CSC 2016 Applications

[yaozilan]

@l.carranza, 

I was to ask the same question... I am telling you I went crazy and already bought a one-way ticket at the end of August, assuming that 2 Weeks ahead will be enough for registration and end of august will be enough to get my visa. Tickets from Mexico are SUPER expensive and I couldn't really afford to wait too long for buying it. Of course, it's a great risk, but meh... what's life without risks anyway

 

@Elijah, 

thanks for clarifying, that is good news =) I wish everybody the best of luck.

[Cantabile]

Also going to get a one way ticket, when I visit wanna home I'll get a round trip.

I've read that some universities have a registration date of around September 15. So I'd probably try and get there a few days before that. I'm gonna wait till I actually get accepted to buy the tickets though lol.

I've also read that some places will not give you a room/allow you to register if you arrive too early, it was on Tsinghua's website.

http://is.tsinghua.edu.cn/publish/is/9266/2014/20141209143138259439571/20141209143138259439571_.html

[Alex_Hart]

I will also be getting a one-way ticket (since I will be staying for 3-4 years).

 

I would be extremely wary of buying the ticket so far in advance. First, what if you don't get into the program? I am not sure what your back up plan is, but your required visa will change if you plan on still going to China and reapplying a year later (for example, you might decide to go work in China for a year and attend a part time language school, then reapply for the program the year after; this means you will need a working visa). If you don't plan on going without the CSC, then the ticket is worthless. If you are planning on working, you will need to go when your employer wants you. 

 

Second, how do we know when our visas start even if we do get in? What if it doesn't start until the week before classes begin?

[yaozilan]

Yeah, I understand the wariness... I understand it is risky. I am confident, that's all. If I don't get the scholarship, I will see what I do. I have quit my job already anyways. In the worst case I will go for holidays to a friend's place and figure my life out back home when I come back... pessimism is not a part of my life and I am sure there is always something good coming out of everything in the end. yeah, I don't know about the visa, or about the scholarship, but I do know if I waited until the results to buy my ticket it would cost me at least 300 dollars more... 

It will be what it will be, and we will see how it goes. I am not advising anybody to do this, I am just sharing my crazy decision with y'all..

[Cantabile]

Well you are braver than me. I am not going to hand in my resignation until I get a confirmation that I received the scholarship, part of that is because I am saving money to travel while I am in China.

 

The ticket to China is pretty pricey though, so  I can understand wanting to save some money. It's gonna cost me around $400 - $600...for a nice luxurious economy seat!

[Alex_Hart]

@Cantabile: Depending on when you buy it, it might be far more than that (unfortunately!). I understand yaozi's impatience in purchasing the ticket (though I'm not sure I would encourage others to follow that path!) as tickets from NYC are currently around $400-500. Last time I went, I was forced to buy last minute... $900!

[Cantabile]

Daaaamn! I really hope that they hurry up with the applications, the sooner they let us the the sooner that we can get those cheaper tickets lol.

[Chris Two Times]

@yaozilan,

 

I appreciate your courage with this--it's a positive message to share with others on the board and I find it to be encouraging for the rest of us.  Fingers crossed for you--well, if you do get the scholarship and you begin studying in China, then you've already gotten the plane ticket taken care of, nice one.

 

 

Ah! Geez, I overlooked getting the plane ticket part. Silly me, I have been too preoccupied with getting the application itself together and out on time first to even seriously consider getting a plane ticket. Haha! Well, the time has come for me to take this next step.

 

Thanks to all for mentioning this. It's May already so I guess I should start to look into purchasing a plane ticket. I will also just get a one-way ticket from my home country (United States).

 

It's an easier process for me though, because even if I don't get the scholarship (BUT! I do have an Award Letter from a Chinese Embassy AND a university pre-admissions letter that I have sent onward to the Chinese Embassy), I have already made the commitment to just pay out of pocket for a year of Chinese language study in Beijing.

 

With that all being decided, I plan to stop over in Japan for ten days at the end of August and then fly onward to Beijing on September 1st. I believe that my targeted universities' Chinese language programs have registration around this time. On this year's calendar I presume that my targeted universities will have that first weekend in September as the move-in/registration period and then begin the Fall semester around Monday, September 5th.

 

It is something for us to check with our targeted universities: exactly when would it be expected for us to arrive on campus and move in and begin registration procedures? When would that actual first day of classes be?

 

Do keep in mind not arriving too early as to give yourself enough time in the 30-day window to take time to convert your entry visa (X1) into a residence permit. That's a time-consuming process and will perhaps take two to three weeks (or more?) to complete.

