I recently applied to Tokyo International University for a Bachelor’s in International Relations and was accepted with 100% tuition reduction scholarship. That being said, I’m on the fence on whether or not I should accept the offer. I’ve seen mixed reviews of the student and faculty, and the school itself isn’t particularly known. And any info I found is a few years old. I was wondering if any alumni/current students at TIU would be able to give some insights on this and help me make a decision.
Thanks in advance
EDIT: I should probably clarify a few things:
1. A tuition reduction scholarship doesn’t mean it’s free. I.e there’s a few other fees that rounds up to a couple thousand dollars annually that i still need to pay. Not to mention the living Costs there, which is ironically going to cost me more than the education.
2. Financial considerations is defo a big factor for me. I’m from Southeast Asia where the per Capita income is much lower than other first world countries so in essence even with this opportunity it’s still going to be a very expensive endeavour on my part.
17 comments
Yeah go for it ! Nobody cares what school you’ve been to – just your skills
>100% tuition reduction scholarship.
Do it
I would say to go for it!
Worst case you can drop out or transfer but it would be a shame to pass up on a free education.
I would have killed for an opportunity like that out of high school. Unless your other choices were extremely well known schools (Ivy league or industry specific schools) then do it!
Lucky you, go for it!!!
I wish that was me! Easiest yes ever!
I only got a 30% tuition reduction, if I were you I would definitely accept.
What country are you from? What other schools have you been accepted to?
Taking a full ride just because it’s a full ride isn’t always the best choice. I turned down two full rides at mid-tier colleges for a 75% scholarship at a top 25 school. It was obviously the better choice.
It really depends on your goals and what other options are available to you.
what are your other options?
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I just saw your edit, yes you still have to pay a whole bunch of fees even with your 100 reduction fees. I completely understand your worries especially about money and the living cost. I’m from the US and I don’t make that much but my goal is to save up as much as I can until oct.
I went to TIU a long time ago. I’d say it’s probably on the lower end of quality and Ritsumeikan would probably have better faculty and student body. However, according to more recent alumni who I’ve spoken with, TIU seems to have improved a bit since I went there (before E-track), so take my opinions with a grain of salt. I think the addition of the E-track program attracted more serious students who are trying to immerse themselves in an international English-speaking environment.
One other thing to consider if you’re worried about money is that TIU has dormitories and the apartments near the school are surprisingly cheap. In addition, if you’re interested in exploring Tokyo (assuming you’re in the Kawagoe campus), it’s a roughly 45 minute train ride to Ikebukuro, which expands your options for part time work as well. I think the tuition reduction is a massive benefit if your main concerns are financial.
OK, 1st up TIU was already a nice uni when I was there about 15 years ago.
Since then it’s levelled-up and remains a good place to study. I visited there again in 2019 and could tell it was on the up and up.
It’s not the most prestigious institution, but its a decent place to spend your student years.
The campus is far enough out in Saitama that you should be able to get an apartment that is quite reasonable by Japan standards, and as long as you aren’t going to Tokyo every weekend day to day living won’t be that expensive. (It will be better value than being in most English speaking countries, but still, that doesn’t make it cheap by global standards).
That said, in terms of your long term prospects I’d say you should think about this in terms of what quality of education you could get within your home country for the same cost. If you could afford to get into a well respected university where you are that will probably do more good for you – at least within your own country – than going to TIU.
TIU would be good if you want to potentially transition your life to Japan, or you were planning to make full use of the many other places it is connected to (but then that gets even more expensive).
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Transferring in Japan, as you know, is difficult. I know someone who did it in year 3, but she had to go back to being a 1st year. I didn’t go to TIU, but studying in Japan at reduced, or free, tuition is just too great an experience to pass up, in my opinion. If you want a career in IR, it may be better to stay in your home country, ironically, because there are probably no relevant internships or connections to be made here. On the other hand, IR grads often go into business etc., and the international environment will be outstanding compared to what you would get back home, and the overall experience is worth it for almost all students who take the plunge, based on my old classmates and myself (some people do have trouble adapting or settling into careers afterwards).
My opinion is if you want to live in Japan, do it. It sounds like a pretty good offer. If you’re not particularly excited about Japan and think you can get a better deal some where else, then don’t do it.
Did you take the offer?