CSC Scholarship - 2014 American/EU Applicants

[haoyu]

@satine91, yeah, I checked "no" for the elementary chinese study.  I'm really not sure if I should have checked "no" or "yes" or if it even matters.  

 

@Tianlongprc, I had my Foreigner Physical Examination form completed at my local doctor here in the US (and a local hospital for the lab stuff).  It's good for six months, so if I arrive in China later than August, I'll have to have it re-verified there.

 

Also, congratulations on receiving a scholarship!  I'm really surprised, since I thought they don't normally give award letters till April-July.  Would you mind telling us about how you did your application, what you types of stuff you submitted with it (as information for others who are applying)?

[Tianlongprc]

@ Haoyu

 

The process might be a little different at every consulate/embassy. I already speak very fluent Chinese ( I lived in China for 7 years before coming back to the U.S. to get my Bachelor's Degree) so I called the embassy education service department and I kept in contact with them all throughout the process. I talked with the person that deals with my state. He said that only one scholarship can be awarded for my school. After filling out the CSC online application (the consulate gave me the agency number), the consulate contacted my school. My school told the Embassy that I was the only one applying for the scholarship and then I was notified that I was awarded. This might not be as helpful as my case might be different from others.   

[haoyu]

@Tianlongprc,  thanks for sharing!  It's helpful to hear some of the background so that the differences make more sense.  I didn't know that some schools have quotas!  Anyway, Congratulations!

[Tianlongprc]

@ Haoyu where do you go to school? Where do you plan on studying?

[Tianlongprc]

Does anybody know if School you are attending will allow you to stay at the dorms during summer breaks?

[haoyu]

@Tianlongprc, I actually graduated a couple years ago, so I'm just applying individually.  I'm looking at Tianjin University, Liaoning University (in Shenyang), and Dalian University of Foreign Languages.

[Tianlongprc]

@ Haoyu have you ever been to Shenyang? I lived there for 7 years, I will be there sometime in July this summer. Liaoning University or as we call it Liao Da has two campuses, one on the edge of the city in Huang Gu Qu. It is close to Xi Ta the Korean Town. I have been to the international student dorms, they were not to bad. Then there is the new campus located outside of the city but not to far. I have never been to that campus. A lot of the students at Liao Da come from Africa and the Middle East, However there are a lot of Koreans, some Japanese and Russians. Shenyang is also building a subway system, although right now only two lines are open, one that runs north-south and east west. If you have any questions about Shenyang I might be able to answer them. As for Dalian, I have been there many times. Dalian is a great city and Dalian University of Foreign Languages is well known in the North. Dalian is an ocean city so the air will be cleaner and the climate a little warmer when compared to Shenyang, Shenyang can get very cold -30C during the winter. Dalian is also more expensive and has a larger foreign population. I tried to look up what the dorms were like at Dalian University of Foreign Languages, however I did not see anything good, but then again I have only been around the general campus and the library. If you have questions about Dalian, I might be able to help but I know more about Shenyang.

[haoyu]

@Tianlongprc, I have not been to either Shenyang or Dalian!  Thank you for the info!  I picked the location of my schools hoping for somewhat standard 普通话 and not too many English-speaking 外国人.  (I hear that Shenyanghua isn't exactly Beijinghua, but it's not quite Sichuanhua, either.)

Shenyang University is the only school I have not heard back from (by which, I mean, they have not replied to any of my emails), so they might be least likely right now.    Maybe I should give them a call.  Or just fax my application to them?

 

Also, that's good to hear about Dalian University of Foreign Languages having a good reputation!

 

Thank you very much for the offer about questions!  If you're still on the forum when I found out (hopefully) where I'm going, I may very well take you up on it (or I might PM you before then if I think of some questions).

[jolinstan]

Guys in the UK, I don't know if this affects anyone else, but I submitted my application to the PRC Embassy, called up today to see if it had arrived, and essentially they do not accept individual applications - if you're not in University, it seems like they will reject you. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow and pray it gets to ECNU (who I got an admission letter off - yay!) by the end of March.

 

If anyone else has done things, I really, really suggest you contact them. I have a number if you need

 

Update - So I called ECNU, and they can only process applications for UG/PG students, and said that I need to give mine to my embassy to send it to beijing, but they said they won't? I'm so confused, I feel like this was all done for nothing!

