You’ve gone through basic eligibility criteria for Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) countless times yet when even after having good GPA, strong essay, and screaming recommendation letters you were put aside from the final list. If this sounds relatable, this might what were looking for! Read on!
Do you know that the students who successfully secure a GKS scholarship have profiles that not just depict but scream “ready for research” and “prepared for Korea”? However, it’s not something too complex too achieve. Here are the four types of certificates and activities that will help you get that boost!
1. Certificates Directly Related to Your Major
Korean universities, especially for Master’s and PhD programs, don’t want to start from scratch. Research students in Korea are often on their own, hence, they want students who already have a solid foundation in their field. In other words, they are NOT looking for beginners. Here’s what you can realistically do:
- Show you have gone beyond your degree and gained practical, updated skills.
- Go to platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or Skillshare. Type in your major (e.g., “International Marketing” for an “International Business” major). Take courses and get the certificate of completion.
- Pro tip: Coursera often offers financial aid, allowing you to get certificates for free or at a huge discount. And Udemy frequently runs sales, turning expensive courses into cheap wins. Use these wisely!
2. Leadership & Extracurricular Certificates
Korea is a developed country and traits like community participation, environment contribution, leadership skills are highly valued, both in academic and professional life. Especially, having proof of leadership helps you stand out because it shows you can work with and manage people which is a vital skill in research labs. Here’s how to tackle this:
- Prove you are a well-rounded person, not just a bookworm.
- Certificates from leadership workshops, being a committee member of a university club, organizing volunteer events, or completing specialized training programs.
- Pro tip: Extracurricular activities, in general, are highly valued by scholarship committees. They show versatility and social competence which is key for succeeding in an any international program. Even non-major-related activities that demonstrate teamwork and commitment are useful, so go for these!
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that 500+ students have used to ace their GKS applications.
3. Language Proficiency: IELTS, TOEFL, AND TOPIK
Yes, the GKS application lists language certificates as optional BUT, believe us, they are essential. It’s a known fact that skipping these certificates drops your chances of selection significantly (unless your profile is extremely strong in other areas like research). But you don’t have to worry much about it, if you follow the below steps:
- For English: Get IELTS, TOEFL, or TOEIC. Do not try to use free online English course certificates, they do not have the same power. TOEFL and TOEIC are often more recognizable in Korea for later employment, but IELTS is also perfectly valid. Do check your major’s specific requirements, as some English programs have minimum scores (e.g., IELTS 7.0).
- For Korean (or Bonus Points): Did you know that the GKS process gives bonus points for high TOPIK scores (Level 5 or 6)? Even if you study in English, having any TOPIK score (even Level 2 or 3) shows commitment and will give you an advantage over applicants who have none.
- Important Note: All GKS scholars must achieve TOPIK Level 3 during the language year to proceed to the degree program. If you’re going to learn it anyways, why not learn it before applying!
4. The Game-Changing Research Certificate
This is the strongest certificate you can have, especially for graduate applications. Korea is obsessed with research It files thousands of patents every year and its entire graduate system is heavily research-based. Isn’t it obvious provided the high quality education Korean universities offer? Here’s how you can can show that you’ve done your homework:
We hope that you are clearer know as to what you lacked last time you applied for GKS but didn’t pass through. This time you’ve got right resources, better strategy and are ready to get armed to the teeth!
For more such informative content and real life reviews about Korea please check out our KoreaPedia section.
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