imron Posted March 26, 2008 at 01:06 AM Report Posted March 26, 2008 at 01:06 AM please PM me (I believe you have messages turned off, extrapages, but I would be SO grateful for your advice).doki doki, just for clarification, new members have restricted rights in sending PMs, hence the reason you couldn't send extrapages a message. You should be good to go now.
wl239 Posted March 26, 2008 at 06:02 AM Report Posted March 26, 2008 at 06:02 AM Hi all, I've been following this thread and it's been really helpful. Two questions: 1) To other American applicants who plan to apply this year - what is the specific address with appropriate contact (either at the Beijing embassy or back in the States) to which the CSC application should be mailed? If any of you know of the address and could post it here, it would be useful to many. 2) Is anyone familiar with the "Distinguished International Students Scholarship"? I'm interested in applying for it, but don't know the pros/cons vis a vis the regular "Chinese Government Scholarship." Also, can one apply for both? I am looking for funding for a master's degree. Thanks in advance for your help!
marcusat Posted March 26, 2008 at 01:39 PM Report Posted March 26, 2008 at 01:39 PM I think there is confusion at the mention of the March 30th deadline, but I wanted to confirm that this deadline is for the European Union only. I cannot say what the deadline is for US and other applications, but i am aware of the EU procedures having just sent off my application. Those applying from the EU as EU citizens must have their application arrive by this sunday (March 30th). Also interesting to note is that the physical exam form is not required until you receive an offer which saves a lot of money on xrays, nor do you need to know a sponsor in China! I'm not sure if this will be fruitful, but it seems that people in the US are having massive trouble even finding someone who has heard of the scholarship. There is an email given for the person who runs the scholarship in the EU on their website www.chinamission.be and he might be able to answer some questions or point you in the right direction for his US counterpart, but I would only recommend this as a last resort seeing as he is likely to only be concerned with EU applications. Maybe this thread could be divided into region specific CSC support groups according to application procedures to avoid confusion seeing as the procedures seem to be so different!
yueni Posted March 28, 2008 at 05:32 PM Report Posted March 28, 2008 at 05:32 PM Chrissy88, which 30th are you referring to? The one in March or April 30th?
extrapages Posted March 29, 2008 at 04:51 AM Author Report Posted March 29, 2008 at 04:51 AM Hi all,I've been following this thread and it's been really helpful. Two questions: 1) To other American applicants who plan to apply this year - what is the specific address with appropriate contact (either at the Beijing embassy or back in the States) to which the CSC application should be mailed? If any of you know of the address and could post it here, it would be useful to many. 2) Is anyone familiar with the "Distinguished International Students Scholarship"? I'm interested in applying for it, but don't know the pros/cons vis a vis the regular "Chinese Government Scholarship." Also, can one apply for both? I am looking for funding for a master's degree. Thanks in advance for your help! wl239, hi! thanks for joining the forum. =] here are my answers to your questions. 1) i have this information, and there are now two specific posts about why its not publicly listed on this forum. please dig around for it. 2) i dont think any of us have applied for it - but this can be our next experiment. you should apply for both and see which one you get. i dont ever remember reading about any restrictions on how many scholarships you can apply for, so it probably isn't against the rules. but you WILL definitely run into headaches if you get both - because then youll have to turn one down by contacting CSC (in china probably) directly. but at least we'll find out which one is easier to get. shrug. --- for everyone else, i am going to work on the first post TODAY. no one answered any of my questions i posted before so... ima just do whatever the hell i feel like!!!! haha! tell me what you guys think and if im missing anything.
mokushiroku Posted March 29, 2008 at 05:41 AM Report Posted March 29, 2008 at 05:41 AM I'm pretty sure the CSC is the only program that will let you study university or grad school. All the other programs are just for language learning, I believe.
extrapages Posted March 29, 2008 at 05:34 PM Author Report Posted March 29, 2008 at 05:34 PM ok. so maybe ill work on it tomorrow. hahaha! i DID make a new avatar though! HAHAHA!
