I'm finally in South Korea!
If you have been following me on my social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Tiktok), you know that I applied for the Global Korea Scholarship this 2023. And with God's help, I was chosen as one of the scholars for this year.
To help other aspirants, I decided to create contents about my experience in applying for the scholarship. From the documents until going to South Korea. I knew this scholarship way back 2018 (?) and since then I really wanted to try for my Master's. It was only this 2023 that I was able to apply. Yes, this was my first time applying the scholarship.
My GKS 2023 Application Experience
Submitting my documents to the Embassy
In February 10, 2023, the Korean Embassy in the Philippines posted that the application for the GKS 2023 is already open. The deadline was until the end of February. Compared to the past years, the application was earlier this year. Although I have been preparing for this since 2022, I was still a bit shocked.
So, what are the requirements that I prepared?
1. Application Form
2. Personal Statement
3. Study Plan
4. Letter of Recommendation
5. GKS Applicant Agreement
6. Personal Medical Assessment
7. Consent to Collect and Use Personal Information
8. Applicant's/Parents' Proof of Citizenship and family relationship Document (Birth Certificate)
9. Bachelor's Graduation Certificate (or Diploma)
10. Bachelor's Degree Transcript
11. Score report of valid TOPIK (original) or English Proficiency Test (copy)
12. Awards and other certificates (copy)
13. Applicant's Passport (copy)
For numbers 1-7, the NIIED will be giving a form for these. For numbers 8-10, you should have these documents apostilled.
After completing these documents, I had it delivered to the embassy. You can physically submit it too. But in my case, financially speaking, it's much better to just have it delivered than to go to the embassy.
After I have submitted, I waited if I will be chosen by the embassy. On March 9, 2023, I received an email from the embassy confirming that they have received my application. They have also stated there that only shortlisted applicants for the interview will be notified in the following week.
So that's when the waiting begins.
First Round - Embassy Interview
On March 14, 2023, I received another email from the embassy saying that I was invited for a panel interview. I was asked to sign-up and choose my preferred time of interview. They also have sent the link for the interview. I chose March 20, 2023 at around 4pm.
Based on the form that they asked us to be filled out, there were 28 applicants interviewed. But they will only be choosing 14 applicants for the embassy track.
It was really nerve-wrecking since only half will be chosen. To be honest, I did a little bit of stalking. I searched for the other applicants online to see their credentials as well. And they were all good. They have good work and academic status. So, I was a bit scared since I feel like I'm not good enough.
I was interviewed by three Koreans. It seems like two were from the embassy and one is a professor in UP Diliman.
What are the questions during the interview?
1. Introduce yourself (include your future plan)
2. As an Art major, what do you want to do, like create films or series?
3. How's your experience during the 2019 ACH program?
4. Do you have Korean friends?
5. Have you checked other scholarships in South Korea?
6. If you're not chosen this year, what is your Plan B?
7. Is there any other things that you would like to tell us about yourself?
8. How will studying in Korea be helpful in the bilateral relationship of Korea and the Philippines?
I'll be creating a vlog about the interview and share to you my tips when I applied.
And on March 23, 2023 at around 4pm, I received another email from the embassy saying that I have been included in the list of recommended applicants. My documents were then forwarded to the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED).
Second Round - NIIED Document Checking
For the second round, I have to wait for NIIED to release the list. You don't actually have to do anything here but to just wait for it. Based from past scholars in the embassy track, the second round is the most chill round in the embassy track since NIIED will just check your documents and compile all the recommended applicants from different embassies.
But this round is crucial for the waitlisted applicants. Yes, there are waitlisted applicants. The embassy is given the chance to recommend one more applicant. These waitlisted applicants will wait if other countries have extra slots.
Third Round - University
Even if you have passed the two rounds, there is still a chance that you won't be able to get the scholarship especially if no university accepts you.
For the embassy track, we were given a chance to choose three universities. In my case, I chose Dongseo University, Ewha Womans University, and Dongguk University. We have to choose at least one Type B university (university in the province).
In this round, it depends on the university if they will still conduct an interview or not. Some universities do have interview while some just based on the documents that you passed.
My anxiety level rose up here because I do not know if I will be having an interview or not since I do not get any updates from the university.
In the end, I did not have any interviews and just received emails whether I was accepted or not.
On May 22, 2023 (just a few days before my trip in Japan), I received my first ever email from the universities I applied. It was from Dongseo University. I was accepted.
So by this time, I am already sure that I passed this scholarship because at least one university has already accepted me. My major in Dongseo University is Film and Video Production. Although I told myself that the first university to accept me will be the university I'll choose, I still waited for the results of the other universities.
On June 8, 2023, I received an email from Dongguk University saying that I was not accepted. And on June 9, 2023, I received an email from Ewha Womans University saying that I was not accepted too.
So in this case, the only university that accepted me is Dongseo University. And yes, I'll be studying my Master's at Dongseo University in Busan.
Applying for a student visa in South Korea
On June 30, 2023, the NIIED released the final list of the 2023 GKS Scholars. This includes the embassy track and university track along with their universities. After announcing this, it's time to wait for the documents that will be needed in applying for a visa.
I'll be writing a separate blog about how to apply for a Korean visa if you're going to study in Korea.
By the way, these are some of the scholars who also applied for the visa. We decided to meet up and have a lunch together.
We waited for a week (or 5 working days) for our visa to be released. And yes, we were all approved.
VLOG:
I'll be sharing more of my activities here in South Korea through my blog, Youtube Channel, and other social media accounts. So, I hope you'll join me in my adventures as an GKS Scholar / International Student in South Korea.
