University Admissions
Overview
University admissions refers to the entire selection process that high school graduates (or those recognized as having equivalent academic qualifications) go through to enter higher education institutions. In Korea, a complex system has taken hold in which Susi (early admissions) and Jeongsi (regular admissions) operate in parallel around the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT; Korean: 대학수학능력시험, commonly 수능), combining multiple evaluation factors such as high school records, essays, practical exams, and interviews. The admissions system has changed repeatedly in line with curriculum reforms and social demands, and those changes have directly affected the direction of high school education and the private tutoring market.
Key Details
The Two-Track Structure of Susi and Jeongsi
The biggest framework of Korean university admissions is the two-track structure of Susi and Jeongsi. Susi uses high school records (studentbu), essays, practical exams, interviews, and other materials as its main evaluation data; applications are generally accepted in September, and screening takes place from October to December. Jeongsi uses CSAT scores as its core data; applications are accepted in early December, and screening continues until January of the following year. Each university allocates a certain percentage of its total quota to Susi and Jeongsi, and in recent years major universities in the Seoul metropolitan area often allocate 70 to 80 percent to Susi.
College Scholastic Ability Test
The CSAT is a standardized test consisting of Korean language, mathematics, English, Korean history, inquiry (social studies, science, vocational), and second foreign language/Chinese characters sections. Scores are provided as standard scores, percentiles, and grades, and universities freely combine and reflect them. English and Korean history use absolute grading, while the remaining sections basically use relative grading. The CSAT effectively determines the outcome of Jeongsi and is also used as the minimum academic standard for Susi, shaping the overall study plans of high school seniors.
High School Record-Based Admissions: Subject and Comprehensive Tracks
The high school record admissions that form the center of Susi are largely divided into the subject-based track and the comprehensive track. The subject-based track quantitatively reflects high school grades, while the comprehensive track qualitatively evaluates not only subject grades but also detailed abilities and specialties, creative experiential activities, and reading and club activities. The comprehensive track combines document screening and interviews, and debates over the reliability and fairness of evaluation have been raised continuously. As the admissions officer system spread after the 2010s, universities institutionalized methods of evaluating major suitability and growth potential beyond simple grade comparison.
Essay, Practical, and Special Talent Admissions
Essay admissions measure the ability to analyze presented texts and write logically, and are mainly operated by some universities in the Seoul metropolitan area. Practical admissions carry great weight in the arts and physical education fields, and reflect both practical exams and high school records. Special talent admissions evaluate outstanding achievement in specific fields such as foreign languages, science, and sports, but their scale was greatly reduced after controversies over fairness.
Jeongsi Reflection Methods and University-Specific Exams
In Jeongsi, applicants are recruited in Ga, Na, and Da groups using CSAT scores. Because universities autonomously design subject reflection ratios, bonus points, and English grade conversion methods, the same score can lead to different results depending on the university applied to. In the past, university-specific entrance exams existed, but they were abolished after the introduction of the CSAT in the 1994 school year; since then, discussions about reviving them have been raised several times but have not been realized.
Admissions Factors and Fairness Systems
All admissions tracks are composed by combining four axes: high school records, CSAT scores, university-specific exams, and self-introduction letters and recommendation letters, and interviews. To ensure fairness, evaluation criteria are disclosed, admissions officers are trained, objection procedures are operated, and inspections by the Board of Audit and Inspection and the Ministry of Education are conducted. In addition, various special admissions tracks exist, such as social integration admissions, equal opportunity selection, special admissions for rural and fishing communities and low-income groups, and admissions for national merit and veterans.
Recent Trends
University admissions in 2024-2025 are in a transition period toward the 2028 school year reform. Starting with first-year high school students in 2025, high school grades will change from a nine-grade system to a five-grade system, and the high school credit system will be fully implemented; in the 2028 school year CSAT, elective subjects in Korean language and mathematics will be abolished, and the inquiry section will be reorganized into an integrated format. Whether advanced mathematics (Calculus II and Geometry) will be tested and whether academic track divisions will be abolished remain contested. The expansion of medical school quotas and the introduction of the regional doctor system shook the landscape of top-tier applications, and as admissions for autonomous majors and major-free (broad) selection expand, the structure of choosing a major after entering university is also changing. Expansion of quotas in advanced fields (semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and bio), reduction of essay admissions, strengthening of qualitative evaluation in Susi comprehensive high school record admissions, expansion of regional balance admissions, and measures to reduce private tutoring are being pursued together. At the same time, easing university ranking hierarchy, whether to expand absolute grading on the CSAT, and adjusting the Susi-Jeongsi ratio repeatedly appear as policy tasks every year.
Related Topics
- [[대학수학능력시험]]
- [[고교학점제]]
- [[학생부 종합전형]]
- [[입학사정관제]]
- [[교육과정]]
- [[사교육]]