Transcripts
The transcript, sometimes referred to as an “academic record,” is a very important factor in the admissions review process as it provides a numerical context to assess the past performance and predict the future potential of the student.
The transcript also reveals to admissions officers the curriculum and educational system from which the student is transferring from. In this regard, boarding schools are especially interested in the past two year of the student’s achievement for the purposes of evaluating how well the student might adjust to the boarding school’s curriculum and, if admitted, how to plan the student’s future course of study.
In preparing the student’s transcript/s, the parent should note that boarding schools accept English language transcripts only. Some Korean schools issue English language transcripts, in which case the parent should insist the transcript be an official copy and sealed in an envelope. The parent may then courier the sealed transcript directly to the boarding school admissions.
Should an English language transcript be unavailable, then it is necessary to have the transcript translated wherein the translation is attested by a school official.
In translating the transcript, it is imperative that it be a true, word-by-word translation of the original Korean text. For example, if the student’s grades are in a 100-point scale, then the English language translation should also be in a 100-point scale. Or, if the student’s grades are in a Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale, then the translation should likewise indicate such scale.
While it is noted many schools that utilize Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale tend to offer a conversion to the American A/B/C/D/F scale, parents should note that English translation need be a true, word-by-word translation unless otherwise indicated by a school official.
In the end, differences in scale are not too important so long as the prospective boarding school in question has had prior experience evaluating Korean academic records.
The transcript, sometimes referred to as an “academic record,” is a very important factor in the admissions review process as it provides a numerical context to assess the past performance and predict the future potential of the student.
The transcript also reveals to admissions officers the curriculum and educational system from which the student is transferring from. In this regard, boarding schools are especially interested in the past two year of the student’s achievement for the purposes of evaluating how well the student might adjust to the boarding school’s curriculum and, if admitted, how to plan the student’s future course of study.
In preparing the student’s transcript/s, the parent should note that boarding schools accept English language transcripts only. Some Korean schools issue English language transcripts, in which case the parent should insist the transcript be an official copy and sealed in an envelope. The parent may then courier the sealed transcript directly to the boarding school admissions.
Should an English language transcript be unavailable, then it is necessary to have the transcript translated wherein the translation is attested by a school official.
In translating the transcript, it is imperative that it be a true, word-by-word translation of the original Korean text. For example, if the student’s grades are in a 100-point scale, then the English language translation should also be in a 100-point scale. Or, if the student’s grades are in a Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale, then the translation should likewise indicate such scale.
While it is noted many schools that utilize Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale tend to offer a conversion to the American A/B/C/D/F scale, parents should note that English translation need be a true, word-by-word translation unless otherwise indicated by a school official.
In the end, differences in scale are not too important so long as the prospective boarding school in question has had prior experience evaluating Korean academic records.
The transcript, sometimes referred to as an “academic record,” is a very important factor in the admissions review process as it provides a numerical context to assess the past performance and predict the future potential of the student.
The transcript also reveals to admissions officers the curriculum and educational system from which the student is transferring from. In this regard, boarding schools are especially interested in the past two year of the student’s achievement for the purposes of evaluating how well the student might adjust to the boarding school’s curriculum and, if admitted, how to plan the student’s future course of study.
In preparing the student’s transcript/s, the parent should note that boarding schools accept English language transcripts only. Some Korean schools issue English language transcripts, in which case the parent should insist the transcript be an official copy and sealed in an envelope. The parent may then courier the sealed transcript directly to the boarding school admissions.
Should an English language transcript be unavailable, then it is necessary to have the transcript translated wherein the translation is attested by a school official.
In translating the transcript, it is imperative that it be a true, word-by-word translation of the original Korean text. For example, if the student’s grades are in a 100-point scale, then the English language translation should also be in a 100-point scale. Or, if the student’s grades are in a Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale, then the translation should likewise indicate such scale.
While it is noted many schools that utilize Su/Wu/Mi/Yang/Ga scale tend to offer a conversion to the American A/B/C/D/F scale, parents should note that English translation need be a true, word-by-word translation unless otherwise indicated by a school official.
In the end, differences in scale are not too important so long as the prospective boarding school in question has had prior experience evaluating Korean academic records.
After Admissions
Once the application and all supporting documentation, including test results of English proficiency, have been submitted, and interviews have concluded, then admissions officers will proceed to make a final admission decision.
As more and more international students turn to a boarding school education, competition is fierce for most boarding schools and therefore admissions reviews are thoroughly comprehensive and extremely selective.
Should the student be awarded with admissions, the school will send notice with an acceptance letter. In the case of the U.S., such letter is not customarily accompanied with a I-20 form (for the U.S. F-1 student visa) as schools understand that the competitive nature of boarding school admissions compels students to apply to multiple schools.
Students and parents are advised to wait until hearing back from all schools, or, at the very least, those schools to which they would like to attend. As such, with a full list of accepted schools, students and parents may then assess the pros and cons of each school before proceeding to accept an admissions offer from one school.
Of course, in providing an admissions award, boarding schools would like to receive an indication of a student's intent to enroll as soon as possible. This is because a boarding school typically has a number of waitlisted students. Such students have been evaluated as a suitable fit for the school by the admissions committee but due to other exceptional applicants were waitlisted instead of offered outright admissions. Waitlisted students are permitted to enroll only if an admitted student declines to enroll, and in such case waitlist students are enrolled according to an order determined by the admissions committee.
In the U.S., boarding school admissions decisions typically are released around March 10th of every year. Schools generally give students and parents a 30 day period to evaluate the offer, and require a firm reply by the following April 10th.
Should the student decide to enroll, then on or prior to April 10th, the parent must execute an Enrollment Agreement with the school. This agreement typically includes the terms and conditions of a student's enrollment including tuition, tuition payment, and withdrawal/refund policies. Such agreements generally have a term of one year and must be renewed every year. At the signing of an Enrollment Agreement, most boarding schools require parents to make an advance payment of about 10% of the tuition of the upcoming school year. Only when the Enrollment Agreement is executed will the school issue an I-20 form for the student to proceed to apply for a U.S. F-1 visa.
After an Enrollment Agreement has been executed, the student and parent must sign an Admission Document whose contents include the terms and conditions of the student's conduct at the school (Student Handbook), and a parental release form. The admission document packet may also include information on arrival, orientation and school schedule as well as forms related to health and immunization to be signed by the student's personal physician.
The Admission Document is extremely important, and any documents requiring signatures (e.g. student conduct terms and conditions, health forms, etc.) must be returned to the school prior to matriculation. As these documents pertain to the student's studies, health and social well-being at his or her future school, it is imperative that both the student and the parent thoroughly review the contents therein.