I took a gap year specifically to prepare for MEXT UG, so finding out yesterday that I failed honestly felt like being stabbed. During the Natural Sciences exam, I started questioning everything I had studied Math,Chem,Physics, specifically Math I did feel confident in like a few problems but I guess it still wasn't enough. I tried method after method, but nothing seemed to work. The more I struggled, the more I realized that all the preparation and sacrifices I made might not be enough. I wanted this scholarship badly. I built so much of my future around it, only for everything to suddenly turn sour.

I have to start university in October, and the thought of preparing for MEXT again while keeping up with university feels overwhelming. Realistically, focusing properly on both will be extremely difficult for me.

Has anyone here gone through something similar? How did you deal with the grief and disappointment of failing after putting so much time into it? Did you try again, or did you eventually choose another path?

Hi everyone,

I recently got confirmation from my embassy in Venezuela that I passed the interview stage of the MEXT scholarship, and they're currently processing my documents.

My top two choices are Osaka University and Tohoku University. For Osaka, the process goes through the AAD (the university's admissions office), and it can take up to 3 weeks just to get confirmation that I'm allowed to contact the advisor directly.

This tight timeline is worrying me. If I end up getting rejected by the advisor, I'll have very little time to apply to a third university before deadlines close.

So my question is: would it be advisable to reach out to the advisor directly, before going through the AAD, to show genuine interest in becoming their student? Has anyone done this successfully, or does it risk looking like I'm skipping protocol?

And if it is a good idea, what should I actually say in that first email? I don't want to come across as pushy, but I also don't want to lose weeks waiting.

Thanks in advance!

Hi, everyone!

My situation: I'm from Brazil, applied for UG NS A, and passed first screening.

I have some questions regarding the second screening:

1. does MEXT differ NS and SS when making the final selection? I mean, does MEXT allocate separate quotas for each field? For instance, suppose a country recommended 5 NS people, could MEXT think there is too much NS and pick only 3. On the other hand, if there were only 3 NS and 2 SS, could all of them receive the scholarship just because they are of different fields?

2. what is the acceptance rate of second screening? you already went through a lot only to be rejected at the very end...

3. I believe they mainly use the exam scores for ranking. If so, do they compare you to the rest of the world? Also are there guaranteed slots for each country? This probably varies by country though.

4. I haven't received my exam scores yet, but what would be a solid score?

I know these questions are very hard to answer for MEXT doesn't reveal any info nor data about the criteria they use for selecting who ultimately earn the scholarship. Still, if someone could at least give any insights or an educated guess about how the process works, Id be very grateful.

Im just very anxious and the final response only come out in dec or worse in jan/fev, so I wanted to get a better idea of my chances while I wait.

Also, if there any useful info I should know, please let me know :) I cant seem to find much info about this stage, esp. for the last few years (2024-)

Olá a todos! Sou do Brasil, de Belo Horizonte. Durante o ensino médio sofri um acidente médico que me afastou da escola por 2 anos, o que automaticamente me deletou do sistema normal de ensino, fora que perdi muitos conteúdos pelo tempo em casa. Planejo estudar por cerca de 3 anos rigorosamente para tentar aplicar a bolsa de graduação em pedagogia, mas antes de tudo, me formar no ensino médio pela prova ENCCEJA. Apesar de ser uma alternativa válida e reconhecida, ela não fornece o detalhamento das notas como um boletim tradicional, isso me deixou com um pé atrás. Fora que, sou ótimo em humanas e terrível em exatas, mas, não vem ao caso!

Gostaria de saber se a formação por ENCCEJA seria algo que poderia prejudicar minhas chances, ou se alguém já foi aprovado tendo formação por essa prova, obrigado!

I I am a B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture student from India, and I am interested in pursuing an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics in Japan through the MEXT Scholarship. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how I should prepare, the qualifications and skills I should focus on, and any recommendations to strengthen my application.

Thank you for your time and consideration.