志望校(しぼうこう)

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.

Forms

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 words

• 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.