Confucius Institute Scholarship

[shuoshuo]

HSK level and HSK score is different. If you have a high HSK score you will get the scholarship. If your HSK level is too high for the course you are applying for however, that is a separate matter. I just thought I'd clear that up, in case one day there is someone reading all this and assumes that only those with low HSK scores get the scholarship.

 

The maximum level for my school is HSK 5. There were 2 people who had done it, prior to applying for the scholarship. There was one person who had absolutely no experience with CI or Chinese language but he had a solid recommendation from someone who was part of the scholarship board in his country. When I applied I had an expired old HSK certificate so I backed my application with a recommendation letter from my embassy. There are different ways to apply for this scholarship. Whether it is guaranteed or not, I think it may depend largely on your application material and recommendation (be it an HEI or embassy). Most people in my university got it because they are enrolled in a sister university (partnership) in their country.

 

I think it might also be helpful for me to add this: those of you who do not qualify for the one year programme but has qualified for the one semester programme, you will have to sit for the HSK 3 at the end of the semester. If you pass (and I know you will), some universities will accept you to continue on for the next semester. If you ask during the first semester, they may tell you it is impossible. But it is actually very possible.  This was the case in some universities, including the one I'm in. The one-semester students were later offered to apply to continue, but by this time many had already booked their tickets home (even the ones who had spent the entire semester asking and pleading with the school for them to stay on). So just keep this in mind.

 

Finally, for the one-year students: I know many have just completed HSK level 3. You will be expected to sit for the HSK Level 5 exam at the end of the school year. It is not an easy jump from HSK 3 to 5 so be prepared! Good luck!

[Quan Hana]

shuoshuo, well explain... I hope that next year applicant will read this forum and learn from our mistakes... :-)

[wintertimelove]

My status just changed to 

"申请进度：“接收院校审核中”- 调剂院校 
(意见：调剂)"
And the 接收院校 is not one of my chosen unis. What does that mean? Did this new university choose me and do I need to give some kind of consent to be admitted to a uni I didn`t choose?

[Mari Piano]

My status has also changed to the same today. I think we should wait for the decision of the university which Hanban gave us.To my mind, you don't need to give any consent, because it had already been done while filling out the application form (there's an option whether you're ready to accept another university suggested by Hanban in case none of the indicated ones chooses you)

[shuoshuo]

No consent. In fact, you will either have to accept the university they assign you to or you have to drop the scholarship. If there is an accepting university and they are processing your application, you can try to contact them and see if they require any more documents or if they can 'please' accept you. Say whatever you need to say for them to give your application serious consideration. If universities keep rejecting your application, you will not receive the scholarship. So some effort might be worth something. Oh, and when you email the universities try to use Chinese.

[xnawas]

Hello everyone!
My status:
申请进度：“接收院校审核中”- 录取 
(意见：HSK二级194,HSKK初级84，成绩符合汉办录取要求，录取)
接收院校：厦门大学
 

what it means? 

[shuoshuo]

Congrats xnawas, it means Xiamen University has accepted to enrol you!

[Mari Piano]

Guys!!! I have just been contacted by my CI which, in their turn, were contacted by the University given by Hanban. They asked me if I agree to be accepted by them, so this proves that, some consent might be still expected by a "new" host university or it's just a particular case. Anyway, contradicting my previously said words, I advise you now to contact the University, if you feel it's appropriate in your personal case.

[ana_bra]

cool Mari, congrats!! What Uni are u going?

 

Mine has just been rejected today:

申请进度：“接收院校审核中”- 未录取
(意见：不符合招生条件)
接收院校：北京大学

 

I hope they find me a Uni too...

[Mari Piano]

ana_bra:

Thank you! They assigned me the Ludong daxue located in Yantai. It seems they try to find universities which could be more or less close to those ones you chose before. For example, my second uni was in Qingdao, and Yantai is not so far away from that place. Don't worry! Don't lose hope, everything will be fine! Keep us informed of changes in your status. Did you try to know why "不符合招生条件"? What about your docs?

[xuefang]

I got a message from my university teacher (where I graduated from undegrad and where I applied for the scholarship) that if a university accepts you 录取, then Hanban will most likely confirm that. She said only rarely will Hanban disagree to a university's decision.

