Perhaps the most important step to going to Yonsei University as an exchange student is the application process. With hundreds of applicants applying to the SKY universities, Yonsei University remains a popular choice for those wanting to study abroad in South Korea. The application process, therefore, is simple though telling in the type of applicant to expect, and whether or not the individual should be accepted.

Thankfully the application process was quite straightforward, and it was also paperless (meaning I didn’t have to necessarily mail Yonsei University any of my documents)! However, for those who are curious about what the application is like, I’ll hope to give as much detail about it in the next few paragraphs.

Application Guide

A nice feature that the Study Abroad at Yonsei Online Application site had was the numerous tabs that aptly put the information it had and needed. There are five tabs, and the first one is called the Application Guide (hence the heading; additionally, to keep in line with the purpose of this blog, I will only focus on the first and second tab). I decided to mention this first as it states the eligibility of the applicant, which is as follows:

• Semester Completion: must have completed at least 2 semesters or equivalent [transfer students: at least 1 semester completion required]
• GPA: 2.5/ 4.0 (B average) or ECTS (C or above)
• Language: TOEFL CBT 213 (IBT 79, PBT 550) or IELTS 6.5 (English) or KLAT level 4 (Korean) (Native English speakers are waived)

Another note to mention is that you must also be nominated by your home university/institution before applying to Yonsei University. The actual online application site itself is only accessible to the exchange students who were nominated, thus it’s not a website you can easily search for by yourself. You gain access to the site when you receive an email from Yonsei that gives both the site address and your login details.

Besides the eligibility of the applicant, it also breaks down the five steps in applying to Yonsei University:

• Nomination (by home university or institution)
• Completion of the online Application Form
• Payment of the Application Fee (if any)
• Receiving of the Letter of Admission by e-mail
• Payment of the tuition and application for housing (if any)

Application

First step

Now there were six steps to do in accomplishing the online application. The first step is to input your personal and financial information.

As for the personal information, this means inputting basic information about yourself such as name, birthday, gender, address and so forth; nothing too complicated about that! (take note that you may need to refer to your passport as your name has to be exactly like the one in your passport)

As for the financial information, worry not as it doesn’t ask for anything private and confidential. It only asks the manner in which you will pay the tuition. Oddly enough, there is only one option available under this heading which is tuition-waived, and the reason is that exchange students do not have to pay Yonsei University tuition. Instead, you pay your home university’s tuition at your home university.

The financial information is a bit amusing considering that they do not need to ask any financial details, really. However, it clarifies (if any) any worries regarding high tuition costs!

Second step

Step two regards two things: study duration and your emergency contact. Very simple right? The study duration basically inquires your stay at Yonsei University, wherein you have two options: one semester or two semesters (in my case, I was only studying for one semester).

The emergency contact basically asks for the contact details of the person Yonsei University gets in touch with should there be any issues or accidents. Again, very straightforward stuff.

Third step

The third step is where Yonsei University requires information about your academic information, in which I will compress the requirements in eight bullet points:

• Home university
• Location (i.e. the country in which you currently study in)
• Major
• Major at Yonsei (consult with your coordinator to get the best match! This will affect the courses you may apply for and the credits you’ll need)
• Year of study (at the time in which you’re studying at Yonsei, so it may not necessarily be in the same year of your application. Again, very important as certain courses can restrict students given their year level)
• GPA (you will need to upload your transcript of records for proof obviously, so make sure to request for a copy from your university)
• English proficiency, based on your IELTS or TOEFL scores (native English speakers and non-native English speakers studying their respective courses in English are waived.)
• Korean proficiency, based on your KLPT level (this only applies for those wanting to take courses taught in Korean at Yonsei University)

In this step, it is best to prepare the documents beforehand. The transcript of records is inarguably the most important document in this step as it verifies your grade standing, and whether or not you fulfil the GPA requirement of Yonsei University. I also want to add that despite studying being an English Literature major, I still uploaded a document that stated that my university teaches the courses in English – it doesn’t hurt to be too careful about these things!

Fourth step

The fourth step is a survey. This information gathered here, however, is more for Yonsei University’s interest in the sense that it asks three simple questions:

• How did you find out about our program?
• What made you decide to apply for our program?
• What kind of classes would like to see offered more at our program?

The questions are followed by a series of responses that come in the form of bullet points, so you only have to select one answer that best fits you. Again, your responses benefit Yonsei University more in the way they can market and improve their study abroad program!

Fifth step

Now, the fifth step is very document-heavy (hence, this step is called photo and related documents), so again, make sure you have all the requirements they need!

The type of files you’ll have to upload, and possibly input, is under the following headings:

• Photo (there are very specific requirements for the photo, especially as the photo will be used for your student ID in Yonsei.)
• Passport (the bio-page is just the information Yonsei University needs.)
• Health insurance
• Study plan

There are two documents that need to be emphasised. Firstly, health insurance is very crucial, as a delay in this can also affect your course registration. Even up until the next month, the Yonsei coordinator will give reminders regarding the upload of the insurance. The two main reasons for this is first, of course, you need to be covered abroad, especially in a country you are not familiar with. Secondly, it is also mandated by law for all exchange students to possess health insurance so there’s also a legal binding to it. Even if you do not have insurance yet, you can upload a document that states that your proof of insurance will be provided upon admission. Do note that when you do upload your health insurance, there are also guidelines to follow!

Secondly, the study plan is important! The template can be downloaded on the site, and it is where the coordinators will really get to know you. In the study plan, you’ll have to answer the following guidelines:

• Study plan
  • What is the purpose of your application to Yonsei University?
  • What is the major you want to study at Yonsei University and why?
• Self-description
  • Self-introduction (please explain and describe your aptitudes, hobbies, and philosophy of life)
  • Educational background (please summarise your academic achievements)

Although the questions appear simple, you’ll have to condense your answer as the page limit is only two. If you’re someone who has a lot of achievements, extracurriculars and organisational engagements, you’ll have to carefully select the activities that best describe you. More importantly, be as honest as possible! The officers have a rough idea of the pool of applicants who’ve applied, and, being honest and staying true to your character can most definitely boost your profile as a memorable applicant.

Sixth step

The final step of the application is to declare and submit! While the latter may be self-explanatory, the declaration part means that you declare that the information you’ve given is true and follow the guidelines and regulations of Yonsei University.

Along in this step is a couple of statements where Yonsei University asks consent, which I will not discuss for confidentiality reasons. However, just take note that as it is about consent, you have the option to disagree with certain requests.

Application Files List

To wrap up on this post, and aid you in the preparation of your application, here’s a list of all the files you will (as well as a scanned copy in pdf):

• Copy of passport bio page
• Transcript of record
• English proficiency documents (either IELTS, TOEFL or certificate of English)
• Korean proficiency document (KLPT)
• Photo (in jpeg form)
• Health insurance policy/Document stating that you will upload your health insurance upon admission
• Study plan

After you submit all of these, anticipate your result by email!

If you have any further questions about the application results, feel free to drop a question below!