College Acceptance

[dballred]

If a Japanese student applies to a university and takes the entrance examination for a normal academic year (beginning in April, I think), when does he know whether or not he was accepted? Is there a particular month? This is for a story--not an actual circumstance.

[Mukade]

They usually know around the end of the year (Nov-Dec) before they would start.

So, if I want to enter university in April of 2006, and I pass the exam, I would know around November or December of 2005.

[Harisenbon]

It also depends on the college, and how you're entering.

My wife entered as a 社会人, and took her test in March, and got the result a week later.

Although High School students do find out much earlier.

[netarou]

Generally, 私大 (private universities) hold their own 一般入試 (general entrance exams) in January or February and announce results in February or March.
国公立大 (National and Prefecture-run universities) require students to pass 大学入試センター試験, or University Testing Center Examination which is held in January, in addition to their own exams in February and March.
Date of results is in March.

The number of examination subjects for private universities are three or four.
国語 (Japanese) and 英語 (English) are must and 社会 (social studies) for humanities course and 数学 (mathematics) and 理科 (natural science) for the science course.
In my case, I took exams to some private universities and chose 国語, 英語 and 政治経済 (politics and economics).
I didn't take exams to national universities because they also require 数学 and 理科 (化学 (chemistry) or 物理 (physics)).

Those who show a good performance in the high school can take 推薦入試 in November or December.
推薦入試 consists of 面接 (interview) and 論文 (essay).
The result is announced in January or February.

[dballred]

Thanks, everyone. All of your input has been helpful. The character in the story was a girl who attended a private girls' high school and she applied to and tested for a top university. (zannen kedo...she didn't make it)