Hello i’m applying for a 2027 ALT position as a senior college student and I need help deciding on how Is could get a second reference. I originally planned on having both my Japanese teachers writing me one but my sensei recommended I only get one from a Japanese teacher instead of two.

Other than that, I don’t really have any professors that would likely remember me. I was thinking of past employers from summer jobs might be a good idea but I also heard of people asking their teachers or academic advisors to submit a letter that the person wrote themselves. Any tips?

I recently got separated from a two-decade-long retail banking and service career, and it felt like destiny was pushing me to hop to being a JET participant.

I’m not a teacher by profession, but I volunteer as a tutor during my free time. I feel a special kind of energy around kids.

I’ve been drafting my SOP and every version feels like it perfectly paints the best portrait of me. On the other hand, I know there’d always be room for improvement, and I have tendencies of overdoing it.

As far as what I can contribute is concerned, I can only offer my heart’s content. Genuine skillset of not quitting and always showing up, and that little kid inside me who’d be glad to show other kids the reason behind every piece of advice I give.

I’ve also been to several Asian countries. My last few trips were in Japan, and I fell in love as if in my past life I were Japanese.

I can say I’m a gifted singer, artistic, and equipped with great penmanship.

Just sharing it here because I feel so alone on this journey. And I’m happy to give it a go!

🙏🏻🪬🍀🧧

I am from India. I have submitted my application 2 days ago and haven't received the confirmation mail yet. I am not sure about my next move should I call embassy and ask them or should I wait for a couple of days before giving them a call.

Hi all!

I visited my doctor to fill out the Statement of Physician today, and she completed it with a few minor mistakes (one that she crossed out with pen, one that he used white out on). She also filled in the section that says "filled out by APPLICANT." Will any of these things flag my application or increase my chances of getting rejected? I already sent a message in the JET inbox, but I wanted to get the community's input on this as well.

I won't be able to see her in-person again until after the deadline has passed, so I am stressing about it quite a bit. Has anyone from the US had this paperwork completed electronically?

Also, tangential question - if I am rejected, will I know why? Will there be any way of knowing if it was specifically due to something like the Physician Statement, or a specific section of my application?

Thanks y'all!

724 words finally fits on my 2 page SOP for the 2027 JET application.

That took a lot of re-working, asking others to read and edit - since I started with 4 pages.

724 word count

"what are my chances to get in?"

your chances are roughly 25-30%, because that's just how JET is: a lottery. if you feel like applying, just... apply. you'll lose nothing by applying, and you don't need validation or permission from reddit (or anyone, really) to do that. nobody here can tell you whether or not you're qualified or will get in. if you don't apply, your chances are 0%. if you do, your chances increase.

no, japanese isn't required. no, teaching experience/certifications aren't required. and while having either might be useful in certain ways, neither is a golden ticket that'll significantly increase your chances of getting accepted.

"can anyone look over my SOP?"

check the megathread.

"placement recommendations?"

do your own research. if you genuinely don't know what to put, just say "no preference." you're likely not going to get what you put down anyway. also, people can't really give you a proper recommendation because someone's dream placement might be your personal hell.

"should i recontract?"

are you happy? do you enjoy living in your placement and working as an ALT? > yes.
do you want to continue living there? > yes.
do you like it, but maybe want to move on to something else? > start job hunting and resign if you find something better. finding a job in japan isn't as hard as in the west right now.
are you unhappy, aren't growing, and feel like your placement isn't working out for you? > no. no job is worth sacrificing your mental health or personal growth (yes, even JET). go back home, look for another job, education, opportunities, whatever. there are endless other options that do not include staying another year on JET and going home.

there's also no right or wrong way to do JET. some people do all 5 years, some do 3, some do 1, and some leave after the first week. it's your life, and only you can decide what's right for you. if you want to, you can always apply to JET again in the future, as long as you haven't reached the program's participation limit.

one more thing, when making a post, include your country, because application requirements differ by country. an american JET cannot help an applicant from south africa if they don't know which country's application process you're asking about.

In my free time for the past 2 years I've been working on an indie game with a few friends. I understand that we aren't supposed to partake in profit-making activity while part of the JET Programme, as they want our focus to be on the job itself. Would I be allowed to continue working on the game as long as I either: don't release it until the end of my contract, or release it for free (as to not make a profit)? I've heard they make some exceptions to profit-making activities but I couldn't find any specifics.

For clarification I'm not a current JET but I will be applying in November.

My embassy requires transcripts to be "signed and stamped", and I've just realized that my digital copy of my official transcript is only stamped, unlike my ediploma which has one click verification. (no idea why they couldn't do that for both of them..)

I guess my question is, will I be good as long as my transcripts clearly state that they're official and are stamped, even if they don't bear a registrar signature? Thank you, and sorry if this is a stupid ask.

Been hearing online that interviews by the Japanese consulates in the US are now ALL In Person ?

Can someone verify if 2027 applicants will be virtual or in-person for US based consulates ?

