Kyoto University or the like

Hi I am going into my Junior year of high school and I will be taking a Japanese class at a local community college for the next 2 years unless my dad screws it up. When I get out of High School I really want to study in Japan for college. I want to go to Kyoto University or a University like it if someone can recommend one. I plan to major in International Business and Japanese Studies and maybe video game or software engineering as well as Russian and Chinese.

I want to have a plan ready to go about doing this. Is this even a possibilty? I plan to study Japanese very hard in the next 2 years and I know I will probably have to take a University language prep course for a year or so after high school. I have had a 4.0 or 3.9 grade average at my high school the past 2 years and I plan to have a 4.3-4.5 grade average for the next 2 years since I am taking college level classes as well.

What I can do to go about getting into a Japanese college like Kyoto? I will do anything do fulfill plan of mine. Feedback will be deeply appreciated!

I'm certainly no expert but all I know is that Kyoto University is one of the top universities in Japan (along with Tokyo U, Osaka U, etc).

If you don't speak Japanese natively, it'll probably be nearly, if not completely impossible to go in as an undergrad. I would just suggest you do university in your own country and then study abroad in Japan for a year.

There's no way I can take a college language prep course beforehand or something? It says they accept international students. What other Japanese Universities are exceptional that I have a chance of getting into? I'm not sure about Temple because if I wanted to go to an American University I would just go to one in America.

Like the other poster said, unless your Japanese is pretty fluent, or have passed the JLPT 1-kyu, it's pretty hard for a foreigner to go to Japanese uni with other natives. Why not go to language school in Japan first, then try passing the JLPT 1-kyu exam, then apply for the uni you want? There's many good language schools in Japan, and Kyoto too.

That's what I want to do. Go to a language school there. Then pass that test. I will do anything to achieve this goal. Is it possible?

What's the reason for you wanting to complete your entire undergrad studies in Japan?

Unless your Japanese skill is exceptional at this point, I honestly just can't see how you'll be able to manage studying at a Japanese university with the exception of a school like Sophia (where they have some classed in English).

I'd say it's possible. If he really works hard at it, he can become fluent or near fluent in a few years. Even better if he goes and studies Japanese in Japan.

I think that's kind of cool he wants to finish all his classes in Japanese. And like he said, why take English classes in Japan when he can just take them in his country. Good mentality in my opinion.

-DiTomasso: Yes, it's possible, just do some research on things such as Visa and living information. Most (or all) actually prepare you for the future such as passing the JLPT exams or if you want to study in a Uni in Japan. Hope you achieve your goals! =)

Thanks Alberto the support really helps

Reason for wanting to go to a Japanese University:

Fascination for Japanese culture and language.
I have no idea what it is I just love it and that's what I want to do and I just feel like I have to do it. Don't put me in the same category as a Japanophile or whatever. Japanese language and culture isn't the only one I love. Chinese, Russian, and Italian as well. Japan just happens to be my favorite. I don't relate Japan as being like anime at all. I just simply want to live there. I have studied intently on history and culture and the only thing left to do is to actually go there. I've read hundreds of blogs on experience in Japan too. So all in all it's hard to explain how I feel about it it's kind of a passion. I know that might sound stupid but it's true.

My dad thinks I'm crazy and thinks that it's stupid and my mom supports it but she doesn't want me to leave the country.

Right now I can read kana and a handful of kanji like I know the alphabet. I know basic grammar and a good number of vocab. I will be taking a Japanese class for the next 2 years at a local community college during my Junior and Senior year of high school. Following that I will probably go to a language school in Japan for a year or a little more to pass that JLPT1 test. Once I get to that point I will have a lot of Japanese experience and See if I could get into a good Japanese college and major in international business, engineering, and foreign languages.

Also I'm curious I'm sure they have Chinese in a Japanese college but do you think they will have a Russian class as well in most colleges?

So are my ideas practical? I've finally decided what I want to do in life and I finally have a goal and it feels good.

Well, you're still a young lad so you've got plenty of time to think it over. Just don't rush into the decision and think only with your emotions or current interests.

My only sticking point is this: do you think you'll be able to master fluent Japanese at the academic university level (not just fluent conversational Japanese)? To be completely honest, I think that would be damn near impossible unless you concentrate on that 100% and prioiritize it over your other academic obligations (exams, etc.)

Just remember this: your parents are giving you this advice not to destroy your dreams/goals and make your life a living hell but to help guide you towards what's best for you.

@Dan
That's exactly what the language school is for. To get to that University level.

I plan to concentrate on getting all A's in high school during my high school years as my first priority but on my free time I will have the Japanese class and study Japanese intensely.

I will get a good start with the 2 years at the community college. By the time I'm out of high school I will be able to decide. Although I really don't see my mind changing.

I've looked into every aspect of it. I am well aware my parents are looking at what's good for me but they are pretty much against me going to another country either way but I think they will let me decide for myself in the end.

I think I can learn Japanese to a University level. I've been picking up Japanese really fast and I can memorize the kanji very efficiently. I am extremely adaptable and I pick up things really fast. I just want to know if I do become fluent like that one day will it be possible to get into a good Japanese University. Because I mean what are the language schools for? It even says Japanese University preps on almost all of the language school websites. So Someone must be getting into Japanese Universities as a foreigner and it must be possible to reach that level of fluency which I had no doubt in my mind from the start.

I am smart enough to know to make sure I get through high school as a straight A student though. I wouldn't skip that to concentrate only on Japanese. Even though I will be studying a lot on the side. After that though...That's when I will be making the final decision. After graduation. As of now though I am sure that's what I want to do I just want to hear that my plan is possible. I'll just see how it goes.

I see what you're saying.

Good luck with your plans! As I said earlier, I'm no expert and I'm just going off what I've heard from friends (currently studying abroad here, those who have studied here, and other friends who attended top universities in Japan while studying abroad in America). If anything, I suggest you go take those Japanese courses at community college, see how you enjoy them, talk to your professor, and build a network of people who could help you make the final decision.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback Dan. I'll do that.

It's usually considered that it takes 3 years of fulltime Japanese study to reach JLPT 1 level, so don't underestimate how long it will take you. 2 years of community college classes (how many hours a week?) and a year in Japan probably won't get you there, unless you are quite brilliant.

I am finally going for JLPT 1 this year after a very long time of studying Japanese, although it has been on-again/ off-again. I have also lived in Japan for a number of years and use Japanese in my everyday life, but I still needed a lot of extra study to get my kanji and grammar to that level.

It's not that I find languages hard- it took me about a year of study at university and 6 months in Spain to become quite fluent in Spanish, but Japanese is a whole different level of difficulty.

I have a friend who lived in Japan for a year as a high school student on an exchange and then got her BA in Japanese at a university in her home country- she then came back to Japan on a Monbusho scholarship and studied at Tokyo University but she said she really struggled at first with the difficulty of taking classes all in Japanese.

I'm just saying don't underestimate the amount of time it will take to reach that level of Japanese. If you do manage JLPT 1 with that amount of study please come back here and let us know, it would be great to know it was possible.

It is 5 hours a week at the community college and there is a chance that I could get a tutor provided by the school as well.

I'm well aware on how difficult a task it is. I am very smart so I think I might be able to pull it off. But if not maybe 1.5 to 2 years of Japanese language school in Japan should do it. When I learned what I have learned so far I picked it up really fast. I am very good at memorizing things.

I will definately be back to tell everyone how it goes. Thanks.