How to apply to a Japanese University (for Indian Students)
In my last blog i wrote about how to get into a Japanese university and various scholarships available for international students. In this week’s blog, I’m going to explain the application procedure as well as introduce scholarships especially for Indian students.
- Requirements
Similar to the requirements of all international students applying to undergraduate courses, you need to have completed 12 years of school education (till 12th grade). Also, students should have the academic ability equal to that of a high school graduate. Make sure you keep transcripts and letters of recommendation ready before applying.
If you’ve decided to study in English, you can submit your HSC or any other national/state exam results you take in 12th grade. Some universities might consider your CET/ JEE MAINS or ADVANCED/ NEET exam results as well, so make sure to check with the respective university you’re applying to.
If you want to study in Japanese, you have to take an entrance exam called the EJU (Entrance to Japanese University).
2. How to take the EJU in India:
The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used to evaluate whether international students who wish to study at the undergraduate level at universities or other such higher educational institutions in Japan possess the Japanese language skills and the basic academic abilities needed to study at those institutions.
EJU is held two times a year, in July and November.
Check the guidelines and application procedure of EJU here
3. Application
After you take the EJU, you can start the application procedure. For the application, you’ll need
1)Letter of recommendation written and signed by two teachers of your previous school
2)Transcripts of marks scored in the last three years (ie. 10th to 12th)
3)Graduation (school leaving) certificate
Other things include a letter of purpose (reason for applying), passport copy, copy of JLPT or other Japanese language exam results, bank statement and statement of income of your guardian/parent or person who will be paying all your college fees, etc.
Make sure you have multiple copies of the above listed documents if you’re applying to more than one university.
Many universities have two to three periods of application in a year and you can apply during any of them, but I’d suggest applying in the very first one as chances of getting in are higher.
4. University exams and interviews
Most of the universities will just consider your EJU marks and based on your result, will decide whether or not to take an interview. If you pass the interview, then you’ll get in.
On the other hand, top universities like Waseda, Tokyo Institute of Technology, etc have their own entrance exams which are usually much more difficult than EJU. To make you understand better, for engineering or science streams, EJU’s level is close to CET or JEE MAINS, while the private exam for Waseda or Tokyo Institute of Technology is close to JEE ADVANCED. It’s the same for commerce or art subjects, the private exams being more difficult than EJU.
If you pass this exam, you’ll have an interview and then get admission.
5. Visa procedure and arrival
You don’t really have to worry about this part if you get admission in a university, because as long as you have all the required documents ready, the University will apply for a student visa for you. You’ll have to follow the instructions sent by the university along with the letter of admission. In some cases, you may to apply for the student visa yourself, so make sure you keep your letter of admission with you. After your arrival in Japan, you’ll get a Resident Card at the airport’s immigration.
Thank you for reading till the end. Until then folks, and happy learning!
