I'm ready to run back to God. In fact, I'm running back to God at 500mph right now! I was so far away from God for the past two months. I skipped church, small groups, large groups... I didn't want to do anything Christian related.

Until Samantha called me and asked me if I was going to small group today. If she didn't call me, I wouldn't have gone. God put the right people in my life and tell them to talk to me at the right time :) Thank you to all those who helped me out.

At small group, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill me up and God answered my prayer. I was filled with the Holy Spirit by the end of small group.

I miss God a lot.

I WANT God in my life! I don't ever want to be away from Him anymore (I know I will in the future, but I'm going to try really hard to not let it happen). Why did I run away from someone who loves me unconditionally? I don't know, but I know I don't want to do that again.

Tokyo- Housing Preference Form

Question 1

(Required)

I request the following IES Abroad provided housing.

Question 2

(Required)

Please indicate your gender.

Question 3

(Required)

Do you smoke?

Question 4 (Required)

Do you mind living in accommodations with people who smoke? (Note that in many countries, smoking is much more common than in the U.S. Students with a specific condition such as allergies will be given priority for non-smoking accommodations.)

Question 5 (Required) Do you have a documented disability that would require special accommodation in your housing placement?

Question 6

(Required)

Do you require a housing placement that must accommodate your religious beliefs?

Question 7

(Required)

Do you have allergies that would affect your housing placement?  Allergies can be, but are not limited to, pets, molds, certain foods, etc.

Question 8

(Required)

Do you have dietary restrictions that if not met have health implications?

Question 9 (Required) Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Question 10 (Required) What time do you normally go to sleep?
Question 11 (Required) How would you best describe your personality?
Question 12 (Required) Do you have brothers or sisters that you have lived with?

Question 13

(Required)

If placed in a homestay, would you prefer accommodations with:

Question 14

(Required)

What are your academic interests?

Question 15

(Required)

What are your extracurricular interests?

Question 16

(Required)

What kind of music do you prefer to listen to?

Question 17

(Required)

If placed in a homestay, how would you like to be considered by your host?

Question 18

(Required)

If applicable, is there a particular roommate you would like to request?  Please note that not all housing placements allow for roommate selection.  THIS IS ONLY A REQUEST, NOT A GUARANTEE.

Question 19

(Required)

If placed in a Residence Hall, would you prefer a single room, or a double room with a roommate?  If you would prefer a roommate and have a roommate preference, be sure that you have indicated the name of the roommate in question number 12.  Roomate requests are limited to one person only.  Co-ed placements are not available.  Both parties must request each other on their housing forms.

Question 20

(Required)

If placed in a Residence Hall:

The Kuis dormitory (female only) has no meal-plan, but is equipped with amenities such as a private kitchen, bathroom, refrigerator, etc. and has a relatively short commute.

Please rank your preference from 1-3, with 1 being your strongest preference. You must fill in each box and your form will be rejected if any are left blank.  Please comment in the space provided if desired.

Question 21 (Required)

What are your primary objectives for your study abroad experience? Please also explain what you hope to gain from your housing placement.

Question 22

If you are interested in being placed in a homestay (whether first or second choice) please write a brief essay/letter of introduction to your future host family.  This letter of introduction should consist of 2-3 paragraphs.  Please explain who the members of your family in the photo are as part of your letter.  The letter may be written in English or Japanese. Upload the letter as a word document here:

Question 23

If you are interested in a homestay, you must upload a photo of you and your family here.

Confirmation deposit & Cert. of Eligibility

When you go through a 3rd party provider (CIEE or IES), it gets a little confusing when you need to make payments and send in required materials. Some materials will go to IES and some go to SAO. The general rule is that what comes from SAO goes back to SAO and IES to IES. If SAO wants you to pay anything, they will charge your student account. If IES needs you to pay something, you'll probably have to write a check to IES.

Apply for COE is quite a process. COE is needed for applying Jpn student visa, so even though it's an annoying process, it's necessary. In the Confirmation Instructions and Acceptance Package IES gave me is information and instructions on preparing everything needed to apply for COE. I guess this is the great thing about going through a 3rd party provider, they set up everything for you to make it as easy as possible for you.

Materials needed to apply COE:
- an Official Bank Letter stating that whoever is supporting me financially has at least USD 6000 in their account
- upload passport photo to the IES acct.

IES will provide a sample official bank letter for you to take to your bank.








Official Bank Letter Template
ON BANK LETTERHEAD!!!
DATE
Tokyo Immigration Office/
Kanda University of International Studies or Meikai University (include one)
To Whom It May Concern:
This is to certify that NAME OF ACCOUNT HOLDER(S) is an account holder (s) for
the following account:
Account Type: CHECKING/SAVINGS/MONEY MARKET
Amount: $ X,XXX.00 (or “in excess of $6,000.00”)
Date Opened: DATE
The above mentioned balance represents the accumulation of successive deposits.
Sincerely,
BANK OFFICIAL’S ORIGINAL SIGNATURE
BANK OFFICIAL’S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Congratulations from IES Abroad

Dear Yinting, Congratulations! You have been admitted to the IES Abroad Tokyo - Society & Culture program for the Spring2010 term. The admissions process is very selective, and on behalf of IES Abroad, I would like to congratulate you on being accepted to the program. Study abroad is proven to be a life-enhancing experience, and we look forward to helping you prepare for the extraordinary journey that lies ahead.

