"College of Medicine Admission with CSAT Grades '4·2·2·3·5'... Reverse Discrimination Controversy Rekindled"

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A review post claiming admission to a regional national university's pre-medical program with a '4·2·2·3·5' grade in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) has become a hot topic, reigniting controversy over 'reverse discrimination' in the student selection process.

On the 8th, an online community posted a message titled "Did you see someone get into medical school with 4·2·2·3·5 in the regular admission?" The post included a captured photo from a chat room. According to the post, on the 6th, a student who announced "I got into medical school" revealed an acceptance letter to the pre-medical program from the president of a regional national university, University A.

News has emerged that a student who received a '4·2·2·3·5' grade on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was admitted to the medical school through the regional talent (low-income) admission track, sparking controversy over reverse discrimination.
[Photo source=Online community capture]

The admission type for this student is known as the 'Regional Talent (Low-Income)' track. When another student in the chat asked about the CSAT grades, the admitted student modestly replied, "It's embarrassing, but 4·2·2·3·5." These correspond respectively to Korean, Mathematics, English, and two subjects chosen from Science Inquiry.

The post's author commented, "This is not early admission but regular admission," adding, "No matter how much it's an opportunity balance (admission type), it is unusual for such grades to gain admission to medical school."

The Regional Talent admission track targets students who graduated from high schools in the same region as the university's location. Several regional national universities implement this track to nurture local talent within their regions. The Regional Talent Low-Income track is a subset allowing students who are basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty class, or from single-parent families to apply.

As this news spread, opinions on the Regional Talent admission track have been divided. In particular, some have raised claims of 'reverse discrimination.' Negative comments such as "This is so unfair," "I've never seen a medical student with grades below level 4," and "I don't want to be treated by that doctor" have poured in.

Some netizens responded with comments like "They studied hard despite difficult circumstances," and "They applied according to the admission track and got accepted, so what's the problem?"

An admissions expert analyzed, "This student's admission case is a phenomenon arising as the school-age population decreases and the proportion of regional talent selection in medical schools increases."