r/GKSScholarship

egypt

will having topik level 2 and toefl actually help in my application ? even if the program iam choosing is taught in korean ?

Hi everyone! I’m applying for GKS-G 2027 for a Master’s program.

I’m from India and I recently graduated under NEP 2020. My university/college currently gives students a Provisional & Character Certificate, but the final degree certificate is expected to be issued much later (possibly around 1–1.5 years after graduation).

The provisional certificate confirms that I successfully completed my final examination and includes other details, but it does not mention the exact date of graduation. It also states that it is not equivalent to the final certificate issued by the Controller of Examinations.

According to the GKS guidelines, the graduation certificate/provisional certificate should indicate the exact date of graduation.

So I wanted to ask Indian GKS applicants/scholars:

• What did you submit if your university had not issued the final degree yet?
• Is a Provisional Degree/Graduation Certificate from the university's Controller of Examinations acceptable?
• What exactly should the provisional certificate mention?
• If the university does not issue the final degree for 1–1.5 years, what document did you use for GKS?
• Did anyone from an Indian university under NEP 2020 face the same situation?

I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through this, especially recent GKS applicants from India. Thank you! ❤️

Can anyone tell some agency which is relatively cheaper I have 5 done to apostille for gks undergrad

I recently applied for the 2026 GKS-G Embassy Track in my home country (Business/Finance related major). I passed the document screening but unfortunately got rejected after the first-round interview. There seemed to be around 20 applicants in total invited for the interview round (out of which roughly 12 get selected for the 1st round), and I happened to be the very last person in the order.

I am writing this not to complain, but to share my raw, detailed experience. The interview was an extreme "stress interview," and I hope sharing my story and the specific Q&A will help future applicants prepare for the mental pressure, especially when handling repeated questions to "be more specific."

1. The Freezing Atmosphere The moment I walked into the interview room, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy. I smiled brightly and said "Hello," and I stood there for about 5 to 7 seconds, waiting for them to acknowledge my greeting. Instead of responding, none of the interviewers (two Korean women, one local male interviewer) said a word. They just stared at me in complete silence for those 5 to 7 seconds with remarkably cold, harsh, almost hostile expressions, before curtly telling me to "Have a seat." It really felt like they were deliberately creating that tense silence and putting on those icy faces just to establish an intimidating, high-pressure environment. Even when the interview ended and I politely thanked them for their time, they just stared at me in cold silence.

2. The Q&A: The Endless "Be More Specific" Loop They really grilled me on my major and my vision.

Korean Interviewer 1: "You mentioned wanting to gain experience at a Big 4 firm. Those positions usually go to elites or people who studied in the US. Do you really think you can make it?"

My Answer: I explained that my goal was to build practical, hands-on experience through an internship at a Big 4 firm in Korea, and take those advanced practices back to my home country to contribute to our financial development. I added that I would put in my absolute best effort to achieve this, and even if that specific path didn't work out, I had a solid Plan B to continue pursuing my goals.

Korean Interviewer 2: "How exactly can your accounting major contribute to both Korea and your home country?"

My Answer: Based on what I had written in my Statement of Purpose (SOP), I explained that I want to help introduce and implement IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and Korea’s advanced accounting systems in my home country. (I answered based on everything already detailed in my application essays, though I don't remember the exact word-for-word delivery).

Korean Interviewer 2: "Please be more specific."

My Answer: I shared my past experience working in the financial sector where I witnessed systemic issues. I explained that I want to improve my country's outdated systems, which still rely heavily on manual tracking and simple Excel sheets.

Korean Interviewer 2: "Please be EVEN MORE specific."

My Answer: I explained that by learning transparent, advanced systems in Korea and applying them back home, the financial environment would become clean and reliable. This would give Korean businesses the trust they need to invest in my country.

Korean Interviewer 2: "Be MORE specific."

My Answer: At this point, after defending my major three times, I felt completely cornered. Under immense pressure, I brought up a soft skill, saying, "As an accounting professional, I can also provide linguistic help between the two countries."

Korean Interviewer 2's Reaction: "Ah~ so as an interpreter."

My Answer: I immediately defended myself saying, "I can help linguistically as a professional in my field in both countries."

My Feeling: Hearing that "interpreter" comment was truly discouraging. It felt dismissive and a bit rude, as if my entire professional vision was suddenly reduced to just translating words.

3. Behavioral Questions After that intense grilling, the local interviewer asked me some behavioral questions:

"Korea is a highly competitive country. How will you adapt?" -> I highlighted my resilience built through various work experiences. (He actually gave a slight nod here).

"How will you handle stress and difficulties?" -> I said I wouldn’t suffer alone but would actively seek help from professors, the student council, and the International Student Association.

They ended by asking me to describe what my friends and family think of me in Korean, to which I answered that I am a punctual, meticulous, and hard-working person.

