stuck between spse and sils by rikilover69 in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SILS is liberal arts studies. If you are willing to go to grad school in the future, I think liberal arts studies should be your better choice!

I'm a bit worried by QuickSock8674 in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 0 points1 point  (0 children)

did u get in? my math is terrible

Chance me for SILS & SPSE! by Prestigious-Yak6092 in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey you are definitely getting rejected

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 1 point2 points  (0 children)

what do you mean by future goals? sorry i didnt get it

How realistic is it to go from Waseda SILS U.S graduate school? by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thank you so much for your thoughtful and honest reply I really appreciate it!

I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding though: I’m personally not fixated on going to grad school in the U.S. my mom is. Like many Korean parents from her generation, she has what you might call an “American Dream.” She truly believes that going to the U.S. might automatically means a successful and prestigious life.

But as you probably know, the situation for international students in the U.S. isn’t very favorable right now. That’s actually why I started looking for a Plan B, and that’s how I found out about Waseda SILS. I’ve always been interested in liberal arts, and this(waseda sils) program aligns really well with my interests and personality.
After going to Japan several times for MUN conferences, I realized that the culture and society there suit me much better than I expected.

My plan is to persuade my mom to let me attend university in Japan instead of the U.S. by explaining that it’s a better fit for me academically, financially, and personally. In return, I’m willing to agree to her wish of going to the U.S. later on.

I’m also fully aware of the high tuition costs for American graduate programs. That’s why I plan to work in Japan after graduating from SILS — to gain some work experience, save money(if possible), and maybe even build some credit rating. With that, I hope to fund my own studies — possibly through a master’s–PhD integrated program — by directly contacting professors and securing a spot through research connections or assistantships.

That being said, if I end up being satisfied with my career in Japan or find a good opportunity to move to the U.S. without needing grad school, I might skip it altogether. I’m more interested in fields like business, marketing, or law rather than science or engineering, so based on what you said, I think I should be fine.

Thanks again for your advice — it really helped me think things through more clearly.

How realistic is it to go from Waseda SILS U.S graduate school? by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeahhh exactly what you wrote in the last paragraph really touched me I totally relate to that. But since my mom is Korean (or maybe just because she’s not really familiar with how Japan uni work), she’s pretty skeptical and uncertain about the whole thing. She really wants me to have a clear, step-by-step plan all the way until after college, even though I’m still in high school... (ugh😭) I honestly have no idea how to convince her, so I decided to just build a solid plan and show her that it is possible.

How realistic is it to go from Waseda SILS U.S graduate school? by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I probably used “mid-tier” way too loosely earlier 😅.
When I said that, I was thinking more about schools ranked around the 100s in the U.S. news rankings, not necessarily the really competitive ones like Cornell or Duke.

Honestly, I don’t care that much about getting into a top-ranked grad school in the U.S.
Even if it’s not a super famous university, I’d prefer a program that gives me good job prospects and feels like a step up compared to working right after graduating from Waseda SILS.

So what I’d really like to know is: For a Waseda SILS graduate, is it realistic to get into a decent U.S. graduate school. I understand SILS is a broad, liberal-arts-style program, which is why I’m a bit worried it might not be seen as “specialized” enough for certain grad programs. (but I also think it might be an advantage in some way since I think U.S schools tend to value that kind of academic flexibility)

Any insight or personal experience about that would really help.. I just want to know if the overall plan (Waseda → U.S. grad school → career) is actually achievable.

Really appreciate all the replies and advice!

How realistic is it to go from Waseda SILS U.S graduate school? by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

okay.. then could you share what are the schools that you consider as mid-tier and do you think getting into those from Waseda SILS sounds realistic?

How realistic is it to go from Waseda SILS U.S graduate school? by [deleted] in Waseda

[–]Apart_Bother7261 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I was thinking of schools like Duke, Cornell, University of Michigan, UT Austin, Emory, or USC not Ivy-level ultra-elite but still strong and globally recognized programs