How hard is it to get into a Japanese university?

Question

After studying Japanese in Japan to fluency, I would like to study Economics at a Japanese university. How hard are Japanese universities to get into compared to UK universities? Are there universities where you can get in as long as you can pay (they don't care if you did poorly at school)?

Answer 1

A few years ago all national universities, because of a law change, lost all government funding. So essentially they became private universities. Before that point, recruiting students was a breeze. Now, after that law change was enacted, student recruiting has become really a cutthroat business. Even big, and popular universities have been reduced to visiting High School to ask for students.

For originally private universities, student recruiting has become even that much more difficult. And with the work place in the situation that it is in, more and more kids are wanting to bide their time at a university. Big universities are still difficult to enter, but not because of educational requirements, but because of sheet numbers of applicants.

I know I sound like I am contradicting myself, but that is the mystery of the Japanese system.

And YES. Any relatively small university will accept anyone, especially if you are a foreign student. Having a large foreign student contingent give more notoriety to the school. Chances to be accepted are greater the further away from Tokyo you go. The main obstacle would be the language. You must prove your proficiency in Japanese, or accept to enter a Japanese language program before entering the main stream program.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, some Japanese universities will take just about anyone with a heartbeat and some money. As a non-Japanese person however, if you can pass the JLPT level 1 (not an easy thing to do!) then you would have your choice of schools.

The other option is to study at one of the English language universities in Japan-Temple, Sophia, IUJ, etc. Econometrics are all the same in any case.

Answer 3

Based on the fact that thousands of Japanese are denied entry into universities every year and are forced to go to cram schools, I would say you have a daunting task ahead of you. You may want to also consider an exchange program while in your undergrad years or even pursuing graduate studies. Impossible is not the point here, just more work and determination from your side will be needed.

Answer 4

It is VERY hard, even for Japanese born people ! It's their goal to get into a good college starting at a very young age...You've heard of "cram schools" have'nt you ?

Answer 5

何も生命に容易でない、従ってそれを吸い、それに慣れなさい。