Significant Increase in Regular Admission Quotas: "From Early 1st Grade, Students Will Be Divided for School Records and CSAT Preparation"

Including Early Admission Carryover, Nearly 50%
CSAT Admission Proportion 21.9%
Early Admission: 22.9% Comprehensive Student Records, 42.9% Academic Records Selection

On November 15 last year, high school seniors who completed the College Scholastic Ability Test at Seocho High School in Seoul are recording their provisional scores. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] From 2022, when current high school sophomores take the college entrance exam, the proportion of regular admissions will increase. This reflects the fact that among the 16 universities designated by the Ministry of Education for expanding regular admissions following the so-called 'Cho Kuk incident,' 9 universities have increased their regular admission ratios. Considering the number of students carried over from early admissions, there is even a prospect that the number of students admitted through regular admissions could approach 50%.

The Korea Council for University Education announced the '2022 Academic Year University Admission Plan' for 198 four-year universities nationwide. The total number of admissions is 346,553, which is 894 fewer than in the 2021 academic year. Among the total admissions, the proportion of admissions through the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is 21.9% (75,978 students), an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to the previous year. The proportion of early admissions through comprehensive student records is 22.9% (79,503 students), a decrease of 1.9 percentage points, while admissions through student records based on academic grades account for 42.9% (148,506 students), an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year.

Among the 16 universities in Seoul recommended to expand regular admissions, 9 universities will select more than 40% of their total admissions through the CSAT starting from the 2022 academic year. These universities admitted 14,787 freshmen through the CSAT in 2021, but will admit 19,296 in 2022. The number of students admitted through the CSAT at these 16 universities alone will increase by 30.4% (4,509 students) in one year.

Top-tier students split between student records and CSAT for college preparation
Need to prepare for reduced extracurricular activities in student records
Simultaneous preparation for early and regular admissions necessary

◆Choosing early or regular admissions early= From now on, it is highly likely that students will decide which admission track to choose?early or regular?based on their first semester grades in the first year of high school. If student records are not strong, there may be a trend toward switching entirely to the CSAT, creating an atmosphere of early CSAT study.

Also, as student records relatively weaken, there is a possibility that prestigious general high schools or specialized autonomous private high schools in regional hubs known for sending students well to universities through the CSAT will become more preferred. Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongro Sky Education, said, "Top-tier students will prepare for college entrance by splitting between student records and the CSAT," adding, "Middle-tier students need to prepare extensively as the reduction in extracurricular activities in student records makes the situation ambiguous."

The university-specific aptitude tests will be completely abolished in the 2022 academic year, and the number of admissions through essay tests will also decrease.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Still, 7 out of 10 students are admitted through early admissions= Although the proportion of regular admissions has increased, early admissions still account for a large share at 75.7%. Since students can apply up to six times in early admissions, it is generally better to apply through early admissions if possible. Some departments require meeting minimum CSAT scores even for early admissions. The proportion of admissions through student records based on academic grades in early admissions has also increased. Yonsei University, Sogang University, and Sungkyunkwan University newly established such tracks in 2022.

Therefore, students should thoroughly manage their student records for early admissions while also studying for the CSAT intermittently. Lee Young-deok, director of Daesung Academic Development Research Institute, said, "If preparation for student records based on academic grades, extracurricular activities, and essay tests is well done, it is advantageous to apply for early admissions; if mock CSAT scores are good, applying for regular admissions is better," adding, "School studies to get good grades also directly help with the CSAT."

Some express concerns that the expansion of regular admissions may actually strengthen the dominance of the Gangnam school district. The Justice Party Policy Committee stated, "As research on the CSAT shows, higher-income, highly educated households tend to receive higher scores," and added, "The government should explore various measures to minimize the side effects of expanding regular admissions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.