志望校(しぼうこう)

しぼうこう
noun
school of one's choice; desired school
1. school of one's choice; desired school; target school
The school a student hopes to enter, typically through an entrance examination. Used at all levels from junior high through university. Central to discussions about the Japanese exam preparation culture.
志望校(しぼうこう)に合格(ごうかく)した。
I passed the entrance exam for my desired school.
志望校(しぼうこう)を決(き)めるのに悩(なや)んでいる。
I'm struggling to decide which school to aim for.
志望校(しぼうこう)の偏差値(へんさち)に届(とど)くように毎日(まいにち)勉強(べんきょう)している。
I study every day to reach the deviation score required by my target school.

志望校(しぼうこう) is the school a student hopes to enter through an entrance examination. Central to discussions about Japan's exam-driven education culture.

WORD FORMATION:
志望(しぼう) (aspiration, desire) + 校(こう) (school).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 志望校(しぼうこう)に合格(ごうかく)する: to pass the exam for one's desired school
  • 志望校(しぼうこう)を決(き)める: to decide on a target school
  • 志望校(しぼうこう)を変(か)える: to change one's target school
  • 志望校(しぼうこう)の偏差値(へんさち): the deviation score of one's target school

RELATED TERMS:

  • 第一志望(だいいちしぼう): first-choice school
  • 併願校(へいがんこう): backup school (applied to alongside first choice)
  • 滑(すべ)り止(ど)め: safety school (insurance against failing first choice)
  • 受験(じゅけん): entrance examination

CULTURAL NOTE:
Choosing a 志望校(しぼうこう) is a major event in Japanese student life. Students often attend 塾(じゅく) (cram school) for years to prepare for entrance exams.

general
Added 2026.3.23 18:23 · Revised 2026.4.5 18:38
18500/18904_shiboukou