SKY is the limit

SKY refers to Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Over the course of the last two weeks, I have visited 11 universities,as well as a secondary school, the Minstry of Education, and the Korean Women's Development Institute (yes, they need that here). I've learned that Korea has an insanely high graduation rate of about 93%. I do not know exact numbers, but that is a lot of high school graduates, many of whom plan to go to college. There are about 300 universities in Korea, but the consistent message I've heard is that the SKY universities are where students should be if they expect to have a fruitful/lucrative future in Korea. CEOs of Samsung, LG, Hyundai are SKY graduates. Politicians are SKY graduates. Infuential members of society are SKY graduates.

So, is this much different than our view of the Ivy League? Yes, big time. For parents and families, admission to the SKY universities is not just an expectation or a pipe dream, it is an obsession. Korea has something called the KSAT, kind of like the SAT but not. As early as middle school, Korean students start preparing for their college futures. Many go to school early in the morning, only to return home at 10 or 11pm, due to private tutoring programs, etc. The KSAT is the key to students future. Unlike the SAT, the KSAT is only offered once per year. Therefore, students do not have multiple opportunities to increase their score prior to applying to college. Pressure much? WOW.