home country FIRST, then get a confirmation and apply for the university recommendation for MEXT.
I thought that the Embassy Recommendation and University Recommendation were separate…
Do I have to apply for the Embassy Recommendation if I want UTokyo’s recommendation…? I am out of my home country at present and won’t make it in time to apply for the Embassy route. I was hoping to apply just for the University route because I plan to continue living abroad for now. But if there is no other way, I’ll return for next year’s Embassy Recommendation…
I am super confused… I did go through all the FAQs but I couldn’t find my answer so I am leaving a comment here. T_T
Hi Niina,
It sounds like the instructions you found on UTokyo’s site are for applicants for the Embassy-Recommended MEXT Scholarship who are applying for a Letter of Acceptance for that process. Otherwise, there is no reason that you would have to go through the Embassy for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship (and the embassy wouldn’t know what you were talking about, if you tried!)
The instructions for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application must be elsewhere on the site or, as in the case of some universities, they may not be public. Some universities limit their selection processes.
I would recommend that you continue searching on their site. It may be that the information will not be available until the next application cycle, as well, but from what I can tell, the page that you have found is for the Embassy application process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, please how can i get the combined countries list of mext graduate scholarship beneficiaries for 2018, officially released by mext and how to email my inquiries to mext?
Also, do I need my international passport before submitting my application to the Japanese embassy and my choice universities in Japan?
Lastly, would a cgpa of above 2.5 but less than 3.0 be a bias to being awarded the scholarship?
Thanks transenz and I hope for a reply soonest.
Hi Enchuks,
As far as I know, there is no complete, available list of all of the MEXT scholarship recipients or even slots awarded by country. If there was, that would make my research significantly easier!
You should not need to email inquiries to MEXT at any time, directly. You will always deal with either the Embassy or the University where you are applying (and you should have their contact information already, or be able to find it in the application guidelines)!
You do not necessarily need your passport prior to submitting your application, but at this point, you have plenty of time to acquire your passport before the next application deadline, so why not get it?
The higher your GPA, the greater your chances of winning the scholarship will be. Of course, there are other factors, like the strength of your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, but the GPA does play a significant role.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
My name is Lokesh from India. I wish to apply for the MEXT scholarship through the University recommendation. My university grading is based on 10 GPA scale from 10 to 4, and our evaluation as follows:
S- 10
A-9
B-8
C-7
D-5
E-4
U-0
Could you please guide me how to convert my GPA into MEXT GPA and what is the equivalent MEXT Grade to my local Grade.
Thank you.
Lokesh
Hi Lokesh,
I saw you had asked the same question in the article about how to calculate your GPA and I answered it there first.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I am Shankar Chereddy, currently doing my masters in the United States. I also completed by bachelors in the United States in the same university. I am interested in pursuing a phD in the biological sciences, primarily focussing on genomics, bioinformatics and gene editing technologies.
I had a lot of questions regarding the university recommendation for MEXT.
1. Can I ask the university if I have a chance of being recommended, or should I ask the professor that wants to supervise me for the research?
2. If a university confirms that they can’t recommend me, then can I ask another university for recommendation to MEXT. My doubt here is regarding the rule that multiple universities can’t recommend you for MEXT; or is it that I have to choose only one university to ask for a recommendation, if so will I be able to get the scholarship once the university decides to recommend me.
3. For the university recommendation, do I need first author publications to be considered. Because, currently I have one co-authored publication, I will be the co-author on at least 2 to 3 more publications. My first author publication might come at the end of this year. So is there a possibility for me to be considered a top student for the recommendation without the first author publication.
4. I have a gpa of 3.4/4 in my undergraduate, I also took a few graduate level courses during my degree. I have also finished my degree a year earlier than the expected time. Does any of this matter to the university when they consider my application. I currently have a 4/4 gpa in my graduate school and I am optimistic that it will stay that way. Are these good enough results to be considered?
5. Is it fine to include outreach events that I participate in. These events are primarily aimed at letting the public understand the research that we are doing and the importance of it.
6. Can I mention the scholarship awards that I got during my undergraduate and graduate studies to the university. Currently I am on a Graduate assistantship that pays $20,000 per year and waives off my tuition fees. The department is considered one of the best in USA, so will that help in the application process. I received $3000 in scholarships during my undergraduate. Are these considered during the application process?
