54.7% Rush to Seoyeon University Regular Admissions Before Deadline... 'Nunchi Strategy' Still Prevails

Liberal Arts 56.6%, Science 53.0% Applications
"Cross-application Factor, Complex Interaction of Anxiety"

Logos of Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University (clockwise from the left). Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] This year, during the regular admissions period for universities, major universities in Seoul saw a 'timing battle' where applicants submitted their applications just before the deadline.

According to Jongno Academy on the 8th, during this year's regular admissions for Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, 7,667 applicants, accounting for 54.7% of the total 14,013 applicants combining humanities and natural sciences, submitted their applications within the last three hours before the deadline.

Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University release the competition rates for regular admissions three hours before the deadline, and many applicants checked the competition rates at the last moment before submitting their applications.

Especially in this second year of the integrated CSAT, this trend was more pronounced in the humanities. Among humanities applicants (6,603), 56.6% (3,740) applied in the last three hours, while among natural sciences applicants (7,410), 53.0% (3,927) applied during the same period.

By university, Seoul National University had 52.5% of humanities and 51.3% of natural sciences applicants submit in the last three hours; Yonsei University had 63.5% humanities and 61.4% natural sciences; Korea University had 51.5% humanities and 47.7% natural sciences.

Looking at departments, in the humanities, Yonsei University's Department of Child and Family Studies saw 93.8% of its total applicants apply at the last moment, followed by Yonsei University's Department of Public Administration at 90.3%, and Seoul National University's Department of Child and Family Studies at 88.1%.

In the natural sciences, the rates were also high: Seoul National University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering had 88.3%, Yonsei University's Department of Industrial Engineering 86.8%, and Seoul National University's Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional System Engineering 84.2%.

For top-tier departments, the last-minute application rates in humanities were Korea University's Business Administration at 34.0%, Seoul National University's Department of Economics at 44.4%, and Korea University's Department of Economics at 47.9%. In natural sciences, Seoul National University's Pre-Medical Course had 15.6%, Seoul National University's Department of Computer Science 20.2%, and Yonsei University's Pre-Medical Course 32.3%, showing that humanities applicants tended to apply more at the last moment than natural sciences applicants.

Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy, analyzed, "The relatively intense timing battle in the humanities seems to be due to a combination of anxieties about lower math scores for humanities students compared to natural sciences students in this year's integrated CSAT, and uncertainties caused by cross-application between fields. Natural sciences applicants also likely approached cautiously due to the unpredictability of advantages and disadvantages in cross-application."

He added, "Even in the second year of the integrated CSAT, regardless of competition rates by department, a considerable number of natural sciences students will inevitably be admitted through cross-application to humanities departments. Although competition rates for regular admissions at major Seoul universities have declined, the number of cross-applications between humanities and natural sciences will vary significantly by university, increasing uncertainty in admission predictions."

Meanwhile, the announcement dates for regular admissions results are as follows: Chung-Ang University on the 13th, Korea University on the 27th, Seoul National University on February 3rd, and Yonsei University on February 6th. Sungkyunkwan University announced its regular admissions results earlier than scheduled on the 6th.