CSC Scholarship - 2011

[OneEye]

Wow. I only wrote about a page. A few paragraphs about why I started studying Chinese and why I want to study in China, with some sucking up to the Chinese gummint (at a time when the country is developing so quickly...emerging as a world superpower, etc). Then a bit about how I'm hoping to improve while I'm there, and my plans for graduate school and research after I'm done with my language study there, and then a closing paragraph. It's under 400 words. I hope I wrote enough. :o

[Brian US]

My study plan was in the form of a cover letter, around 200 words.

The CSC lists schools that they cover under scholarship. If it's not on the list, no scholarship.

[kdavid]

Wow. I only wrote about a page.

I'm not sure if it makes any difference, but I am applying for an MA scholarship, and plan on going on for a PhD later.

I figured this study plan could be altered at a later date and stand in for the PhD application as well. Two birds with one stone.

[OneEye]

Ah, I didn't realize.

Out of curiosity, what are you doing your grad work in?

[Princ3zz]

No what i mean is i cannot find the number,i will choose Sisu but i dont have the number or i cannot fill the agency number.. What must i do..?im very confusing how to find the number beside the university...

[piasano]

I'm getting ready to send my forms off again, has the address changed?

I sent them to Ms Liu, 3505 International Place NW in Washington DC last year, is there an updated address for people using the American Embassy in DC?

[kdavid]

Out of curiosity, what are you doing your grad work in?

Well, unfortunately this isn't up to me.

I live and work in Harbin, which limits me to two universities here--I can't move to another city to study.

My first choice is studying modern/contemporary history at Harbin Institute of Technology, but someone I spoke with said that no one has studied that major in two years, and as such it may no longer be available.

If it truly is not available for study, I'll likely go to Heilongjiang University and study philosophy.

Once I get back to the States on a permanent basis, I plan on going for a PhD in history, in which I'd like to focus on China's intellectual history. While studying history now makes the most sense, if it doesn't work out philosophy is still within the field of intellectual history.

[bigtops]

Hi Kayro, is there a chance you could send me a copy of those updated application forms that you got from DC? I've gotten in touch with Liu, but only with spotty responses. My email is bigtops (at) gmail . com. I can't use the messaging feature on this site as it involves Facebook software, blocked out here. Thanks!

[jedija]

@Brian US : yeah I agree with your statement : "A sealed recommendation letter is considered more reliable". so I decided to stay in a safe side and ask my referee to make 2 letters in 2 sealed envelopes!

Hmm, yes I've heard about "a bad recommendation letter" and I hope this wouldn't happened to me. :rolleyes:

yaaaa Brian US thanks, I dont know why your statement always giving me such an inspiration, hahahha

@kdavid : I think 2500 words of study plan is suitable for you since you want to apply for MA Scholarship. I just want to apply for Chinese Language Student Scholarship but I write 2 pages of study plan!

@Princ3zz : what makes you so confusing? If I'm not mistaken, application for Indonesian is not using online version, so it's better for you to submit your application package to the embassy directly.

By the way, what type of scholarship you proposed to apply? Have you studied Chinese language before?

[Helios]

Regarding the study plan, 2500 words is almost guaranteed to be too much. Let's put it this way, many law schools and master's degree programs in the US set as a maximum of two, three pages. For example, Georgetown University: http://grad.georgetown.edu/pages/application_requirements.cfm

A 500-word Academic Statement of Purpose should be prepared and submitted with the application.

Many of the people who will read your application will not be native English speakers/readers, and they are not going to trudge through 2500 words unless it is simply enthralling. Let's be real, more is not better, better is better. Be concise, be compelling, and be done.

Furthermore, for those applying for the CSC Scholarship through the EU Window, they are maxed out at 800-words, if I remember correctly.

[Princ3zz]

@jedija i apply for chinese language scholarship and i have studied chinese before, no in indonesia need online application too.. So im realy confused how to fill the agency number..TT anyone can help?

[kdavid]

@ Helios

Thanks for the comments.

I was able to shave off quite a bit by just getting right down to business. I'm now at just under 1,300 words, which makes it three full pages.

That will have to do. If I cut any more I'll ruin the whole thing.

I'd still like to see what others have written in the past!!!!! I'm a bit surprised that in all of these threads no one has shared any of their papers yet.

[Helios]

@kdavid

You're welcome! It's just my opinion.