7. Also I have a general GRE score of 323, will that help in waiving off the TOEFL requirement. I got 110/120 in TOEFL, but that was in 2014. I can only show the score report that the university got because the score has expired. Since I have been studying in the United States, will I be exempt from the TOEFL requirement altogether?
8. Could you give me any advice on how to contact a professor, in the sense on how to approach the professor. Also, on where to find the information regarding a specific universities norm in contacting a professor, When I contact a professor, do I have to email him the research project I want to do in his supervision.
9. If I don’t need to email the research project at first, will the professor help me in writing the project or should I ask my current supervisor. Also, what kind of research projects are favored? Is it generally medical related projects or can general biology and microbiology projects also be in the contention?
10. Finally, could you give an example of a student who would be recommended by a university. It can be anything general, and any university per se. I am trying to understand the qualities or pointers that universities look for in a good applicant.
I apologize for the extremely long message, I am a bit paranoid at applying to scholarships because they are so competitive.
Shankar Chereddy,
I will try to answer your questions as best I can.
1. You can ask, but I doubt that you will get an answer any more detailed than their saying that you are eligible or not eligible, which you could find out for yourself by reading the application guidelines. They are not going to comment on whether you are competitive or what your chances are, so bothering them with this question is not going to help you and may hurt their opinion of you.
2. You can only apply to one university per year for the University Recommendation MEXT. In general, by the time you get the formal results from any one university, it would be too late to apply for another university that same year, so choose carefully.
3. No, publications are not that critical. They may give your application a slight advantage, but the significant majority of applicants to not have them.
4. Please see my article about how to calculate your GPA for the MEXT Scholarship. That should answer all of your questions.
5. Yes, I recommend mentioning your intent to participate in community outreach in the research timeline of your Field of Study and Research Program Plan.
6. You can mention those, but I would not assume that they would be significant factors in your selection. The most important criteria are your GPA and the strength of your Field of Study and Research Program Plan.
7. You need to refer to the requirements at the university you plan to apply to, since each university has discretion in setting them. As of this year, MEXT does not require language proficiency test scores if you completed your last degree in English, but universities can set their own requirements, too. In my experience, if you have completed a degree at a university in the US, that should be sufficient to waive the requirement, as well. (They may ask to see the score report that you submitted when applying to the US university).
8. I have an article all about identifying universities and professors for your studies in Japan that does exactly that.
9. You need to have your Field of Study and Research Program Plan completed before applying. Don’t expect the professor in Japan to help you with that before you are accepted. You should research the professor, find out what they are researching, and write a plan that would build on your strengths and contribute to the professor’s research.
10. I’m afraid I do not understand what you mean.
To be a little blunt, you seem to have a tendency to ask questions right away rather than doing research yourself to find the answers. (Several of your questions were the subject of entire articles on this site). If you approach the university like that, you will be doing yourself a disservice. You are applying as a research student. The university is going to expect you to at least be able to research and follow the application guidelines and expectations on your own.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks a lot for the quick reply Travis. I apologize for the large amount of questions. As I said I am a bit paranoid about such stuff and blabber a lot.
I think regarding the 2nd question, I just wanted to know when I would get an indication on whether a university selected me for recommending for the MEXT scholarship. Because as I have read in previous comments it isn’t a good decision to put University of Tokyo at the top of list just because of how competitive it is. I just wanted to know that because, if my top priority university doesn’t recommend I will want to choose another university to get the recommendation. But some forums say that it will be too late by that time to get the recommendation.
Hi Shankar Chereddy,
It sounds like you might be confusing the University Recommendation and Embassy Recommendation Scholarship application processes. For the University Recommendation, you do not get a “list”, you only get to apply to one university per year. (For the Embassy Recommendation, you can get letters of acceptance from up to three universities and put those on a priority list).
I do not think it would possible to get feedback in advance at any university regarding your likelihood of being accepted/nominated. I cannot see any way that the university could make that judgement until after they have completed their final review. So, you’ll need to think hard about where you want to apply and focus your efforts on creating a strong application to be the best candidate there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Just contacted a university and that is what they said. They told me that in the final round of screening they will pick students for recommendation. The criteria is based on the university and hence they can’t reveal it nor can tell me if I have a high chance of being recommended. Seems like I have to focus all my efforts on one university.
