<p>Has anyone studied abroad in Seoul? Yonsei or Sogang? My D is considering doing the program in Spring 2014. Curious to know how many courses one is able to fit in a semester if you take one Korean language course. Where all the credits transferable? Overall experience? Is it difficult to get into? Thanks for any insight you can share.</p>
<p>I am studying abroad at Yonsei University in the fall. Mr. Ethan Merritt, the former study abroad adviser for AU Abroad Korea told me that all AU Abroad programs are non-competitive as long as you meet the GPA and funding requirements (i.e. Yonsei’s program asks that students show financial bank statement of $5,000). If you have any pressing questions/concerns, I have found the new Korea study abroad adviser, Ms. Alison Nagy to be very helpful. Her email is <a href=“mailto:nagy@american.edu”>nagy@american.edu</a>.</p>
<p>As a student involved with the Korean community on campus, many of my friends/acquaintances tell me that Seoul is a very safe place and that you are bound to run into lots of alcohol and partying (I probably shouldn’t tell you that because you’re a parent, but SK has no drinking age for alcohol FYI). If your D is in SIS, my adviser told me to take all of my area specialization courses in East Asia while abroad and yes they are all transferrable credits. If not, I suggest your D speaks to their adviser during walk-in hours. I can’t tell you my experience because I haven’t done my program yet, but I do know that no one who has been abroad in Korea has ever told me that it was boring/a bad experience. Yonsei is one of the premier institutions and the oldest university in Korea. Also, if your D is in SIS, consider going to Korea University. Dean Emeritus Louis Goodman established the Korea University SIS Abroad exchange program and Korea University is also a top institution.</p>
<p>Thank you bk4972b! This is really helpful information and a relief that it is non-competitive. I was reading the Study Abroad information online but it did not give Korea University as an option. Maybe the online information is not up to date. My D is in SIS and I did tell her that she should do her Korean studies courses in Korea since there doesn’t appear to be much offered at AU. What courses are you signed up for? That would be helpful to know too. Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Sorry for the late response!</p>
<p>Korea University is not an AU Abroad program. Click here for the SIS Abroad program for Korea University: [Undergrad</a> Semester Programs: Korea University](<a href=“http://www.american.edu/sis/sisabroad/undergradsemester/Undergrad-Semester-Programs-Korea-University.cfm]Undergrad”>http://www.american.edu/sis/sisabroad/undergradsemester/Undergrad-Semester-Programs-Korea-University.cfm)</p>
<p>Well, we do have Nuclear North Korea and Korean Foreign Policy within SIS that your D can take. But yeah, I would suggest taking area specialization courses while abroad. Exchange students get to choose classes last and I don’t hear back from Yonsei until mid-May. However, based on what my adviser and AU Abroad tells me, they say I should have no problems choosing area specialization courses in East Asia/Korea. Sorry this doesn’t help much!</p>
<p>(p.s. I hear Korea University is boring though if you or your D was considering it)</p>
<p>Thanks again bk4972b! This is very helpful. Would be very interested to hear what your experience is like when you finally get there!</p>