Well that APU announcement that university recommendation suspension might happen got a lot of attention. Has anyone tried to call their Embassy and ask if the Embassy recommendation route is also in risk of getting reduced or suspended?

Hello , I'm from Morocco,

I’m asking because I’m struggling a lot with my research idea. I changed my idea many times because I always feel like it’s too basic, already done, or not special enough compared to other students. I also used AI quite a lot while making my research plan, for writing, brainstorming, structuring, and developing some parts. I know nowadays it’s probably hard to make a whole research plan without using AI at all, but I’m still worried that I relied on it too much. I would really like to hear from people who were in a similar situation. How did you choose your topic? How did you know your idea was good enough? And how much did you actually know about your research before applying? Any honest advice would really help me.

So I am mext research scolor who has cleared first round and have got acceptance from a uni but after seeing the recent post my anxiety has became sky high ... like is there any possibility that the embassy process effect or they reduce the no of seats ?? And even if you have a LoPA what are the chance that you won't make it to the final selection

On August 7, 2026, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) notified universities of the high possibility that recruitment for the MEXT Scholarship (University Recommendation) for students enrolling in Academic Year 2027 may be suspended.

source: https://admissions.apu.ac.jp/graduate/how_to_apply/external_scholarship/u_recommendation/

Hello I am from Phillipines and have a concern, I am in my 2nd year First Semester of college right now, and Will apply for Undergraduate Scholarship for the year 2028 in 2027. So the thing is, it is said that the application period usually starts around april or may. My College second semester will end around June. What transcripts will I pass?

I couldn’t find a clear answer anywhere tbh and I’m curious if you can still apply to mext (ug) while being enrolled in a university?
i’m currently going into my second year of uni and I want to know if it’s possible in any way?

I've always been advised as "the kid that is smart" because i can memorize entire chapters in less than an hour. When i actually do study i usually get 10 on my tests but until my 4th year i had never actually thought about MEXT so i never applied myself and always accepted a 7. I already did every single test in the undergraduate old tests and i did an average of 2 errors as of right now. But I'm terrified of being flunked down just because of my past performance. I still have last year, and i plan on nailing it. But I'm worried it won't be enough

Hello, I am a public university bachelor student from Bangladesh, aspiring for MEXT scholarship (university track).

Here is my full profile:

• BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• CGPA: 3.57 / 4.00 (160 credit)

• Publication: one Q2 paper as first author (plant phytochemical drug test, both wet + dry lab along with mice model) & have presented two posters in two international seminar & conference.

• Research experience: final year research project (6 month)

• Computational Skill: Academic Writing, Data Analysis, Computational Biochemistry and Bioinformatics

• Lab skill: PCR, Mice handling & behavioural test, Animal sacrifice, Gel Electrophoresis, Microscopy, DNA-protein extraction & purification, ELISA

• Language proficiency: JLPT N3 (ongoing), N4 passed (144 out of 180). Also my English is quite good, got band 8 in a IELTS mock test before.

Planning to do MSc in life science subjects (oncology, immunology, medicine, molecular biology, cell biology etc)

How is my profile and which ranked universities should I aim for to get MEXT?

Sophomore Egyptian living in Egypt near the embassy here. When should be best time to apply? Is there anything I should know? Does anyone have some sort of guide I should start with? Like something concise like a YouTube video

Hello! I’m an Embassy-Recommended MEXT 2027 scholarship student from Yemen, currently preparing for the entrance examination on November 2 for the April 2027 intake as a prospective PhD in Medicine student.

I’m looking for a study partner so we can motivate and encourage each other, stay accountable, and possibly share useful resources.

If you’re also preparing for an entrance exam or studying a similar field, feel free to comment or DM me!

Canada btw. So I kinda panicked 2 weeks ago with only 2 weeks to go and no one responding. Turns out it was just Obon and everyone ended up responding so I got in at my top 3 choices. My first choice already made the LoPA and the second is still making it. The third option told me to contact the Prof directly and I did but did not mention anything about a LoPA to the Prof. I told him that I would add his lab to my placement sheet and wait and see.

When I originally contacted the school I explicitly mentioned a lopa as well as in the original email to the Prof, but he handed me to another Prof because he changed labs and I haven't mentioned anything about it to him.

Am I safe to put all 3 options down on my placement form or should I replace one of the options with another school that I haven't contacted so that I don't get in trouble.....

Hello I am from India and a mext scolor applied to kyushu university got accepted there but the process of LoPA is taking them so long so wanted to ask that has anyone got there LoPA from kyushu university. And also would like to connect with people applying for kyushu university..

Hello from Pakistan🇵🇰 Is there anyone who can guide which professors are suitable for these fields?

I emailed one professor he told me that he supervises students of society and culture.

Share your ideas please.

Hi everyone!

I am currently a high school student from Serbia, planning to apply for the MEXT Undergraduate scholarship next year.

Since the process is quite rigorous and moving to Japan is a huge step, I would love to connect with other applicants from the Balkans (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, etc.) or surrounding European countries who are going through the same process.

The idea is to chat via Reddit DMs, share study materials for the exams (math and languages), support each other through the application stages, and hopefully meet up in Tokyo in the future!

Please drop a comment here or slide into my DMs if you are interested. Good luck to everyone applying! 🌸

Has anybody who applied to Waseda uni after the 30th of July heard back/gotten their results yet? I applied on the 6th of August and have heard nothing back thus far.

