ICU School in Tokyo

[kamelreds21]

Hi, I'm 21 and new here, I really enjoy reading comments by locals from Japan. I recently visited Shibuya and then took a 3 day tour through Hakone and was really amazed at how unique Japan really is. I'm planning on applying to some schools in Japan such as Sophia and ICU. What I'm wondering is if anyone knows some local details about these places and what they think about the location/opportunity offered by these schools. For ICU I read that only 20% of classes are taught in english and I'm not fluent in Japanese yet but hopefully the JLP courses/living in Japan will allow me to complete my bachelors. Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks

[chachava]

Originally Posted by kamelreds21

Hi, I'm 21 and new here, I really enjoy reading comments by locals from Japan. I recently visited Shibuya and then took a 3 day tour through Hakone and was really amazed at how unique Japan really is. I'm planning on applying to some schools in Japan such as Sophia and ICU. What I'm wondering is if anyone knows some local details about these places and what they think about the location/opportunity offered by these schools. For ICU I read that only 20% of classes are taught in english and I'm not fluent in Japanese yet but hopefully the JLP courses/living in Japan will allow me to complete my bachelors. Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks

My (Japanese) girlfriend studied business and foreign economics at Sophia and her course was 100% English (all the lecturers were English natives).

If you need any more specific details about the university let me know - will see her at the weekend so can find out for you

[kamelreds21]

Aight awesome, appreciate it, I sent you a PM with some questions, if you could ask your girl that would be great.

[tommasi]

Sophia does offer classes in English but you would rarely get a chance to interact with local students. Students who major in this course are either Japanese who lived overseas, international student, or those from international high schools in Japan.

I have attended only first semester because it was boring and I decided to just study abroad. But that's because I'm Japanese.

Personally, I'm biased and believe that ICU is a better school and the surrounding location is amazing. I'm a local from Mitaka and I can say that it is quiet enough but offers great access to Shinjuku and other major stations.

There are many long term residents from overseas and Mitaka being a residential area, it attracts foreigners who want to settle in Tokyo.

Anyways, I can give you some more info if you are interested but I highly recommend you to visit both campuses. After all they are very different.

[Leekun]

Hey!
I'm a current student at ICU and I'll be there for four years. I came to Japan with very little Japanese skill (I didn't even take the placement test). I love the school but like everywhere else it has it's pluses and cons. Let me know if you have any questions!.
-Lee

[tommasi]

Originally Posted by Leekun

Hey!
I'm a current student at ICU and I'll be there for four years. I came to Japan with very little Japanese skill (I didn't even take the placement test). I love the school but like everywhere else it has it's pluses and cons. Let me know if you have any questions!.
-Lee

I'm interested about your opinion on ICU.

Would you mind sharing pros and cons about ICU?

[Leekun]

Sorry I took so long to get back to this post, I forgot about it. Having been at the school for almost a year now, I have a pretty good grasp on it. Here are some thoughts.

Pros:
-Campus is beautiful, and in a great area
-Way cheaper than American private schools that are similar, but expensive compared to Japan
-Most classes are small and personal (especially langauge)
-Japanese language teachers are great. I was an absolute beginner when I went and it wasn't a problem.
-People are generally friendly, and office workers are usually very helpful

Cons:
-The classes might be a bit on the easy side compared to the high level American universities
-The style of running it reminds me a bit of high school, as in you have to have permission for a lot more things than is usual in a university.
-The dorms are great for outgoing people, but if you're reserved you might have a tough time. It is Japan so you're expected to conform.

Overall I really like the University. It has it's downsides but I'd definitely recommend it.

[george]

Im new and i just ternd 20! I dropd out of school at the age of 18! :}

[matt19261]

What kinda of classes do they have at Icu????

[Gorotsuki]

What do you mean by the dorms are mainly for outgoing people.