"Whatever Anyone Says, Medical School Is Best"...107 Students Decline Enrollment at Seoul National University

More than 80% from the natural sciences track (87 students)
Zero withdrawals in the premedical course as preference for medical schools takes hold
High attrition rates even in corporate-sponsored contract departments

It was reported that 107 of the initially admitted applicants in Seoul National University's regular admissions for the 2026 academic year declined to enroll. In particular, 86 of these were from the natural sciences track alone, highlighting a pronounced concentration in that area. This is because the strong preference for medical schools is still very much at play.

According to data on the "Status of Enrollment Withdrawals Among Initially Admitted Applicants in Regular Admissions at Seoul National University and Yonsei University" released by Jongno Academy on the 8th, by the enrollment deadline for initially admitted applicants in regular admissions (the 5th), 107 students, or 7.6% of the total 1,408 available seats at Seoul National University, declined to enroll. Among them, 86 were from the natural sciences track, accounting for more than 80% of the total. The humanities track saw 17 withdrawals, and the arts and physical education track saw only 4.

By undergraduate program within the natural sciences track, the number of students who declined to enroll was 10 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 8 in the Department of Forest Environmental Science, 6 in the College of Nursing, 5 in the School of Advanced Convergence, and 4 in the Department of Architecture. Enrollment withdrawals occurred in a total of 27 departments. In contrast, there were no students who declined to enroll in the Premedical Course at Seoul National University College of Medicine.

It was reported that 107 of the initially admitted applicants in Seoul National University's regular admissions for the 2026 academic year declined to enroll.

Yonsei University also sees many enrollment withdrawals in natural sciences...Preference for medical schools persists

Yonsei University likewise saw more students declining to enroll from the natural sciences track. In Yonsei University's regular admissions, 435 out of 1,685 initially admitted applicants (25.8%) declined to enroll. Of these, 254 were from the natural sciences track, accounting for 58.4% of the total. The humanities track had 176 students (40.5%), and the arts and physical education track had 5 students (1.1%).

By undergraduate program in the natural sciences track, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering had the largest number of enrollment withdrawals with 48, followed by 27 in the Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, 26 in the School of Advanced Computing, and 22 in the Underwood Division of Global Leadership (Natural Sciences), among others. This is likewise analyzed as having occurred because students who were admitted both to medical schools and to Seoul National University chose to enroll in medical schools.

In the Premedical Course at Yonsei University College of Medicine, 18 students declined to enroll, an increase from last year. The rate of enrollment withdrawals was also high in corporate-sponsored contract departments. In the Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, which operates under an agreement with Samsung Electronics, 27 out of 32 admitted students declined to enroll, and in the Department of Display Convergence Engineering, which operates under an agreement with LG Display, 4 out of 7 admitted students declined to enroll. This is interpreted as indicating that the preference for medical schools is overwhelming the appeal of corporate-sponsored contract departments.

Im Seongho, CEO of Jongno Academy, said, "Although the number of natural sciences students declining to enroll decreased by 9 from last year's 95, it is still high compared to the 2024 academic year (76 students), before the expansion of medical school quotas," adding, "The preference for medical schools remains very strong."