Application FAQ

I don't attend one of the 15 public universities in Michigan. Can I still apply for JCMU?

Absolutely! If your school is one of JCMU's affiliate schools, please get in touch with the JCMU representative on your campus. If your school is not, you too can apply - please see the Lifelong Education page for more details.

Does my application have to be typed?

Nope! Just please make sure to print legibly.

What if I don't have a passport yet?

If you don't have a passport yet, apply for one right away. You can leave that portion of the application blank until you receive one, but make sure to give us a phone call or shoot us an email with your passport number.

Is this Dean of Students Reference Form important? Whom do I have sign it?

Yes, this document is very important to our decision making process regarding your application. You will need to take this form to your Dean of Students, though each university handles it a bit differently. At MSU, there is an office called "Judicial Affairs" which handles this while at some other schools, disciplinary issues are handled by the individual college/department.

I'm having a hard time with the Study Abroad Office Approval. Do I really need the signature?

If you are a student from one of our Consortium or Affiliate schools, yes. If you are an MSU student, the JCMU Program Coordinator is your Representative, so she will sign it when we receive your application. We ask that everyone, whether they need the signature or not, speak to their study abroad advisor before applying to make sure our program will fit into their curriculum.

Whom do I make the application fee check out to?

Michigan State University (since MSU is the administrative agent of JCMU). If the person writing the check is not the student, please put the student's name in the "Memo" section of the check.

What is this "Release of Student Information" about? Who are you going to give my information to?

This signature lets us answer any questions your parents might have if they contact us. We may tell them things such as what paperwork you still need to submit, what elective class you are taking, or your room phone number at JCMU, for example. This information will only be given to your parents and those other individuals whose names you list, if any.

What is this "Consent to be Contacted?" Why would other students want my information?

Sometimes students wish to know who else from their university is attending JCMU, if a certain friend from another university is attending, or would just like to get in contact with their future classmates before the program begins. Your signature here will let us give students who request this information your name, university name, and email address for them to contact you.

I'm about to buy my plane ticket but I might want to stay a week after the trip to travel. Can I just buy a ticket there and buy my return flight while I'm in Japan?

It depends. If you are going to Japan on a tourist visa (Summer and May programs), then you must have a ticket purchased for your return flight. If you do not have one, you will not be permitted to enter the country. If you are on a 6 or 12 month visa (meaning you had to fill out a visa application and turn in a bunch of paperwork for a visa), you do not need to have a return flight already booked in order to enter the country.