I want to go to college in Japan? Is this realistic?

Question:

Hey, I'm an African-American Girl, almost 5'3 and 16 years old. I am absolutely in love with the Japanese. There culture, their anime, everything! I My Japanese is average, and next year I will take a formal class (Junior Year). I was looking at ICU, Meiji, Sophia, and Temple Universities. I'm trying to get scholarships, as well. Please Answer these questions...

Is my plan to go to Japan reasonable?
Are there others like me who want to go to college there?
How much does college there cost?
Which of the schools I want is the best?
Can you give me some advice on how to reach my goal?

Thanks a million!

Answer:

Yes it is quite possible. But it isn't easy.

I don't go to college in Japan, but I have many friends who do. First formal classes are not enough. I would also take JLPT prep courses because if you want to go to a decent school like Meiji or Sophia having a level JLPT 2 certificate helps, A LOT. Also I know for Sophia you need to have super high SAT scores. So even though you need to study japanese excessively, please be aware that doesn't exclude you from your SATs.

Although Temple is a wonderful school, please know you will not have many if any classes in Japanese. And they have crazy prices. Now I have a friends who go to Sophia and it is a crazy selection process. One friend is American and the other is Japanese. My American friend had almost perfect scores on her SATs, passed JLPT level 1, passes several levels of interviews, and had money. Because honestly many gaikokujin do not get scholarships to Japanese colleges, and if they do they are most likely Chinese or Korean. My Japanese friend said their interview process is SUPER rigorous so be prepared for that, and they do conduct those interviews and exams in Japanese.

Now since your 16 if you push yourself now, it'lll be possible later. Don't slack on grades or SATs and get that JLPT 2 certificate (Level 1 if possible). I recommend Meiji or Sophia or even Waseda. Each college has different tuition and housing fees (because I doubt you'll find an apartment before hand). All that can be found on their websites and just convert it to US dollars.

Also choosing a college depends on what you want to do and learn.

Temple is great if you're lazy about Japanese. They accept students based on English fluency, determination, grades, SATs, and drive. So you can still go to school there if your Japanese is not up to par, but be aware you'll most likely end up being a translator, ESL teacher, or something english related.

Sophia and Meiji look better on resumes and you could actually be something other than an ALT or Eikawa teacher.