CSC Scholarship - 2011

[kdavid]

I am considering doing my master's here as well and there is no set guideline for the required GPA here apparently. I have been asking around as well but no one knows:( I am guessing it differs case by case.

Perhaps others with experience can comment on this, but I think universities here are more than happy to take our money, and unless your transcripts reflect an exceptionally poor academic background, most universities would be happy to accept a western student to any program as I'm sure it helps their international profile. Regarding grades, it's also likely the HSK plays a big factor as well.

My main motivation for doing an MA, and possibly a PhD, is just to bide my time until I eventually get back to the States, where I plan on enrolling in a "real" MA/PhD program. I also need to be able to prove that I haven't been completely academically idle.

From what I understand, Chinese degrees don't mean much in America, and neither will professor letters of recommendation. While I hope to learn a lot from the program, I'm getting into this more for the experience than the actual degree.

I'd like to be proved wrong on this point (that Chinese degrees don't mean anything back home), but I've yet to hear/read much saying otherwise.

[aizjev]

Hello! Just want to ask to whom some the recommendation letter and other documents be addressed to if you are applying in the Philippines? Thanks!

[Brian US]

My main motivation for doing an MA, and possibly a PhD, is just to bide my time until I eventually get back to the States, where I plan on enrolling in a "real" MA/PhD program.

I'm in the same boat, but I am actually interested in Chinese accounting.

Hello! Just want to ask to whom some the recommendation letter and other documents be addressed to if you are applying in the Philippines? Thanks!

Pretty sure they can be general recommendation letters. I don't think the letters from my teachers even mentioned the CSC. We don't know how important they are, but I wouldn't stress about it.

I am considering doing my master's here as well and there is no set guideline for the required GPA here apparently. I have been asking around as well but no one knows:( I am guessing it differs case by case.

Did you get a chance to go to the local school offices and ask?

[crisgee]

Hello! Just want to ask to whom some the recommendation letter and other documents be addressed to if you are applying in the Philippines? Thanks!

Pretty sure they can be general recommendation letters. I don't think the letters from my teachers even mentioned the CSC. We don't know how important they are, but I wouldn't stress about it.

Yes, just general recommendation letter. Dear Sir/Madam?

[kdavid]

Would anyone out there who has successfully received the scholarship be willing to share their study plan / statement of intent? Either by posting directly here or via email?

[Brian US]

Would anyone out there who has successfully received the scholarship be willing to share their study plan / statement of intent? Either by posting directly here or via email?

There are some examples in the 2009 thread on this. I know it's long, but the information is there. In a nutshell just talk about how awesome you are and tell them what they want to hear.

[kdavid]

There are some examples in the 2009 thread on this. I know it's long, but the information is there. In a nutshell just talk about how awesome you are and tell them what they want to hear.

Okay, I went through both the 2010 and the Archived posts. I searched the topics for "study plan", but did not find anyone's actual study plan.

As I tend to be absent minded, if such a link exists, would you mind providing one? Or, should I be searching for different criteria?

[Brian US]

As I tend to be absent minded, if such a link exists, would you mind providing one?

I did give you a lazy answer on my part, but you are right in that there is no full example of someone's study plan. I looked for mine as I have a copy of the scholarship application I sent. Didn't find it and it's saved on my computer back in the States.

I think I set it up in letter format and followed these points from the 2009 archive:

• The reasons for which you want to study under such scholarship.

• Your academic, work and personal interests.

• Your work experience, and its relevance for what you want to accomplish.

• The Particular objectives that you wish to accomplish

• What are you expecting of the program

• The benefits of the scholarship in it's hole that you would obtain in case you where accepted.

• Other Information that you may consider relevant or distinctive and that presents you as an excellent candidate to obtain the scholarship.

• Make sure your interests and abilities are alike to those of the university and the program itself. (don't think I did this one)

• Be brief and to the point, and try to explain in the simplest way the motives that are encouraging you to part of one of the chosen universities.

• Any advantage that can put you above the others that are interested in the scholarship.

