One in 5 students admitted to Seoul National University through regular admissions this year took the college entry test at least three times, according to an analysis conducted by a private institute on Friday. This is the highest proportion in more than a decade.
According to Jongro Academy, which runs a preparatory school for middle and high school students, out of 1,570 students admitted to the nation’s top university, 330, or 21 percent, had taken the test three or more times.
The percentage of admitted retakers with three or more attempts has been steadily rising, from 9.6 percent in 2016, to 20.5 percent in 2022, before slightly dipping to 19.3 percent in 2024.
By school type, 63.6 percent of successful applicants came from general high schools, nearly unchanged from last year’s 63.8 percent. The overall proportion of students from elite schools -- namely specialized or autonomous private high schools -- was 27.5 percent, similar to the previous year’s 27.6 percent.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
