Top Humanities Students Where Did They Go... Ultimately to 'Medical and Korean Medicine Schools'

29 Students from Seoul National University Humanities Program Withdraw Registration
"Presumed to Enter Medical and Korean Medicine Schools"

It has been identified that one out of five students classified as top-tier in the humanities category in last year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) enrolled in medical-related fields. Among the 29 students who were admitted to humanities departments at Seoul National University but gave up their enrollment, most are presumed to have entered medical or Korean medicine schools.

On the 18th, Jongro Academy announced, "An analysis of the enrollment status of 343 students who scored an average percentile of 96 or higher (within the top 4%, CSAT grade 1) in Korean, Math, and Inquiry subjects for the 2024 academic year, as disclosed on the university admission information portal 'Daehak Eodiga,' revealed these findings."

On May 24th, promotional materials for medical school admissions were posted on a private academy building in downtown Seoul. The Korea Council for University Education held the University Admission Committee meeting on the same day to review and finalize changes to the 2025 university admission implementation plans submitted by each university.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

By university, the numbers were as follows: Seoul National University 288 students (84.0%), Sangji University Korean Medicine 15 students (4.4%), Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine 13 students (3.8%), Daegu Haany University Korean Medicine 10 students (2.9%), Ewha Womans University Pre-Medicine 8 students (2.3%), Wonkwang University Korean Medicine 5 students (1.5%), and Dongguk University Wise Korean Medicine 4 students (1.2%).

Except for the 8 students in Ewha Womans University's Pre-Medicine department, all medical-related fields were Korean Medicine departments. Universities such as Sangji University Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University Korean Medicine, and Wonkwang University Korean Medicine separately select humanities students in their regular admissions.

Additionally, among the 2024 Seoul National University regular admission successful candidates, a total of 29 students?including 9 from the Department of Economics, 8 from humanities departments, 5 from Child and Family Studies, 3 from the Business School, 2 from Psychology, 1 from Political Science and International Relations, and 1 from Korean Language Education?gave up their enrollment at Seoul National University.

It is presumed that most of these students withdrew after being admitted to both Korean Medicine and medical schools. Looking at the admission scores, Seoul National University's Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (98.5 points), Department of Economics (98.1 points), Department of Social Education (98.0 points), Department of Political Science and International Relations (97.9 points), and Department of Sociology (97.8 points) had higher scores than Sangji University Korean Medicine (97.6 points).

[Photo by Jongno Academy]

It is also presumed that most students who enrolled in top-tier humanities departments were actually science-track students. Among the initial successful candidates in Seoul National University's regular admissions, science-track students who chose Calculus and Geometry in the CSAT accounted for 52.0% in the College of Humanities, 63.8% in the College of Social Sciences, 55.4% in the Business School, and 70.6% in the College of Human Ecology.

Im Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "Although the departments that top humanities students enter are classified as humanities departments, due to cross-application by science-track students to humanities departments, the number of humanities-track students entering top-tier humanities departments is very small, and it is presumed that science-track students make up the majority."

He added, "From the 2028 academic year, when the humanities and science tracks are fully integrated, top-tier departments based on CSAT scores could be filled with natural science students from both tracks. Even students who initially aimed for humanities may accelerate their preference for medical-related fields among the top CSAT scorers."