Indonesian Student Wins GKS Scholarship to Study English Linguistics at Sogang University in Korea

Hi, my name is Yuli, and I’m from Indonesia. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in English Linguistics at Sogang University in Seoul. I chose this field because English helps me communicate with people around the world. I became especially interested in semantics and pragmatics, where I learned how words can have different meanings literally and figuratively. After spending some time in the program, I find it even more fascinating, not only do we study English, but we also explore various language families, including some that are unfamiliar. We try to understand how these languages work and how their grammatical rules differ from one another.

Global Korea Scholarship Details

I am an awardee of the 2023 GKS batch. My scholarship is from the Korean government or known as the Global Korea Scholarship, managed by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). It covers tuition fees, flight tickets, one year of Korean language training, and a monthly allowance of approximately 1.2 million won.

Educational Background

My previous degree was in English Education. It is still somewhat in line with what I am studying now, which is English linguistics, but it differs in focus and main goals. One was more practical, intended to prepare me to be an educator, while the current one is more theoretical. My undergraduate GPA was 3.79/4.00. During my undergraduate study, I received basic knowledge about English linguistics, which led me to discover my specific interest in what I want to study further.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Korean Institutions?

I looked at the university website to check the detailed curriculum and the professors’ various research interests. It is also important to show that you have a clear reason why you specifically chose the university you are applying to in your personal statement. Furthermore, most universities require a language proficiency certificate to show that you can follow the courses. I submitted my IELTS score of 7.5. It took me a full year of consistent effort to achieve a decent score. I practiced every day amidst my hectic schedule as an office worker and completed all the mock tests in the Cambridge IELTS Academic series up to the latest version available at the time, which was about 16 series.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Global Korea Scholarships?

The main source of information was the Study in Korea website, which provides the application guidelines every year. I prepared everything that could boost my application score, such as submitting an IELTS certificate and other certificates of achievement to support my personal statements. I also prepared the required documents in advance, as some needed to be legalized (apostilled). This process took a lot of time and could not be completed instantly. Furthermore, I joined an online community on Telegram that consisted of fellow GKS applicants. Through this group, we kept each other updated on the latest developments. Last but not least, the contents of my essays were very crucial, so I made sure to proofread and seek feedback from successful awardees to improve and refine my writing.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I have Korean-related experiences, which I shared in my essay. During my undergraduate studies in Indonesia, I received a scholarship from a Korean company, the POSCO Asia Fellowship, for two years. Through POSCO, I was given the opportunity to join their company’s CSR program and work together with Korean student volunteers. This experience became one of the motivations why I wanted to continue my studies in Korea. Moreover, I also submitted my Korean speech contest winning certificate from the King Sejong Institute in Indonesia. I believe this also played a significant role in boosting my application score.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would have started learning Korean earlier so I could have had a better level to begin with.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Try to gain as much Korea-related experience as possible, because in my case, I know that doing the average won’t take me anywhere.

Start learning Korean more seriously

Having a language certificate like IELTS or TOEFL is essential if you want to study abroad.

Be clear and concise in your personal statement, and make sure your goals are tangible and well-defined.

Since there is no instant process, please be persistent! Don’t feel discouraged even if you fail. GKS 2023 was not my first attempt; I had failed too, more times than I can count. But I chose to keep going, because winners never quit, and quitters never win.