Currently a freshman. One of the first things I did when the semester began was to better figure out the application progress for the business exchange program here (accounting major btw). I submitted less than a week after it opened. A week ago, I recieved a response and was waitlisted. I asked if I could get more information and they said that there were only ever 2 SPOTS on a first come first serve basis. To be honest im not sure if thats just how it is for anywhere. I have a feeling other colleges get more openings since the college I attend while good, isn't exactly the cream of the crop either. This, granted, is mostly my fault since I didn't realize until now how quick (nor how many ) spots would fill up; the application opened on a saturday and was filled that monday.
I'm a bit disappointed. I chose this college because it was cheap, in-state (plus scholarship) and had an exchange program just for business students which seemed like a perfect fit! Obviously, I failed to realize how quick I had to be. They emphasize 'first come first serve' so I'm guessing my merits weren't really considered. I have strong grades and passion for learning Japanese going on for nearly a year.
At this point im a little disillusioned. The primary reason I decided to enroll here was for that program alone, now that I know that what is essentially luck (and a lot of time waiting) is what decides whether I get into that program or not. I would like to start looking outwards for other options.
Im writing this in hopes that I could get some help being pointed into the right direction when researching.
I also have some other questions that I thought about in terms of approach but not sure of their feasability such as:
Is it a good idea to transfer to another college for the sole reason of partaking in one of their exchange programs? in my research, it appears that you MUST be a student of said college in order to partake in their exchange programs (probably stemming from contractual agreements between the two colleges), hence why I would like to transfer, but this too feels like a gamble.
Should I consider direct enrollment? I have heard that degrees from other countries compared to American degrees could put me at a disadvantage career wise, but maybe that prestige isn’t necessarily significant? I also I really just want to study abroad in Japan not to keen on working there; this seems to be a crucial time in life because of that.
Finally what is the feasability of something like direct enrollment at a Japanese university, then going back to the US after the academic year?
Again these are just speculative questions sort of, I could be totally getting this wrong. Again I just want to be pointed in the right direction based on my circumstances.
I’m also aware of 3rd party programs like CIS. But they do seem quite expensive so I want to make sure there isn’t something else I’m missing.
by Jintopawesome3