Deciding schools

My choice for Mandarin programs came down to either NTNU or NCKU. They are on almost opposites ends of Taiwan; NTNU is in Taipei and NCKU is in Tainan.

At first I was looking heavily at NCKU because my professors highly recommended it. I sat with the Kaldis’ during my last trip up to Bing (May 2010). They told me one of my fellow classmates continued his studies there and spoke volumes about the progress he’s made.

I left Bing highly intrigued and got in touch with my classmate. It was through him that I found out about NTNU’s program as another option. I had some research to do.

I looked up both programs’ websites, tried looking around for scholarships (it’s tough for me since I was born in Taiwan. The ones I found are for foreigners), and even made summary sheets on Google Docs about each program. note: I’ll try to upload these on a separate post

Ultimately it came down to whichever would be cheaper, since I wasn’t expecting to find a scholarship. I have family in Taipei that I could stay with, which pretty much sealed the deal. I’m more of a city guy anyways- although the prospect of a experiencing a different kind of environment in Tainan was enticing as hell. Anyways, the decision was set: sometime in June I went to the post office and mailed out the app for the Mandarin Training Center at NTNU.

For those that are wondering, the application process is very straightforward. Fill out a few documents, photocopy your passport and diploma, attach two passport-style pics, a bank statement to let them know you’re not completely broke, and… I might be forgetting a few things but trust me it’s not that bad.