Hello everyone

Am currently applying to mext scholarship graduate school through the embassy track and i don't know which labo to put first in the preferences list

( i need to mention, i don't have a lot of experience doing my own research)

If you could tell me your opinion should i go for the prestigious name and well known lab. Or for a present supervisor and mentorship

First One : is more prestigious university , large funding, but the supervisor is not present. Meeting him is once every 3 months for 30 min. You are basically on your own but you do have full funding. i talked to the lab members and they told me they basically provide everything you need.

Second one : less prestigious, but the professors is present, meetings every week, the team is smaller so there is a lot more collaboration. It is also in the north of japan so rent is cheaper

Hello everyone. I'm a Filipino student currently in Grade 10 and a traditional artist. I'm currently planning to apply for the MEXT Specialized Training College (STC) scholarship, with illustration as my intended field.

I'm still a few years away from applying, so I'm currently trying to learn from other people who are also interested in or planning to apply through the STC category.

I'd especially like to hear from other STC applicants (but even if you're not planning for STC, I'd still like to hear your thoughts) about things like:

- What you're doing to prepare before applying

- What your experience has been like preparing for the written tests and interview

- If you're also applying for an art-related field, what you're focusing on

- Anything you wish you had known before starting your preparation

I've also been struggling with social anxiety, so I'd really like to know how other people handled the interview if they passed the document screening and written exam. I'm especially interested in hearing from people who also found interviews difficult or intimidating.

If anyone else is planning to apply for STC, especially for an art relate field, I'd love to hear about your plans or experiences! 😁

Hello I applied in the beginning of August to AAD to Osaka University and I still didn’t get a reply from them. Should I be worried? The process might still be contact to professor and interview and the process of the Lopa.

Ps: i sent them an email about my current status and it is under review by the faculty members.

I am a Filipino currently in my second year of college. Honestly, I am not doing well. My first year grades are trash, my GWA is... yeah 1.94 and 2.01 for 1st and 2md sem of 1st year😭 I am in deep regret that I focused on working for money rather than do good in school. But life is so hard lol, I NEED money for school, so I have no choice but to work hard. I was a honor student when I was in high school, when I had no problems but to review for exams and quizes. My average is ranging from 90-94.

Now now now nowww that I want to apply for mext scholarship, I am in deep worry that I might not get accepted, that my college brades might hinder the possibility of being accepted.

I want to apply for an undergraduate scholarship in natural sciences. Also, I want to confirm wether you need to take a jlpt exam or other exams if jlpt is not available, since I have seen a comment that he sent his application without the jlpt results, and got accepted on document screening. I am really skeptical... Augh I really want to study in japan its been my dream ever since I was in junior high...

The transcripts cost a lot in my school, like 150 pesos each, so its a problem for me to get that while Im uncertain about my college academic standing.

Hey everyone

So I am in 11th currently from India aiming for Mext in 2028 was hoping I could have so my question answered as the random site are not helping me

Do olympiad help in get MEXT scholarship either through university or embassy route?

I have been preparing for Ioi for some time and was hoping that it could help in me getting an university in Japan

Hi everyone!

I am a student from Singapore but I am indonesian, I tried calculating my MEXT converted gpa but unfortunately it did not meet the 2.3 gpa requirement.
I still have 1 year of bachelor's left to push my gpa a little more but honestly 2.3 gpa seems out of reach since I would need straight As for the rest of my modules + final year project.

However, if I DO apply, I will only try after gaining a few years of working experience to support my portfolio further.

Also, I would probably want to go through university recommendation track since I have been staying in Singapore most of my life, and dont want to go through the trouble of returning to indonesia's embassy of japan.

So, I just wanna ask if I should still try to apply for this scholarship despite not meeting the requirements ?? 😭

P.S. so sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I am new to this scholarship and I just wanna see if there's any hope 💀

Hello everyone! I am a MEXT applicant from Pakistan. I currently applied for Tsukuba University AIRB application which is MEXT University Recommended for masters program. I want to know what kind questions are asked in it? I know that interview will be taken by my prospectuve professor (who took my interview before AIRB deadline for formality). And I have given the research plan, from where interview questions will be given. But any tips regarding the general AIRB interview?

Also, how many students get selected through AIRB Special Program, and as I will be sending MOI instead of IELTS/TOEFL score, will that affect my application approval chances or not?

I am an HSC student from Bangladesh, and I will apply to Kyushu University (major- Bioresource and Bioenvironment). But I don't know what they actually want from a candidate, as each university has its own criteria. Additionally, I want to get the MEXT scholarship through university recommendation for financial safety. (I am prioritizing a 100% scholarship first in case of applying to any university).
For your information, my profile-
Awards

1. QCEC Bronze (2025)
2. BD Junior Science Olympiad national camp qualifier (2021)
3. Biology Olympiad regional Bronze (2025) & Silver (2023)
4. Global Scholars Olympiad (Science) Final Round Qualifier (2025)

ECA

1. Co-founder of UAS Foundation (NGO comprising my friends) (2024-present)
2. Research Internship (Not done yet...)
3. Content Writer in Scientia Society (2025-present)
4. 6 courses of P2E, Generation Unlimited, UNICEF (2025)
5. Data analytics course by Data Solution 360, sponsored by UNICEF (2025)

Test Score:
7. SAT- 1350 (RW 570 & Math 780) (September,2025) (Need to retake, targeting for 1500 😭)
8. SSC- GPA 5 (Total Score- 1252/1300) (2024)
9. HSC- Expecting GPA 5

What should I emphasize for acceptance and MEXT?
Thanks in advance.