"Accepted to Seoul National University, But Not Going"... Where Did the 188 Who Declined Registration Go?

Increase in Unregistered Students in Humanities Due to Overlapping Admissions with Korean Medicine Programs
Natural Sciences See 10% Drop in Unregistered Students Following Reduction in Medical School Quotas

In the 2026 early admission process at Seoul National University, a total of 188 successful applicants declined to register. While the number of unregistered students in the natural sciences decreased due to the reduction in medical school admissions quotas, the number of unregistered students in the humanities slightly increased, reflecting a trend toward professional careers.

Seoul National University Main Gate Image. Seoul National University

According to Jongro Academy on December 23, the number of additional successful applicants for the 2026 Seoul National University early admission was 157 in the natural sciences, 29 in the humanities, and 2 in the arts and physical education, totaling 188. This represents a decrease of 16 students (7.8%) compared to last year’s 204.

By academic track, the number of unregistered students in the natural sciences dropped by 18 (10.3%), from 175 last year to 157 this year. In contrast, the humanities saw an increase of 1 (3.6%), from 28 to 29.

The decrease in the unregistered rate in the natural sciences is attributed to fewer students being admitted to both medical schools and other departments, due to the reduction in medical school admission quotas. By department, the Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Department had the highest number of unregistered students at 29, followed by the College of Pharmacy (13), the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering (11 each), the Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology (8), and the Departments of Forest Sciences and Applied Biological Chemistry (7 each).

Im Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "The decrease in unregistered students in the natural sciences at Seoul National University can be cautiously interpreted as a slight decline in preference for medical schools among applicants. It is also possible that more students applied to natural science departments at Seoul National University rather than to medical schools during the early application stage." He added, "However, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions based solely on the situation at Seoul National University, and we need to monitor the regular admissions and additional acceptance stages as well."

In contrast, the humanities saw an increase in unregistered students, particularly in the top departments. In the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, 7 students declined to register, more than doubling from 3 the previous year. The Department of Economics and the College of Business Administration also saw 5 and 3 students, respectively, not registering. Last year, only 1 student in each of these departments declined to register.

CEO Im explained, "It is estimated that most students who declined to register in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, the Department of Economics, and the College of Business Administration were also admitted to programs such as the College of Korean Medicine at Kyung Hee University and chose those instead. This outcome appears to reflect practical concerns such as a preference for professional careers and the current job market challenges."