Discovering What You Truly Want to Learn
Faculty of Policy Management
General Selection
Male
High School | Meiji University Meiji High School (Private high school in Tokyo) |
|---|---|
Year | Fourth-year, Faculty of Policy Management |
Primary Research Seminar | Shugo Shinohara Research Seminar (since second year) |
Major of Research Seminar | Public Administration |
My Research Theme | Theories on the behavior of members in public organizations and related systems |
Focus of Student Life | Creating synergy between academics and extracurricular activities. I aim for "breadth and depth" in my classes and "connect" my research with club activities. |
High School Club Activities | Student council, railway research club, newspaper club |
How long were you in your high school clubs? | Until graduation |
Favorite Subjects | English, Politics and Economics |
What you focused on in high school | Student council activities. As the head of administration, I improved operations and materials and revised systems. |
What I'm proud of about my high school | As it was an affiliated school, "university" felt very close, and there were many opportunities to think about it. |
When did you learn about SFC? | First semester of my second year of high school |
Did you attend an SFC Open Campus (including online)? | Yes (in June of my third year). I felt it was a place where I could pursue the kind of learning I envisioned. |
Did you use a Juku or prep school? | Yes (a prep school from the third semester of my first year). |
Did you take a gap year to study for exams? | No |
When did you decide to apply to SFC? | Summer of my second year of high school |
Which entrance examination did you pass to get into SFC? | General Selection (Faculty of Policy Management, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies) |
What subjects did you take for the exam? | English, Short Essay |
What other entrance examinations did you take? | AO Admissions |
What was your preference ranking for SFC? | First choice |
What other faculties did you apply to concurrently? | Faculty of Environment and Information Studies |
What other universities did you apply to concurrently? | If I hadn't been accepted to SFC, I planned to enter my high school's affiliated university through internal admission. |
Why I Chose SFC and My Journey to University Admission
Since my high school was affiliated with a university, I was naturally conscious of advancing to higher education. While gathering information about the faculties I could enter through internal admission, I felt it would be a waste to narrow my options myself, so I decided to research other universities. I wanted to study social sciences, so I considered and visited several universities with strengths in that field.
The first time I learned about SFC was from the words "Faculty of Policy Management" listed in a university guide. My interest in the academic field of "comprehensive policy" and the fact that I could take the entrance exam with just two subjects, English and the short essay, which were my strengths, were the reasons I chose SFC as my top choice.
The deciding factor for ultimately applying to SFC was that it had the highest degree of alignment with my areas of interest. I attended mock lectures at several universities, but SFC was where I felt the closest connection to my interests and experienced the "joy of university learning." Because my desire to study at SFC was strong and I had secured the option of internal admission, I ultimately did not apply to any universities other than the two faculties at SFC.
What Are Your Recommended Study Methods?
English: I utilized lectures at a prep school and practiced reading one to two long passages every week, while also studying diligently to acquire the necessary level of vocabulary and grammar. The English section of the SFC exam is in a long-form reading comprehension format, which demands not only strong reading skills but also a high level of vocabulary and grammar as a foundation. Even though I was relatively good at English, it took me time to be able to solve SFC's English problems. When I worked on past exams and came across words or expressions I didn't know, I made a point to memorize them.
Short Essay: I utilized lectures at a prep school. After acquiring basic writing skills and knowledge from the first to the first half of the second semester of my third year, I repeatedly practiced with past exams, focusing on finishing within the time limit. I had adults proofread my essays and repeated the process of rewriting them based on their feedback.
Fundamentally, I believe that thoroughly practicing with past exams is the key to passing.
The Connection from High School Studies to My Current Learning at SFC
In high school, through my involvement in student council activities and visiting various regions in Japan with my clubs, I became interested in the mechanisms of society, such as politics and economics, and in regional revitalization. The things I learned and thought about during that time have been a great help, serving as the foundation for my academic pursuits at SFC today. My interests from high school evolved into a critical awareness of "the nature of public organizations" after entering SFC. Through policy studies, law, public choice theory, and various other perspectives gained from SFC lectures, I decided I wanted to research the role of organizations, particularly those related to public administration. Currently, I am studying theories on public organizations while learning methods and knowledge related to policy formation. I plan to become a civil servant in the future and hope to apply what I have learned about policy and organizations in the real world.
A Message for Prospective Students
To all prospective students, if you are even slightly interested in SFC, I encourage you to visit the campus and attend a mock lecture. You might discover what you "truly want to learn" there. Clarifying what you want to study in university will also boost your motivation for the entrance exams.
Learning at SFC will expand your world far beyond what you experienced in high school. If you have even one thing you want to learn or accomplish through university, SFC will support you in achieving it. The environment—considering the quality of the faculty and staff, the campus facilities, and the campus culture—is as fulfilling as it gets.
At SFC, there are many students who conduct research by combining various academic fields. Any experience or study you have undertaken will undoubtedly support your learning at SFC. Preparing for the exams is by no means easy, but what you gain in the process, and what you will gain beyond it, is immense. SFC is looking for "students from the future." I urge you to define your own "ideal future" and come to SFC to make it a reality. And at SFC, I hope you will not only think about your own future but also consider the "ideal future" for society as a whole, pursue your studies toward its realization, and become a leader who guides society.