<p>Hi YacibLewis,</p>
<p>As an “inside source” at Tsukuba, maybe I can offer some suggestions.</p>
<p>As you know, our G30 program offers degree programs taught entirely in English, and is aimed at foreigners. Our program website is available at
[url=<a href=“http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/]College”>http://www.global.tsukuba.ac.jp/]College</a> degrees taught in English | University of Tsukuba Japan<a href=“mainly%20putting%20this%20out%20there%20in%20case%20anyone%20else%20wants%20to%20look%20into%20it”>/url</a></p>
<p>It will depend upon what you want to study. Our International Social Sciences program is one of the top programs in the country, and is quite a small department. The Japanese intake runs at about a 10% acceptance rate. However, the G30 program is a bit less competitive. This year, I expect about 30% will be accepted, although we’re getting busier year on year, so maybe next year it will probably be about 25%.</p>
<p>Our Life and Environmental Sciences (LES) program is a bit bigger, and can accommodate more people. I expect this year about 65 - 70% of applicants will be accepted, and next year this may be 55 - 65%, depending upon the number of applicants, and what changes in student quotas, new lab space, etc, open up in the next 12 months.</p>
<p>I am not so sure about the Social Sciences program, but in LES we like to get undergraduate students working in our labs as soon as possible. Two of our 3rd year students just had their first scientific paper published in collaboration with scientists at Harvard. I have some students also working with me, and I hope they’ll have one or two papers by the time they graduate. We believe in smaller classes and more personal attention.</p>
<p>Generally, we get fairly high quality applicants, but I think your academic record should be in the ball park of what we’ll be looking for. IB is very good. Studying Japanese will show commitment to studying in Japan, so keep that up. We don’t care so much about extracurriculars, so don’t worry about them (although it may be prudent to do some, in case you don’t get into Tsukuba). The most important part is your study plan (personal statement) and interview. We are keen to select people with passion for their subject. We can teach students knowledge, and while we are passionate about our subjects, and can hopefully inspire students, we can’t force students to be interested in their studies, so we expect them to bring their own enthusiasm.</p>
<p>If you are enthusiastic, and have a big dream, to be a future leader, we offer a huge amount of opportunities. To date, over 90% of students on the program receive scholarships, first year tuition is free for undergraduates, affordable on-campus accommodation is available, and the majority of students get a partial or full tuition fees waiver, depending upon grades and family need.</p>
<p>If you send me a Private Message, I’ll give you my email address. You can contact me, and we can work on this together.</p>