Japanese Medical Society of America College Scholarship

The rising cost of a college degree means that an increasing number of students are seeking scholarships to reduce their tuition burden. Fortunately, there are numerous award opportunities available based on a student’s talents and abilities. Ranging from $2,500 to $12,000, the Japanese Medical Society of America scholarship exists to support students who dream of a career in medicine while helping the Japanese community.

Applying to the Japanese Medical Society of America

The Japanese Medical Society of America college scholarship encourages the sharing of medical ideas and knowledge between the U.S. and Japan. To that end, multiple donors have joined forces to provide financial support to future medical professionals. Current contributors include the Honjo Foundation, Mitsui USA, and Toyota Motors North America.

To qualify for this prestigious award, applicants must boast strong grades and test scores. Additionally, candidates are required to provide a letter of recommendation. They must also submit a description of a project that relates to the JMSA mission of promoting health education and supporting the Japanese community. Past projects include a plan to connect Japanese and American medical students and a service that helps elderly Japanese patients find healthcare.

Applications are due in January, with the foundation announcing winners at its Annual Spring Dinner. It’s worth noting that award recipients are required to attend the ceremony and submit progress reports regarding their projects. JMSA assigns winners a mentor to help them develop their projects. Questions and recommendation letters should be sent to Robert Yanagisawa, MD at info@jmsa.org and robert.yanagisawa@mountsinai.org respectively.

Tips on Applying for Scholarships

Because most scholarship committees receive hundreds of applications for every available award, it’s crucial to ensure your essay or statement stands out from the pack. Rather than writing something typical, strive to think outside the box and create an essay that represents who you are as an individual. Consider sharing personal anecdotes about experiences that really shaped you, even if they are vulnerable moments. Depending on the subject and tone of the submission, it might even be appropriate to use humor to convey your message.

While students often assume that grades are the primary factor in making award decisions, the truth is that scholarship committees often look beyond an applicant’s academic achievements. In fact, many scholarships don’t even consider GPA and instead select recipients based on their extracurricular activities, service efforts, and interests. For this particular scholarship, your project description is crucial to being a top candidate. Be sure to focus your project on an area highly-relevant to the Japanese community, and speak with the people your project would impact. Doing so will help you better understand their perspective and needs, allowing you to put together a more attainable project.

From applying for scholarships to choosing target schools, the college application process is complicated and rife with challenges. That’s where CollegeVine comes in. We pair each of our students with a personally selected consultant who can assist them on their academic journey. Whether you need help managing deadlines or fine-tuning essays for scholarship contests, we can provide you with a custom roadmap for staying organized. To learn more about our services, call today or contact our team online.