I also wrote three pages double spaced. Put the good stuff up front, because they might not make it to the end.

[ms.foo]

I want to send this off this weekend. Can anyone applying through the DC embassy clarify which address they used? I was planning to use the address on the forms kayro posted several pages back, but the "Tilden Street" info someone mentioned threw me for a loop. Also, is it fine if I just say CSC Scholarship, or should it be to a specific person's attention in addition to that? Thanks

[Helios]

@ms.foo: Follow the instructions that were uploaded before.

[Princ3zz]

guys can you help me to fill agency code if i want to choose RENMIN university for my 1st choice... i cant find where the university code in csc.... thx, very need your help...

[gaoxing]

Hey,

Just wondering whether people have applied (or are planning to apply) separately to the universities apart from simply applying through the CSC scholarship? Would you recommend that we do this or is it that if we don't get the scholarship for the universities we listed, we probably wouldn't have been accepted into those universities anyway even if we had applied for a non-scholarship position directly to the university?

Thanks!

[mani]

I have finally discovered what is the story behind this scholarship process in my own country!

I called the embassy and after a lot of discussion finally the person said that we will neither give the agency code nor accepting and sending your materials unless you are recommended by the Ministy of science.she claimed that ministry of science will decide which applicant to recommend by revising their certificates and grades.and more surprising she said the application procedure for this year has already finished and if I want, I can apply for the next year.and when I ask for the person in charge for this scholarship in ministry of science she said that it is confidential!.(I should add the person said they accept applicants for undergraduate)

So it seems there is no chance for me to get this scholarship since I dont know anyone in that building and they are accepting their own special people in hidden with the help of the strategy of not publishing scholarship announcement and anything related to that in the ministry of foreign affairs and science sites and embassy site.

I just wrote these information for another Iranian applicant in the next years who may find them helpful.

any solution?

[gwaimui]

Hey everyone!

I'm from the U.S. and will be applying for a scholarship to an English-medium masters program in Beijing. I live in Minnesota, but I plan to apply to the D.C. consulate. I will keep you posted on my CSC application adventure.

My background:

I have strong experience in the field that I am applying. I also have a couple years of experience living and working in China. My Chinese is okay, but is not a requirement for admission since the program is English-medium. My grades are definitely above average, but not spectacular. I will have 1 reference from my current employer and 1 personal reference from someone in my field (no academic references!). I don't have AIDS, syphilis, or "mental confusion", so the medical exam should be nothing more than a hassle and a significant amount of money.

My notes from the China Center at the University of Minnesota:

DISCLAIMER: I have no idea if this is actually true. Please take it with a grain of salt. This is information gathered from a random office clerk and not any official spokesperson of the center. Feel free to correct any errors!

2 years ago I spoke with someone from the China Center at the University of Minnesota (I'm an alum) and was told that for CSC scholarships the Chicago consulate always awards them based on precedent. Example: Every year the University of Minnesota (or some office/professor/center within) recommends a couple students (I don't remember...it was 2 or 3), and these students will for sure be awarded a scholarship. The office was careful to say "well, not for sure...just by precedent".

They also hinted that this was the case for the entire Midwest. In other words, the Chicago consulate had relationships with particular universities, and that yearly each of these universities "recommended" a student or two--by precedent these students were always selected. With all of these connections and precedents, they more or less discouraged me from applying. What I gathered was that the Chicago consulate had it's quota filled by these recommended students, and that there was essentially no room for independent applications.

I have no idea if this is actually true, if it has changed, or if the Chicago consulate actually has any slots for independent applications. NO IDEA. Again, I'm sure that "technically" they accept independent applications, but I'm guessing that all slots are already filled through these relationships.

I have decided to apply anyway (2 years later!), even though I assume that this whole precedent thing is probably the case for the vast majority of the scholarships awarded in the U.S. I assume that only a very small percentage of the scholarships are made available for independent applicants. This is probably not new information.

I'll let you know what happens! Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far!

[ross-brooks]

@Brian US - Just wanted to say thank you for keeping what is the definitive source of information on the CSC scholarship alive and answering countless questions.

Not to mention everyone else who has contributed.

I will be applying from the UK and have emailed a number of confucius institutes to try and get some more information on application routes (if there are any), which I intend to share should any of it be useful; failing that then it will have to be done through the EU as already discussed.

Hopefully I can be of some use in the near future when I get some replies.