Top 10 Seoul Universities Implement Strict Admissions Limits for Repeat Students

Major universities in Seoul have confirmed the introduction of strict measures that effectively block admissions for repeat students (N students) in the 2028 college entrance process. Notably, institutions that previously allowed N students to apply have now restricted eligibility to current high school seniors, resulting in a 2.5-fold increase in the number of universities that do not accept repeat students compared to the previous year. While current seniors benefit from expanded admissions opportunities, N students face a critical challenge in their application strategies.
 
According to an analysis by Jongno Academy on June 14, top universities in Seoul have implemented stringent eligibility requirements for major admissions processes, limiting applications to "expected graduates (current seniors)." This shift is particularly evident in admissions processes where academic performance is the primary criterion, indicating that universities are prioritizing current seniors.
 
The most significant change involves five universities—Kyung Hee University, Sungkyunkwan University, Ewha Womans University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Hanyang University—that previously had no restrictions on N students. Starting with the 2028 admissions, these universities have established new eligibility criteria that completely block N students from applying.
 
Examining the specific admissions processes that exclude N students reveals the extent of the impact. For the 2028 admissions, Sungkyunkwan University will block N students from a process that selects about 400 candidates, while Hanyang University and Kyung Hee University will each select over 500 candidates from processes that do not allow N student applications. Additionally, Ewha Womans University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies will select around 370 candidates from processes that exclude N students, totaling 2,253 candidates across these five universities.
 
Furthermore, including Seoul National University (728 candidates), Yonsei University (564 candidates), and Korea University (672 candidates), which have long operated exclusive admissions processes for current students, as well as Chung-Ang University (497 candidates), which will significantly increase its restrictions on N students starting in 2028, the total number of candidates from processes that do not accept N students reaches 4,894. Of these, 4,079 (83.3%) are from academic performance-based admissions, 728 (14.9%) from comprehensive evaluations, and 87 (1.8%) from essay-based evaluations.
 
This drastic tightening of admissions is linked to the new "grade 5 system" being introduced in high schools starting in 2028. Students currently in their first year of high school will see a complete overhaul of the grading system from the existing 9-point scale to a 5-point scale. The proportion of students receiving top grades will increase from 4% to 10%, fundamentally altering the grading landscape.
 
If N students, who previously achieved high scores under the 9-point system, flood into the new 5-point admissions processes, universities may face significant challenges in fairly comparing and converting scores from different evaluation systems.
 
Concerns have been raised that graduates who scored highly under the 9-point system may gain an unfair advantage in converted scores, potentially disadvantaging current seniors who will be evaluated under the 5-point system.
 
Ultimately, the expansion of admissions restrictions for N students by major universities is seen as a practical measure to eliminate uncertainties in evaluation and protect current high school seniors who have completed the new curriculum.
 
Admissions experts predict that these new eligibility restrictions will have a cascading effect on the overall college admissions landscape. The position of N students, who are now barred from applying, is expected to become significantly weaker. They will be forced to focus on the regular college entrance exam, but the threshold for top-tier universities has also risen. Moreover, major universities are increasingly incorporating high school grades into regular admissions or qualitative assessments, making it even more challenging for students to rely solely on exam scores for a turnaround.
 
For current first- and second-year high school students, the admissions calculations have become more complex. While current seniors are structurally favored in the admissions process, maintaining consistent academic performance throughout high school is essential to capitalize on this advantage. With a reduction in the number of regular admissions and an increasing trend of incorporating grades into regular admissions, competition among current students for maintaining high grades is expected to intensify.
 
Lim Sung-ho, head of Jongno Academy, stated, "Due to the significant expansion of admissions processes that exclude N students starting in 2028, we may see a surge of N students and repeat students with strong school grades applying this year. For current seniors with excellent school grades, meeting the minimum requirements for the entrance exam has become critically important."