이공특 정시 폐지, 2028대입 판 바뀐다
Engineering-focused universities like KAIST, GIST, and DGIST are abolishing their regular admission (jeongsi) tracks for 2028, shifting entirely to early admission (susi) selection. Across all six designated engineering universities, entrance exam-only admissions are shrinking while student records are expanding into regular admissions. This marks a fundamental shift away from the era of test-focused preparation for top-tier engineering schools.
Today's University Admissions News — 2026-05-02
[Exclusive] Six Engineering-Focused Universities Recruiting 2,540 Students; KAIST, GIST, DGIST Eliminate Regular Admissions
- What's happening: KAIST, GIST, and DGIST are completely abolishing regular admission (jeongsi) recruitment for the 2028 academic year. Among the six designated engineering universities (KAIST, Pohang University of Science and Technology, GIST, DGIST, UNIST, Korea Energy University), the number of schools not conducting regular admissions is expanding from just Pohang to four institutions. The total recruitment across all six engineering universities stands at 2,540 students, with GIST having increased its capacity by 100 students through the establishment of its AI University in 2027, with all recruitment now shifting to early admission (susi).
- Who's affected: All high school 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students and repeat exam-takers preparing for engineering-focused universities, especially those who had planned a regular admission strategy.
- Why it matters: The era when test-focused regular admission strategies worked for engineering-focused universities is coming to an end. Early admission preparation—including student records, interviews, and other factors—is becoming essential for admission to these schools.
[Exclusive] Seoul Secondary Education Experts: "2028 College Admissions Game Is Changing" — Repeat Test-Takers Disadvantaged
- What's happening: For 2028 college admissions, "entrance exam-only admissions" are shrinking, and student record evaluations are expanding into regular admissions. Within university conversion point systems, student records are becoming a practical variable, making it difficult to secure admission to top-tier universities based solely on entrance exam scores. Among secondary education teachers in Seoul, awareness is spreading that "the game is changing for 2028 admissions."
- Who's affected: Repeat exam-takers (including gap-year students), top-tier entrance exam scorers, current high school 1st and 2nd grade students, and parents.
- Why it matters: Starting with current high school 1st graders (the cohort affected by 2028 admissions), early admission and student record management become far more important than test-focused strategies. Immediate shifts in preparation direction are urgent.
Universities Begin "Tone Adjustment" of Admission Formats Ahead of 2028 Overhaul
- What's happening: Universities have begun "tone adjustment" discussions on admission design through mutual consultation ahead of the 2028 overhaul. According to Veritas Alpha, even though 2026 admissions remain in the supplementary recruitment phase, it's notable that universities have already started conversations about 2028 admission design.
- Who's affected: Current high school 1st and 2nd graders (2027 and 2028 academic years), parents, and admissions strategists.
- Why it matters: Universities' proactive moves serve as a signal for gauging the direction of the 2028 overhaul and become essential reference material for students and parents developing long-term preparation strategies.
Key Trends by Admission Type
Early Admissions (Susi)
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Engineering universities massively expanding early admissions: With GIST, KAIST, and DGIST operating all recruitment through early admissions starting in 2028, students targeting engineering universities must focus on preparing for early admission formats including comprehensive student records evaluation, principal recommendations, and newly established semiconductor engineering talent admissions. GIST, in particular, established its AI University in 2027 with an enrollment increase of 100 students, and in 2028 all recruitment including these students will be conducted through early admissions.
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2026 Teacher Education University Admissions Both Shrink: For 2026, elementary education programs (teacher colleges) are recruiting a total of 3,711 students, down 498 from the previous year. Both early and regular admission recruitment have contracted, requiring students to adopt strategic approaches.
Regular Admissions (Jeongsi)
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2028 Entrance Exam-Only Admissions Forecasted to Shrink: Regular admissions selecting students based solely on entrance exam scores—"entrance exam-only admissions"—are expected to decline from 2028, with student record evaluation expanding into regular admissions. This creates an unfavorable structure for repeat test-takers, requiring comprehensive review of existing test-focused strategies.
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Engineering University Regular Admissions Elimination Spreading: With KAIST, GIST, and DGIST eliminating regular admissions, four of the six engineering-focused universities will no longer operate regular admission tracks. Since Pohang University already doesn't conduct regular admissions, pathways to top engineering universities through regular admissions essentially remain only through UNIST and Korea Energy University.
College Entrance Exam & Mock Assessments
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2026 College Entrance Exam Schedule: The 2026 College Entrance Exam (Suneung) was administered on November 13, 2025, with score notification on December 5, 2025. This was one day earlier than the 2024 exam (administered November 14).
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June Mock Assessment Preparation Recommended: Current high school 3rd grade students are preparing for the June mock assessment administered by the Korean Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation alongside early admission applications (scheduled for September). Mock assessment results serve as critical indicators for predicting entrance exam difficulty and setting learning directions.
Policy & System Changes
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2028 Admissions Overhaul Direction Becoming Concrete: Universities have begun mutual discussions for designing 2028 admission basic procedures. Key changes include shrinking entrance exam-only admissions, expanding student records into regular admissions, and eliminating regular admissions at engineering universities. The 2028 overhaul directly applies to current high school 1st graders (as of 2025).