 

Continued good luck to all in this lengthy application process! May the decisions come out as soon as possible for us!

 

HAPPY MAY DAY COMRADES! 

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[Breaknet]

Last time, when I had to come back from China to Canada in July, I paid a ticket one month in advance: 1200 USD for the cheapest one.

It was total madness.

However, this year I will try to get one for 400~500 USD hopefully.



Oh and by the way, where is it written that the CSC pays for the airplane ticket? I think that I missed that part.

[Chris Two Times]

Oh and by the way, where is it written that the CSC pays for the airplane ticket? I think that I missed that part.

 

I think that CSC does not pay for an airplane ticket. I believe that is for the scholarship recipient to cover.

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[aymen]

@melissalaine: I have applied for a Masters degree taught in Chinese, with one year of preparatory Chinese classes. As far as I know, 川大 only sponsors postgraduate students for the CSC.

Also regarding flight tickets, it'll most likely be last minute for me. It's pretty cheap to fly from Brussels. When I went to Beijing in September 2014, I booked a one-way flight ticket 1 week in advance and paid 300€.

[ELIJAH]

Yes indeed. Too many things vary based on University. I do not know any Chinese at all. I have HSK 0. I applied for English-taught PhD programme and my University has approved and sent it to CSC. In fact, in filling the form I opted for 1 year Chinese training before starting my major study. The school sent me a mail asking me to remove the 1 year Chinese training before sending it back to them. I did it so and they accepted.

[melissalaine]

@aymen I'm not sure if they only take postgraduates. I got my pre-admission letter after sending them my scholarship recommendation

[金妙漪]

@melissalaine

 

I did and got a pre-admission letter from them as well. I studied at ChuanDa before and absolutely loved it, but for a variety of reasons am looking to go back to Beijing instead but we'll see!

 

 

@aymen

I am with melissalaine on this one that they take language students as well. I did the same thing she did and got my pre-admission letter for language study. And I have friends who have studied there on the CSC who weren't doing their postgrad .

[aymen]

Ah, well I guess they only accept postgraduate students if you apply through them directly. At least that's what the International Students office told me.

However I remember having looked for universities that accepted language students for one academic year because my cousin is also applying for the CSC, but could only find one university in Chengdu, and that wasn't ChuanDa... Should've told him to put it on his list :/

[Alex_Hart]

I am in the same boat as you, Chris: China or Bust! (but I'm still worried about buying a plane ticket!). 

 

@aymen: Strange - I met some people at 川大 who were there on the CSC (I went for a summer program). It's actually how I found out about it myself. But that 2 years ago now, so perhaps they stopped accepting language students.

[samrat]

I have a question, i never took this scholarship my brother will finish his masters next year and he told me to apply. I currently live in california and schools here are really expensive so if i went into this program it will be one less worry for my family i am originally from nepal but i have american citizen. since gmail and other stuff dont work i tried contacting college and was not able to reach out so i edited my email and made hotmail and i sent them email i never used my hotmail after that and about a month ago i received a letter but i was not aware of it and last week my brother received a call from school saying they will give me scholarship if i turn everything within the next 48 hours but i did not have all the documents ready yet as my transcript will still take a couple of days and the school staff had told me i can turn everything in via email i am not sure if they will still intake students or not i would really like some advice i am going to central south university and my brother said i can still try i mean its only 90$ for the outcome it is worth it and also they have quotas for every country and less students from us go so i might have a chance but then its super late right now i am 100% sure but i still have that hope has anyone turned in late application? does anyone know what actually happens or is there any intake in winter around jan december or even november???

i really need help i regret my decisions so much i should have never ignored it. i have everything except my transcript and my physical report i will have it by end of this week for sure i am going to turn it all in by wednesday. please help

[金妙漪]

Has anyone applying from the US been able to get a hold of the Embassy in DC by phone? There's someone new handling the scholarship (Ms Bu Huanfang apparently left...) and s/he is not answering my emails, loool.

[Breaknet]

@金妙漪

Well, I don't know what you think about it, but you seem to get closer every day to criminal stalking. haha

Let that poor Ms. Bu Huanfang alone!

[samrat]

does anyone know about late applications how they work? i got a call last week saying to turn in as i was qualified for scholarship i never took it serious and now i really want to do this but it seems like its too late i dont want to waste a year i am not sure what to do i am studying medicine well planning to. schools in us is really expensive.

someone help regarding late applications on what choices i have please??