CIS Questions - Eligibility and Experience

[eclara_9]

Hi all,

Very grateful to find this forum instead of scouring Reddit for bits of information! I just learned about CIS and all these other scholarships, and I'm looking for some insight on the different programs and institutions. It's been difficult navigating these sites without a study abroad community or university advisors, so thank you in advance!

First of all, I wanted to clarify that I do not need to be a Chinese teacher to apply for CIS. Based on this website, it seems like there are language learning scholarships for non-teachers. This is what I am interested in! I do have concerns about the recommendation letter - I am 6 years out of undergraduate, Confucius Institutes have closed around the USA, and I am self-studying. Any suggestions on who to reach out for recommendation letters, or is my next step to find a teacher to take classes?

I am interested in the four-week study option in the winter, primarily for language and literature. Though I am also interested in TCM Science 中医 and Tai Chi Culture 太极文化. Can anyone speak to these programs or know someone who has gone through them? I was surprised to see them as separate options on the application and not considered electives with language attainment as the primary reason for the scholarship.

I'll probably pick an institution near Shanghai or Liaoning simply because I would have a familiar face nearby. I heard your chances of getting accepted may depend on how popular the programs are -- but I have no idea which ones are considered the best/popular. Does anyone know the informal breakdown?

And happy to hear anything else you'd like to share about your experiences in the program! Thank you in advance