fumblewhat

Very cool.

Yeah, I find I never study quite as hard as when there's a JLPT on the horizon. There's quite a few study guides for that test that I've found very effective for improving my kanji and reading ability. Anyone have a series of textbooks they really like? I'm not sure if it's available outside of Japan, but I've been using "Nihongo So-Matome" (日本語総まとめ). They have books for grammar, vocab, and kanji for all JLPT levels. The texts are divided into week long units with daily sections... It's keeping me distracted while I wait! OK, amature question: Are you contacting the departments you've applied to about FLAS or are they hitting you over the head with it? I've had one school contact me to remind me to fill out a separate application and another volunteer they'll automatically apply for me, but the rest...

button up

Yeah... I could've (shoulda, woulda...) gone the extra mile to adjust my SOP for a few schools. And "accepted" and "rejected" carry the same consequence for me without funding. If I ever (have the grave misfortune to) go through this process again, I'll make sure to do a wee bit more research about the funding available at each school before applying. Especially as an M.A. applicant... I comfort myself in the knowledge that this is, by and large, a great exercise in luck!

Critical theory.

Degree: East Asian Studies / Japanese Studies MA programs Schools Applied To: UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, University of Washington (Seattle), University of Michigan, Duke University, University of Illinois, and University of Hawaii. Fellowships Applied For: None... Undergraduate School (or school type) Major: Mid-sized liberal arts school, Anthropology and History double major. Experience in Asia or in Field: One semester studying in Japan and 3 years working there. I felt pretty good about my application until my GRE scores came back. I got a 690 Verbal (97th percentile), but the writing section kicked me in the face. I got a 3.5. I've always been told that writing is one of my strong points, so. . . here's hoping I manage to make it past the initial admissions screening. Sigh.