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Engineering Universities Establishing Semiconductor Engineering Talent Admissions: GIST is reportedly establishing a new semiconductor engineering talent admissions format for 2028. The trend of specialized admissions for advanced industry talent cultivation is spreading across engineering universities.
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Korean Council for University Education Guidelines: The Korean Council for University Education's College Admissions Formats Committee finalizes and announces basic college admissions formats through final review and resolution, recommending format design following principles of normalizing K-12 education, reducing private education costs, simplifying college admissions, and ensuring fairness.
Major University Updates
KAIST, GIST, DGIST — Complete Elimination of Regular Admissions for 2028
KAIST, GIST, and DGIST are eliminating regular admissions starting with 2028. As a result, four of the six engineering-focused universities—Pohang, KAIST, GIST, and DGIST—will no longer operate regular admission tracks. GIST is establishing a new semiconductor engineering talent admissions format while further strengthening its early admission system. Total engineering university recruitment stands at 2,540 students.
Seoul National University — 2026 Admissions Schedule Confirmed
Seoul National University officially announced its 2026 admission schedule. Initial acceptances for early admissions will be announced on December 12, 2025, with regular admissions initial acceptances announced on January 30, 2026. Seoul National University posted its 2026 admissions schedule and student selection methods on its admissions homepage on April 1.
Seoul National University Advanced Convergence College — April 2026 Newsletter Published
Seoul National University's Advanced Convergence College published its April 2026 newsletter. It contains information about the newly established college and campus updates, with high student interest in admission to cutting-edge fields.
Analysis & Outlook
① The Era of "Early Admissions or Bust" for Engineering Universities Begins The elimination of regular admissions at KAIST, GIST, and DGIST marks a major shift away from entrance exam dependence in engineering university admissions. With the top four engineering universities (including Pohang) operating only early admissions, students aspiring to these schools must focus during high school on student record management, research experience, and mathematics and science olympiad participation. The traditional strategy of relying solely on high entrance exam scores to reach top engineering universities has become obsolete.
② 2028 Admissions: "Entrance Exam-Only Regular Admissions" Will Shrink The forecasted reduction in entrance exam-only admissions directly hits repeat test-takers. Since repeat exam-takers lack or have weakened student record non-academic activity histories after high school graduation, they face structural disadvantages in regular admissions formats that reflect student records. After the 2028 overhaul, current high school students will likely have advantages over repeat test-takers.
③ Admission Strategy Acceleration & Long-Term Planning The fact that universities began "tone adjustment" from early 2026 suggests that students and parents must develop college admission strategies from at least high school 1st grade. Long-term roadmaps covering not just entrance exam score management but also non-academic activities, academic achievement, and career-focused activities are essential.
Must-Watch Schedule This Week
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| November 13, 2025 (completed) | 2026 College Entrance Exam administration date (completed; score notification December 5, 2025) |
| December 12, 2025 | Seoul National University 2026 Early Admissions Initial Acceptances Announcement |
| January 30, 2026 | Seoul National University 2026 Regular Admissions Initial Acceptances Announcement |
| June 2026 (scheduled) | June 2027 Mock Assessment by Korean Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (High School 3) |
| September 2026 (scheduled) | 2027 Early Admissions Application Period Start (exact date to be confirmed) |
Student & Parent Checklist
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Students Targeting Engineering Universities: Confirm the elimination of regular admissions at KAIST, GIST, and DGIST, and immediately shift strategy to early admission preparation (comprehensive student records, semiconductor engineering talent admissions, etc.). Check each university's official website for 2028 admission plans.
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Current High School 1st & 2nd Graders and Parents: With entrance exam-only admissions forecasted to shrink for 2028, begin managing student records (non-academic and academic) now and establish career-focused activity plans. A single-track test-focused strategy is risky.
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Repeat Exam-Taker Considerations: If student record-reflecting regular admissions increase for 2028, repeat test-takers will face structural disadvantages. Either develop focused strategies targeting admission by 2027 (near the final year of the current system) or explore alternative options for repeat attempts (GED, online university pathways, etc.).
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June Mock Assessment Preparation: Current high school 3rd graders preparing for 2027 entrance exams should treat the June mock assessment like the real exam, identify weak areas, and simulate meeting minimum entrance exam scores for early admissions.
Issues to Monitor
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Official Announcement of 2028 Admissions Basic Procedures: Watch for when universities' ongoing "tone adjustment" discussions result in the Korean Council for University Education's official announcement. Details—including the scope of entrance exam-only admissions reduction and methods for reflecting student records in regular admissions—will immediately impact student strategy.
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Non-Engineering University 2028 Admission Changes: Monitor how shifts at engineering universities like KAIST, GIST, and DGIST influence 2028 admission design at major Seoul universities (Yonsei, Korea, Sungkyunkwan, etc.).
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Medical School Expansion and Medical Field 2028 Impact: Medical school expansion policy intertwined with medical field 2028 admissions format changes remains unspecified. Results of government-university negotiations could significantly alter student support strategies, requiring continuous monitoring.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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