extrapages Posted April 8, 2008 at 01:21 PM Author Report Posted April 8, 2008 at 01:21 PM I've finally made the intro post. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE (I BEG EVERYONE HERE) read through it for me. Any typos? Any suggestions/ideas/criticisms? Can I get some help with those deadlines? Anything missing? PLEASE. Many people have found this thread informative and helpful to their pursuits in getting the CSC scholarship. You know who you are. All I ask is that you help me help others.
imron Posted April 8, 2008 at 03:06 PM Report Posted April 8, 2008 at 03:06 PM I remember writing a freaking book basically on why and how I'm so awesome,And I'm sure after reading your revised first post, many CSC hopefuls will agree with that assessment. Thanks for the great writeup.
jawshoowa Posted April 10, 2008 at 09:57 PM Report Posted April 10, 2008 at 09:57 PM extrapages requested that I post my experiences here and I am all too willing to comply, and I may ask a question or two of my own in the process. First off: I am in California, applying through the embassy in LA, but all US applicants should take a moment to read this because there is a moral to this story. I was working off of the 2007 info online, then one day it all disappeared. I panicked and called a Chinese friend who knows someone who knows someone in the LA embassy. He got through to them (no easy task as most of you know) and got the updated web address. He also said I had to get my application in ASAP, preferably this week! That was Sunday, April 5, 2008. Yes, the online info says the 30th, but I trust my friend, so I have been dashing about like mad since then and may be driving to LA tomorrow to hand it off in person, depending on the results of my friend's second round of inquiries. Before everyone else panics: I have noticed a lot of discussion on this board concerning applying directly to the main embassy in DC. The difference in deadlines may be that the regional offices have to pack up their local applications and send them off early to reach DC by April 30th. This is just a theory, mind you. If you are sending yours directly to the DC embassy, and they say April 30th, then that must be fine. But if you are planning to send it to your regional embassy (ie: LA, San Francisco...) I strongly suggest that you double and triple check that date with someone who's got insider info at that embassy. If you can't verify it, consider the direct to DC approach which others have discussed in this thread. Personally, I am continuing with my accelerated application to the LA embassy because they are already expecting me to deliver it and I'd like to be done with it all. This process has already consumed enough energy. OK. Question time: I have a friend in China who can be a guarantor, but what exactly is a guarantor anyways? I'd like to at least understand what it is I'm doing to him when I put his name on this app. Second, what is this notarized copy stuff? I have looked into this many times, and I am told you can only notarize a document in the presence of the person who originally signed it. I know I can't go to the president of the university I went to as an undergrad and ask him to visit a notary public with me, so what exactly are you all doing when you get a copy notarized? Thanks to everyone for posting, and most of all to the highly dedicated extrapages for the careful and thorough summary posting at the beginning.
extrapages Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:05 PM Author Report Posted April 10, 2008 at 11:05 PM jawshoowa, thanks for the post. im going to update the first post with some of your information. i didnt know that you could apply to separate smaller embassies - it seems like only SOME of them know whats going on with the csc scholarship and others still dont know it exists. so to answer your questions: 1. the guarantor is anyone you know in china that can vouch for you or act as someone who will be responsible for you in case of an.. emergency? i guess? its not really that important because they never check and your application information will probably be long gone by the time you settle yourself in china. there are people who have just made the information up and still got the scholarship. however, ive been offering my personal information for those who would prefer to have a real person listed in that section - that offer now definitely stands for you (if you are willing to be a guarantor for someone in the future.) 2. a notarized copy is basically one where there's proof of a witness (with a seal/stamp) who can prove that it is, in fact, a copy of the original that hasnt been tampered with. i was in korea when i applied, and i had to go to a lawyer's office (or something similar - i forget) and it wasnt cheap. in the states, you can go to a notary public, UPS/FEDEX/KINKO'S store (or any copy/delivery type store), or bank - although not all banks offer that service. and also i heard that you can get stuff notarized at walmart even - but you definitely want to check that. not sure how much it costs in the states either. --- how did other people notarize copies of your application documents? please share with us. it would be great to get as much information on this from as many different countries/regions as possible!
