Universities Want Students Adept at Advanced Math

Seoul National University (SNU) is currently reviewing a plan to give extra points to applicants for non-science and engineering majors, including economics and business administration, if they take a mathematics exam designed for selecting students in science and engineering majors, a math exam called the type-‘Ka.’ Students applying for admission as early as in 2008 will benefit from the program if SNU gives the green light.

SNU announced last Sunday, “At the request of economics and business administration departments, we are currently reviewing a plan to give extra points to their applicants if they take the math exam type-‘Ka.’ This exam tests students on advanced mathematics, including probability, statistics, calculus, and discrete mathematics.”

In its admission guidelines for students applying this year just released on the SNU website, SNU stated its considerations of the program, which may be applied as early as 2008 (for students entering in 2009) or after 2009.

An official at the office of admissions said, “We received the request at the beginning of this year at the meeting of associate deans from each college. Further discussions will be held at an admissions committee meeting after relevant departments come up with more details.”

An economics professor at SNU said, “Many students enrolled in economics and political science departments have a hard time catching up with their studies in micro and macroeconomics, and econometrics. This is largely because mathematics tests for applicants in these fields do not cover all the basic mathematics skills they need at an undergraduate level.”

The Dean of the SNU Business School, Kwak Su-keun, said the school is currently reviewing various ways to secure more math-advanced students, including the aforementioned incentive scheme.

Economics and Business departments at Korea University and Sungkyunkwan University are reviewing similar programs to that of SNU. In addition, the nationwide council of admissions officials will discuss ways to improve the mathematics abilities of high school students in non-science and engineering sectors at its regular session scheduled to take place on June 4.

Chung Joo-yeon, the director of economics in Korea University, said, “Right now, we practically have to force students to take mathematics courses. If SNU implements an incentive program, Korea University will consider doing the same.”

Park Je-nam, the chairman of the council of admissions officials and an admissions director at Inha University remarked, “For science and engineering applicants, the math exam type-‘Ka’ will become obligatory, and for the other applicants, we will reflect more of their math exam results than we do now. We will also propose an incentive program giving extra points to applicants in economics and business departments who take the math exam type-‘Ka.’”

ceric@donga.com