GKS Scholarship tips – GKS Scholarship

If you have dreams of studying in South Korea on a fully funded scholarship, then the GKS Scholarship 2025 (Global Korea Scholarship 2025) is your golden opportunity! The official announcement is just a few weeks away, so now is the perfect time to start preparing in advance. Since the competition is fierce, planning ahead will give you a significant edge over other applicants.

In this guide, we will walk you through the application process, eligibility criteria, and key tips on how to apply for GKS Scholarship 2025 to maximize your chances of securing a spot.

GKS Scholarship 2025 – Tips to Plan and Prepare Ahead

What is the Global Korea Scholarship 2025?

The Global Korea Scholarship 2025 (or GKS Scholarship 2025) is a prestigious, fully funded scholarship offered by the South Korean government. This scholarship covers tuition fees, airfare, a generous monthly stipend (around $1,000), health insurance, and even Korean language training! It is open to international students who want to pursue Master’s, Doctoral, or Research programs in South Korea.

For more details and updates, visit GKS Scholarship Website.

Why Start Planning for GKS 2025?

The GKS Scholarship 2025 is expected to be officially announced within the next few weeks. Since the application process requires a lot of documents, waiting until the last minute could reduce your chances of success. Here are some key reasons why you should begin preparing right now:

? Extensive Documentation: You will need recommendation letters, transcripts, proof of citizenship, and language proficiency test scores

? Highly Competitive: NIIED selects only a limited number of students each year.

? Early Planning Increases Success: Giving yourself more time means you can craft a compelling personal statement and gather strong recommendation letters.

Find out each country’s quota and eligibility criteria for last year’s application by clicking here: GKS Scholarship Graduate

GKS Scholarship Application Tracks:

There are two tracks – GKS Embassy Track vs University Track

1?? Embassy Track

Students apply through the South Korean Embassy in their home country.
Higher competition but allows applying to multiple universities.

2?? University Track

Students apply directly to designated Korean universities.
Each university has a specific quota and deadline.

Last year, the GKS Scholarship 2024 had a total of 2,200 slots, with 800 seats through the Embassy Track and 1,400 seats through the University Track. Expect a similar quota for GKS Scholarship 2025.

GKS Scholarship 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Nationality: Applicants must be citizens of a country designated by NIIED (National Institute for International Education).
Master’s program: Must hold a Bachelor’s degree.
Doctoral program: Must hold a Master’s degree.
Research program: Must be invited by a Korean university.
GPA Requirement: Must have a GPA of 80% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked in the top 20% of their class.
Minimum CGPA: 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5, or 3.23/5.0.
Age Limit: Applicants must be under 40 years old.

How to Apply for GKS Scholarship 2025?

? Step 1: Check Eligibility
Read the guidelines carefully and ensure you meet all requirements.

? Step 2: Gather Documents
Prepare essential documents like your academic transcripts, recommendation letters, proof of citizenship, and language test scores.

? Step 3: Write a Strong Personal Statement
Make your application stand out with a compelling personal statement that highlights your achievements, goals, and reasons for choosing Korea.

? Step 4: Submit Your Application
Apply through either the Embassy Track or University Track before the deadline.

? Step 5: Wait for the Results
Shortlisted candidates will go through an interview and document verification process.

Tips for a Strong GKS Scholarship Application

? Plan Ahead: Start preparing now to avoid last-minute stress.

? Write a Unique Personal Statement: Avoid generic introductions; start with an impactful story or quote.

? Highlight Extracurricular Activities: Show leadership skills and community involvement.

? Improve Your Language Skills: Additional points are given for TOPIK (Korean) or IELTS/TOEFL (English).

Read the guide below that contains 5 important tips that can help improve your chances to winning GKS Scholarship

5 GKS Scholarship Tips To Improve Your Chances

We will update as soon as the GKS Scholarship 2025 will be announced officially. Meanwhile, kindly go through the last year documents – application form, FAQs and application guidelines.

For detailed information, please download the official GKS 2024 Application Guidelines here:

GKS Scholarship 2024 Application guidelines

To download the application form in .pdf format, click below:

GKS Scholarrship 2024 application form pdf

To download the application form in .docx format, click below:

GKS Scholarship 2024 Application form docx

Click the link below to read the official notice on the studyinkorea website: Official Notice of 2024 Global Korea Scholarship

GKS Scholarship, Global Korea Scholarship or KGSP (Korean Government Scholarship) is a fully funded scholarship that covers not only your tuition fee but also supports your monthly stipend (~$1000), health insurance, settlement allowance and Korean language training. The process of winning this scholarship is not easy, as it is considered one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships globally. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 GKS Scholarship tips to help you increase your chances of receiving the Global Korea Scholarship.