amphivera Posted April 13, 2008 at 09:48 AM Report Posted April 13, 2008 at 09:48 AM Hi everyone, First of all, thanks for everyone who's contributed to this extremely helpful thread. I still haven't handed in my application (I'm a U.S. citizen so I'm going by the 4/30 deadline). I'm feeling pretty downbeat about the chances of being accepted since I'm currently living in working in China as an English teacher. However, I'd really like to study Chinese formally at a Beijing University next year and I thought it wouldn't hurt to give the thing a shot anyway. I'm having the same problems others are having regarding finding the appropriate address for the Chinese Embassy in D.C. I first checked with American Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and they responded that, "our Embassy does not get involved with the Chinese Government Scholarship Program." I'm now trying to get in touch with the Chinese Embassy in D.C. but it's been a nightmare since I'm using Skype and calling from China. Anyway, I'll keep on trying but my point is, do not send your materials to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. It'll just get tossed in the trash.
extrapages Posted April 13, 2008 at 10:26 AM Author Report Posted April 13, 2008 at 10:26 AM amphivera, yes. as stated in the intro post - us embassies will know nothing about the csc scholarship as it is a chinese program. you should try to contact the chinese embassy in your home state first. or pm me if you need the contact info for the guy in d.c. also, pleasepleasepleaseplease keep us up to date and tell us how it goes. i dont know anyone who's received the scholarship when they're already in china... and i was sure that people already in china are not eligible for the longest time but never found it written anywhere so it might have been just me thinking nonsense. also, are you in beijing? if so - maybe we can meet and try to work this out together.
floatingcomma Posted April 14, 2008 at 02:04 AM Report Posted April 14, 2008 at 02:04 AM Dear extrapages and friends, Thank you very much for this thread, it's really a great help as I feel like I'm swimming in disconnected information on the web regarding the CSC scholarship. I'm going to attend the IUP program in the fall for a year because I desperately need to get my Chinese language up to par for my career. Do any of you know if I would be eligible for this scholarship as an IUP student? IUP is separate from Tsinghua, but I still have to fill out foreigners forms for Tsinghua for my visa. The relationship between Tsignhua and IUP is vague and even when I asked the IUP coordinator here, she didn't know how to answer, and then the emails I've send to CSC regarding this has of course gone unanswered. I really need money (I work in the arts, enough said ) so any help is greatly appreciated!
extrapages Posted April 14, 2008 at 06:47 AM Author Report Posted April 14, 2008 at 06:47 AM floatingcomma, IUP is separate from Tsinghua but is based in Tsinghua and is a Berkeley program - which means you won't be able to take the IUP course at any other school and it's not a Chinese university program. Also, tuition for Chinese classes as just a language student (not an IUP student) is a FRACTION of IUP's fees. The scholarship only covers the tuition for normal Chinese classes - which usually is around $2,500 USD a year (as opposed to the $14,000). The CSC has partnerships with the colleges themselves, not programs that may be based out of them. Are you already at Tsinghua? Are the IUP classes and normal Chinese classes really that different? If not, I think you should apply for the scholarship and list Tsinghua was your top choice, get out of the IUP program, and see if you can continue with the classes (if they are the same classes available to normal language students). But then, I don't know if you'll be able to get credits for Berkeley. But if you're already in China, as posted in many other places in this thread, you might have problems - as everyone who's applied while already in China never got approved. The same goes for EAP people who are coming to China through the University of California schools - as they need to pay fees and tuition of a UC semester... which is a total rip-off, even with all the trips they may take you on.
jawshoowa Posted April 15, 2008 at 05:20 AM Report Posted April 15, 2008 at 05:20 AM floatingcomma, The only scholarship I know of that would alleviate IUP sticker shock is the Blakemore. It is an extremely generous scholarship and the only two mandarin programs they feel are worthy of their funding are IUP and ICLP in Taipei. If you need to attain high-level Chinese for your career, then you are the right sort of candidate for the Blakemore. Unfortunately the deadline has already passed for this year. I know 'cause I was rejected. They do require that you already have fairly high level of skill. The scholarship is meant to bump you up from "good" to "professional", and IUP and ICLP are just the sorts of programs to do that. I would suggest doing a year in a regular university program to save money, then applying for the Blakemore the following year. Another good language scholarship is run by the Rotary club. I have also been rejected by them in the past. They seem to like people with a strong public service orientation, and who have a commitment to cooperating with Rotary in the future. The problem: they do not give scholarships to China. The Solution: they do give scholarships to go to Taiwan. I believe the deadline has not yet passed. I am not reapplying since my last attempt was squarely rebuffed and I don't have much more to spice up my application this year. OK, this is getting off CSC topic. But certainly many CSC hopefuls are contemplating other sources of funding.
