[Editorial] Various Admission Procedures

From this year, the government’s high-handed control over university entrance examinations no longer exists. The criteria for the selection of students are coming into sight. Seoul National University decided not to drastically change its existing entrance system to prevent examinees’ confusion. Most universities, however, will expand the frequent registration of students, abolish an essay-type examination and raise the reflection ratio of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). The selection for the socially isolated is also a new try. Korea University will have admission officers participate in the student selection process from next year.

Under the new self-regulation system, the limit on the reflection ratio of high school academic records will disappear. That means students from special-purpose high schools won’t be disadvantaged. As most universities will get rid of an essay writing test, the CSAT will be the most important factor deciding success or failure.

The Roh Moo-hyun government, which controlled the college entrance exam with the "Three Nots” policy threatened people, saying with the autonomous selection of students, our public education would collapse and college-administered tests would return. However, only the reflection ratio of the CSAT increased, which shows the ex-president’s prediction proved wrong. Rather, colleges are making more efforts to select talented applicants with various selection criteria, while alleviating students’ excessive burdens called “Triangle of Death,” meaning school records, CSAT and essay writing. A good example is Korea University. It actually refrained from introducing the admission officer system last year. But the university voluntarily decided to introduce it for next year. It also decided to comprehensively consider not only a student’s grades but also his or her personal circumstances, potentials and character.

The new entrance exam may have some side-effects, as colleges will engage in a fierce competition. They, however, will come up with the best measures in the end. Mid-level colleges which introduced an essay test following high-level ones, will abolish it from next year. But students who believed the former government’s policy must feel very disappointed right now, as they were busy managing their school records. If some colleges raise the ratio of the academic records, these students might have a wider choice.

Various admission procedures are what our education policies should pursue. Colleges are obligated to devise detailed outlines of their entrance exams without hurting the foundation of our public education.