4. My Profile at the Time of Application (For Reference) To give some context to future applicants on where I was standing, here were my stats when applying:

GPA: 96% (Percentile)

Degree / Graduation Status: Applied with a provisional graduation certificate (instead of the official diploma)

Language Scores: TOPIK Level 5, Academic IELTS 6.5

Relevant Work Experience: 4 years and 5 months in the financial/business sector

Ties to Korea & Relevant Activities:

Worked for 1 year with a major South Korean broadcasting network covering news on local border conflicts and situations in my home country, serving as a field coordinator, interpreter, and local correspondent to inform the Korean public.

Won 1st Place (Grand Prize) in a Korean Speech Contest (Intermediate level) hosted by a bilateral cultural exchange center.

5. Additional Observations & Atmosphere Details

- The Interview Panel: The two Korean female interviewers appeared to be in their mid-to-late 40s, and the local male interviewer also seemed to be around his mid-to-late 40s.

- Non-Verbal Reactions Throughout the Interview: There was a clear contrast in how the interviewers reacted while I was answering. The two Korean female interviewers were remarkably cold and sharp the entire time—constantly rustling and flipping through my documents, staring at me with a subtle, barely perceptible frown that hovered right between being neutral and displeased. It felt very intimidating and stressful. On the other hand, while the local male interviewer was also serious, his expression wasn't hostile; he remained completely neutral and composed, and he even gave me a slight, subtle nod when I answered his question.

- Accent & Communication Note for Future Applicants: The Korean interviewers spoke English with strong Korean accents, which at times made it slightly difficult to understand their questions immediately. For future applicants, I recommend practicing and getting used to listening to Korean-accented English in advance to avoid getting flustered under already high-stress conditions.

Additional Note on Interview Duration & Vibe: My total interview time was about 10 to 15 minutes. During the Q&A, one of the Korean female interviewers explicitly told me to keep my answers short and quick. I got a strong impression that they just wanted to wrap up the interview and get it over with as fast as possible.

Hey everyone

I have a quick question regarding the embassy track document package.

I literally only have one single original copy of my birth certificate (the one that shows my parents' names/relation), and I've already got it consular attested. But since the guidelines state that the documents won't be returned, and I tried so hard to get a new original issued from my country but couldn't, what's the workaround here? Has anyone dealt with this before?

Also, for the main original package, how did you guys set it up and what did you put in it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks🙏🏻

Hi I'm Sayantani , from India . I have a question that, Is there any Science student ever get rejected in GKS scholarship? The mejor like Biotechnology, AI, Cosmetic science, Engineering, etc.... did anyone ever hear this before?? Because this mejor are strong. I am curious.

I just checked the iraqi embassy. It only offers GKS-G and i was aiming for yonsei since years. I literally started studying everything since i was in 7th grade,

and yonsei is only in the embassy track for undergaduates so i cant apply for it through uni track. should i just say goodbye to my dream? 🫠

should I even try applying to Korea?

just some thoughts. I'm from Russia, currently in the 3rd year of a medical school (in serbia if that's important). I've been searching for some full scholarship programs since you need to learn the language beforehand and stuff. Originally I set my goal at China but looking now it is not likely that I will get a full founded scholarship there, so i need other options too.

So I've searched some other countries and found the korean gks. it seems pretty good for me: fully founded, some work opportunities later on (on uic track).

the only problem is getting in though 😅 I'm gonna be working my ass off but I don't think i can get the gpa higher than 3.8. no extracurricular stuff (i live in a little town where nobody cares about it anymore and no money and time to go to bigger cities), but i know 4 languages (+ grinding hsk4 rn) and i have experience with being international student and learning a language from scratch. I'm thinking about possibly applying to dong-a uni since it is the only uni in uic list that has anything biology related in the programs.

I'm pretty worried about the chances though. I would want to increase them (gonna study topik 2 at least), are there any online olimpiads and other stuff that i can do?

also I'm wondering if anyone here had the same experience of china vs korea choice

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Hi everyone! I’m planning to apply for the GKS Graduate Scholarship and I’m currently researching which universities to choose.

I’m a little confused about how we should actually evaluate universities beyond just their ranking or reputation. For GKS applicants, what are the most important factors we should consider before finalizing our university choices?

For example:

- University reputation/ranking in Korea and internationally

- Reputation of the specific department/program

- Quality of the curriculum and courses

- Career and job opportunities after graduation

- Employment opportunities for international students

- University’s location and cost of living

- Availability of scholarships/financial support beyond GKS

- Internship and networking opportunities

- Industry connections and alumni network

- How well-known the university is among Korean employers

- Difficulty/competitiveness of admission

- English-taught courses and language requirements

- Korean language support for international students

- Research opportunities and faculty

- For MBA/Global Business/International Business programs, whether the degree has good value in the Korean job market

Also, how much weight should we give to university ranking vs. program reputation vs. job prospects?