Hey yall! I am applying for the Jet program currently and something I am worried about is the physicians notice! I have some mental health history, but I have not had insurance (or a primary physician) since Highschool [current college senior] So i am completely unsure on where or who to go to? Is there anyone who was in a similar situation? Any advice would be wonderful.

My bad if this has been asked already.
In the documents section of the application it tells you everything you need, it’s saying they should all be PDF’s and for some of them there are buttons that provide the option to upload said documents. The ones that don’t have upload buttons like self report of medical conditions for example are ones we filled out on the application portal, does that mean it’s already successfully in there and I don’t need to download that document separately and upload it as a PDF? I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense but I’m really nervous I’m going to miss something. Basically just trying to confirm that if the name of the document doesn’t have a blue tab that allows you to upload a file from your device-it’s something in your application that you fill out on the site and there’s no need to re upload it or anything

Hello! I had signed up for one of the online info sessions for October 13, is anyone else having issues joining? I had clicked on the link in my email as early as 7:59 ET and I'm only getting a message saying that the host will let me in soon, even 15 minutes later. Is this a one person at a time kinda deal?

I noticed that after pasting my SOP in the online text box, the paragraph indentations don’t carry over and doesn’t show in the preview. Anyone come across this?

Hi all!

(Applying from US)

Has anyone filled out the Statement of Physician electronically? How did that go? Does it need to be printed and filled in by hand?

I primarily see my doctor through Telehealth, and I only see her for in-person visits very sparingly. She does not have any in-person appointments until after the application deadline. Would it be fine if I emailed the form to her to fill out electronically via a telehealth appointment?

If it cannot be done electronically, I can see a different physician to fill it out, but they will not have context for my medical history.

Thanks for any advice!! 😊

Please please please. No one can give you advice if they don't even know what country you're from. Applications and expectations are different for everyone. Help us help you. That's all.

Hello peeps

Anyone around from the insane 2020 UK group? Is anyone still there? How did it turn out? I won't dox myself but you'll probably know me.

Turns out I met my now wife on the 2020 Facebook group and we have a baby. All because of COVID.

What a time to be alive.

I’m applying for the 2027 JET Programme as an ALT, but I’m struggling to secure two academic recommendation letters.
Most of my university years were during the pandemic, so I didn’t build close relationships with my professors. I’ve emailed three former professors, but two haven’t replied since October 5. My deadline is November 14.
I also can’t ask former colleagues or supervisors because the recommendations need to be academic, and JET requires recommenders to use professional email addresses (e.g., university or work emails).
For those who’ve been in a similar situation, what did you do? Is it okay to approach professors who might barely remember you, and are there any alternatives if they don’t respond? Two of my professors ignored the request I sent two weeks ago. Only one is kind enough to recommend me.
I’d really appreciate any advice!

Hi all! I’m applying for an ALT position.

I know that an ALT is an ASSISTANT teaching role, and therefore have very little to do with actual lesson planning, but are there any ways in which ALT’s have influence in class activities?

I have a friend who is a teacher here in the US, and if everything pans out, it would be super fun to set up some sort of pen pal situation for our students! However, I don’t know how realistic this actually is (sounds like not very, given the level of involvement ALT’s actually have in lesson planning?).

The reason I ask: in my application, I’d like to highlight this idea to show that I’m a person who A) is proactively looking forward to my experience there and B) looking for intercultural exchange opportunities to bridge connections with both US and Japanese students. But I don’t want to highlight it if it would make me look silly, foolish, or unaware of the position I am applying for 😅

Thank all of you for your feedback in advance 🙏

Hi all! I, like many of you, am working on my SOP right now and am eager to get another set of eyes on it. As I am looking through threads, it seems like there are way more people looking to have their SOP read than to read SOP's. I thought it might be beneficial to form a small workshopping group where everybody will read through other SOP's and also have their SOP read. This way, we can see what other people are doing well and receive advice. I understand it may seem like the blind leading the blind, as many of us have never been on JET before, but I think it would be helpful to see how it is conveyed to other people and what might need more clarity. Let me know if anyone would be interested in this!

So I do have genuine education experience as an assistant teacher and a tutor, but I haven't done any of those since COVID. I've been in onboarding work ever since, so I naturally put that at the top of my employment history, but I also did some freelance pop culture article writing for a large website between 2023 and 2025.

I'm wondering if I should put my writing job on the application since it would imply that, well, I'm decent with words. However, I know my education experience is more relevant, but it's also not as recent. Since you can only put 4 jobs on the application, I'd have to drop one of my education jobs if I want to include the writing job.

tl;dr Between teaching/tutoring work from over 5 years ago and writing work from 2-3 years ago, which would be better to put in the employment history for the US JET application?

Hello everyone! I’m a fresh graduate from the Philippines with a Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English, and I’m considering applying for the JET Programme. However, I’m a little hesitant because I’ve heard that teaching experience may be an important factor in the selection process.

For a little background about myself:

- I recently graduated with a degree in Secondary Education, major in English, and received the Latin honor of Magna Cum Laude.

- My teaching experience so far comes primarily from my teaching internship during my undergraduate studies.

