CSC Scholarship - Archives

[ABQgirl]

Hello!

So, I know the application is really clear that we have to have the medical exam done in our home countries, but I am wondering if any of you have not done it and waited to have it done in China. I am doing some research and it looks like it will cost me a lot of money to have US doctors do this and that it would be a lot cheaper to just go to one of the clinics in China that specializes in this. I have read about a lot of students that have gone to china on a tourist visa and then switched once they got there, but I am wondering if we are not able to do this because of the scholarship. What have you guys done? How much did it cost you in the US (I am not a student, so I cannot go to a campus climic) and did any of you just get it done in China?

By the way, I am going to be applying through the DC embassy since Tennessee has no regional offices close to it.

Also, here's the deal for me: I have to move to Chengdu. There are three Universities there and I am going to apply to all three, but only one has master's programs I am interested in. I am really torn about what to apply for because of this. Should I apply to the program I want and just hope that that school will take me, or should I apply just as a language student and take my chances reapplying from China when I am ready to get the masters program. I know no one will have much REAL information about this since we don't know much about the application process, but if you have any gut opinions, I would like to have any help I can get.

Thanks all!

[Shadowdh]

and it looks like it will cost me a lot of money to have US doctors do this and that it would be a lot cheaper to just go to one of the clinics in China that specializes in this.

for blood tests you can try donor centres, not sure if its the same in the US as in the UK though...

[amphivera]

DogPyro,

Yes you can apply from within China...FYI I was in China but I was working here, not studying. Don't know if that makes a difference. I suspect it would hurt your chances if you were already enrolled in a Chinese University.

You can use the "physical exam for foreigner" from China...every locality has a special hospital where they do this...it's the same place where employers usually take you to retake the physical for a longterm visa (i.e. Z, X). Mine was issued as a booklet, valid for one year, so I just photocopied every page in the booklet and got the pages stamped by the issuing hospital. Make sure, though, that you've got at least half a year left on that expiry date (they specifiy that in the CSC application instructions).

[fsutalltree]

Hey, I am a US senior graduating with a bachelors in May 2009 (and probably not getting my physical diploma until a little after that) And I am wondering, do I have to wait for my diploma to send in my application?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[extrapages]

fsutalltree,

If you looked at the CSC site, you would have seen that the deadline is April 30th. That's even before you graduate. So, if you were to apply this year, you'd apply as someone who has not yet graduated from college. In which case,

2. Highest diploma (notarized photocopy). If applicants are university students or already employed, they shall also provide studying certificates or employment documents.

http://en.csc.edu.cn/Lianhua/c1e7463d02704511940e91faa7ba7942.shtml

[menyawga]

Hey guys, it's been a while since my last post and I thought I'd update people on some things I've found out.

I had learned before that it's possible, starting in 2008, to apply directly through a Chinese university if you're applying for the Masters or PhD degree. It took them a little while to post the differences in these two, but it's on the CSC website now. Aside from the "Chinese Government Scholarship", there is also the

"Special Schoarship Schemes Sponsored by Chinese Government" section. Under that is the

"APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP-UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE STUDY PROGRAM".

This is the relatively new scheme that's been developed for post-graduate students who want to apply directly through 1 university.

Here are the differences worth pointing out:

1. The application deadline is March 31, not April 30, so hurry up

2. It seems to only offer 1 year of preparatory Chinese courses instead of up to 2. This bothers me a lot since the degree I want to pursue requires me to have HSK level 6 (required for most humanity degrees in Chinese), and I don't see it as a realistic limitation. I'm going to email Xiamen University and the CSC to ask if this is really the case, or if it's "flexibile". Maybe they'll give me the scholarship, then I'll "defer" it for a year while studying in a different place or something.

3. The research plan in the application must be at least 800 words.

I'm concerned about having enough time to study Chinese before my major begins, not only so I'll understand what I'm being taught, but also because I want to have as broad of an education in Chinese as I can get. That's all for now. Best of luck to those of you applying this year.

-Menyawga

[ABQgirl]

Hello all! I've been posting for a while and I think I have answered many of these questions, so sorry if I am repeating myself, but I wanted to formally introduce myself to the group as per the first post (ie csc bible ).

Where are you applying from?

I am living in New Mexico and will be moving to Tennessee during the application process, so I am putting my Tennessee address in the application

Are you currently in China?

No, not yet. There are about 200 days to go!

What did your local state embassy say?

There is no state embassy for either of my states (unless I am totally wrong) There are only five embassies, right? The closest one to tennessee is DC, so that's what I am going to use. I have been calling for a week a couple of time a day, but so far have not gotten anything useful. I have only found one real person who does not know anything (he seems to work at the front desk or something) but has put me through to a series of different answering machines. I am leaving messages, but I don't think I am going to get a call back. I am going to need to get someone on the phone but so far I have had no luck. I assume the person I need will have a normal business day, so I am trying those times, but I am also experimenting calling at off hours in case the person I need might be around to answer the phone.

