In this issue, we interviewed Shi who passed the Graduate School of Economics of Hitotsubashi University, what kind of school is Hitotsubashi University, and what efforts did Shi make to qualify, let Xiaoyuan take you to understand it today~
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- Student Shi's Offer Show -
Student Information:
■Name: Student Shi
■Undergraduate School and Major: Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, International Economics and Trade
■How to come to Japan: Language school
■Japanese language score: N1
■English score: TOEIC
■Preparation time: 1 year
■Preparation method: online + offline
■Qualified school: Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of Economics
About Hitotsubashi University
There is such a university in Japan, which is not well-known in the world, but it is highly regarded in the minds of Japanese people. Although it is only ranked 481st in the QS ranking in 2024, Hitotsubashi University, one of Japan's former three major universities (Kobe University and Osaka City University), specializes in humanities and social sciences, and offers small elite classes.
Its nature is similar to that of the London School of Economics and Political Science and Sciences Po, and is known as the "Harvard of Asia". Hitotsubashi University has been ranked No. 1 in Japan in the field of economics for many years, and its graduates have been able to compete with graduates of the Graduate School of Economics at the University of Tokyo.
Economics has always been a popular major at Hitotsubashi University, and not only is it highly competitive every year, but its selection criteria for students are extremely strict. Hitotsubashi Graduate School of Economics places great emphasis on cultivating the breadth and depth of students' understanding of the subject, and requires students to master a certain range of subject knowledge.
At the same time, because the research proposals of the students who applied for Hitotsubashi are very good, the professors of Hitotsubashi have been very fond of highly innovative research topics over the years. This requires applicants to do a lot of subject preparation and systematic review before the exam, which greatly increases the difficulty of the exam.
So, what do you need to prepare for Hitotsubashi Economics, let's take a look at the application requirements for Hitotsubashi University Economics in 2024.
Number of Applicants:
A total of 82 students were admitted in the first phase of spring and autumn.
Application & Examination Schedule:
Hitotsubashi University has now canceled the written exam. The first selection method was changed to a book selection test, which was based on the score certificates, recommendation letters, research proposals, and TOEFL TOEIC scores submitted by the applicants. Only students who pass the first selection can participate in the second selection.
The second selection was conducted online via Zoom.
Petition Type:
1. Admission ticket
2. Certificate of Graduation (見込み)
3. Transcripts
4. TOEFL or TOEIC scores
5. Research proposal
6. Testimonials
It should be noted that the research proposal includes 800 words of history and motivation + 2400 words of research proposal (including literature), and the research plan needs to indicate the specific research direction of economics.
In the recommendation letter, the recommender needs to provide the corresponding work email address, so you need to contact the recommending teacher in advance to avoid the failure of the application due to some details when making the application.
Shi shared his experience
Shi studied international trade and economics as an undergraduate, and although he had some foundations, he still prepared for the exam for a whole year, systematically studying microeconomics and macroeconomics.
Q1: What is your preparation plan?
After deciding to prepare for the exam, I decided on my target school and major in the first two months, and for the next three to six months, I concentrated on studying Japanese and English, and took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and TOEIC Test to get the required scores. During this period, I also prepared application materials such as research proposals and letters of recommendation to prepare for the application.
In terms of Japanese language learning, I have been able to take regular courses at language schools offline to lay my foundation, and I have advanced myself by attending private school language courses online. In the preparation of the research proposal and application materials, I first clarified my research direction with the homeroom teacher of Zhiyuan Juku, contacted the advisor with the help of the teacher, and carefully prepared the recommendation letter and personal statement.
During the preparation process, I encountered various problems such as time management difficulties, bottlenecks in listening and speaking improvement, confusion in writing research proposals, and insufficient preparation for interviews and written exams. The teachers of Zhiyuan Juku provided successful application cases, arranged for homeroom teachers to guide me to improve my research plan, and arranged mock interviews and written examinations for Hitotsubashi University many times, which made me finally admitted to Hitotsubashi University.
