Getting into the ✨K-Arts ✨ Design Department...
...as an AMA+ Scholar!
Before proceeding, please check if your country is eligible for the AMA+ Scholarship of Korea National University of Arts (en.karts.ac.kr)!
Note: these are my experience in the application process and current life as K-Arts Masters of Design Student! YMMV :) Also, I won’t be putting information that’s already in the K-Arts website.
I actually have no idea how I got into K-Arts. I'm also not sure how they graded our application, but we were able to see our grades. I don't remember mine exactly but it’s around 90%..? However, I think your grading process depends on each department!
(STILL WRITING IT! WILL ADD MORE TIPS AND LIFE IN K-ARTS TIDBITS ^^)
Applying to the K-Arts Design Department as an AMA+ Scholar:
1. Korean Language:
At least TOPIK Level 3, and should be able to already converse or understand intermediate Korean (CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH, your Korean ability will affect your quality of life as a K-Arts scholar).
2. Regarding past grades:
I actually think that other than school grades, the most important part of the application is your portfolio, study plan, and Korean skill level.
3. For self-introduction:
I really didn't do anything special about it but I did put:
- Why I wanted to study or why I studied graphic design,
- why I wanted to study design in Korea,
- Why do K-Arts need me as their scholar. I think this is important. Change your mindset, K-Arts NEED you because _________________. I think this can help you write your self-introduction better.
I suggest that you just be sincere with this personal introduction, and spice it up a bit. But don’t lie!
4. For the study plan:
Instead of writing vague plans like “I will study Korean language or I will find a job after graduation” or “I will look for an internship” or anything like that, I suggest that you make very specific plans.
For my study plan is I created a project proposal. Complete with research background, objectives, target users, 2-year project timeline, and my future plans about my project.
I also wrote about my plans in Korea after graduation, the specific companies I want to work in, and how my education in K-Arts will make me a designer that can help Korea and my country.
5. Portfolio:
You don't need to put a lot of your projects, you just need to pick the ones that you're really proud of and you think will make you stand out from the other portfolios. I also have other illustration and painting projects but I did not put it in my portfolio because I am applying for the visual communication program.
Some of my bits that I put in the portfolio (I’m not comfortable showing my projects for privacy reasons!)
Life in K-Arts
1. Intensive Korean Course (October - February)
Before entering K-Arts, you need to study Korean first for at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, which is the university beside K-Arts. You will take a level test and do intensive Korean classes for about 2 months with other AMA+ scholars. That's 8 hours a day everyday.
And then after that you will take another level test, study again for two more months... but this time you will only study for 4 hours a day, and with the other foreign students who enrolled in HUFS, not necessarily just AMA+ scholars.
When you pass your language course, you can start your first semester in K-Arts.
2. Dorm Life
You can choose to live in the dorm or you can choose to live outside. It depends on you but the dorm fees are of course cheaper, around 200-350$ a month, and currently there are 2-person rooms and single room dorms. I live in the single one and pay $350/month. If you live outside, you need to pay around $400~ above plus deposit (around $1000-$5000) and utilities (around $50). So the dorms is definitely cheaper.
Two Christmases have passed but I still can’t go home due to Corona :(
3. Part-time jobs
You can get a part-time job 6 months after living in Korea. For those with TOPIK 0 to 3, you can only do 15 hours a week but if you have TOPIK 4 and above, you can do up to 30 hours a week, and work for as much as you want during the vacation.
I was able to get a part time job after 7 months in Korea, so that helped me a lot with my lifestyle because I really like to go to 맛집s (hot places to eat) in Korea.
꿀팁 Cool Tip: Eat at the K-Arts cafeteria! It’s only $3.50 for unlimited food! Meals in Seoul usually cost $7 on average. It helped me a lot when I was broke lol
4. Design Classes
For your classes, EVERYTHING will be held in Korean. The professor won't slow down for you so if you don't understand anything, good luck :)
Some of my classworks:
For my first semester, I had three classes: Communication Design, Design Studio & Design Critique. I survived my first semester because I'm the only student at the time. The design department does not have a lot of students because they say it's hard to get in, so for the first semester I don't have any classmates. But starting the second semester of my first year, a classmate appeared so it’s a lot harder because I'm still not good at Korean during that time but thankfully my professors and classmates are very helpful. I survived!
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