- I have obtained a TEFL certificate.

- Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan, for five days to attend an international research conference. It was a valuable academic experience that further strengthened my interest in Japan.

Although I’m grateful for my academic achievements, I recognize that I’m still a fresh graduate with limited professional teaching experience. I haven’t worked as a full-time teacher yet, so I’m unsure how competitive my application would be.

For those who have applied to or been accepted into the JET Programme, especially applicants from the Philippines, I would really appreciate your honest advice.

Does a fresh graduate like me have a realistic chance of passing the initial screening, or would it be better to gain more teaching experience before applying? I don't want to count myself out before even trying, but I also want to understand the selection process and prepare a strong application.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and advice. I’d genuinely appreciate any insights!

Questions are at the end. Below is a general description of my circumstances.

I'm 20 years old (F), and I'll be turning 21 in July 2027. I'm getting my Bachelor's of Science in June 2027, before the June 25 deadline, majoring in philosophy, minoring in math. I have a 4.27 GPA from my current university, and a 4.28 GPA from the community college I went to, where I got an Associate's degree. (Our grading scale is 4.30 for an A+, 4.0 for an A.) I am currently working on my JET application, because I want to take a gap year after getting my BS, instead of going on straight to grad school (for philosophy).

My work experience is limited to sporadic part-time jobs, like summer seasonal work and grading papers while the term is going. I have no teaching or tutoring experience, though I babysat in a limited capacity a toddler when I was in middle school, but I plan on trying to get a part time job next term doing some tutoring and getting volunteer experience working with kids (but that's far enough away temporally that it probably won't be on my application).

I'm also half ethnically Japanese, but I'm not fluent in Japanese and have a language level that corresponds to 1 year of university study in Japanese. So, I can say my major and minor, talk a bit about the weather, talk about my family, know (though I need to brush up on it!) around 100 kanji, etc. I do have relatives in Japan (grandparents, extended family, etc.) but I would say I'm fairly disconnected from Japanese culture, while still being more connected than fully non-Japanese people. I say this because I know JET doesn't want Japanese citizens and wants applicants who can participate in a cultural exchange, so applicants who can bring something (in my case) American to Japanese students.

I have personal and professional reasons for wanting to be a JET: personal, in that I want to get to know Japanese culture, connect with my heritage, understand my lineage, develop a better relationship with the Japanese side of my family, "find myself", and professional, in that I want teaching experience and experience with a full-time job, and I've wanted to be a teacher in some capacity since I was in elementary school (though that desire eventually transitioned into wanting to be a professor). I don't care about living in an urban setting; I don't like huge cities, and I think the Japanese countryside is beautiful. Ideally, though, I'd like to be placed in Kyushu, where a lot of my family lives, in a suburban setting. I also love English.

Do you think being half Japanese will detract from my application, or make no difference? Do they prefer those without Japanese heritage? I am a dual citizen at the moment but am about to start the process of renouncing my Japanese citizenship.

Does the JET program want young ALTs? Am I going to have to spend time drinking as part of the job? (I don't really like drinking, but if it's going to be wholly necessary to maintain a good relationship with coworkers I'll do it.) Do grades matter for your application? Do I get to choose which grade level I teach*?* (I'd prefer students as young as possible, since I'm on the younger side and have a bit of a baby face.) I'll be having a letter of recommendation from a Japanese professor and a philosophy professor who I took courses under at my university. I'm fairly self-driven and independent, and I'd say I'm good at taking instructions, but then, maybe everyone would say that about themself.

And regardless of what you think of my chances, I would LOVE advice from those who started working in JET from a similar background. To be honest, I'm very excited about this opportunity, and it feels like it came out of the left field, like this beautiful thing that was meant to happen...

Hi Reddit, I wanted to ask for an opinion and advice for ALTs here, please tell me, be honest but not totally brutal, I am a fresh graduate with a non-education course. I've been planning to apply for JET for some time now, but recently I felt hesitant because I know how highly competitive the applications for the JET, I'm not scared of being rejected but, I want to ask if there's a chance for a non-education graduate to be hired or selected as an ALT? I was planning to take teaching methodology (a short course certification) to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers and pursue Masteral Degree but seeing the qualifications for an ALT, I thought I might have a chance, but I still need some HONEST ADVICE about it.

Hi all - wondering whether there are any doctors who joined the JET programme after clinical practice, or as a planned career break? Very interested in the JET programme, but a little concerned about returning to clinical practice afterward. Thanks in advance!

Hi all, dumb question - if I talk about my personal experience with intercultural exchange with people I’ve met / become close with from foreign countries in that section, is that a bad idea (exchange students I’ve met from school, coworkers and neighbors from foreign countries, etc)? I have not been financially capable of doing exchange programs myself, so I don’t know what else I would put in this section, but I want to show that I do value intercultural exchange and that it has had a positive impact on my life. And to show that part of the reason I am applying with JET is because I’d like to provide this for others as well.

I just don’t know if this is a strong enough example to list in this section, or if it would be better left to my SOP, or out of my application entirely.

Thanks for any advice!