Gachon University will select 3,365 students for its 2027 academic year through early admissions.
According to Gachon University on September 2, this number represents about 72% of the total enrollment of 4,672 students. The application period for early admissions will run from September 7 to 11, closing at 6 p.m.
This year's early admissions feature changes in the selection process, including an expansion of the essay admissions program and the introduction of a new regional doctor selection system.
Notably, the essay admissions program, which was previously limited to the medical school, has been expanded this year to include the Korean medicine and pharmacy programs, likely increasing interest among prospective students in these fields.
Gachon University's early admissions are divided into three main categories: essay admissions, academic record-based admissions, and comprehensive evaluation admissions.
The essay admissions will select 1,036 students, with the evaluation based entirely on an essay exam, which will be conducted after the national college entrance exam. Minimum academic standards will apply.
The number of essay questions for the humanities and natural sciences has been reduced from 15 to 13. The humanities section will consist of eight Korean language questions and five math questions, while the natural sciences will have five Korean language questions and eight math questions.
The exam duration is 80 minutes, and it will utilize materials linked to the national college entrance exam.
For the medical, Korean medicine, and pharmacy programs, the evaluation will include eight math questions, but minimum academic standards will vary by program, so applicants should check the admission guidelines before applying.
The academic record-based admissions will select 942 students, including 436 from the academic excellence category, 358 from the regional balance category, 84 from rural areas, 57 from specialized high schools, and 7 from the regional doctor selection category.
The academic excellence category will select students based solely on their academic records, and starting this year, two methods will be used to calculate academic performance, applying the more favorable method for applicants.
The regional balance category will use a principal recommendation system, selecting five times the number of students based on academic records in the first stage, followed by a second stage that combines 50% of the first stage evaluation with 50% from interviews. The free major program will have 321 spots available.
The new regional doctor selection category will admit 7 students based entirely on academic records. Applicants must meet specific regional qualifications, and additional conditions such as minimum academic standards, duration of residency in the region, and mandatory service will apply.
The comprehensive evaluation admissions will enroll 1,050 students, operating through various programs including the Gachon Windmill program, Gachon Medical Science program, opportunity balance program, rural (comprehensive) program, educational opportunity balance program, and specialized high school graduate program.
The general comprehensive evaluation admissions will select four times the number of students based on a 100% document evaluation in the first stage, followed by a second stage that combines 50% of the first stage evaluation with 50% from interviews.
The humanities and natural sciences will not apply minimum academic standards, while the medical and pharmacy programs will.
The early employment contract programs will select 260 students across five departments, including biomedical device engineering, game and video studies, semiconductor and display engineering, semiconductor design, and future automotive engineering.
These early employment contract programs are designed to link education with employment from the start. Students will earn a bachelor's degree over four years, receiving full government scholarships in the first year and 50% scholarships from the second year onward.
From the third year, students will work while studying, receiving a salary. This year, the selection ratio for the first stage has changed from five times to three times.
As the early admissions approach, students are reassessing their application strategies in light of the changes in selection processes.
Students preparing for the essay admissions are particularly noting the inclusion of the Korean medicine and pharmacy programs, while those applying for academic record-based admissions are keen to understand how the changes in performance calculation will affect their grades.
One applicant stated, "With changes in both the number of admissions and evaluation methods, it feels burdensome to rely solely on last year's results for applications. I plan to carefully compare the admissions processes to find the one that best suits my strengths in grades, essays, or interviews."
Another student expressed interest in the expanded options for applying to the medical and pharmacy fields through essay admissions, but noted the need to check the minimum academic standards and specific conditions for each program before applying.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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