Q2: Hitotsubashi University uses a book selection examination for economics, so what do you need to prepare for your research plan?
First of all, the research proposal should clarify the research direction and theme. When I was writing my research proposal at the beginning, my teachers provided me with many successful application cases for my reference, which gave me a basic understanding of the structure and content of the research proposal of a Japanese graduate school.
Then, through one-on-one tutoring again and again, I gradually refined the various parts of the research proposal to ensure that the logic was rigorous and the content was substantial. In each tutorial, the teacher would comment on my draft in detail, point out the deficiencies and suggest revisions, which also made my research proposal a lot better.
With the help of my private school teachers, I was able to find out why I chose Hitotsubashi University and its graduate school from a variety of perspectives, including the academic strengths of the school, the compatibility of my supervisor's research direction with my interests, and my future career plans.
In my reasons for aspiration, I focused on my in-depth knowledge of the target school and major, as well as my strong desire to learn. During the writing process, the private school teacher helped me polish the manuscript many times to ensure that my content was clear and powerful, and the logic was smooth.
Q3: What did you ask about the theoretical knowledge of the interview?
Hitotsubashi University has canceled the written exam, but during the interview process, I will ask questions about the knowledge of economic theory, and this time I was faced with the question of the micro and macro direction of macro investment and the optimal amount of public goods.
Fortunately, before the exam, the teacher asked me to write down the basic questions that I might ask and deduce and memorize them in my mind, so that I could successfully answer the questions of the interview professor.
Q4: What is the interview like?
The interview is mainly to ask questions about the content of the research proposal, and the professional knowledge is also examined. The professors are very detailed in their questions, so they need to have a deep understanding of their research proposals.
There are 3 professors, basically one professor is asking questions, and the other two professors will mention a few words on some knowledge points, and the atmosphere is more tense.
Q5: What do you think is the key to success?
First of all, the time planning must be done well, from the accumulation of basic knowledge to the preparation of application materials.
Secondly, we will focus on communicating with private school teachers and improving our Japanese and English skills in practice, which are important for interviews. In the preparation of the research proposal and the statement of reasons for volunteering, one revision is not enough, and it is necessary to meet the high quality standards of the research proposal through one-on-one tutoring and multiple revisions.
Another thing to note is that you must practice a mock interview before the exam, which will not only improve your coping skills, but also allow you to enter the exam room in advance.
In terms of daily tutoring, the class teacher and lecturer provided all-round support and guidance in a timely manner, helping me to overcome various difficulties and maintain an efficient and positive state of preparation for the exam. The combination of these factors allowed me to successfully prepare for the exam and finally get into Hitotsubashi University.
Q6: Do you have any advice for students who want to prepare for the Graduate School in the future?
My advice for students who are preparing for the Graduate School is to have a clear preparation plan, including timeline, learning content, and goal assessment, to ensure that there are clear goals and plans for each stage.
Secondly, adopt diversified learning methods, pay attention to listening, speaking, reading and writing in an all-round way, and especially strengthen practical and communication skills. In terms of the preparation of application materials, we prepare research plans and reasons for volunteering in advance, and ensure the quality of the materials through repeated revisions and guidance, reflecting personal academic interests and research potential.
At the same time, conduct multiple mock exams and interview exercises, familiarize yourself with the examination and interview process, improve your coping ability, and pay special attention to the improvement of language ability and practical training.
Finally, be sure to keep in close contact with the class teacher, seek help and advice in time if you don't understand something, and don't always think about it yourself. At the same time, you can also seek mutual support and exchange experiences among students.
Through the above suggestions, I hope that the students who will prepare for the graduate school in the future will be able to prepare for the exam more efficiently and achieve their goals smoothly.
summary
From her experience, it is not difficult to see that in order to qualify for a prestigious school, the guidance of a professional team of teachers and the unremitting efforts of individuals are indispensable! I hope that the sharing of Shi's qualified results can be helpful to students who are preparing for the exam.
That's all for this issue.
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Let's congratulate Shi again:
Journey to the distance, harvest Offer and distance!