Microscope: Admissions Officer
Microscope: Admissions Officer
  • Reporter Won John
  • 승인 2022.09.14 20:08
  • 댓글 0
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▲Admissions Officer Yeonjin Kim
▲Admissions Officer Yeonjin Kim

Please introduce yourself and the work you do.
My name is Yeonjn Kim, and I work as an admissions officer for the POSTECH Admissions team. My work consists of evaluating candidate students based on their academic ability and future growth potential in order to select excellent future Postechians.

What sort of programs does the admission team open throughout the year?
The admissions team hosts various activities for high school students who are interested in a path in STEM. We encourage them to learn deeply about POSTECH and design their future careers. One of the representative programs is the STEM Departments Adventure Program. Twice a year, high school students are invited to POSTECH to experience our school’s cutting-edge research environment, visit various departments, and observe campus life. Through this program, many become “POSTECH maniacs” and quite a few end up enrolling.
Admissions officers also visit high schools to answer questions that students have about school life and the admissions process. In 2022, we visited a total of 334 schools and met many students. In addition, we host the Alma Mater Visiting Program, the Develop Potentials Course, the Regional Information Sessions, and the publication of the Postechian magazine.

Please introduce the role and work of admissions officers.
The role of admissions officers can be largely divided into admissions promotions, admissions system design, and evaluation/selection. During the early part of the year, we host various promotional activities to let high school students know about the pros of POSTECH and bring excellent students to our school. The programs above are a part of this process. We also spend time thinking about how to select students under the rapidly changing educational environments. During the second half of the year, we evaluate and select candidates. At the end of the year, we analyze the year’s admissions results and research further improvements that we could make.

When do you feel most rewarded? What are some hardships you encounter?
The part I pay the most attention to is the evaluation of the candidates’ potential. Unlike some admissions programs which select by academic merit alone, our decision process works by carefully poring over the students’ papers to gauge their potential. Not only do we need to see their academic ability in the present, but we also must evaluate whether they will be able to adapt well into POSTECH. This is quite mentally straining, but it is also one of the most rewarding experiences to see students that you have carefully selected having a great time here.

Any last words for POSTECH students and future Postechians?
‘The One’ which POSTECH wishes to find is not simply the student who has a grade that is a point higher, or the student who has done one more experiment. We wish to find students who have high curiosity for science, have the passion to keep trying despite however many setbacks, and those who find their own meanings in life. I believe that for POSTECH students, the school you expected was not simply of rankings or scholarships, but a place where you can be yourself the most. I hope that life at POSTECH will be a fruitful time for finding your true self.
‘Dare to be different, dare to be POSTECHIAN!’