[Katty]

Hi

I am just writing my study plan and I am just wondering whether it is better printes or handwritten?? I was always told that handwritten "cover letters" are better but I do not know...

And also do you think that 800 would be fine?? I am applying for chinese non degree program and maybe master's degree later...

Thank you

[Katty]

800 words of course

[haoyu]

@Katty, I would recommend typed, not handwritten for two reasons: (1) standard fonts are often easier for people to read (the more effort it takes to read an application, the less favorable it becomes for the applicant), and (2) it looks more professional (since computer formatting can be more precise and cleanly formatted than handwritten).

 

Of course, that's my opinion (based on my experiences).  I wonder if there are some regional preferences on handwritten vs. typed?

 

On the word limit, since there's no upper limit given... Mine was just over 800.  

[Tianlongprc]

@ Katty I would also recommend that you have it typed up and not hand written.

[Eponym]

Although this has been asked many times already I thought I might as well give it a shot. I need a guarantor for my application, I would rather not fake it just in case. I have contacted the CI department at my university who for some reason have no idea how to help me. ¬_¬'' Any suggestions? The deadline is Tuesday. 

[haoyu]

@Eponym, have you tried contacting your target universities in China to ask about this?  I'm wondering if they could provide a contact.

 

I hope it all works out for you!

[jolinstan]

So after the British Embassy knocked me around, i've decided to apply for the Sichuan government scholarship, but I an't find the application form? I thought it'd be on laihua but it doesn't give me the option - anyone know?

[haoyu]

@jolinstan, a quick web search didn't turn up anything for me.  I would try emailing/faxing/phoning the Contact listed on the scholarship page and/or the contact listed for the university in which you are interested.  (Since it looks like the universities handle the scholarship processing, I would think they could provide the form or tell you how to get it.)

[Jagna]

Hello!

 

I'm new here, I'm from Poland and a few days ago my university informed me I'm recommended for the 1-year non-degree scholarship. So now it's the time for me to gather all the documents, medical reports etc. (I guess the procedure in Poland is different, we apply to the embassy without all these papers and we need to send them now, the deadline is April 18th). Is anybody else here unsure about the "notarized translation"? We don't really have that in my country... Do you think it would be ok to send notarized copies of a *certified* translation? It's as close as it gets, I think.

 

Another thing, do you have any tips about what the universities look at the most? In case I don't have the acceptance letter, is it the grades transcript that matters, the study plan or what? I'm going for Chinese Language Program btw.

 

Good luck with your scholarships!

[nyancat]

Jagna, Cześć!

 

Congratulations with being selected.

It seems it is different in other countries, to my knowledge usually it is the other way around. Well, I am not sure if it is needed to visit a notary and pay for such notarized translation, I know people who got the necessary documents from their university, a simple official stamp by your uni should be ok, whether those are recommendation letters or a transcript.

About the medical reports, I am not sure about those. I think the foreigner's physical examination form should definitely be filled out in English and make sure there are two stamps, one on your photo, another on the back side where the signature is going to be. About the attachments, taking into an account that in many Eastern European countries official hospital documents are in their native language, it is kinda silly to ask for them to be in English, however I submitted them in my native language, so far it seems that it is alright, just make sure they are stamped too. You can check here examples:

•  http://goo.gl/29juv6
•  http://goo.gl/1PNfiO
•  http://goo.gl/T504wZ
•  http://goo.gl/1c7esk
•  http://goo.gl/QOR1f7

[simplet]

Have you tried contacting the people responsible for the EU window scholarship in Brussels jolinstan? (http://www.chinamission.be/eng/lxzg/ofzz/ )  I'm in France and I got the impression that you can only apply to the chinese embassy in your country if you're recommended by a university, and that all personnal applications should go to the mission in Brussels.

 

Do you guys know if I absolutely have to give the original of the pre-admission letter? I only have the scanned copy they sent me by email right now, I don't think I'l receive the real thing before the deadlne. I'm currently procrastinating instead of writiong my study plan, are there some examples of well written plans somewhere? Preferably in chinese?

 

Also does anyone know if I'm still supposed to choose three universities after getting a pre-admission letter? I imagine it's better to only select the university that gave you the letter in this case?