Simply, how competitive are self-funded graduate programs at Japanese universities. what are the main differences between self-funded programmes and MEXT scholarships?
MEXT scholarship requires applicants to first be vetted by your Japanese consulate/embassy according to guidelines set by MEXT, applicants compete for a limited amount of scholarship slots for each type of MEXT scholarship (undergraduate, postgraduate, specialized training, college of technology, etc.), and then must also be either provisionally accepted by a university (for postgraduates, including research students, masters and PhD students) or must undergo a year of preparatory training in both Japanese and other subjects to prepare students to pass a the entrance examinations for a program taught in Japanese at a Japanese university. Basically, MEXT scholarship is far more competitive, as there are an even more limited amount of spots, and you are vetted by both MEXT representatives and universities.
I am a MEXT scholar so I cannot speak about how competitive self-funded programs are in general. I have heard that it is less competitive for a foreign privately-funded student than for native Japanese citizens to apply, but I would assume that the competitiveness would vary depending on the universities or programs you are considering. You really didn’t provide any information so we can’t be of much more help to you. Good luck
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MEXT scholarship requires applicants to first be vetted by your Japanese consulate/embassy according to guidelines set by MEXT, applicants compete for a limited amount of scholarship slots for each type of MEXT scholarship (undergraduate, postgraduate, specialized training, college of technology, etc.), and then must also be either provisionally accepted by a university (for postgraduates, including research students, masters and PhD students) or must undergo a year of preparatory training in both Japanese and other subjects to prepare students to pass a the entrance examinations for a program taught in Japanese at a Japanese university. Basically, MEXT scholarship is far more competitive, as there are an even more limited amount of spots, and you are vetted by both MEXT representatives and universities.
I am a MEXT scholar so I cannot speak about how competitive self-funded programs are in general. I have heard that it is less competitive for a foreign privately-funded student than for native Japanese citizens to apply, but I would assume that the competitiveness would vary depending on the universities or programs you are considering. You really didn’t provide any information so we can’t be of much more help to you. Good luck