For those who are current GKS scholars, graduates, or have experience studying/working in Korea, what parameters did you consider when choosing your universities, and is there anything you wish you had checked before applying?

Any advice or personal experiences would be really helpful. Thank you!

Hi im planning on applying to the gks scholarship embassy track in tunisia for masters my top pic BUFS and chonnam i am asking if the scholarship payment is delayed how can we pay the dorms and about the plan ticket to we pay it ourselves and then get a refund once we have a korean bank account

In the excel sheet i keep seeing business administration but what about the specialization example in marketing, accounting etc….? Or will it be business administration without a specialization?

I am a below average student living in India. My parents are getting old, my father is 60 and my mom is 53. I need to retire them soon. I need financial aid, but the scholarships in india are based upon my marks and my family's annual income, both of which do not fill the criteria. I studied in icse upto 10th, scored only 78%. I switched to cbse in 11th. I barely passed my 11th finals, now I'm in 12th. I am trying my best to aim for 95%+ in boards, but I know it isn't possible. I only fair well in English and compsci. My mom wants me to take engineering and nothing else.

I never attended many extracurriculars, mostly because my mom held me back from them to focus on my studies. I have a passion for design and coding, but I barely get time to sketch at home due to my mom's superstitious beliefs. She is willing to send me abroad for UG as long as I get a fully funded scholarship.

ChatGPT and google have not been reliable sources, but as far as the information I have gathered goes, there are many scholarships in south korea offering full tuition, living costs, round-trip airfare, health insurance and so much more. But I know these scholarships are only for the gifted.

My parents are not willing to pay for my college. I really need some proper advice. Do you think I can still make it into POSTECH or through GKS?

What do I exactly need for it? I want to apply for the fall 2027 admissions. Will I make it?
Are there alternatives? Am i enough for these scholarships? Are they worth it?

All my peers are ahead of me. I want to shine for once. Please give me some real advice.

Hi guys!! Basically the title lol

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Hey! I'm from India and we have created a telegram group with this year's GKS-U applicants from India to connect so that we could help each other out regarding gks doubts, apostille and document preparation.

Whoever is interested in joining let me know in dm and I'll add you.

Hi everyone! I’m planning to apply for GKS-G 2027 (Embassy Track) from Poland and I’m currently finalizing my university choices.
I’m considering:

Yonsei University — Media Cultural Studies / Media Communication

Sejong University — Korean Translation

BUFS— Korean-English Translation & Interpretation

Is there anyone here who is currently studying, has graduated from, or knows these programs/universities? I might have a few questions about program or thesis, THANK YOU 🥸

My desired Major is English Translation and Interpretation

And this post is to mainly ask if I should choose

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies &

Kyunghee University or change one of them

The third is Yeungnam University

12th - 86%

11th - 80 %

10th - 62.2% (wasn't active in studying or extracurriculars nothing)

School Certificates:-

Head Girl in 12th

House Leader in 11th

1st place in a School Debate Competition

Tree plantation and Cleanliness Drive Participation

A Research Article Published in an Indian Journal

IELTS -7.5

2 Alison Certificates :-

Teaching and Helping Students with Difficulties

Working as a Professional Translator

EFSET C2 English Level certificate

A king sejong institute level test certificate (as I don't have Topik), and will be taking one in sep starting

Also I'm taking a course on K-mooc about korean language so maybe if I get a certificate then that too

And one english olympiad I'll be giving hopefully I get the certificate before the application opens

There are a few quiz certificates that I have, not related to my major also not by school

Just free quizzes I took on MyGovquiz

Should I add them or not

Please do reply really need to know if those unis are best or not according to this profile

Hi all, we have had one of the winners of GKS-G 2026 from Poland reach out with us to share their personal statement and study plan. The Personal Statetment Megathread has now been updated with their essays. If you need an idea of what a winning statement looks like in 2026, please check it out! Remember, advice on how to write your personal statement applies to both GKS-G and GKS-U, so for all the GKS-U aspirants right now, please use the GKS-G statements as an example of what a good essay looks like.

Thank you again to this scholar for reaching out and sharing their story! You can find a link to the megathread here or at the top of the subreddit in the highlighted threads:

Sample Personal Statement & Study Plan Megathread

If you are a former or current GKS scholar and would like to share your personal statement or study plan, please reach out to a moderator! We are always happy to receive more successful essays and show applicants world wide what a winning GKS essay looks like. All personal statements are edited by our Mod Team to redact personally identifiable information before being published, so you don't need to worry about your personal information being leaked.

For more help on how to write your personal statements, you can also check out our guide on how to write a winning GKS essay here:

How to write an Impactful Personal Statement for GKS

Good luck everyone!