jawshoowa Posted April 15, 2008 at 05:27 AM Report Posted April 15, 2008 at 05:27 AM Everyone concerned about US deadlines: I went down to LA today to hand off my application. They said they are packing up the apps and sending them off this Friday, April 18th (to DC? to Beijing?) Anyone else in Southern California planning to apply through the LA embassy should get their stuff in pronto. Again, I think applicants to the embassy in DC still have time as their end of April deadline seems to have been verified here multiple times. BTW, the people at the embassy were super friendly! What a contrast to my experiences trying to call the embassy on the phone, or waiting in lines last year to get my visa. And what a relief to have it all done! It's out of my hands now.
extrapages Posted April 15, 2008 at 07:13 AM Author Report Posted April 15, 2008 at 07:13 AM jawshoowa, hahaha! why does it seem like you've been declined from every scholarship out there?! haha! im sorry...! hopefully, you'll get the CSC one and make your way over to china soon. and thanks for the info on the local embassy. ill update the intro page to show that they definitely have earlier deadlines.
zmblum Posted April 16, 2008 at 12:14 AM Report Posted April 16, 2008 at 12:14 AM Great idea to condense this topic Extrapages... but I digress. I just applied for a full CSC Scholarship for this Fall '08 and wanted to share my experience. I'm in Northern California, so I figured the San Francisco consulate would be the best place to turn my app in. I overnighted my app last Tuesday so it got there Wednesday. When I called to confirm they received it and that it was complete, the very nice woman in charge of the consulate's education section looked through my packet and told me I forgot to attach a picture to the medical paper, and that I did not include my notarized diploma. I thanked her for catching the photo omission and told her that I did not have my diploma yet since I just graduated in December '07 and hadn't picked it up yet. She said I needed to somehow get it to her. So I did, I had it notarized, and sent it (along with another small picture) to the consulate via USPS overnight this past Friday. It arrived yesterday. I finally got through to the her on the phone today (after being told that she was very busy -- I got the idea they were not thrilled with me calling merely to confirm receipt) and she told me that my app was now complete. I asked her how they dealt with the app; specifically if she would now be sending it to China. She told me that they won't send it to China until the deadline, the 30th of this month. I take it from this that they collect all apps turned in until the 30th and then send them direct to China. After the 30th I guess they don't accept any more but it seems they would accept on on the 29th. Normally, I would be worried given what I just ready about the deadline of the 18th in Los Angeles but my friend successfully applied for and got the CSC scholarship last year through the San Fran consulate. So, I'm not too worried. Hope that helps any applicants and specifically Bay Area ones... you still have some time apparently!
extrapages Posted April 16, 2008 at 02:26 AM Author Report Posted April 16, 2008 at 02:26 AM zmblum, awesome. thanks for the post! i know that your PMs havent been turned on by the admins yet (hopefully, theyll turn it on soon as ive sent them a message), but could you send me the contact info at the embassy at the bay? i would love to add it to my "ultra top secret, absolutely brilliant, effing kick-ass CSC contact list." keep us posted with what happens! did you apply to any schools beforehand? how did you complete the physical exam - just at your family doctor's? also, WHERE did you get your papers notarized and how much did they cost? are you trying to come to beijing? =] sorry for all the questions... just trying to see how you completed your application (because you definitely did it right for the woman at the embassy to be satisfied that it's complete.) I'm surprised that they even review each application before they're sent out... and that she caught that some stuff was missing...! i think you should consider yourself extremely lucky that there's such a competent person taking care of your application. =]
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