Fluctuating Medical School Quotas... Confused Examinees Amid Expansion of Non-Major Admissions

Outline of Medical School Expansion on the 30th
Medical School Quota Expected to Decrease from 2000 to 1600
Non-Major Admission Scale Also 'Uncertain'
Admissions Industry: "Parents Do Not Trust the Government"

The fluctuating size of medical school quotas and the expansion of non-major admissions have caused ongoing confusion among students preparing for next year's university entrance exams.

According to the education sector on the 30th, as the deadline for the Ministry of Education to request next year's medical school quotas from 40 universities nationwide approaches, the outline of the medical school quota increase is expected to become clear. However, if universities find it difficult to finalize their quotas, the Korea Council for University Education's position is that submissions can, in principle, be made by mid-May.

Universities are in last-minute deliberations ahead of the quota finalization deadline. Although the government has allowed autonomous recruitment within a range of 50-100% of the increased quota, some national universities are reducing their increase, so the total quota is expected to be 1,500 to 1,600, less than the initially planned 2,000. In particular, the four universities?Kyungpook National University, Gyeongsang National University, Jeju National University, and Chungnam National University?that had requested autonomous increases from the government plan to reduce their assigned quotas by up to 50%.

As confusion continues over the 'medical school quota increase,' students and the admissions industry are struggling to forecast this year's entrance exam outcomes. Nam Yungon, head of the Megastudy Admissions Strategy Research Institute, said, "Policies have changed so much that now parents no longer trust government policies themselves," adding, "They are watching closely until July or August, when the main application period begins."

Starting from the 2025 academic year, the 'non-major admissions' system, implemented at all universities, is another factor in this year's admissions changes. According to the Ministry of Education's '2024 University Innovation Support Project and National University Development Project Basic Plan' announced in January, non-major admissions are divided into methods where students choose any major except medical or education colleges after admission, or select a major within the admitted faculty or college. Some universities, including Duksung Women's University, Korea University, and Hanyang University, have already announced plans to expand non-major freshmen admissions. However, as non-major admissions expand, students find it difficult to predict which departments' quotas will be reduced at each university.

A Ministry of Education official stated, "We plan to announce the status of non-major admissions plans around late May, when the '2025 University Entrance Examination Basic Information' must be published on the website."

Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, "This is the time when high school seniors and university students considering re-taking exams need to devise their admissions strategies, but the uncertainty in admissions has not been resolved at all," adding, "It is a time when government announcements or guidelines that can reassure students are needed."