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| TOEFL iBT® test is the only English language test welcomed by every U.S. university. Courtesy of ETS |
By Jeon Yae-wool
The number of Korean students studying abroad dropped 41 percent in 2021 compared to what it had been two years earlier, before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. But Korean students can now pursue their dreams of studying abroad as the world is opening up its borders again for international students.
The United States has been by far one of the most preferred overseas destinations for Korean students. According to the U.S.-based Institute of International Education's (IIE) Open Doors Report, Korea represents the third-largest source of foreign students matriculating at U.S. universities, comprising 4.3 percent of the total number of international students in the U.S.
On a per capita basis, Korea sends the third-most students to the U.S. from Asia. So, why do so many Korean students choose to study in the U.S.?
EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State network of international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories, attributes the reason so many Korean students choose to study there to the flexibility the U.S. provides through the number and diversity of institution types it offers. EducationUSA promotes U.S. higher education by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States
U.S. institutions of higher education include state colleges (public universities), private colleges and community colleges.
State colleges (public universities) are founded and subsidized by the government of each state. Public universities generally offer access to a wide variety of fields of study. These universities tend to be very large and generally admit a wider range of students than private ones.
Private colleges and universities are funded by a combination of endowments, gifts from alumni, research grants and tuition fees. Private colleges and universities are usually smaller than public institutions and can have a religious affiliation or are single-sex schools.
Community colleges provide two-year associate degree programs to prepare students to continue their studies in an undergraduate degree program or help them gain occupational skills for immediate employment.
Regardless of the institution type, most U.S. colleges and universities require students of foreign nationality to take an English language exam such as the TOEFL iBT® test, as part of the application process.
The EducationUSA Korea team has invited guest speakers from ETS Korea to host a "Starting Your Study in the U.S. Plan with the TOEFL iBT Test" webinar on December 21 to help Korean students better understand both the TOEFL iBT Test and the level of English skills required for study in the United States.
To help Korean students prepare to study in the U.S., the EducationUSA team in Korea will facilitate a webinar with the theme, "Start your studies in U.S. with the TOEFL iBT test," on Dec. 21.
"EducationUSA is more than happy to organize the online event in collaboration with the TOEFL program," said Min-jae Baek, EducationUSA senior advisor at Fulbright Korea. "We hope that this online event can help Korean students have a better understanding of the academic English skills required in U.S. universities. Also, ETS Korea is offering various raffle giveaways including a free TOEFL iBT® test voucher and official guidebooks which will be helpful for Korean students preparing to study in the U.S."
More information about the webinar is available at the EducationUSA Korea website (https://www.educationusa.or.kr) or the official TOEFL blog on Naver (https://blog.naver.com/etskoreatoefl).
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