How To Apply
How to apply
This page contains all the information you need to apply for one of the PEAK programs. The process is outlined below as a series of steps. Please proceed through these steps in order and make sure to read all the available documentation carefully. These instructions are also available as a formatted pdf on the DOWNLOADS page if you would like to make a printed copy.
STEP 1. Read the application guidelines.
Before beginning your application, it is essential that you read the APPLICATION GUIDELINES. These can be downloaded as a pdf file from the DOWNLOADS section. Read the entire document carefully and ensure that you meet the various eligibility criteria before beginning your application. If you are uncertain about how any of the criteria apply to you personally or you have any other questions about the contents of the application guidelines, first visit the FAQ section of the website and see if your question has already been answered there. If not, please use the ENQUIRY FORM to contact our staff directly. They will provide the necessary advice.
STEP 2. Download the necessary forms.
Once you have familiarized yourself with the application guidelines, you can begin the application process by first downloading the application form and the example form. Step 3 describes how to complete the application form. We recommend that you print out a copy of the example form and refer to it while completing the application form. The application form is completed electronically and cannot be handwritten. In order to process the application form properly, you will need to use the Adobe Reader software. In most cases this will already be installed on your computer, but if not, you can download the latest version (using the latest version is recommended for all applicants) directly from Adobe by clicking here. All candidates will also need to download and complete the essay form and the evaluation form and some candidates will also wish to make use of the certificate of (expected) graduation. All these forms are available in the DOWNLOADS section.
Note : For users of Mac OSX
It is very common to deal with pdfs using the Mac's built-in "Preview" application. This works fine for ordinary pdf files, but not for the interactive pdf form required for this application. Please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of the Adobe Reader software. Locate the downloaded application form on your computer and click on the file with the right mouse button (or hold down the CONTROL key while clicking the file with the left mouse button) and select "Open with" from the menu. You should then be able to select Adobe Reader to open the file.
Note : For users of Windows
Some Windows users prefer to use third party viewers to read pdf documents. Unfortunately not all third party readers completely support the pdf features necessary to complete our electronic application form. In order to ensure that you can correctly complete and validate your application form, please download the latest version of the Adobe Reader software and use this application to complete the application form.
STEP 3. Complete the application form.
Completion and submission of the application form requires the following 4 steps
1) Open the application form in Adobe Reader and fill in all the necessary information (simply click in the relevant boxes and type in the appropriate data). Some sections of the form will involve you clicking check boxes and selecting items from drop-down menus. At any time you can click the "Highlight existing fields" button to indicate where all the boxes are - required boxes for all applicants are indicated in red.
2) At the bottom of the first page of the form is a checklist. This is to help you ensure that you have remembered to include all the necessary documents and have performed any other necessary procedures (for example requesting that your english language proficiency test scores be sent from the testing organisation to the University of Tokyo). Click each checkbox when you have prepared the necessary document or completed the described procedure.
3) Once you have completed all the information, press the "Validate Form" button located at the top of the first page. It is likely that the first time you do this, you may have missed something on the form. If this is the case, a dialogue box will appear explaining which information is missing and you will be directed to enter that information. Once all the information is successfully entered, clicking the "Validate Form" button will produce a dialogue box asking you to confirm your e-mail address. Please do this carefully as this will be our primary method of keeping in contact with you. Assuming the e-mail address matches the one you supplied earlier, the form will be validated and the red "Form not validated" box will disappear from the top of the form. At this point you should save your form safely on your computer (you can save the form at any point while you are completing it - it is unlikely that you will complete the entire form in one session).
4) Once the form has been validated, you should print it out and sign and date it (before printing you can click the purple date buttons to add today's date in the appropriate places). You should then take all your other collected documentation and mail the entire package of documents, arranged in the order described on the form, to the PEAK Undergraduate Admissions Office at the address indicated in the application guidelines. Note that applications will only be accepted if the application form has been successfully validated. Any forms containing the red "Form not validated" message will not be processed.
Note that although the application form (and other forms) are to be completed electronically, the entire submission is performed using printed versions of the completed forms submitted by traditional mail. You should use an appropriately secure mail service to ensure that your documents reach us safely. No submitted documents will be returned to you.
When completing the form, if you have more information than will fit in the section provided, please provide the additional information either by entering it directly in the box in section 3.4 or by providing the information on a separate sheet of paper and indicating what information you have included in section 3.4.
Additional information
1. Completing the Evaluation form.
The application process requires you to provide evaluation reports from three different evaluators:
1. The first evaluator should be from a teacher from your high school or university who can evaluate your English writing and speaking skills.
2. The second should be from a teacher from your high school or university who is in a position to evaluate your academic knowledge. If you are applying to the “Japan in East Asia” program, this teacher should be from the social sciences or humanities. If you are applying to the “Environmental Sciences” program, this teacher should be from a science-related field.
3. The third can be filled out by anyone who is able to evaluate your character. However, the writer must not be an immediate family member or close relative.
The procedure for collecting the evaluations is as follows
1. Download the evaluation form from the DOWNLOADS section. This form consists of two parts - part one will be completed by you and part two will be completed by the evaluator. Printing the form will produce three separate copies - one for each evaluator.
2. Complete section 1 of the form. As with the application form, this form must be validated. The corresponding data will automatically be added to the second and third copies.
3. Once you have successfully validated the form, print out the entire form and sign and date section 1.2. for each of the three copies.
4. Give the three printed and signed forms to the corresponding three evaluators. We recommend that you ask the evaluators to seal the completed evaluation form in an envelope (with a signed seal) and return it to you for submission along with the application form and other documents. However, if any evaluator insists of submitting the form to us directly, this is also possible. Make sure you you know which procedure each evaluator will use, and make sure this is indicated in section 3.1 of the application form.
2. Payment of the Registration Fee.
No application will be processed unless the application fee has been paid. It is possible to pay the fee either by bank transfer (for details see the application guidelines) or online using a credit card at the following website.
Website for credit card application fee payment
The application fee is JPY5,000 and there will be a small additional processing charge levied regardless of the payment method. For online credit card payment, the processing fee is JPY473 whereas for bank transfer, the precise value will depend on the specific bank used. Once you have successfully made payment, you should make sure that you enclose the payment receipt along with your other application documents. If you experience any problems associated with payment of the application fee, please contact us using the ENQUIRY FORM.