Video summary

2026학년도 POSTECH 입학전형 안내

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

  • POSTECH’s mission and direction

    • Founded in 1986, POSTECH positions itself as Korea’s first research-focused university, driven by innovation and a pioneering spirit.
    • The university is pursuing “POSTECH 2.0” (Second Founding) starting in 2024, aiming for the next 50 years through:
      • education that removes boundaries between majors and between time/space
      • attracting world-class talent and strengthening research competitiveness
      • building a cooperative system with new industries to create and drive new industries
      • developing a future-oriented campus town
    • The university frames its goal as being “the first beyond the best.”

  • Ideal applicant (“Kunwha Memorial Foundation” talent profile)

    • POSTECH aims to educate a select number of outstanding individuals, fostering:
      • scientific/technological talent with international influence
      • both knowledge and character
    • Target qualities include:
      • Academic talent + passion to grow into a global leader in science/engineering
      • genuine interest and goals in science/engineering
      • consideration, respect, and responsibility toward the community
      • self-directed deep immersion in study/exploration
      • a persistent attitude to take on challenges
    • The admissions process is intended to connect a student’s POSTECH experience to personal growth.

2026 Undergraduate Admissions: key structure and numbers

  • Total students selected (2026 academic year): 370

  • Regular / Non-regional (general) tracks

    • General Admission 1: 220
    • General Admission 2: 70
    • Integrated Admission: 10
    • Regional Talent Admission (within “Planning & Balance Admission”): 20
    • Semiconductor Engineering Talent (quota mention): 40

  • Equal Opportunity track quotas

    • Low-income group: 10 spots

  • Important constraint on selection

    • Even within quotas, students who do not meet certain mathematical ability standards (referred to as “Who’s Tech”) will not be selected.

Admissions method (overall rule)

  • All admissions are conducted 100% through “Susimhojip Comprehensive Student Record Screening.”
  • Qualitative document evaluation is performed based on applicants’ extracurricular activities (along with other records).

2026 changes by track (what is different)

  1. Semiconductor Engineering Aptitude Test integration

    • Previously: split into Type 1 and Type 2
    • Now: integrated into a single test to select 40 students

  2. Interview weight increased for certain tracks

    • For General Admission 1 and Semiconductor Engineering Talent Admission
    • Interview/document weighting changed from 67:33 → 50:50
      • Stage 1 documents vs. Stage 2 interviews

  3. Equal Opportunity track interview removal

    • Final candidates are chosen solely by document evaluation
    • No interviews

  4. General Admission 2 SAT requirement adjustment

    • Math is mandatory
    • Choose one subject from: Korean / English / Science Inquiry
    • Two-subject grade sum must equal 4
    • Additional math/science handling:
      • In math, probability and statistics are not recognized
      • For science inquiry, scoring is based on the average grade of two out of eight subjects

Eligibility requirements and who can apply (by track)

Shared baseline

For General Admission 1, General Admission 2, and Semiconductor Engineering Talent Admission, applicants must be one of:

  • a high school graduate
  • a prospective graduate
  • someone recognized as having equivalent academic qualifications

Equal Opportunity tracks (document-only final selection)

Equal Opportunity is divided into:

  • Regional Awareness (Regional Talent Selection)
  • Integrated Admission
  • Low-Income track

For all three, final selection is based solely on documents (no interviews).

