Confucius Institute Scholarship 2011

[Marietta]

Hey!

Today I also received the addmission letter, but one thing is very weird in the english version says that I will be self-supported, the chinese says that Confucius Institute will cover all my expenses, but self-supported is also written under, and the visa application form says that I will go there by a scholarship....

I wrote to the University, I am really looking for their answer.

[rewsay]

that is weird. did you have to pick it up from your recommended institute or did it come through the mail?

[Marietta]

@ rewsay

Thank you for your answer!

It came to my personal adress by mail yesterday (I am Hungarian).

By today the university answered me, that I will get full scholarship:)

[rewsay]

ok. i asked because maybe i will get mine through my personal mail as well. thank you and congratulations!

[rewsay]

here's hoping people like me can get the notification/documents soon.

[Marietta]

@rewsay

Thank you:)

I think you will get it to your adress, but who knows...

Can you contact the University? or your Confucius Institute?

[rewsay]

my confucius institute says they will email us but the contact at the university in china says we will get the admissions letter and stuff soon. it's so confusing lol

[eatmecookme]

hey, i'm new here..

i hv a question to ask..

i have submitted my application form, and up until now i haven't received any emails from CIS/hanban/whatever that is.. i really dont understand, pls let me know..

i also tried to go through this web (http://ci.chinese.cn/BasicSystem/Confucius/ScholarshipSelect.aspx), but when i tried to logged in, there's this box that suddenly came up, says something in chinese writing that i don't even understand.. what am i supposed to do?

[Konstantin V.]

@eatmecookme : Can you copy the last 3 boxes here, maybe we could help you ;)

[Carroceiro]

Where it says 用户名, put your username.

Where it says 密码, put your password.

Where it says 申请单编号, put your application number.

Then click on 查询 and you'll know if you got the scholarship!

[rewsay]

eatmecookme could be talking of an error message.

[rewsay]

still haven't received anything. i spoke to a representative from the university i applied to who said he will speak to my confucius institute and hanban but i haven't heard anything from him...

[Konstantin V.]

I also received the application materials by post last week. But I know people who are also accepted and who are still waiting for the documents, although they must fly to China in about 2-3 weeks...

[rewsay]

ok. for some reason, i thought this was only happening to me. i just need the documents and then i'm good. how is the process of doing what the application packet says going for you guys?

[Marietta]

Rewsay, did you get the application package, finally?

[rewsay]

i haven't been to the post since last week so i don't know but my teacher and the contact overseas said that i got the scholarship and to prepare to leave for china in mid-september. i'm glad to have heard that. we have a hurricane coming here so i won't be able to go to the post office for the next few days or so to check. did you guys have to do the foreign physical examination?

[andreasro]

My husband got the CIS for Henan University, in Kaifeng.

By watching him going through the process of applying for a CIS, getting it and getting things done to arrive and accommodate in China, I think those interested in a CIS should know that:

- You should keep contact with the University you got the CIS at to find out the exact dates for the university calendar. You may need that for knowing when to book the plane and/or train tickets to that destination (try www.momondo.com for best deals in flights and online websites for buying train tickets - some train tickets need to be booked in advance).

We have found an academic calendar on the University's website, but a teacher there told us that for Confucius INstitute students the beginning dates were different. And we found out that the academic calendar differs for those getting a CIS for a year, for instance, comparing to those getting a CSC for a year (they have to arrive sooner in China).

- The Chinese won't tell you, before you go, what expenses you will make after ariving, such as:

1. the warranty fee for the room you're staying in the campus (you're getting it back before you leave at the end of the scholarship)
   
2. the fee for registering at the Police bureau for residence permit
   
3. the warranty fee for the Library (refundable at the end of the scholarship)
   
4. the fees for the medical examination - yes! you read well! Even though you, like my husband, have a valid foreign physical examination paper with you, they may still want you to repeat some exams. This will cost you too.
   

- There are other expenses you shall make as you will feel the need to make your room enjoyable, or you will buy stuff like clothes etc. if you're not prepared to the weather there and so on and so forth.

- Also, it will take you time before you adjust to the local food so you will spend more at the beginning before finding something cheaper or suitable to your taste and/or pocket.

All in all, you should have with you, before ariving in China, at least double the scholarship they give you (try having 300 USD prepared and have more on a card for instance, just in case - by the way, Visa Electron cards work very well at some big banks in China).

A personal piece of advice, in the view of what I hear from students there:

Don't choose a scholarship more than a year (so don't choose Master) if you're not prepared and sure that you will be able to stay in China that long. Some people do just fine in any type of environment, while others need the comfort or the environment they had at home, for instance, so they just can't adjust. It would be pity to go so far away from home and waste the opportunity of a scholarship by non-fulfilling your duties as a student (you may lose the scholarship - I mean the money you get from the Confucius Institute, not the right to be in class - if you choose Master and you're not up to the expectations of those courses).

Hope this helps someone.

PS: Just a small add - a foreigner will be asked for more money that it should when first ariving in China and using some local services, like private transportation. As a newcomer, if you don't have someone as a guide with you, at the beginning, you may be charged extra, but in time you'll learn the value of stuff so you have the chance to be fooled less and less

Edited October 23, 2011 at 09:30 PM by andreasro

[banksie]

Hi,

I'm due to travel to Beijing in December to take up a 4 week scholarship at BNU and am about to apply for my visa. I'm wondering what type of visa others had applied for? Looking at the information on the embassy website it seems that the F visa would be most suitable, however I have not received all the required documentation to allow me to apply for that type of visa (hard copies of acceptance letter etc). I contacted BNU regarding this and they stated that I don't need this documentation as I only need to apply for a tourist visa because the study is only for 4 weeks. Is this correct? What experience have others had with applying for the visa? Also, any one else going to BNU in December?

Cheers

Rob