• Any personal situations that may be prudent to mention.

I organized a few paragraphs that hit each of the key points. Might help to look at job application cover letters for format and how to be short, yet informative.

[kdavid]

I read the write up you prepared similar to this before. Very informative and useful.

Perhaps those out there willing to share the final versions of their essays could post here? If my application is successful, I'll gladly share mine for future applicants to look over.

[vkim67]

Hi All,

I'm applying for the Chinese Language track~ Peking, Zhejiang U, BNU are my top choices. If not, I hope to get YNU/YNNU.

I hope this year they can give earlier notifications~ as last year they didn't tell me until JULY that I got the scholarship.

Question:

Has anyone tried to get their diploma or anything notarized in china? I just went to 哈尔滨市公证处 and they said its 200RMB for 1 copy of my high school diploma and 300 for two copies of the same diploma! Online it said it should be about 50RMB.... but they said they have to translate it or they cannot notarize it. (Even though the CSC doesn't require translation if it's in English!) Already dished out the rmb bills for the health exam which was more expensive here than in the US too. Applying from China is turning out to be more expensive and a hassle than in the US!!

Anyway, can't wait for the new app to come out. I'm ready to apply already!!

Vkim67

[Brian US]

Has anyone tried to get their diploma or anything notarized in china? I just went to 哈尔滨市公证处 and they said its 200RMB for 1 copy of my high school diploma and 300 for two copies of the same diploma!

Can you get someone from your home country to mail a notarized copy? When I got my transcript, it was just sealed in an envelope with a stamp of the school seal. I didn't make copies. It was in English and cost $5.

I hope this year they can give earlier notifications~ as last year they didn't tell me until JULY that I got the scholarship.

This is my biggest complaint about the scholarship. Most people didn't find out until July that they would be studying in China for a year the following month! Kind of a big life change in such a short period of time. Some schools will have a list of scholarship winners a little early, but you need to contact them directly.

[vkim67]

Well I had my high school diploma mailed to me (as i don't get my degree until end of this year) as i foolishly and mistakenly thought it would be cheaper to do it here. Plus i'd rather handle it all myself than have someone in the states do it for me. But $43 to notarize ONE document? No way... I will def be sending it back as I forgot I will need a couple other things notarized and can have it done for $10 total back home. and then have them mail it straight to DC..... i just dislike entrusting such things to others......

[Liebkuchen]

Hiya,

Some questions from 30 year old female grad from Scotland- who'd love to apply but needs a few reality checks before hands:

1. Assuming you get the full scholarship for the year/two, how much extra money do you need to budget for expensives aide from your airfare? (I'm not a big backpacker- but love cinema and reading).

2. What level of HSK could an average, reasonably hardworking laowai get after one year, two years?

3. Are foreigners allowed/encouraged to join uni clubs like sports, volunteering and hobbies in China?

4. Health exam etc- I'm currently on anti-depressents- they're so good with anxiety, I'm far more laid back dealing with new situations than I was before I was ill. But would that have me turned down? I'm otherwise in excellent health.

5. If you want to get onto, say, a masters in Chinese on your return to the west, how useful or otherwise is a reference from a Chinese academic? (I graduated from uni 9 years ago and my undergrad tutor has disappeared into the ether).

Any info much appreciated.

[madik]

1. Assuming you get the full scholarship for the year/two, how much extra money do you need to budget for expensives aide from your airfare? (I'm not a big backpacker- but love cinema and reading).

-> It really varies from person to person. If you plan not to have any social life in Beijing and eat home or go to school cafeteria, stipend from the government should be enough but if you are planning to travel and do other activities, you definitely need to bring some side cash. Movies and books here are VERY cheap though. If you buy English books off the street, each is usually 10-15kuai which is US$2.

2. What level of HSK could an average, reasonably hardworking laowai get after one year, two years?

-> It depends on where you were at the beginning. I am not sure about the new HSK but I do know my friend who had no previous knowledge of Chinese and managed to get HSK 6 after a year. However, I wouldn't make a generalization based solely on her. I think she was rather an exception.