Where and how did you get your papers notarized?

I am planning to go to my bank. I'm hoping to save a chunk of change that way.

Did you apply for your school of choice beforehand?

I have not applied to my school of choice yet. I would like to, but I am not sure I am going to have time. I am considering applying for the scholarship directly through the university as well as through my embassy and just turning one down if I get them both, but I have to look into this more.

Where did you get your physical exam done?

I have an appointment for next week to get my exam done with my local doctor. I am terrified about how much it might cost. I'll post the results next week.....

Anything about the process you thought might be good for others to know about? Any hiccups you had to work through?

I am sure there will be hiccups. I'll be sure to let you know. The current quests are to get professor letters of rec even though I have been out of school for years and to find a contact at the embassy. Anyone out there have a DC contact you would be willing to share?

Edited February 23, 2009 at 12:23 AM by ABQgirl

[Philibuster]

Where are you applying from?

Right now i'm in Alabama.

Are you currently in China?

Not yet, but my friend in is Chendu and i hear good things.

What did your local state embassy say?

Well I decided to take the shotgun approach and call every number i could find for any consulate in the U.S. I spoke to a man in at the Chicago consulate who told me i had to apply though a university. I've been calling all of the consulates but i'm not really getting anywhere. Everyone i speak to has been very polite but not very helpful.

Where and how did you get your papers notarized?

My roomate's sister works at a bank so that part was easy.

Did you apply for your school of choice beforehand?

No i read on these forums that it was a bad idea.

Where did you get your physical exam done?

I called my family doctor. It wasn't really a big deal. The only hard part has been figuring out who to send it all to.

Anything about the process you thought might be good for others to know about? Any hiccups you had to work through?

Aside from gathering all the documents the most time consuming part is figuring out where to send the completed application.

[Firespark]

fsutalltree, I am in a similar situation as you in that I finished my university courses in December but the university won't release my diploma until graduation in May. I called the office in Beijing and they told me that it would be sufficient to have a written letter by the registrar of the university for the application stating that you are about to graduate but they would need a copy of the diploma when your arrive in China.

[Yaoshuya]

Hello Everyone,

To follow up on my last post, the information about the Foreigner's Physical Examination Form was very useful and I was able to get all the documents required for it at my local hospital. Thanks for the info Extrapages and imron.

The only thing I need yet to complete my application is a guarantor. If anyone currently in China would be willing to be my guarantor it would be truly appreciated. I have tried to find one on my own, but its tough to find Chinese contacts when your living in Iowa... All the people I know of who have lived in China have since returned to the states or are in China only for business trips (no address). Just to be clear, I have no idea what is really meant by a guarantor (no one else I have talked to who has lived in China knows either), but all I am really looking for is a name and address so I can complete the form. In the future, should I end up in China, I would be more than willing to do the same for someone else on these forums.

I have given some background info on my first post so this time I will try to answer some of Extrapage's questions on my application process so far.

Where are you applying from?

Iowa (U.S.)

Are you currently in China?

No

What did your local state embassy say?

There is no local embassy in Iowa, the closest one would be in Chicago, which is too far away for me to drive to, not to mention that no one on this forum seems to have had any luck applying to the Chicago Embassy. I plan on applying to the Washington D.C. embassy instead, but I have been able to contact someone who knows about the scholarship there so far. If I cannot get a hold of anyone knowledgeable, I will probably send my application to the address listed by Meshaq7 for the Ministry of Education in D.C.

Where and how did you get your papers notarized?

I was able to get my papers notarized at my local bank. They do it for free if you have an account there.

Did you apply for your school of choice beforehand?

I considered it before I realized that the Chinese Universities I was going to apply to no longer accepted online applications. Applying to most Chinese Universities outside of China appears to be as much of a hassle as completing this scholarship application. I may try to apply to one after I have my scholarship app sent off though, just to have a backup plan.

Where did you get your physical exam done?

I had my exam done at my local hospital by my family doctor. I got a lot of confused looks from medical staff about why I was getting chest x-rays and EKGs (I'm 21 years old), but I think they did an acceptable job of meeting all the requirements (fingers crossed). In terms of cost, I think the physical was covered by my family's insurance, while the x-rays, EKGs, and blood tests where not. In total I think the cost to me and my parents was about 330 dollars. That cost will depend on your insurance and local hospital though. I probably paid less than most people will in the U.S.

Anything about the process you thought might be good for others to know about?

Read through this thread, its long, but there is a lot of important information here. Also, make sure you give yourself a few months to gather your information, this is not an application that you can scramble together at the last minute.

Any hiccups you had to work through?

As stated previously, the physical examination form is confusing, even for doctors. One part which through my doctor off was the lab test. It asks you to test for AIDS, syphilis, etc. Forget about the etc., they just want AIDS and syphilis tested for.

Hopefully someone will find this info useful,

-Yaoshuya

[extrapages]

Yaoshuya,

I'll be your guarantor. =] I'll send you my information with a private message.

