Preparing for US College as a Korean Student: What You Need to Know
Welcome to America.
The supposed home of the free and land of the brave. Or the bastion of capitalism and birthplace of Big Macs, depending on your spin. Regardless, you are hoping to get into college.
The biggest difference between Korean and American admissions is the “holistic” aspect of things. It is the most crucial, the most critical, the most decisive thing to understand. I cannot emphasize this enough.
So, what is “holistic” admissions? It means that schools will evaluate you as a person. Unlike soo-neung, colleges do not admit a bundle of grades. For example, perfect grades on soo-neung will basically guarantee admission into Seoul National University (the most prestigious school in Korea). A perfect GPA, SAT, AP will not guarantee admission into Harvard, Yale, etc.
Why? The best schools are evaluating you, the human, the person, the student as a whole. Not your grades.
Does this mean grades don’t matter? No, you need good grades. However, think of your GPA, SAT, and APs as a minimum requirement for the best American colleges. They are thresholds that you must meet. You will get rejected if you have bad grades.
So what do you need to consider? After helping hundreds of students with admissions, college essays, SATs, and APs, here are a few:
Finding Your Path: What Really Matters in College Admissions
First, please consult Naviance or your college counselor. Previous admissions results from your upperclassmen matter significantly. Institutional bias is a very real thing; colleges like or dislike certain high schools. If the “best” students in your school have historically failed to get into a top 10 school, you might want to seriously reconsider your admission strategy. If the “best” students from your school consistently get into the top 10 schools, you are in good hands. Benchmark their grades, activities, etc.
Second, there is no “best” extracurricular activity. Even though this is corny, doing what you enjoy, nerding out, self-actualization, and long-term commitment are the most important things. Being a student president for three months is not impressive to an admissions committee. But volunteering at the same place for three years shows dedication.
I have an example that I always use. I have had two brothers get admitted into Stanford. One of them really loved bird-watching (tracking birds in North America, saving allowance to travel to South America to see more different birds)- that was their main EC. The other really loved to pick different types of mushrooms on the trail (which were edible, poisonous, growing them, etc.)- so mushroom picking was their main EC. Do both sound incredibly impressive? No, I don’t think so. But they were extremely passionate, true nerds, stuck to the activity for five to six years. This was good enough for Stanford.
Third, do not underestimate the influence of your letters of recommendation (LoR). In general, you want one from a humanities teacher (English, History, etc.) and one from the Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Math, etc.). Both teachers will evaluate your potential as a student. Your counselor will also write a longer letter of recommendation that evaluates you as a person. Formats for the LoR are available, so I recommend checking them out and seeing what teachers and counselors are required to write about you. Forge real and meaningful bonds with your teachers and counselor.
Building Authentic Connections
Your teachers and counselors are adults in education; in general, they will want to help. Students always ask, “Oh, how do I get to know them and build a relationship?” My answer is always the same: Well, how do you make new friends? Be honest, frank, and sincere with them. Those people are there to teach and provide guidance. Talk to them regularly. Discuss life problems you might have. Ask for book recommendations, etc. They are very important in the admissions process.
Overall, my advice can be narrowed down to be curious, be interesting, and be human.
Patrick Kim serves as our Writing Specialist and Associate Consultant, holding a degree in Written Communication from the University of Chicago.
