How to become a student in Korea

Step 1: Decide on your field of study

Your academic path in Korea awaits your choice. Learn the Korean language, pursue a bachelor's degree, or embark on a graduate journey - the decision is yours to make! Try to figure out what kind of result you want to have after finishing the program then decide if the steps match that. 

Step 2: Find a School or Professor

Once you have decided on what to study, you have to decide where to study. Each school would have their own specialization. If you want to stay in Seoul, you can go for universities like:

 • SNU, Yonsei, or Korea University: the top universities in Korea

 • KAIST and POSTEC: Science and Engineering

 • Hongdae: Arts

 • HUFS: Foreign Languages

 • Sogang: Korean Speaking

Some University professors also look for students or researches who can help them with certain projects. So if you know someone studying in Korea or a professor in your university  studying the same field it might be a good idea to ask around for recommendations.

Step 3: Learn more about the program, timeline, and requirements 

Try to find out what the program is about, what you will learn if you take it, if it has an exchange semester, what documents or skills they need, and when the application or semester will start.

 • Spring Semester: Usually starts on March, so students arrive on February

 • Autumn Semester: Usually starts on August so students arrive on September

Step 4: Gather your documents for the application

 Each university would have their own set of requirements so be sure to check beforehand, but the most common are the following:

 • Application Form

 • Transcript and Proof of Graduation from last school attended

 • Recommendation letters

 • Study Plan

 • Application Fee

Step 5: Sumit your documents and pay the application fees

Once you have gathered all the documents, you have to send the documents or apply online

 • Take note of how long it would take to deliver the documents via couriers if the university expects hard copies. 

 • For payments, it is common to wire transfer the amount using the bank. Take note of the bank codes and account numbers, then ask the university for updates if they have received the amount.

Step 6: Once accepted into the program, gather your Visa Documents

Students usually get D-2 (Associates, Bachelors, Graduate Studies) or D-4 (Language Trainee) visas. The Korean embassy in your home country would have different requirements so be sure to check beforehand, but here are the common required documents:

 • Passport

 •Application form

 • Acceptance letter from the University

 • University's Business Permit

 • Proof of Financial Capacity

 • Scholarship Grant (if available)

 • Application Fee

Step 7: Prepare your housing and flight tickets

You can temporarily stay at a Goshiwon, AirBnb, or homeshare when you first come to Korea. You can then search for more permanent housing when you get to Korea. Be sure to not sign the contract unless you see the room or house as many of them look very different from the photos posted. Most housing would require at least 1 year stay, a few places offer short term (6 months and below).

 • Onerooms: Rent is between 300,000 ~ 800,000 won per month and a deposit between 3-50 million won depending on the area. Seoul is more expensive compared to other cities. In Seoul, the cheaper areas are around Daerim, Sillim, Seoul National Univeristy. 

 • Sharehouse: Students can also rent an apartment and share the rent between 3-4 people. This can help them get more space without having the need to pay for higher prices.

 • Goshiwon: They are very very small rooms that usually has a bed and a table. Windows are optional. These are usually used by people who are studying for exams, or people who are only staying for a short period of time.

Step 8: Pack for Korea

Be sure to check the weather before you come to Korea, as it has 4 seasons and would require different kinds of clothing for survival. Also be sure to pack things that can help you with home sickness.