Special College Placement Scheme to Handle 125,000 Students

A special selection system for gifted or extraordinary students in operation from 2000 will next year account for the passage of 125,102 students, or 33.3 percent of all students, into 150 institutions of further education, including teaching colleges.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of students picked under the special system - which considers such conditions as a principal's recommendation, applicants from agricultural communities and especially talented pupils - will increase to 79,150.
Out of the total 100 points by which students are graded, the teacher's evaluation on average accounts for 8.6 points while the national examination takes up the largest portion of the total grade at an average 55.9 points in 89 colleges.
Next year, 168 general colleges will enroll 337,721 students out of a total of 376,272 freshmen.
The average rate of competition per place will be 1.76 to 1, tougher than last year's 1.65 to 1.
The number of applicants expected to take the national entrance exam is estimated to reach 896,122 students across the country.
Bong Hwa-shik:trojans@joongang.co.kr