The submitted application documents will be read by the faculty members who will be interviewers by the time of the interview. Interviewers evaluate applicants through interview questions based on the submitted documents, considering whether the applicant aligns with the ideal candidate profile defined in the department’s admission policy. When preparing application documents, always remember that the readers are faculty members. A key point is to review the admission policy and effectively link the keywords used in the admission policy to your own experiences.
When writing a statement of purpose, describe how your past experiences connect to the future you aspire to and why you want to study in this particular department at this university to achieve your goals. Write your personal story in your own words. Additionally, highlight the challenges you overcame in high school, what you learned from them, and how these experiences have prepared you to overcome difficulties in university. This helps to reassure interviewers that you are ready to succeed even if you face difficulties.
Since there may be word limits, you may not be able to include all details. Follow the basic logical structure of “claim, reason, and specific example,” adjusting the level of detail in the examples according to the word limit. Be ready to provide additional explanations during the interview. Include key terms that make it easy for interviewers to ask follow-up questions such as, “Can you elaborate on this experience mentioned in your application documents?”
Information about acquired qualifications will also be shared with the interviewers before the interview. Naturally, qualifications closely related to the department’s field of study are highly regarded by the faculty members, interviewers.
If you are not from English speaking country and even if you graduate from an international high school, it is highly recommended that you have an English qualification such as TOEIC, TOEFL, and IELTS to prove your English level. Some universities may ask you to show an English qualification even if you are from English speaking country. This is because education environments and situations differ individually, official English qualifications play an important role for both applicants and admissions officers. Last but not in the least, please be careful of the validity period of the qualification.
The entrance exam guidelines specify the application period and clearly state whether the submission deadline is based on the postmark date or requires arrival by a certain date. Unfortunately, application documents that do not adhere to the designated submission period will be rejected. Additionally, applications may be rejected due to incomplete or incorrect documents. Carefully check the application period and document requirements before submission, and always make a copy of your documents before submitting them.