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On October 22, I had the distinct pleasure of arriving in the bustling city of Seoul in order to visit 6 of the top universities in the country.
The universities were: Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, Ewha Women’s University, Hanyang University and SungKyunKwan University.
To say I was impressed is an understatement. The campuses are outstanding in every way.
The trip was organized by Irene Lee, our Korean liaison officer, with the support of the High School administration. Irene had individually contacted each university and with a little help from some of our parents, arranged for us to meet with THE directors of admissions.
Immediately, we were warmly welcomed to the campus usually by the director of undergraduate admissions. It was their busiest time of year but they managed to give us their undivided time and attention to answer the questions we had for them.
Noticing that our Korean students have a great challenge in front of them when returning to Korea for university, I felt that there must be a better way to assist them in their transition. I had no idea just how difficult and challenging that transition for our students and families was until I got there and found out what they faced upon their return.
First of all, the competition to gain entrance to each university is unparalleled. Many of the universities get 40 to 50, 000 applications per year. When students leave Korea to live in another country, they must keep up with the challenging studies for those entry exams that they take upon their return. That is why many of our students attend Korean school or “hakwon” after they are finished with our school in the afternoon. The exam is very difficult and tests them on Korean Literature and Math as well as an English essay in some cases. If they do not keep up Korean studies, admissions officers told us that it is virtually impossible to be successfully accepted to a top university. Students in Korea go through the same rigorous studies well into the night and on weekends. Sleep is at a premium until they gain acceptance to a top university.
The “first round” for the admission process is the acceptance of documents; parents or students bring all their educational documents to the university on designated days in August or September. Usually students need to apply online within a 3 day period online. After that they must bring all their documents to the university itself. If they miss the deadline or their documents are incomplete, they will not qualify for admission.
After all the documents are reviewed, those who were successful enough go on to the “next round” of the admission process….the dreaded exams! Generally they are worth 80% of the qualifying mark. If the students get a very high score on the exams, the “final round” occurs which is in the form of an interview with a faculty member as well as admissions personnel to discuss and clarify their academic background. Students generally hear about their acceptance or denial by mid December.
In the past, academic ability was the number one thing universities were looking for. They are still keeping their academic standards high but they are branching out more to diversify their student body in the different faculties. Yonsei University for example has established a program called Underwood International College to compete with the Ivy League Universities in the United States. It is international in scope and is open to both Korean Nationals and foreign students. There are 2 parts to the application process: Document review and an interview with 3 faculty members. Students can apply directly to the Underwood International College.
Ewha Women’s University has much the same in their Division of International Studies- Scranton College. This may seem easier to some but the competition is still there. They are competing with Students, both Korean and foreign all over the world in these programs. Nothing is easy when it comes to gaining entry to Korean Universities however the International Programs they are now promoting will give Korean students another alternative to gaining entry as well as a first rate international education. Their programs are most impressive and innovative.
While we learned about the various universities, they learned about the Western Academy of Beijing and our philosophy and mission to educate students.
They were very impressed with the fact that we took time to visit. They were very impressed with all we are doing for our students. They were also very impressed with the fact that we offer IB diploma and certificates as well as a High School diploma based on credit units.
We extended an invitation for them to visit us in the new year and I am happy to say that they have all agreed to come and continue our dialogue to learn more about each other and how we can all help students gain the best education possible in high school and university.
I have come away from this experience with a deepened understanding and immense respect for Korean Culture as well as our students and their families which I could not experience if I had not made this college trip. Working hard to gain acceptance into a top university is common in Korea. Personal life and just “being a kid” is put on hold until they are confident they have attained the best for themselves and their families.