Essay tests weigh on college hopefuls

By Na Jeong-ju

There are still two big hurdles to surmount for those who have taken the state-administered college admission exam in order to gain admission to good universities ― an essay test and an interview.

Many private institutes (hagwon) have opened intensive courses on how to write good essays and prepare for interviews, becoming an additional burden for parents who are already concerned about high tuition charged by universities.

A cluster of cram schools in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul, is bustling with college aspirants who are preparing for such tests. Some schools have put up large placards on their buildings to attract students.

According to media reports Monday, one of them is facing a police investigation for sending text ads to students after acquiring their telephone numbers from personal data traffickers.

“For most parents with children preparing for university-administered exams after the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), cram schools are a major source of information about universities they or their children prefer,” said Kim Seung-hyun, head of a civic hagwon monitoring team. “Even before their children are admitted to universities, they must pay a considerable amount of fees to help them prepare for essay tests and interviews.”

Authorities urged to tackle

In addition to the tutoring bills, they should also pay fees to universities for taking such tests. Given most students take such courses at private institutes following the CSAT, parents shoulder a rather heavy financial burden.

According to multiple civic and parents’ groups, the cost to take essay tests per student can easily add up to 2 million won ($1,840) if he or she applies to three to four colleges.

Private universities tend to demand higher fees than state-run schools from applicants for essay tests and interviews. One private college in Seoul charged each applicant 80,000 won ($73) last year.

“Such fees have become an important source of income for universities, but are a big chunk of parents’ budgets. That’s why we must address the issue,” said Choi Mi-sook, head of a Seoul-based parents’ group.

Schools have put more weight on essay tests and interviews than on CSAT scores in choosing students. This year, the importance of essay tests and interviews is even greater as the competition to enter prestigious universities will become fiercer, experts say.

After the CSAT, many cram schools opened expensive courses for students preparing for essay tests.

“A popular private institute in Daechi-dong charges as much as 150,000 won ($138) per 90-minute lesson. Given the longest course consists of 16 to 20 lessons, a student must pay over 2.5 million won,” Choi said.

As an essay score has become a crucial evaluation criterion for college hopefuls, household spending on private education is growing further.

“Even after the CSAT, students must spend much time and money in preparing for essay tests and interviews. The competition is even fiercer,” said Kim from the monitoring team. “An increasing number of schools are using their own essay tests as a key means to select students. One of its side-effects is the growing cost for private education.”

The high fees for essay tests and interviews have become a headache for educational policymakers as well. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has urged universities to lower such fees, saying that it’s an enormous burden for low-and middle-income parents. It also plans to crack down on private institutes that charge excessive tutoring fees on students.

Last year, some universities cut fees voluntarily amid social concerns about the problem, but that was not the case yet for many schools.