1) Regional Talent Selection eligibility

Applicants must:

  • be a graduate or prospective graduate who completed their full school curriculum at a high school in
    • Gyeongsangbuk-do or Daegu Metropolitan City
  • for prospective graduates: maintain the relevant qualification until graduation

Exclusions mentioned:

  • gifted schools
  • higher technical schools
  • high schools recognized for academic qualification (as described in the subtitle)
  • Daehan schools

2) Integrated Admission eligibility

Eligible groups include:

  • National Health Insurance beneficiaries
  • retroactive recipients of basic livelihood support
  • near-poverty category
  • single-parent families
  • students from rural and fishing villages

Exclusions:

  • those who passed the GED
  • students who graduated from specialized high schools

3) Low-income track eligibility

Eligible groups include:

  • recipients of basic livelihood support
  • near-poverty group
  • single-parent families

Evaluation process & document evaluation (Stage 1 and Stage 2)

Common evaluation approach for all tracks

  • Stage 1: Document evaluation (first stage)
  • Stage 2: Interview evaluation (only for tracks that conduct interviews)

Document evaluation is described as:

  • a comprehensive review of recorded items in the student record
  • assessing overall characteristics and potential, not only academics
  • including:
    • academic achievement
    • detailed abilities and special skills
    • extracurricular activities
    • behavioral traits
    • other comprehensive evaluation elements

Academic ability (pass/fail component)

To determine whether applicants can pursue POSTECH studies:

  • based primarily on achievement in Korean, mathematics, English, and science subjects
  • evaluated as pass or fail
  • “Academic ability” is framed as verifying basic competency sufficient for POSTECH.

Potential (qualitative component)

Because potential is hard to measure numerically, it is evaluated qualitatively using records. Key factors include:

  • science/engineering aptitude and talent
  • passion and academic attitude
  • interpersonal skills and character
  • fit with POSTECH’s talent profile

Selection flow note

  • For General Admission 1, General Admission 2, and Semiconductor Engineering Talent Admissions:
    • Stage 1 selects about 3x the number of successful candidates
  • Stage 2 interviews are conducted only for those tracks
  • No interviews for Opportunity/Equal Opportunity admissions

Interview types and interview structure (detailed)

Interview purposes (common description)

Interviews are described as comprehensive competency assessments evaluating:

  • creative and logical thinking
  • academic attitude
  • communication abilities required of science/engineering students

A) General Admission 1

  • Weighting: documents 50% : interviews 50%
  • Total interviews: 3 types

Type 1: Individual interview

  • 20 minutes
  • two interviewers
  • Q&A format
  • covers academy/activity history and applicant characteristics

Type 2: Individual assignment

  • includes unconventional tasks with no fixed answer
  • purpose: evaluate diverse interpretations and approaches
  • assesses thinking skills and problem-solving process
  • 80 minutes total (including travel and preparation time, as described)
  • followed by a 20-minute interview
  • described as process-oriented (not answer correctness)
  • emphasizes logical reasoning and persuasiveness

Type 3: Group activity

  • up to 8 applicants form a team
  • team task duration: 80 minutes
  • evaluation includes:
    • individual evaluation based on communication and collaboration process
    • the group evaluation / final deliverable is stated as not performed

Mock interview

  • Since it is the first interview held this year, a mock interview is mentioned.
  • Viewers are directed to an “interview guide video” for venue/reviews.

B) General Admission 2

  • Weighting: documents 67% : interviews 33%
  • Interview type: document-based individual interviews only
  • conducted solely based on submitted documents

C) Semiconductor Engineering Talent Admission

  • Weighting: documents 50% : interviews 50%
  • described as an integrated interview combining:
    • an individual interview
    • a text-based interview

Text-based process:

  • applicant reads a common passage
  • solves problems during viewing time
  • then provides answers and responses linked to document evaluation in one session

“A document-based minefield response process” is mentioned (exact terminology may contain a subtitle error, but it refers to a specific text-response format based on common prompts).

Final guidance / closing messages

  • The speaker emphasizes:
    • check eligibility and the interview type before applying to the best-fit track
  • Viewers are told to consult:
    • the admissions guidelines on the POSTECH Admissions Team website
    • the Q&A section or email for questions
  • The video invites applicants to join as the Class of 2026.

Speakers / sources featured

  • POSTECH Admissions Team (speaker/host, the main source of the presentation)
  • Kunwha Memorial Foundation (referenced as sponsoring/related foundation for the talent profile)

Original video