The Path I Found Through Entrance Exams

I attended a local college-preparatory high school that offered a wide range of English and internationally focused programs. Although I had opportunities to interact with students from partner schools in Taiwan and Vietnam, I never studied abroad, and most of my English learning was based on classroom and textbook study.
I was also a member of the dance club. Together with my teammates, I worked on creating original group dance performances and trained hard with the goal of winning the top prize at a local dance competition. We collaborated on everything from costumes to choreography, and one of my most memorable experiences was competing in the contest during the summer of my second year of high school as the culmination of all our efforts.
When choosing between the humanities and science tracks in high school, I selected the science track because I was interested in pursuing studies in health and nutrition. However, after retiring from club activities and beginning to prepare seriously for university entrance exams, I realized that I wanted to develop my English communication skills, a subject I had always excelled in. As a result, I became interested in applying to internationally focused programs and universities.

Most of my classmates were aiming for national and public universities, and I initially focused my search on internationally oriented programs at national universities as well. While narrowing down my options, a friend introduced me to APU. Although it is located in Kyushu, the same region where I grew up, I knew very little about the university at the time. However, after spending time exploring its website, I found it incredibly appealing.
What attracted me most was the fact that about half of the student body consists of international students, as well as the opportunity to interact with them on a daily basis through the international residence halls. I was also interested in marketing, so I felt that the College of International Management would be a good fit for me.
Until around the summer of my third year of high school, my first choice was a national university in Kyushu, with APU as a secondary option. However, as I considered where I could best put my knowledge and English skills into practice, I came to believe that APU offered the most enriching environment. At the same time, my desire to study economics alongside an internationally focused curriculum continued to grow. Eventually, APU became my first-choice university because it seemed like the place where I could fully pursue everything I wanted to do.

Since I chose a General Selection (Paper Test) method based on the Common Test, which I had already been preparing for, most of my efforts focused on those exams. I worked through the predicted questions and preparation workbooks provided by my school over and over again, placing particular emphasis on English and Japanese, which carried greater weight in the admissions process.
Reading comprehension in English was one of my weaker areas, so I repeatedly practiced similar questions and was able to make significant improvement. I mainly studied at school and at a cram school. Even on weekends, I went to school almost every day and studied until just before it was time to leave.
As the exam period entered its final stage, I started to feel pressured. Part of me wanted to give up, while another part kept telling me that there was no time left and that I had to keep going. Whenever I felt discouraged, I pushed myself forward by reminding myself that the only thing I could do was keep studying.

For the February Admissions, I applied through both the English-Focused Method and the Common Test Combined Method (3 subjects). I was able to stay calm during the Common Test and perform to the best of my ability, but unfortunately, I fell just short of being admitted through either method.
The possibility of enrolling in September or spending another year preparing for university entrance exams crossed my mind. However, I decided to apply for every opportunity available to me and went on to take the Common Test + Interview Method in the March Admissions.
There was not much information available beforehand, and to be honest, I did not feel that I was able to prepare for the interview as thoroughly as I would have liked. Although I prepared my responses in advance, I was unable to express myself as well as I had hoped during the actual interview and came away with little confidence in my performance. That is why I was so surprised when I learned that I had been accepted.
In my case, my Common Test scores certainly helped. At the same time, the advice I received from friends who had gone through interviews for Admissions for Comprehensive Selection was also extremely valuable.

Since I was unable to attend an open campus event, I spent a lot of time following APU’s Instagram accounts and watching posts about residence hall life and campus events. Being able to enroll at a university I had admired for so long makes me incredibly happy. I am still working on improving my spoken English, but I really enjoy the many opportunities I have to interact with international students in the residence halls. I hope to study abroad during my time at APU, so I would like to build practical English skills through meeting and communicating with students from around the world. I am also excited to start taking courses in marketing, a field that has long interested me.
As for advice for prospective students, I know that dedicating an entire year to preparing for General Selection (Paper Test) admissions can be challenging, and there may be times when you feel discouraged. I experienced ups and downs in my own motivation as well. However, I was always inspired by the idea of living in APU’s residence halls and interacting with international students, and that dream kept me going.
I believe that if you continue challenging yourself and refuse to give up until the very end, your efforts will ultimately lead to a positive outcome.