Confirmation Instructions & Acceptance Packet To accept your place in the program, log on to your MyIESabroad account at www.IESabroad.org and submit a non-refundable $500 confirmation deposit or Intent to Enroll Form (depending on the school you attend). Use the login ID and password you previously created.   If you do not remember your password, please click on "Forgot User ID/Password" on our homepage and you will be able to reset your password. If you do not already have a MyIESabroad account, please use the email address you provided in your application as your login ID. Your password is "password" and you will prompted to change this password the first time you login.    You will also be receiving an acceptance packet with detailed information about the program and further details about the required pre-departure documents you will need to complete. Please note: if you do not log on and confirm your place in the program within three weeks of the date of this email, you may lose your place in this program. I urge you to confirm as soon as possible. Facebook We encourage you to become a member of your IES Abroad program's Facebook group to meet your classmates and discuss pre-departure plans.  You can access your program's group from www.facebook.com/IESAbroad.  In addition to your program's specific group, please also take a moment to become a fan of IES Abroad. Your Personal IES Abroad Advisor As you prepare to study abroad, I am available to answer your questions during my business hours listed below, Monday through Friday. Though I may occasionally be away from my office to visit schools, my colleagues will also be available to answer questions. Please thoroughly read all the materials IES Abroad sends to you, as many questions are likely to be answered in these mailings. Family Information We would like to provide your parent(s) or guardian(s) with a specially-tailored information packet that shares details on how they can help and support you through the entire study-abroad experience. If you do not want us to release information to your family or provide directory information to anyone about you, please notify the Dean of Students Office at 800.995.2300 immediately (and no later than one week from the date of this email). Your request for non-disclosure will be honored by IES Abroad throughout your academic experience.

Scholarship Information IES Abroad commits $2 million annually in scholarships and financial aid. With more than 20 distinct financial aid and scholarship categories available (including need-based, merit-based, and diversity student aid), IES Abroad encourages all students attending an IES Abroad Consortium member school  to apply. Applying is easy and can be completed online. Apply for a Passport If you do not have a passport, or if your current passport is set to expire within six months after the end date of your IES Abroad program, you must apply for a new passport immediately! For more details, visit http://travel.state.gov. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, please follow your government’s procedures for obtaining a passport.Contact a Past IES Abroad Student IES Abroad Ambassadors are recent alumni of IES Abroad programs who are available to answer your questions. To locate an IES Abroad Ambassador for your program, click here.

Again, congratulations and I am delighted that you have chosen to study abroad with IES Abroad. Sincerely,  Beth Eustis IES Abroad Tokyo - Society & Culture Program Advisor (800) 995-2300, M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 Eastern

This email was sent by: IES Abroad The Institute for the International Education of Students 33 N. LaSalle St. 15th Floor Chicago, IL 60602 800.995.2300 study@IESabroad.org

2 applications......

Since I'm studying abroad with IES (3rd party provider), I have to fill out their app too. All I had to do was sign in to the IES website and turn in everything they tell me to. Not too hard.

all nighter

I pulled an all nighter last night, which means school officially started yesterday. I'm so messed up now, I sleep in the afternoon and stay awake all night. I was totally fishing in class today, it was hard to stay awake. When I got home, I slept from 3pm - 9pm, 6 hours of sleep in the afternoon. Don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Recently, I got addicted to Greek (thanks to Kim). And thanks to Hulu, because I won't be able to catch up the show without it. I now have hulu as a bookmark :P What am I going to do when I'm not in the States?!

I've decided to study abroad in Japan

After taking Japanese 201 my first semester freshman year, I decided not to learn Japanese any more. I couldn't stand going to class 5 days a week and have quizzes everyday. But my dad kept forcing me to learn Japanese. To satisfy him (or more like to shut him up), I decided to spend $18,000 + a semester study abroad in Japan.

I was originally planning on studying in Waseda, but they only have academic year program and limited space. Then, I thought about the Uni. of Nagoya, but they need at least a year of Japanese. Keio and the U of I started an exchange program last semester, but there are only 2 spots, cuz Keio only sent 2 students to our school. After speaking to SAO study abroad advisor for a looonng time, I decided to apply to the IES Tokyo Society and Culture program. Sadly, it's the most expensive program ever!

Since I already studied abroad 3 times in the past 2 years, I know the process pretty well. I went to the UIUC Study Abroad website to do the application. Now, all I have to do is wait.

If you're interested in studying abroad, attend a First Step Meeting, dates can be found on SAO website: https://www.studyabroad.illinois.edu/. You have to attend the meeting before you're allowed to apply to a program.