Personal essays are an integral part of study abroad applications. Unlike academic transcripts and CVs, it is the space where applicants can explain their objectives and motivations for studying abroad. As an essay, it reveals the voice of each applicant, giving the screening committee a glimpse to their personality.

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Guest Facilitators

Heidi Ka-Sin Lee, Writing Center, Waseda University

Heidi Ka-Sin Lee is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in International Culture and Communication Studies at Waseda University. She is from Hong Kong and has studied abroad in Boston and Liverpool through her college’s exchange programs. Her research interests include lesbian cinema, cognitive film theory, queer theory, film music, intermedial adaptation, and Japanese popular culture. She is a huge cinephile and is excited to talk all things movies, television, music, culture, and much more…

Jeffrey Shih, Writing Center, Waseda University

Originally from New York, Jeffrey became interested in studying abroad after befriending many classmates who hailed from all over the world in his undergraduate faculty. He was later able to study abroad for a semester in Berlin, which only increased his desire to study around the world. This eventually led him to come to Japan in 2019 on the JET Programme, where he taught English and facilitated international exchange in Tochigi Prefecture. He is now a Masters student at Waseda University, where he researches how people from different cultures write about music.

Romeo Marcantoni, Writing Center, Waseda University

Romeo Marcantuoni is a Ph.D candidate at the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies at Waseda University. Originally hailing from Belgium, he has worked in Japan as salary man and in France as a freelance translator before deciding to commit himself to academic research. His interests lie in contemporary Japanese politics, the emotional dimensions of political parties, and conspiracy narratives. Aside from working at Waseda University’s Writing Center as a tutor for five years, he also teaches a class on the politics of memory at Hosei University. He enjoys bouldering and video games in his spare time, and would cook more if he had a bigger kitchen.