Training Colleges Implement Spring Early Admissions Programs

Training colleges and institutes will hold early admissions programs in the spring starting this year. Based on students’ high school records, 8.8 percent (24,273 people) of the total number of students to be admitted will be granted early admission this spring. With this year’s early admissions programs held both in the spring and fall, training colleges and institutes will admit 72.8 percent (37.5 percent last year) of the total student quota early.

The Korean Council for College Education announced the admissions program plans of 158 colleges in the nation for the year 2005 on Sunday.

The total number of students to be admitted will be 275,844 people – a decrease of 1,311 people, due to voluntary reduction by a number of colleges. During the fall early admissions process, 153 colleges will select 63.9 percent of the total number of students to be admitted (176,334 people).

The number of students admitted by special admissions programs, set up for students with various talents and skills, will be 148,604 people (53.8 percent of the total number of students admitted). 82.7 percent of those chosen by special admissions programs (122,786 people) will be admitted early.

Most training colleges and institutes will look at high school grades in the early admissions program. In regular admissions, many colleges reflect the scores of one to four sections from the college entrance exams. Most colleges use entrance exam percentage scores rather than raw scores, and some give greater weight to high scores in special sections or request a minimum level of scholastic ability.

The admissions schedule for colleges is:

--Spring early admissions: June 3 to August 19

--Fall early admissions: September 1 to December 19

--Regular admissions: December 22, 2004 to February 28, 2005

--Additional admissions: March 1 to 12

For further information, visit the Korean Council for College Education website (www.kcce.or.kr).

Seong-Chul Hong sungchul@donga.com