[shuoshuo]

Congrats Mari Piano, so happy for you. Yantai is becoming very popular now, I hear it all the time. I'm sure you will have an awesome time there! I also think they find alternative universities in the area that you choose.

 

ana_bra - you need to contact hanban I think. I don't think "不符合" is a good thing...unless it is specific to that university and not to other universities? Then again 北京大学 is the best out there, maybe their requirements are above other 'normal' universities?

[Mari Piano]

Thanks a lot, shuoshuo! I am already glad that there's a high probability to go to China, but the fact that it's Yantai makes me even happier! Let's hope for Hanban's positive decision.....

[Guest Dianabutaeva]

Hey guys i'm new one here and my status is 申请进度：“接收院校审核中”- 录取 didn't got what that mean.... Anyways... I would like to know should we send our documents to the universities we apply? I have send to hanban but they send it me back

[Mari Piano]

Hi, Dianabutaeva!  That means you're accepted by the university written below. Now you just need to wait for the final decision of Hanban. Usually the documents are sent by your reccomending organisation. I think in your case there's no need to send personally the documents as your status is already ''accepted''. Congrats!

[Voyager2014]

as we have seen in the Mari Piano's case, they, assuming Hanban at this point, are trying to find the ways for applicants to go China. So far we know that they find you an U even if applicants' first and second choices of Universities reject them. Everything till here sounds ok!

 

BUT Xuefang mentioned his conversation with a person who knows well about the scholarship process. and Xuefang said "... only rarely will Hanban disagree to a university's decision" I don't want to give you a sense of frastration and disappointment at this point. 

 

I want to ask how "rare" it is that Hanban rejects, or not approve? Is there anyone who has applied this scholarship in the past and experienced such a thing like rejection by Hanban? Or know the circumstances under which they would reject? Thanks a lot

[shuoshuo]

Voyager2014 - Yes, there have been cases where Hanban has rejected the student. This is evident on some of the past posts, incl. last year when I had applied. The most important thing is to meet the requirements of the scholarship, this is key. For example, if one university rejects you because they say you do not meet the requirements, you need to figure out what exactly they mean by that. You cannot expect that there is always one university who will eventually accept you. So as I've mentioned before to someone who posted earlier, you should check the reason why you have been rejected. "不符合..." is not a good sign. She needs to find out if she doesn't meet the requirement of this specific university or doesn't meet the requirements of the CI scholarship.

 

It is more common for Hanban to reject independent candidates. This is because if you are enrolled in the CI of your country then you have been recommended by them. Most if not all CIs also have a sister university here in China, so application can be processed quickly with your CI's support. But if you are an independent candidate, whose backing do you have? This year alone I know 3 people who applied as independent candidates and all 3 were rejected.

 

That said, if you meet the requirements and you have a recommendation letter from your CI or a higher authority, you will most likely be awarded the scholarship.

[Voyager2014]

Shouhou, Thanks you for the clear explanation. I am relieved quite a lot by now because I am not an independent applicant and I have got a recommendation from my local CI and I have chosen the sister U as they directed me. And so far I have gotten 录取 and the status remains the same for almost a month, no back forth. 

 

There is one thing makes me worried about Hanban's decision though. While applying, I said "yes" to the question asking if I have ever been to China before and I have attached the evidence. it was 5 years ago for only five months. So this is the thing. unlike me, others who got 录取, there is nothing to worry about!

[Mari Piano]

Aren't independent applicants winnowed out right in the first stage of applying for the scholarship? As far as I remember, firstly the applicant need to be approved by a recommending institution. If it doesn't happen, he just doesn't go further. It's how I understood it, but I could be mistaken. I am also wondering, are they(Hanban) really able to refuse applicants who are already accepted by a university? Simply I thought if you're accepted, it means that you meet the requirements of the university, thus, also the ones of Hanban. I suppose they don't differ much....

[xuefang]

I'm not sure if I'm counted as independent applicant as I didn't have a CI to recommend me, I was recommended by my university. The same I did my undergrad in and the same I want to do my masters in.