Ever wondered how much students spend on test prep and private tutoring for Seoul National University’s medical track?
The figure varies widely, but in Daechi-dong, Seoul’s hub for private academies, it can reach 5 million won ($3,380) a month.
In a recent video uploaded to the YouTube channel Studio Sha, run by students at the nation's top university, SNU, a junior from its School of Dentistry offered a glimpse into what it takes to keep up in South Korea’s cutthroat educational landscape.
The student, surnamed Yang, who graduated from a prestigious high school in the affluent Gangnam area, said he attended up to nine private academies, spending between 4 and 5 million won per month.
“I got tutoring for Korean, mathematics, English, science and Japanese,” he said.
Beyond academy fees, Yang said he also paid for a seat in a study room — a quiet, often 24-hour facility used by students — as well as online lectures and related textbooks and materials.
At its peak, his after-school schedule included nine private institutes: three each for math and science, two for Korean and one for English.
Costs spiked in the weeks leading up to Suneung, or the College Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Two months before the exam, he said he enrolled in two Korean-language classes, with textbook and prep materials costs alone reaching about 1 million won. Including additional online lectures, his monthly spending rose to around 5 million won.
When Yang decided to retake the Suneung, he spent about 20 million won a year on textbooks, study room fees and food, even after receiving academy scholarships.
“Some of my friends spend up to 50 to 60 million a year to sit for the Suneung again,” he said.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