Philibuster and ABQgirl,

Please read where Yaoshuya is sending his application. The information was actually posted in this thread by someone. I never took it down - it's technically public information. You just need to find it. Use the search function.

[Philibuster]

Well, This is wonderful!! Now all i have to do is cross my fingers.

By the way, My friend told me that out of your 3 choices most likely you will be put in the most developed one. I am not sure if this is true but his top choice was chendu and they ended up putting him in chongqing, which was not on his list.

[lavenderfields]

I am currently in the process of applying for a scholarship from CSC for 2008. I would like to see an example of a study plan from an application that was granted. I would like to confirm whether the study plan should be in essay format or in letter format. Even though I only have an AA Degree and I am past the age limit set for the Bachelor's Degree, I would like to emphasize in my study plan that I would love to have a Bachelor's in Mandarin Chinese so that I can teach it to others whether in the U.S. or in any other country that is interested in China. I would also like to point out that I am only two years away from a Bachelor's and that I am already a fluent speaker of Mandarin; just not fluent in writing or reading and that I don't have a full understanding of the grammar. Any further suggestions or critique on the content of my study is plan is greatly welcome.

[arbigelow]

Hi, first of all thanks for this amazing thread - I never knew that something like this existed.

Is it possible to apply for the IUP program at Tsinghua? I'm guessing not but just wanted to be sure.

Also, does is this just for mainland China or does it include Taiwan as well?

Once again thanks for everyone's contributions.

[extrapages]

arbigelow,

This was actually discussed previously in this thread, but I'll try to recap the important parts. IUP is a program that is in partnership with Tsinghua. It is VERY expensive when you go through the IUP program, but essentially, the bulk of the IUP program is Chinese classes you take at Tsinghua - classes that you can take just by being in the Chinese program there, not necessary through IUP. So, if what you're really after is the same Chinese program, you should apply for the CSC scholarship and request to learn Chinese at Tsinghua University. You'll take the same classes as kids there on the IUP program. I recommend this even if you don't get the scholarship. You'll get the same Chinese curriculum at a fraction of the price.

---

lavenderfields,

Good luck finding anyone who will send you a copy of their study plan. That's like asking someone who got into some university to send you their application essay. It doesn't matter what format the study plan is in as long as it clearly states to the CSC board why you want to come to China, how you think the CSC scholarship with help you with your goals, and what you wish to do with what you learn through the CSC scholarship. Tell them your situation and what you wish to change about it. Throw in a few sentences about how you love China and Chinese culture, how you think it will be a great opportunity, how you think China's development is amazing, etc. etc. You are old enough to know how to kiss ass to get what you want. China is full of that - that and the people you know so you can kiss the right asses. So go for it.

[arbigelow]

Extrapages, thanks for the info. Do you know if the scholarship covers Taiwan as well?

I'd really like to go to ICLP but I don't think the scholarship would cover that because of the tuition price.

[weirdo]

Hi. I'm processing my documents these past few days and I'm wondering if there's anyone from the Philippines here who's doing the same thing. It's just frustrating that the Embassy here claims to know nothing of a scholarship, as if it doesn't exist. Good luck everyone!

[evasiege]

So is there really no way to find out the progress of your application? Currently I am stuck between applying for this scholarship and attending a university vs. going to a private language school. It seems they announce the winners so last minute that in the case I didn't receive the scholarship, would be screwed over in any preparations of going to the private school.

[ABQgirl]

Wow Philibuster,

It is useful to know that at least one person did not get any of their three choices. Does anyone know if this is commonly true? Are there any other anecdotes of people who were sent to nowhere that they requested?

I'm applying to three schools in Cheng Du and I am hoping to get to go there, so I am curious about how solid that plan might be.

[Jamoldo]

Extrapages, from what I have heard about IUP from former students (quality has gone down quite a bit), it is a separate program that takes place at Tsinghua. One stays at the University, that's where classes are held and language labs are there. But that's it. The teachers are IUP teachers (trained and dedicated to it) and not the ones teaching at Tsinghua. The classes are longer and more intense with much more homework and interaction as well as some 1v1 stuff. It is most definitely very expensive.

From what I have heard, studying at Tsinghua will be much like studying at any other university. 3-4 hours of class a day with most classmates being Korean/Japanese, varying levels of homework, lots of repitition and emphasis on reading and writing and some listening.

That being said, at BNU some of the teachers I had taught at the Princeton program in the summer as well as the Dartmouth study abroad one. This was dumb luck and such teachers were the cream of the crop if young, or top level teachers in the department (formerly cream of the crop, now more experienced and in higher positions and of course, very good at what they do). Getting them was pretty dumb luck. It would not surprise me if the same thing can be done in the Tsinghua program but it would require a fair bit of luck, combined with on-the-ground research and timing (ie. IUP not taking place at the same time, or the teacher not participating in IUP at that time).