One reason why students fail GKS.

Most students applying to GKS are applying blindly. They just submit their application hoping for a good result. They don’t know that there are many ways to make their profiles standout, be unique, and be more competitive despite low grades and poor academic background. Many students who are not that outstanding, like myself, have won the scholarship just because we stood out. Not because of grades, not because of school name. In this issue, I’m going to reveal to you one strategy that I teach my private coaching students.

One key strategy to consider involves categorizing universities within the GKS application into three types:

Most Competitive: SKY Universities, KAIST

Moderately Competitive: Other universities in Seoul that are not SKY, State/national universities outside Seoul (e.g., Busan National University)

Least Competitive: Universities outside Seoul that are not state/national universities (also known as Regional Universities)

The main reason this competitiveness category exists is due to two factors:

1. 80% of students want to study in Seoul, and most of them aim for the best schools.

2. Regional universities don't have as many foreigner-friendly resources to attract international students.

For these reasons, there is a significantly unbalanced influx of students in Seoul. This is why, in the last five years, GKS has been pushing to give more chances to regional universities by providing students with more incentives such as increased quotas. You can see it on the GKS guideline. You are required to choose at least one Type B or Regional University for the very reasons I mentioned above. Regional universities make similar efforts by offering additional support to students compared to Seoul universities. I have heard of universities providing extra scholarships in the form of a monthly stipend or free dormitory. Simply put, regional universities need students, which is why the competition there is lower than in Seoul.

If you are applying for the University Track, opt for the least competitive university to maximize your chances. For those applying for the Embassy Track, choose one university from each competitiveness level to expose your application to various university types, thereby maximizing your chances of success. If you choose three most competitive universities, your application won't be exposed to levels that would otherwise make you pass. This is a very common mistake students make, and they end up losing the entire scholarship without realizing that they could have passed if they had chosen a less competitive university.

Understand the caliber of students accepted at such universities—typically elite-level individuals with international awards and research papers. Evaluate your own profile objectively and select universities based on your competitiveness level, avoiding arrogance in the process. You have to know where you stand in the competitive pool. In my coaching program, I give students more insights by providing them with the data of previous winners so they can compare their profiles and maximize the likelihood of choosing the right university, major, and track.

In the coaching program, my students get access to a wealth of information that cannot be found anywhere on the internet. This includes the previous winners' essays, profiles, grades, and achievements. Because I've been doing this coaching for five years and have helped 120+ students successfully win the scholarship, I have amassed enough information to formulate a flowchart that my students follow to objectively determine which university and track they should pursue.

If you need a quick evaluation of your profile, schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation here: Scholars Academie

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