How an Indonesian Student Earned the Fully Funded MEXT Scholarship to Study Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Nagoya University, Japan

Hi everyone! My name is Jillian Abigail Sutrisno, I'm 18 years old, and I am from Surabaya, Indonesia. People call me Jill. I am currently a first-year student, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Nagoya University, Japan, under a MEXT Scholarship. I am studying in their G30 Program, which is all taught in English (no Japanese proficiency required!). This program provides intensive Japanese courses during the university years, which will be very useful for job applications in Japan after graduation.

I chose this major because I've always loved chemistry, despite its very high difficulty. My goal in life is to work towards a cleaner environment, through Chemical Engineering by the creation of new materials, such as biodegradable plastics. There are many types of chemical recycling processes that can be done to reduce pollution in the world, and my dream is to reach an industrial scale for this.

I chose to study in Japan because Japan has a very strong industrial base, with a significant demand for chemical engineers. Japan is one of the leading countries when it comes to the recycling of PET Bottles. Another reason is, I really love Japan's travel destinations, architecture, and culture. After 6 months of living here, I could say that it is indeed an amazing country. Services in Japan are highly valued, and the quality of life here is immaculate.

Scholarship Details

I received two offers of MEXT Scholarships in Japan:

1. MEXT Scholarship in Nagoya University for the G30 Program - Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
2. MEXT Scholarship in Hokkaido University for the ISP Program - Chemistry

The MEXT Scholarship is a government scholarship, designated for international/foreign students who want to study in Japan. It covers full tuition, registration fee, application fee, plane tickets, and provides a monthly stipend of ¥120,000 for the entire 4 years of university (My personal experience). This is enough to live a normal life in Japan (specifically Nagoya).

There are no work ties or such for this scholarship. It is a very competitive scholarship, but it is definitely not impossible! It requires a minimum GPA of 2.3 out of 3 to maintain the scholarship. It has an acceptance rate of 5-10%, which I personally think is very generous for such an amazing scholarship. Never be discouraged by the statistics, and just seize the opportunity.

I applied for the scholarship through the University Recommendation. I first applied to the G30 program in Nagoya University, and when I got accepted into the program, they announced me as a MEXT Scholarship Nominee. I had to fill out some application forms to confirm my acceptance of this nomination. This was then sent to the embassy by Nagoya University itself, and I officially became a MEXT scholarship recipient some time after that. Regarding the MEXT Scholarship in Hokkaido University, the procedures were very similar to Nagoya University.

Educational Background

Regarding my past education, I was in Godwins School Surabaya for my primary education, and SpInS Interactional School for middle school and high school. I followed the Cambridge Curriculum for 12 years of my life, since primary school, which I think really helped with my applications.

The Cambridge curriculum consists of internationally recognised exams, which I used for university applications. My average marks in high school are 95.4% (Average marks from grades 10-12). However, some of these marks included unrelated subjects such as Geography and Economics (This was in 10th Grade). In 11th Grade, I was told to choose either Science or Business as my field of study, and I chose Science. My grades for Math were always above 98%, and Chemistry and Physics were above 96%, which largely contributed to my average scores. My school strictly followed the Cambridge curriculum, which allowed me to have a deep understanding about my field of study. There was a ranking system, and I was ranked 2 in my school.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Institutions?

 In 11th Grade, after deciding what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, I started researching on websites. I searched for everything in Google. I spent a minimum of 1-2 hours every day, even during my A-Level preparations, dedicated to finding which universities in Japan to apply to, and all their requirements, which were all provided on their websites.

I was looking for the top public universities in Japan that provide English programs for my major. Determination and consistency were key to this, and it definitely paid off. I had to prepare school transcripts, standardized tests, recommendation letters, and certificates. I participated in many competitions throughout my entire life, and I uploaded all of the certificates into my application. What matters the most is the participation, not the win.

I found all the information on the university’s individual websites. Simply type the name of the university in the search bar and click on its website. Every single information is available on their website, including application procedures, scholarships, details of the program, syllabus, professors, etc.

These were the only standardized tests that I took.

1. Cambridge IGCSE O-Level

Math (A*)

Chemistry (A*), Physics (A*)

Biology (A*)

First Language English (A).

2. Cambridge A-Levels Math (A*)

Physics (A*)

Chemistry (A)

A-Levels are the most important in my opinion, because it is much more difficult than IGCSE, and they cover pre-university material, which is very useful during the early university years. It teaches pre-calculus, and their level of chemistry is very advanced.

I prepared for both IGCSE and A-Levels in a similar way. For me, practice is key. Make sure to do as many past papers as you can, and cross-check your answers with the Mark Scheme. Observe the ‘patterns’ for answering those questions. It is usually revolved around the same concepts and topics, just worded differently. For the concepts that I don't understand, I would normally watch YouTube or read the Textbook (specifically for chemistry).

This might seem rather controversial, but I think your well-being is much more important than those grades. So, despite being busy for exam preparations, don't forget to enjoy life! Studying together with friends or studying in the mall is much more enjoyable. Many times I went on hangouts with my friends, while studying at the same time. To me, it was much more effective than locking myself in my room and grinding my studies alone. I was too stressed and tired to even process anything. At the end of the day, when we're already old and reminiscing our past, the first thing we'll remember is the people and experiences that mattered, not the numbers or letters in our school days.

As a matter of fact, even during the actual examinations, I occasionally went on hangouts and drove around the city. I believe that studying in a happy state of mind is the key to learning effectively. Travel a little if you need to! Play some music, or play with your pets, then come back to studying when you're in a much better mood. Learn to study with a good attitude, and soon enough, you will develop the love and motivation to study automatically.

I did not take the TOEFL or IELTS for my English proficiency exam, because IGCSE English was accepted as an alternative proof. There is also a document provided by the University that you can fill out, which tells them that you've learnt English for a long time, and exempts you from taking an English proficiency exam.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship?

I focused on applying to the universities themselves, and I had to fill out a Scholarship Application Form, which was provided by the university during the application process. The Scholarship Application Form asked for personal information such as family members, details of income and etc. I asked my parents for official/legal documents of their income statements, which were translated into English by a legal firm (such as a Notary), as these were required for the scholarship application.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think what made my application stand out was the passion and boldness in my essay writing. I wrote everything precisely, showing them that I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how to get there. I wrote about my research in high school and my plans for the future. These were very detailed plans for my future. I actually think the grades were not as important compared to this. I showed the fire and passion within me for this major and proved it during the interview, through the depths of my knowledge in this field of study. It is definitely a plus point to be able to have a solid and convincing plan.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

 If I were able to turn back time, there are three things that I would have done differently.

1. I would have started learning Japanese earlier, to reach JLPT N3 before my arrival in Japan, to be able to apply to many part-time jobs or internships during the holidays.
2. I would have taken the time to learn about matrices. I wasn't taught about this at school, since it was not a part of the A-Level syllabus. However, matrices became very important even in the first semester of my university.
3. I would have taken the biology A-Level exam. I thought I would be focusing mostly on Math, Physics, and Chemistry, but I was wrong. Biology is as important as Physics and Chemistry in my major. So, having a head start in biology would have been great.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

For those who want to apply for the MEXT scholarship, my main advice would be to have a good attitude and stay optimistic throughout the entire process. Make sure to be honest with everything you write in the essay, and choose something that you're passionate about. It really shows when someone is actually passionate or not about a certain thing, so make sure to pursue something that you actually like. Don't stress too much. Make sure to spend time with your loved ones and enjoy life!