78% Early Admission for 2023 College Entrance... 16 Seoul Universities Increase Regular Admissions

Increase in Overall Early Admission Ratio... Metropolitan Universities Expand Regular Admission, Non-Metropolitan Increase Early Admission
Seoul Major Universities Expand CSAT-Based Selection to 40.5% Following Ministry of Education Recommendations
University Admission Quota Up by 2,571 from 2022 Academic Year... Possibility of Freshman Shortfall Recurrence

On the morning of the 3rd, when the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test was held, examinees at the test site of Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, received test papers and marked their answer sheets.

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), this year's exam was postponed by two weeks and was simultaneously conducted at 1,383 test centers across 86 test districts nationwide, with a record low of 493,433 examinees. 2020.12.3

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] For the 2023 academic year, which applies to current high school sophomores, major universities in Seoul will increase the number and proportion of students admitted through regular admissions. Non-metropolitan universities will expand the number and ratio of early admissions. With the total number of admissions increasing by about 2,500, the possibility of repeated difficulties in filling freshman quotas has grown.

On the 29th, the University Admission Committee of the Korea Council for University Education announced the 2023 university admission implementation plans for 198 universities nationwide.

Universities nationwide will select 78.0% of their total admissions through early admissions and 22.0% through regular admissions. Early admissions increased by 10,064 students (2.3 percentage points) compared to the previous year, while the number of regular admissions decreased by 7,493 students (2.3 percentage points). The number and proportion of admissions by selection type are as follows: ▲School record-based (student record) admissions 154,716 (44.3%) ▲Comprehensive student record admissions 81,703 (23.4%) ▲CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test)-based admissions 69,911 (20.0%) ▲Essay-based admissions 11,016 (3.2%) ▲Practical skills/performance-based admissions 27,164 (7.8%) ▲Others 4,614 (1.3%).

Number and Ratio of Early Admission and Regular Admission for the 2023 Academic Year (Source: Korea Council for University Education)

2023 College Admission Screening Ratios for Regular and Early Admissions in Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Areas

The number of admissions for the 2023 academic year is 349,124, an increase of 2,571 compared to the 2022 academic year. Although the 2022 admissions (346,553) decreased by 894, this increase is more than double that amount. The number of high school seniors in 2023 is 447,233, a decrease of 4,904 from the previous year, but the admission quota has significantly increased, which is expected to worsen the difficulty of filling freshman quotas.

Sixteen universities located in Seoul have increased the proportion of regular admissions based on the CSAT from 37.6% in 2022 to 40.5%. The number of regular admissions at major Seoul universities will increase by 1,715 from 19,296 in 2022 to 21,011. The number of regular admissions at 41 universities in the Seoul metropolitan area will increase from 30,038 to 31,969. As the scale of regular admissions expands, the importance of the CSAT is expected to grow for middle- to upper-tier students.

Admission Quota by Admission Type for 16 Universities in Seoul in the 2023 Academic Year University Admission Plan (Source: Ministry of Education)

The total number of regular admissions at universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, including major Seoul universities, will increase by 825. This reflects the Ministry of Education's recommendation to expand regular admissions at 16 Seoul universities by the 2023 academic year. The increase by university is as follows: ▲Chung-Ang University 490 ▲Seoul National University 366 ▲Kyung Hee University 206 ▲Sookmyung Women’s University 175 ▲University of Seoul 117. Seoul National University’s regular admissions number is 1,395, with the proportion increasing from 30.1% to 40.2%. Universities with a high proportion of regular admissions include ▲University of Seoul (45.9%) ▲Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (42.6%) ▲Sogang University (40.5%).

On the other hand, non-metropolitan universities will increase early admissions by 8,669 students, raising the selection ratio by 3.9 percentage points. The number of admissions at universities in the metropolitan area will increase by 2,220 from 129,562 to 131,782, intensifying competition for freshman recruitment at universities located in Incheon.

With the overall increase in admissions, the significant expansion of early admissions at non-metropolitan universities may lead to a recurrence of unfilled spots in regular admissions. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy Haneul Education, analyzed, "Both early and regular admissions are expected to see intensified concentration in the Seoul area. If regional universities fail to fill their quotas through early admissions, the scale of unfilled spots in regular admissions could increase as it did this year, potentially leading to a significant expansion of additional admissions."

Universities will also increase the proportion of admissions under the Special Opportunity Selection within the quota for the 2023 academic year. In 2023, 55,279 students (15.8%) will be admitted through the Special Opportunity Selection, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the previous year. Of these, 31,027 (8.9%) are within the quota, and 24,252 (6.9%) are outside the quota. The number of universities operating regional talent special admissions and their proportion also increased. Ninety-three universities, one more than the previous year, will select 21,235 students (6.1%).

The application period for early admissions for the 2023 academic year is from September 13 to 17, 2022 (at least 3 days), with the selection period from September 18 to December 14, and the announcement of successful candidates by December 15. The registration period for successful candidates is from December 16 to 19, the deadline for notifying additional admissions due to early admission non-registration is December 26, and the final registration deadline is December 27.

The application period for regular admissions is from December 29, 2022, to January 2, 2023. The regular admission selection periods are: Group A from January 5 to 12, 2023; Group B from January 13 to 20; Group C from January 25 to February 1. The deadline for notifying additional admissions due to regular admission non-registration is February 16, and the final registration deadline is February 17. The application period for additional admissions is from February 20 to 28, 2023, with registration due by February 28.