11% of admitted students at Seoul National University opt out of registration

In the early admission process for the 2024 school year, it has been observed that one in 10 students accepted to Seoul National University opted not to register. An analysis suggests that the phenomenon of 'congregating at top-tier medical schools' has intensified, with the estimation that a considerable number of students admitted to the natural sciences major have chosen to enroll in local medical schools.

According to Jongno Academy on Friday, the rate of students who were accepted to Seoul National University but did not register for early admission this year was 10.5% (228 students). The number is slightly higher than last year (9.4%, 194 people). By field, the non-registration rate in the science field was the highest at 15.1%. The non-registration rate in humanities and social sciences was 3.9%. All successful students enrolled in the Department of Medicine.

Korea University and Yonsei University experienced a slightly lower non-registration rate than last year, but, akin to Seoul National University, they faced the trend of a 'shift away from natural sciences.' Korea University's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering recorded a non-registration rate of 137%, and the Semiconductor Engineering Department had a 95% non-registration rate. A non-registration rate exceeding 100% indicates that all initially accepted students chose not to register. In the case of Yonsei University's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Department, with an early admission quota of 39, many initially accepted students opted not to register, leading to 38 students being additionally accepted.

"The reason for the increase in the number of unregistered students, particularly in the science field at Seoul National University, compared to last year, is that the number of top students choosing to leave the science major and register at other pre-med universities has increased," said Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy.


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