Hi Shankar Chereddy,
I agree that is the best course of action. At this point, you have very little time left if you want to apply for the 2019 scholarship, so I would recommend that you get started as soon as possible.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am currently a MEXT-sponsored student who is recommended by University A for Master program. I will graduate on March 2019 and I want to do a PhD at another university. Are there any ways to extend my scholarship? Could you please explain to me?
Hi Hai,
If you are a University-Recommended MEXT Scholar, unfortunately, it is not possible to extend your scholarship to a PhD while transferring to another university. (Only Embassy Recommended scholars can change universities). Some universities might allow you to apply to extend the scholarship to join a PhD program at the same university, though.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
If the university at which I want to do PhD recommend me to MEXT again, is it possible to extend the scholarship?
Hi Hai,
Unfortunately, if you are applying for a new MEXT scholarship, as you would be in that case, then you have to have a gap of three years of studying or research experience between the end of your first scholarship and the start of the next. That is one of the eligibility requirements.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi hope you have a good day! I am want to apply for Master in japan. I contacted with supervisor and he gave me a provisional acceptance letter, and i want to apply through University channel. How this letter will play a role in my selection? Or its just plus point.
Hi Muhammad Saqlain,
That is outstanding!
There is not requirement to get a letter of recommendation from a professor in Japan for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship application, so it would simply be plus points, once you have met all of the other requirements.
More than the letter, having that connection with the professor will help, since he may be in a position to influence which candidate the university selects. That is definitely a relationship to nurture and maintain as you go forward!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Good day!
I have a question. The graduate program that I wish to apply to opens its university track applications around January 2019 for the 2019 fall admission. However, the embassy track in my country opens around March to April 2019 for the 2020 spring admission. Can I apply for both since this can be considered a different batch?
Thank you very much!
Hi Lisette,
Yes, you would be able to apply to both programs separately, since they are separate batches. Besides, you should know before the embassy track application begins whether or not you have been recommended to MEXT by the university.
If you get recommended by the university, then you would be practically guaranteed to receive the scholarship, so you wouldn’t need to apply for the Embassy track at that point.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I’m currently finishing my degree, and I would like to know how do years of study affect my chances of getting the scholarship. I will probably have to go into the 9th semester (of an 8-semester course) and at the end of the course I will have >2.3 GPA.
Thanks in advance,
Oli
Hi Oli,
It would depend to some degree on the reason why you took a 9th semester. If it was because of poor academic performance, for example, then that would probably impact your chances, but if it was something beyond your control, like a family emergency, long-term illness, moving schools and losing progress, etc., that should not hurt you. You would have to explain the reason in the notes section of the application form.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Good day to you. I would like to know when’s MEXT Scholarship open for application for the following enrollment?
Hi Lim Su Ying,
The next application process is the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship Application, for studies to being in Fall 2019.
Each university decides on its own when to start accepting applications. It could be anywhere from this month to November.
I described how to figure out when your target university starts accepting applications in my recent article about How to Apply for the University Recommended MEXT Scholarship (2019). I hope that helps!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello sir,
I’m from India. I’m a B.Tech student wanting to do M.tech from Japan through MEXT..Right now I’m in my 4th year of Btech which will end in June’19.. I’m not the topper of my class but better than average. Even if the dean might sign my letter of recommendation, will I be able to crack for the mext scholarship? And what are the documents I might be needing?
Hi Anushriya Bhardwaj,
In order to succeed in the University Recommended MEXT scholarship, you need to be the top applicant in your field (graduate school) from the perspective of the university you are applying to. That comes from a combination of your grades, meeting all of the requirements, and most importantly, the quality of your Field of Study and Research Program Plan.
For the other documents you need, that might vary slightly with the university you apply to, but I wrote an article about the documents that MEXT requires a while ago. It may need some minor updates, but it should at least get you started!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
My name is Mustafa Motazir I want a scholarship
Hi Mustafa Motazir,
The MEXT scholarship is highly competitive and requires a lot of work, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, then it can be a life-changing event.
This article is an FAQ for applicants that have a little more knowledge of the scholarship. I recommend that you begin with my article about how to get started with the application process.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz