"Understanding Desired University Admission Criteria is Important" 2025 College Admission Application Guide

Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute, Analysis of the 2025 College Admission Plan Implementation

The University Admission Committee of the Korea Council for University Education announced the ‘2025 Academic Year University Admission Implementation Plan’ for its 196 member universities. Although the plan presents early and regular admission methods to guide current 11th-grade students on the nationwide universities' freshman selection directions, many students and parents find it difficult to understand the plan due to its vast volume and complex terminology. We analyzed this implementation plan together with the Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute.

Kim Byung-jin, director of the Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute, advised, "It is good to grasp roughly what types of admissions and methods the universities you wish to apply to operate through the admission summary. If you check the major changes compared to the previous year in advance, you can start preparing for admissions faster than others."

On the 20th, students and parents are visiting booths at the '2023 Academic Year Early Admission University Information Fair' held by the Korea Council for University Education at COEX Hall A in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This fair, held for the first time in three years due to the impact of COVID-19, will continue until the 23rd. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

◇ Carefully examine whether the ‘Number of Admissions by Admission Type’ has increased or decreased= The core of the admission plan is to review the number of admissions by admission type for each recruitment unit. You should first check whether the department you want to apply to is recruiting under that admission type, how many students are selected by each admission type, and whether recruitment has changed from department-based to field-based. It is especially important to look at whether the number of admissions by admission type has increased or decreased compared to the previous year. Changes in the number of admissions directly affect the competition rate, enrollment rate, and final admission results for that year. If the number of admissions for a specific admission type has significantly increased, the acceptance score may drop this year, so keep this in mind when establishing your admission strategy.

◇ Check ‘Eligibility Requirements’ especially for special admissions= You must check in advance whether you meet the basic eligibility requirements through the admission type’s eligibility criteria. Even if you have the grades and competitiveness to pass the admission type stably, if you do not meet the eligibility conditions, you cannot apply at all. Eligibility requirements are summarized in a table under ‘Admission Summary and Major Changes’ for all admission types or specified at the top of the ‘Admission Type Guide.’

Generally, the regular general (CSAT-based) admission allows anyone who took the CSAT in the relevant academic year to apply, but early admissions have eligibility restrictions depending on the admission type. The student record-based admission type has strict restrictions based on graduation year or high school type, and especially when principal recommendation is required, there are limits on the number of recommendations per high school and per field, so you must check carefully. Moreover, if you are considering admission types with regional restrictions such as regional talent, rural students, specialized high schools, or equal opportunity admissions, you should examine the eligibility requirements even more thoroughly.

◇ Carefully check the ‘Admission Type Guide’ before applying= The admission type guide contains detailed information about the elements, weighting ratios, admission methods, and minimum CSAT score requirements for each early and regular admission type operated by the university, so it is essential to check it to establish your admission strategy.

For student record-based admissions, since academic grades are the main evaluation factor, it is important to understand which subjects are reflected in the student record, how elective subjects related to career paths are considered, the indicators used, and whether volunteer work and attendance are reflected. Also, since most apply minimum CSAT score requirements, you should check these to set your CSAT preparation direction. For comprehensive student record admissions, which select students based on documents and interviews, you should carefully review the required documents and evaluation methods. Especially for universities with changes in document evaluation factors, understanding how academic competency, career competency, and community competency are assessed in advance helps prepare for the remaining semester. For essay admissions, since only basic admission methods are often listed, it is better to refer separately to materials related to the essay test for detailed information.

For regular admissions, you must closely check the number of admissions, CSAT subject areas and weighting ratios, English/Korean history reflection methods, military service movement, and additional points. In particular, since some recruitment units restrict the choice of mathematics and inquiry subjects, you must confirm in advance and study subjects that match the required CSAT test areas.

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