JAPAN: Universities adopt the hard sell for campus visits

The Asahi Shimbun09 September 2012 Issue No:238

 

Interview coaching, a free lunch and discounted exam fees are some of the incentives Japan's institutions are offering as they try to attract applicants from the country's shrinking pool of 18-year-olds, writes Hiromi Oida for The Asahi Shimbun.

Universities are radically reviewing their summer campus visit programmes in order to lure as many prospective students as possible. "Competition among private universities has really intensified lately," said an official from Jissen Women's University in Tokyo, which offers eight ‘open house’ visit days a year.

Osaka University of Economics and Law pays 15,000 yen (US$192) to offset the journey costs of those travelling from distant islands such as Hokkaido and Okinawa. Those who take the shorter three-hour train ride from Tokyo can receive 7,000 yen. Hyogo University in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, slashes the cost of its 30,000 yen entrance exam by a third for applicants who visit a campus open day and complete a checklist of tasks, such as filling out a questionnaire. University officials say almost all visitors receive the discount.

Full report on The Asahi Shimbun site