Eligibility
All students enrolled in a 4-year American college or university are eligible to apply. Preference is given to qualified applicants from GLCA/ACM colleges. Selection is competitive. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. Acceptance to the program is contingent on completion of at least one semester or term of Japanese language study (or equivalent) prior to departure and on approval of the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University.
Application Process
Step 1
Download the Application Packet and Instructions. This packet includes essay questions, recommendation forms, a waiver form, and a study abroad approval form. Follow all instructions carefully. Your home college may have an internal application for study abroad applicants separate from the Japan Study application. Some colleges have a very early fall deadline. Please contact your study abroad office as soon as possible to determine the deadline for this application.
Step 2
Enter the online application portal to begin your application after thoroughly reading the Application Instructions. Begin by creating an account. You can save your application and come back to it at any time. Make sure to submit your online information and essays by the due date, even if other documents, such as recommendations or transcripts, are still in route. Remember, all essays are uploaded via the online application portal found at japanstudy.slideroom.com.
step 3
Gather all necessary documents to be mailed separately from the online application. Refer to the Application Instructions for a complete list of documents needed. Keep copies of all documents.
Remember to give the recommendation forms (2) to your chosen references and enter your reference’s names and emails on the online application portal. A link will be sent to your references that are entered on the application portal to allow for online recommendation submission. It is especially important to request your recommendations before winter break since professors are very busy at this time of year.
Step 4
Complete all forms. The online portion of the application must be submitted by the deadline to be eligible for consideration. We understand that official transcripts and some other documents may not be ready by the deadline. Please request an official transcript be sent, and send unofficial grades/transcripts in the meantime.
Campus Representatives & Advisors
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Albion College | Midori Yoshii, Associate Professor of International Studies
(517) 629-0587 | myoshii@albion.edu
Allegheny College | Brita Doyle, Assistant Dean for Global Education
(814) 332-3364 | bdoyle@allegheny.edu
Antioch College | TBA
(937) 767-1286 |info@antioch.edu
Denison University | Michael Tangeman, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies
(740) 587-6423 | tangemanm@denison.edu
DePauw University | Hiroko Chiba, Professor of Asian Studies
(765) 658-4599 | hchiba@depauw.edu
Earlham College | Natanya Cooper, Japan Study Program Associate
(765) 983-1883 | coopena@earlham.edu
Hope College | Yoshiko Tsuda, Associate Professor of Japanese
(616) 395-7579 | tsuda@hope.edu
Kalamazoo College | Noriko Sugimori, Professor of Japanese
(269) 337-7408 | sugimori@kzoo.edu
Kenyon College | Marne Ausec | Director, Center for Global Engagement
(740) 427-5572 | ausecm@kenyon.edu
Oberlin College | Ann Sherif , Professor of Japanese/ Emer O’Dwyer, Director of East Asian Studies
(440) 775-8827 | ann.sherif@oberlin.edu
eodwyer@oberlin.edu |(440) 775-6708
Ohio Wesleyan University | Jun Kawabe, Lecturer in Modern Languages, Japanese
(740) 368-3692 | jjkawabe@owu.edu
Wabash College | Amy Weir, Director of Off-Campus Studies
(765) 361-6078 | weira@wabash.edu
The College of Wooster | David McConnell, Professor of Anthropology
(330) 263-2476 | dmcconnell@wooster.edu
Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Carleton College | Noboru Tomonari, Associate Professor of Japanese
(507) 222-5955 | ntomonar@carleton.edu
Coe College | David Nordmann, Associate Professor of History
(319) 399-8692 | dnordman@coe.edu
Colorado College |Francesca Pizarro, AssistantProfessor of Japanese
(719) 389-6567 |fpizarro2023@coloradocollege.edu
Cornell College | Erin Davis, Associate Dean (319) 895-4296 | edavis@cornellcollege.edu
Grinnell College | Mariko Schimmel, Associate Professor of Japanese
(641) 269-4498 | schimmel@grinnell.edu
Knox College | Natsumi Hayashi, Visiting Instructor in Japanese
(309) 341-7309 | nhayashi@knox.edu
Lawrence University | Lezlie Weber, Director of Off-Campus Programs
(920) 832-7354 | lezlie.r.weber@lawrence.edu
Luther College |Gereon Kopf, Professor of Religion (563) 387-1497 | kopfg@luther.edu
Macalester College | Satoko Suzuki, Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures
(651) 696-6723 | suzuki@macalester.edu
Arthur Mitchell, Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures
(651) 696-6276 | amitche3@macalester.edu
Monmouth College | Tim Gaster, Associate Professor of Modern Languages
(309) 457-2306 |tgaster@monmouthcollege.edu
Ripon College | Michele Wittler, Associate Dean of Faculty and Registrar
(920) 748-8119 | wittlerm@ripon.edu
St. Olaf College | Joanne Quimby, Associate Professor of Japanese
(507) 786-3637 | quimby2@stolaf.edu
Non-Consortial Institutions
Bates College | Keiko Konoeda, Lecturer in Japanese
(207) 786-6405 | kkonoeda@bates.edu
Northwestern University | Yumi Shiojima, Professor of Instruction and Study Abroad Advisor, Japanese Language Program
(847) 491-2764 | shiojima@northwestern.edu
Smith College | Kim Konno, Professor of Japanese
(413) 585-3738 |kkono@smith.edu
Tufts University | Stephen Hall, Foreign Study Advisor
(617) 627-2000 | stephen.hall@tufts.edu
University of Puget Sound | Jan Leuchtengerger, Professor, Asian Studies
(253) 879-2996 | jleuchtenberger@pugetsound.edu
Mikiko Ludden, Instructor, Asian Studies
(253) 879-3628 | mludden@pugetsound.edu
Vassar College | Peipei Qiu, Professor of Chinese and Japanese
(845) 437-5253 | peqiu@vassar.edu
Wesleyan University | Emily Gorlewski, Associate Director
(860) 685-3006 | egorlewski@wesleyan.edu
Williams College | Kasumi Yamamoto, Professor of Japanese
(413) 597-2532 | kyamamot@williams.edu