KGSP Journey: The Beginning

So here, I am writing another post related to scholarship because I am now in a waiting moment which is really frustrating me. I just can’t stop myself from thinking about it so I decided to write down how I feel and how is my journey going.

I have come all the way so far to reach this moment. I have been through a few nervous yet exciting stages of KGSP. Now, I am waiting for the final announcement which will be released on the 21st of this month. I will get to know which university/city I will be in for the first year.

I applied via University Track. I chose Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) and International Development Studies will be my major for my Master’s Degree. A throwback to when I chose the university, I really did not know why I was so attracted to HUFS. Well… it is not one of the SKY universities but it specializes in international and language studies. I love everything about it from its course to its campus and its reputation. It locates in the center of a capital city (Seoul) but it is surrounded by many big trees. Its building looks like an old castle (which I really love).

85a73-img_0800

I will spend three years in Korea which includes one year for the Korean language program and two years for the Master’s program. Within the first year, I will spend lots of time traveling and getting to know more about Korea (of course, I will have to focus on the Korean language as well; otherwise, I will be in trouble because they require students to get at least TOPIK 3 after one year). Luckily, all the courses will be in English because my major is in GSIAS (Graduate School of International and Area Studies). I can’t imagine how hard it’s gonna be to study in Korean since a master’s degree requires a lot of reading and researching.

However, everything is still unclear for now as I haven’t seen the final announcement yet. This is the third round for embassy track candidates and a waiting stage for university track candidates like me. I have been waiting for the second announcement which was on May 3rd. During this period, all I have to do is take a medical checkup which I have already done since mid-May. I hope my document is alright. I hope everything is ok. Frankly speaking, I really can’t sleep at ease.

Well… it’s 16 days from now until June 21st so I guess I will come back to write another post about it since awaiting moment seems to be so long for me.

31 thoughts on “KGSP Journey: The Beginning”

  1. Hi Ponika..
    Thankyou for your share experience
    I apply KGSP 2017
    I would like to know for the second round,based on your experience how the NIIED will choosing us. Maybe look from the GPA,university recommendation or another.

    Thankyou

    Like

  2. Hello,
    My name is Maryam
    First i want to congratulate you though is a bit late,for getting this scholarship and am imensly happy for you,it’s like a dream come true 🙂
    I’ve been wanting to request this favor from you and am reluctant to do so but today i want to let it all out.
    Please i want to talk to you in private because there are some personal stuff i want to ask you regarding this scholarship but i feel uncomfortable to post it here.Here’s My contact information

    Whatsapp number: +2349074713495
    Email: Maryammustapha396@gmail.com

    I will be the happiest person if i get your response,and if am violating any of the rules of your blog am deeply sorry.

    Thanks for creating this wonderful blog.

    Like

    1. Thank you so much for your comment. I just sent you an email but I was informed that this email is incorrect. Can you send me another email? Or contact me via my email: nithponika@gmail.com Please feel free to ask me. I will get back to you as soon as I can if I am free. 🙂

      Like

    1. The Announcement in May will be made by NIIED. However, the deadline of submission applications from university to NIIED normally in early April so you will know the result of your 1st selection by early April. The announcement in May is the 2nd Announcement made by NIIED whether you will be selected for the 2nd selection or not. Please check the guideline or University information when will they announce the 1st selection. Normally, the Announcement will be sent individually by University to those who select. Some universities announce the result on their website. And the interview is conducted before the 1st selection. However, it’s not mandatory that all the university will have an interview. Some universities select candidates without having an interview with them.

      Like

      1. It says here that on April 7 “Embassies and Universities forward successful applications to NIIED. ” So before that day, I have to prepare myself for a phone interview if ever?

        Like

      2. Yes, be ready for the interview and also don’t forget to check your email frequently. Sometimes they send an email to inform you first. Make sure to check spam inbox as well. Just in case, it is delivered to there. Good luck!

        Like

      3. It’s usually a week before the announcement, is it? Yes, I’m always vigilant these days ever since I remembered that possibly there might be an interview. However, I don’t know in what instances do they usually do the phone interviews.

        Like

  5. I want to know if you submitted many awards on your application? I think I can only pass 2 to 3 awards, do you think I can still get the scholarship?

    Like

    1. Dear Audrey, no worries. 2 or 3 awards are enough to be included. It’s not the only factor. It’s one among many others important components. I didn’t submit many award as well. Just few awards plus English proficiency test, and other required documents. Good luck! 🙂

      Like

      1. That’s good news! 😀 Actually, I am still completing my undergraduate degree, and I am very worried because other applicants might have more awards and experience. Thank you very much! 🙂

        Like

  6. Hi! Can you please read my Study Plan and Self Intro, I am not sure if it’s already okay. I plan to apply to Sungkyunkwan University. Do you think they have higher standards compare to other Universities? Thank you very much!

    Like

    1. Dear Audrey, I’m very sorry to say that I might cannot read yours. That should be read by someone who knows you well (your background, your goals, your passion, and so on). You can ask your senior, professors, or colleagues to proof read it. It is a better idea. As far as I know, Sungkyunkwan is one of the top universities so it has higher standard comparing to other universities (not as high as SKY). Good luck for your application! 🙂

      Like

      1. Thank you very much for your advise. 🙂 I will ask my professor to read it for me. But I want to know how you wrote your study plan. Can you give me advise based on your experience. Did you give a thesis/ research title already? Huhu I really want to get this scholarship.
        Thank you! 😀

        Like

    1. Dear Toncanan, I am sorry for late reply because I was busy. Well… My GPA was not that high. It’s just around 3.00/4.00. Have you decided which track are you going to apply?

      Like

      2. oh then you really have to be hurry. i think the deadline of submitting the document is already over for some universities.

        Like

      4. If you are not sure which University you want to go then I suggest you to go for embassy. So that you don’t have to be stress because of choosing University plus for now it’s a little late for applying via university because you will also need 3 to 5 days for sending your application to university. But you have to be aware of high competition through embassy track. I hope applying via embassy track in your country is not as competitive as University track. Good luck! 🙂

        Like

      7. thank you thank you…but but i have another question

        do i just place all my documents in a bigger brown envelope where my tor is inside sealed in a brown envelope and recommendation letters in a white envelope?
        correct me if i’m wrong :”

        Like

      8. Place all the documents including letter of recommendation in one big envelope. I would suggest you to arrange it base on the guideline order as well. From what I remember, letter of recommendation is after study plan (I’m not sure. Please check the guideline carefully.) By doing so, you’ll get a little credit of how well-organized of your document is. Again, good luck! Hope to hear good news from you! 🙂

        Like

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.