3. Are foreigners allowed/encouraged to join uni clubs like sports, volunteering and hobbies in China?

-> There is a lot of clubs on campus, it seems, but I have to say it is not as extensive as those you find in North America. If you have a good command of Chinese, you can certainly join as many clubs as you want but without the adequate language skills, I would say it is tough to join clubs as everything will be predominantly done in Chinese. I am not quite sure on volunteering but I am sure once you are here, you can find a plenty of opportunities whether school-related or not.

4. Health exam etc- I'm currently on anti-depressents- they're so good with anxiety, I'm far more laid back dealing with new situations than I was before I was ill. But would that have me turned down? I'm otherwise in excellent health.

-> Sorry. I really don't know what Chinese policy is on this.

5. If you want to get onto, say, a masters in Chinese on your return to the west, how useful or otherwise is a reference from a Chinese academic? (I graduated from uni 9 years ago and my undergrad tutor has disappeared into the ether).

-> If you are doing your master's here and go back to your home country, I would say it's pretty useless. You can read more about this from a post by Brian US but to make it short, it is rarely recognized by western institutions.

Hope this helps.

[roddy]

I would just not mention the anti-depressants - there was a post a while back from someone who had trouble over this, as (if I remember correctly) the agency handling the visa sent the application back saying it would be rejected. I'd say a fib is justified here, and although they do a medical they're hardly going to be screening for all possible medications.

There's some cost of living info here, but it really does depend entirely on you and your tastes - does your movie habit mean three trips to the cinema a week, with popcorn, or a few pirate DVDs?

[skylee]

The anti-depressants sound good. If I want some could I just ask a doctor to prescribe them for me?

Three trips to the cinema a week plus popcorn, that would be me.

[Liebkuchen]

Can I not count 3 trips a week to the cinema as part of my language immersion?

These anti-depresants aren't bad at all- better than the ones whose only effect was to make me a munchie monster hoovering up any sugar in sight. Put on a stone in a month- turned out to be normally given to cancer patients with poor apetites!!!

Although the first minor bout of depression I had saw me me on tablets which had the odd side affect of curing my fear of heights! I'd been on an indoor climbing intro course. 2 weeks of getting stuck up the wall, shaking then week 3 when the pills kicked in- had me up the wall like a rat up a drainpipe. Good stuff

Daft question- but I take it a Chinese cinema is pretty much like any cinema anywhere else in the world?

[madik]

For Canadian applicants in Ontario,

The deadline is the end of Dec. I just got an email from Mr.Zhang and he clearly stated that it would be until the end of December, not the middle of December.

So as far as I know, the BC is till the end of Jan., Toronto is till the end of Dec. I will check with the Ottawa and put it up once I find out:)

[thewamphyri]

Hello all,

I have just looked at:

http://en.csc.edu.cn...f3da38f99.shtml

And I note this line listed on the page:

"Applicants for Chinese training program must have senior high school diploma and be under the age of 35, Chinese language is the only subject available."

Since I'm 37 (and only concerned with learning language), does this mean I can not apply for the CSC Scholarship? I'm puzzled as I have the Confucius Scholarship for the current year (2010-2011).

On another matter - has anyone applied for the CSC while in China? Can it be done?

Thanks in advance.

Troy

[vkim67]

Hi Troy, I am applying for the CSC this year from China. Don't know if that affects my desirability as a candidate or not. But all I know is I gotta send my apps to the Chinese embassy in the US.

The notary office in Harbin is really expensive because they say they have to translate my diploma in order to notarize it. If you're notarizing more than 1 document, you might want to check with the notary office in your city in case they give you a different story, otherwise it's probably cheaper to mail it to the states, have a family member/friend get it notarized, and then send the app to the Chinese embassy directly from home.

Also got my health exam done here for about 350RMB. Heard its more expensive in other areas.

As for rec letters, I already had them done from my professors back home because I knew I'd apply from here. But actually don't know if you need rec letters if you're applying just for the Chinese language... but it can't hurt.