University Admissions

A selection process for high school graduates to enter higher education institutions; South Korea operates a dual system of Susi (early) and Jeongsi (regular) admissions.

University Admissions

Overview

University admissions (Korean: 대학 입학; 大學入學) refers to a series of selection processes that students who have completed high school take to enter university, a higher education institution. Each country operates a different admissions system according to its unique historical background and education policy, and South Korea has a complex screening system divided into Susi (early admissions; 수시) and Jeongsi (regular admissions; 정시), centered on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT; 수능). The admissions system is a core education policy that goes beyond simply selecting new students to influence the direction of secondary education, the private education market, and social class mobility.

Main Content

Basic Structure of Admissions Screening

University admissions screening is largely reduced to two questions: “What will be evaluated?” and “How will it be evaluated?” Evaluation factors include academic achievement (school records, CSAT, university-specific exams), extracurricular activities (volunteer work, clubs, career activities), self-directed competencies (self-introduction letters, interviews), and special skills/qualifications (arts and physical education, foreign languages, certificates). Evaluation methods are divided into holistic aggregation, which adds multiple factors at once, and step-by-step screening, which applies documents, interviews, and minimum CSAT academic standards in stages.

South Korea's University Admissions System

University admissions in South Korea are dualized into Susi (early admissions) and Jeongsi (regular admissions). Susi consists of comprehensive school record screening (학생부종합전형), subject-based school record screening (학생부교과전형), essay screening (논술전형), and practical/special talent screening (실기·특기자전형), and selects about 70–80% of the total quota. Jeongsi mainly uses CSAT scores and conducts applications divided into Ga, Na, and Da groups. From the 2028 school year, the CSAT elective subject system will be reorganized into an integrated format, and major changes are foreseen, such as the introduction of the high school credit system and a 5-grade school record system.

Admissions Systems in Major Countries

The United States implements so-called “holistic review,” comprehensively evaluating SAT/ACT scores, high school GPA, essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. The United Kingdom applies through UCAS, with A-Level scores and a Personal Statement as key evaluation materials. Japan combines the National Center Test for University Admissions (Common Test) with each university's second-stage exam, and recently has been expanding comprehensive selection (총합형 선발). China's national unified examination, the Gaokao (高考), carries absolute weight.

Evaluation Factors and Fairness Debate

Fairness in admissions screening is always at the center of debate. Extracurricular and essay screenings, which rely heavily on private education, are criticized for deepening class gaps; conversely, CSAT-centered Jeongsi is criticized for distorting school education. Accordingly, universities operate various co-prosperity admissions such as regional balanced selection, opportunity balanced selection, and social integration screening.

Screening Schedule and Procedures

Generally, the third-year high school course begins in March, Susi applications are received in September, and Susi screening takes place around October–December, before and after the CSAT. Jeongsi applications are received from late December to early January, Jeongsi screening takes place in mid-January, and successful candidates are announced and registered in February. After that, additional recruitment and supplementary admissions continue until late February.

Latest Trends

As of 2024–2025, the university admissions system is being reorganized around two axes: the decline in the school-age population and the cultivation of talent in advanced fields. Starting with the 2025 school year, medical school quotas were greatly expanded, shaking the landscape of top-tier natural science applicants, and the so-called “medical school concentration” and the increase in students taking leave to retake the exam (bansu; 반수) and repeat applicants (jaesu; 재수) emerged as social issues. Also in 2025, special admissions for advanced-field talent development were introduced at 39 universities nationwide, selecting talent early in national strategic technology fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and secondary batteries. From the 2026 school year, the scale of autonomous major (major-free) selection expanded, and at several universities more than 25% of new students are selected as major-free, with a structure in which they choose their major after admission taking hold. In addition, as the 2028 CSAT reform plan, the 5-grade high school school record system, and full implementation of the high school credit system interlock, the landscape of university admissions screening is expected to change fundamentally. Regional balanced admissions for nurturing regional talent and special-region admissions such as Gangwon and Jeju are also expanding, and the digitalization of screening operations is progressing rapidly, such as scoring essay and interview answers with artificial intelligence or introducing major-fit interviews instead of self-introduction letters.