3 Reasons Why Students Fail GKS

Do you know that 90% of GKS applicants apply blindly? They think it’s enough to complete the forms, add certificates, write the essays, and then submit. Most students who do this fail the application. This is because the application is a competition. And like any competition, there are proven ways to win.

In Scholars Academie, we have spent 5 years researching what makes a GKS applicant win or lose the scholarship application. We’ve read 10,000 essays, surveyed 15,000 profiles of both winning and losing applicants combined. What we found out are the evidence of a real way to win GKS which helped us secure the scholarship for more than 120 students in our program in the past. Our students are now enjoying their new lives in South Korea filled with new opportunities to succeed in their life. You can read their testimonies in our website: https://scholarsacademie.com

In this issue, we’re going to talk about the 3 major reasons why GKS applicants fail the application. In the future issues, we will discuss the secrets on how to win it.

Let’s get started.

3 Major Reasons Why Students Fail GKS

1. Applying without strategy.
   
   Here’s the thing. You can’t just prepare the documents and then submit it to whichever university or track you want. It’s like trying to shoot an arrow with blinds on. You don’t see the target. Therefore, you don’t see your chances clearly.

   
   As an example, a student of ours before, whom we will call Mary for her privacy, has come to us for help when she failed Embassy track application in 2021. When we studied her profile, it turns out her profile does not fit her country’s Embassy Track criteria. Her grades are simply not cut out for the Embassy Track and her choice of major also isn’t something the Embassy track of her country usually accepts. She was surely going to fail.

   
   So, we helped Mary develop a strategy by first deciding to apply to University Track. Then, we tried to find a university that fits her profile. We do this by analyzing all the data points of her application such as CGPA, number of high quality awards, intended major, quality of recommendation, etc. Once we have these data, we developed a specific strategy for Mary which is to apply to a Mid-Tier university outside Seoul. This university is the perfect university for her profile.
   
   When she applied in 2022 with our help, she actually won the scholarship even with a low grade of 82%.
   
   This just means that winning GKS is really about how you build a strategy for your application. Which track? Which university? Which documents to submit? Which extra unique certificates to include? All of these things have to be considered and we help our students with this from the very beginning until they win GKS.
   
   
   

2. Writing a terrible recommendation letter.

   
   Here’s another thing that many students don’t know: you can actually write your own letter of recommendation.
   
   You write the draft, send it to your recommender, ask them if what you wrote is accurate and then ask them to sign it. This is much better for you and for the recommender for several reasons:
   
   It is good for you because you will know what goes into your letter. You can see how effective it is. And if there are some things you want to add, you can add it. Not everything you did in your school be something that stays in the mind of your recommender so this is a great help for them.
   
   It is good for your recommender because that means they will not have to write from memory. Most recommenders (professors or teachers) have a recommendation letter template in their computer.
   
   You don’t want this templated letter.
   
   This templated letter doesn’t have anything substantial. It’s just generalized content that can be applied to any student by just replacing the name. This is actually so common that it makes us sad to see exemplary and competitive students get a very low quality letter.
   
   In our mentorship, we have a collection of 50+ recommendation letters from our previous students who won the scholarship.
    
   

   

   
   Our students could see what information they need to put in their letters so they can remind their recommenders what makes them a competitive student. We help them write the letter sentence per sentence until it’s perfect. Then they submit the letter to their recommender and the recommender checks it for accuracy. Once approved, the recommender send it back to the student sealed.
   
   
   

3. No unique awards/experience/aspect in the application.
   
   
   A lot of students applying to GKS are very competitive. They have near-perfect grades, numerous extracurricular activities, high level awards such as international competitions, as well as language certificates.
   
   There is no lack of good students. In fact, most are qualified on paper. What these students lack are unique aspects in their application.
   
   For example, a student of ours before had a CGPA of 85, which is about average in his country. He was competing with students with 94 and above CGPA. After joining our mentorship, he was able to beat those students and win GKS.
   
   What’s the secret? We helped him write a very unique essay and added unique elements such as certificates in his application to emphasize his humanity, his real-world experience, and his academic competence.
   
   GKS is not just looking for a good and obedient student, they are looking for a well-rounded person who has the highest chance of being able to survive in South Korea. You will not just study in South Korea but you will also have to survive on your own. GKS has to evaluate whether a specific student has those qualities that will make him/her survive. It’s important because many students in the past has failed the scholarship midway or has been expelled due to low grades or poor conduct. This is a waste of time and resources for the GKS and its parent organization, NIIED. Most student don’t think about this so they are surprised when they fail even with high academic grades.
   

Conclusion

Applying to GKS is not an easy task. Many students had to try many times before they learn why they fail. With our mentorship, you don’t have to waste years of trying. We will make sure your application has ZERO mistakes and will reach its maximum potential. You will receive access to the previous winners’ essays, letters of recommendations, and data.

Our CEO, Ace Apolonio, who won GKS in 2016, will also be with you along the way until you win the scholarship.

GKS 2025 is approaching and 200+ students in our mentorship are now preparing for it. Join us today by visiting our website: https://scholarsacademie.com. It is free for 7 days.

Testimonial of the Week

🚀 Join our mentorship here: I want to win GKS

🧑🏻 Contact Ace Apolonio here: Contact

👉 Follow us on instagram here: Scholars Academie