Disclaimer:

Please note that we are only suggesting you some of these GKS Scholarship tips to help improve your chances of being awarded the Global Korea Scholarship. The are our personal opinions and do not guarantee selection or admission.

GKS Scholarship Tips # 1: Planning Ahead

One important tip is to ensure that you plan ahead in order to avoid stressing out at the last minute.

When it comes to the application process for the GKS Scholarship, it is crucial to give it your full attention and dedication, as it involves a lengthy process and requires a significant amount of documentation. To ensure that you are adequately prepared, I recommend starting the application process at least 2-3 months before the deadline.

This will allow you sufficient time to gather all the necessary documents, such as letters of recommendation, transcripts, proof of citizenship for both you and your parents, and English proficiency test results (if required). It’s worth noting that the quality of your application is greatly influenced by the amount of time you have to prepare.

Tip # 2: Stand Out in Personal Statement

This has to be one of the most important GKS Scholarship tips. Imagine you have to go through 10,000 applications and each one of it starts with the same format, for example

I am ABC and was born in XYZ. My purpose in applying for the Global Korea Scholarship is to further my academic and professional goals in the field of International Relations. I am deeply interested in the diverse and complex relationships between nations, and I believe that the opportunity to study in Korea will provide me with a unique perspective and valuable skills that will contribute to my future career.

You see if every other Personal Statment has the same style and kind of the same wordings, you won’t stand out. So, make sure to start your personal statement with something unique, it could be a quote or a famous saying for example.

Disclaimer: Once again, remember that these tips are our personal opinions and only intended to enhance your chances of being selected for the Global Korea Scholarship. However, it is important to note that following these tips does not guarantee admission or selection.

GKS Scholarship Tips # 3: GPA Chart

According to the NIIED’s guidelines on the GKS Scholarship, all the applicants must meet the following requirements:

Score percentile should be 80% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked in the top 20% of one’s class
CGPA must be equal to or above 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5 or 3.23/5.0

The Global Korea Scholarship i.e GKS Scholarship only considers GPA conversion scales ranging from 4.0 to 5.0. If your university uses this scale, you can fill out the form in the usual manner.

If your transcript does not have score percentile, refer to Appendix A. GPA Conversion Table to convert your CGPA into 100 points scale.

Applicants must submit an academic transcript with CGPA or ranking information
If a transcript does not provide CGPA in any one of the accepted GPA scales (4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 5.0 or 100 point scale), then the applicant must submit a transcript converted into one of the above GPA scales as a supplementary document.

Tip # 4: Additional points for Languages

Do you know, as per the NIIED guidelines for the GKS Scholarship, starting in 2024, applicants will receive additional points based on language proficiency in Korean and English

Korean: points will be given to applicants with valid TOPIK certificate based on their TOPIK level
English: points will be given to applicants with valid English proficiency certificate based on their test scores (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, etc.)

More details: How to apply for GKS Scholarship

GKS Scholarship Tips # 5: Extracurricular Activities

One of another important GKS Scholarship tips is that always mention any extracurricular activities that you are good at. We believe that participating in extracurricular activities can significantly enhance an applicant’s chances of being awarded the GKS Scholarship for Korea.

Beyond academic achievements and qualifications, extracurricular activities demonstrate a student’s versatility and well-roundedness, which are highly valued by scholarship committees. Involvement in activities such as sports, music, community service, or leadership roles not only showcases a student’s talents and interests but also reflects their dedication and commitment to personal growth and development.

Additionally, extracurricular activities offer opportunities for students to build social and cultural competencies, which are essential for succeeding in an international program like the GKS Scholarship. Therefore, applicants should highlight their extracurricular involvement and achievements in their application to showcase their unique qualities and strengths that set them apart from other candidates.

Visit the link below for the official notice announced on the StudyinKorea website

GKS 2023 Official Notice

You can download the important documents by clicking the following links:

To find out how to apply for the Global Korea Scholarship 2023 for the undergraduate degree, click here.

We wish you the best of luck and hope to see you in South Korea one day.