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| Planning for your Future |
| The first thing you should do is to consider whether or not studying abroad is really necessary for you. For some people, studying abroad is just a dream come true, however, studying abroad means that you will live and study in another country for a long period of time. Without definite objectives and a strong will, you may not be able to complete the program. A lot of energy and money will be needed as well. Therefore, studying abroad must be carefully considered. When you are considering studying abroad, you have to have a clear future plan. First, your current circumstances, ability, interest, competence and others should be analyzed. This helps you clarify your future job and vision. |
| Clarify your Objectives and narrow down the choices |
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(1) Specific Objectives |
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| Example |
| Vague objectives |
More specific |
I want to...
| ･ | improve language proficiency |
⇒ | What language? How? |
| ･ | learn different culture and see the world |
⇒ | What culture? Which country? |
| ･ | study a field that is not available in Japan |
⇒ | Which country and university can you learn it at? |
| ･ | impress interviewers at a job interview by emphasizing on my experience abroad |
⇒ | What points can you stress on? |
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Do you have clear objectives? If you do not, you must define your objectives in details.
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(2) Narrow down choices |
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Waseda University has one of the biggest networks and offers various programs. There are plenty of choices if being a privately financed student studying abroad is one of your options. However, in the end, you must choose only one. Keep narrowing down the programs until they meet your needs.
| ･ | The program shouldn't be beyond your financial capabilities |
⇒ | How much can you afford?
Have you made a financial plan? |
| ･ | You want to go at a specific time |
⇒ | Which year? For how long? |
| ･ | Credits are transferable towards Waseda University. |
⇒ | What subjects are available at the host university? |
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(3) Collecting Information for Studying Abroad |
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Collecting relevant information is essential in order to complete the above two steps. First, attend the Study Abroad Fair once you are interested in studying abroad.(The Fair is held twice a year in spring and fall). Other orientations will be held as well. There is some information which is provided only at these fairs and orientations. Don't miss these opportunities where you can learn and collect necessary information. |
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| Preparation (to meet the requirements) |
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(1)Academic Record |
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The host university screens students based largely on the applicant's academic record earned at the home university (Waseda University in your case). Exchange program requires you have a minimum GPA of 3.0. (Some universities require higher than this.) This applies to the Waseda University's screening. You are strongly recommended to study hard everyday and keep your academic record good to be nominated to the partner university you wish to enter. Poor academic record keeps you from realizing your study abroad objective no matter how eager you wish to study abroad.
*This calculation will be used by the CIE when screening students for study abroad programs. As it is possible that the calculation method may change, please be sure to check the application guidelines.
* The "total number of credits" Includes number of credits earned as well as credits for Fs and Gs.
This formula is established by the Center for International Education for use in internal selection.For conversion of numerical scores to letter grades, please refer to the chart below. SILS and GSAPS students too should calculate their GPA using the conversion chart provided below for the screening process at Waseda University
Numeral
Score |
SILS Grade |
GSAPS Grade |
Grade used for the screening
at Waseda University |
| 100-94 |
A |
A+ |
A+ (4.0) |
| 93-90 |
A- |
| 89-87 |
B+ |
A |
A (3.5) |
| 86-83 |
B |
| 82-80 |
B- |
| 79-77 |
C+ |
79-75 B+ |
B (3.0) |
| 76-73 |
C |
74-70 B |
| 72-70 |
C- |
| 69-60 |
D |
C |
C (2.0) |
| 59-50 |
F+ |
F |
F* |
| 49-0 |
F |
G* |
* Numeral score ranges for grades of F and G vary by graduate and undergraduate school. |
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(2)Financial Capability and Financial Plan |
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Tuition fees, living costs and other expenses vary by host universities and each program. Studying Abroad costs you more than studying at Waseda University in general. Approximately from 2.5 to 6 million yen annually will be needed including tuition fees, lodging fee, food and other expenses. In the exchange program, you will pay tuition fees to your undergraduate/graduate school at Waseda University, therefore you will not have to pay it to the host university. However, you are responsible for your living costs, food and other expenses in the host country. You are not allowed to work part- time, you cannot earn money while on the program. Therefore, you need to have sufficient financial resources to cover all the estimated costs before your departure. Most universities require you to submit the financial certificate to prove that you have enough finance to cover all the estimated costs for the program. In this case, the sufficient amount of all the estimated costs must be stated on the certificate of balance (in English). The acceptance letter by the host university or visa will not be issued unless this certificate proves you have sufficient financial resources. Some students don't realize the total amount of expenses until the last minute and are often surprised by this financial hurdle. Don't let it happen to you! Talk to your parents who will sponsor you and make a detailed plan in the early stages of the process. |
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(3)Sufficient Language Proficiency |
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You are required to have sufficient proficiency of the local language to participate in the classes with the local students at the host university and enjoy life there. If you are to study, for example, in English speaking country, a minimum 500 of TOEFL score is required. (TOEFL-ITP is a mock exam. Only a TOEFL official score is acceptable for applications.) In a non-English speaking country, you need to be proficient enough in a local language to keep up the classes at the host university. Poor language proficiency may prevent you from being nominated to the programs you wish at the time of screening at Waseda University. You may not be nominated to the program you want unless you keep on improving your language proficiency. Improving your language skill before your departure is the key to success in studying abroad. |
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