Universities in Seoul inch closer to 40% regular admissions goal

Major universities in Seoul are to raise the proportion of new students selected through regular admissions to over 30 percent starting in 2022, Korean Council for University Education data shows.

Regular admissions are decided primarily on the basis of a nationwide standardized test administered once a year. Rolling admissions often give more weight to other selection criteria such as extracurricular activities, internships and volunteer work.

According to Sejong University, major universities in Seoul will be moving closer to the target of 40 percent by 2023. The target was set by the Ministry of Education in 2019 as part of its efforts to make university admissions fairer. Rolling admissions have been criticized as favoring privileged students. 

According to the data released by the Korean Council for University Education, six universities will allocate 40 percent of their 2022 places to students who go through the regular admissions process. They are Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hanyang University, Korea University, Kyung Hee University, Sogang University and Yonsei University.

Others, including Sejong University and Seoul National University, will select over 30 percent of their new students through regular admissions in 2022.

The average for four-year universities in Seoul and surrounding regions will reach 32.3 percent. The national average currently stands at 24.3 percent due to the large proportion of students selected through rolling admissions at universities outside the capital region.

According to the Korean Council for University Education data, universities outside the Seoul area select nearly 85 percent of their students through rolling admissions.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)