Admissions guide for graduates of overseas universities

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About the Admissions Assistance Office (AAO)

AAO is tasked with facilitating the postgraduate application process for graduates of universities outside of Japan. Its responsibilities include preliminary screening followed by notification to applicants, depending on which they may then proceed to apply for a graduate program.

The AAO process

Those who have graduated or expect to graduate from universities outside of Japan may need to go through the AAO process. Since application procedures vary depending on the graduate school/institute, applicants are asked to check if the process is required by the graduate school/institute of their choice by visiting related websites.

Note: Kyoto University may contact relevant test organizations to inquire about submitted results by applicants as part of the process.

The main purpose of this process is to help applicants connect with their prospective supervisor. In some graduate schools, however, it is exclusively used for a preliminary review.

The AAO process and the application to the graduate school are two separate processes — submitting your AAO application does not mean you have applied to the graduate school. Applicants are advised to check the graduate school application schedule in advance, including what steps need to be completed and by when, by reading the application guidelines released on each graduate school website.

For details of the AAO process, please refer to the following:

Format of the Statement of Purpose:

The use of these formats is optional, except for those applying to the Graduate School of Medicine, whose applicants must use the second file.

For MEXT Research Student Scholarship applicants who have passed the 'first screening' by a Japanese embassy or consulate

See the link below to learn how to request a Letter of Provisional Acceptance from Kyoto University.
Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship