"Essay admission just comes down to good writing, right?" That's what most 12th graders and parents assume. But for the 2027 cycle, universities have raised or completely dropped their CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) minimum requirements, some have started or cut majors under essay admission, and a few have changed the test format itself. Since the same term "essay admission" covers very different rules depending on the school, skipping the school-by-school details can throw off your entire prep plan.

44 universities are running it again -- same count as last year

For the 2027 admission cycle, 44 universities nationwide are running essay-based admission, with a combined quota of 12,782 seats. The number of universities offering it hasn't changed from last year, but individual quotas, format, CSAT minimum requirements, and the scope of essay topics have shifted at many schools. Assuming last year's past papers and guidelines still apply just because the university count is unchanged is the mistake to avoid.

Universities that raised their CSAT minimums -- Sungkyunkwan, Duksung Women's, HUFA Global Campus

Universities that tightened their CSAT minimum requirements are Sungkyunkwan University, Duksung Women's University, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Global Campus. Since a strong essay score still won't get you in if you miss the CSAT minimum, applicants targeting these schools need to keep up their essay prep while paying closer attention to managing grades in the minimum-requirement subjects.

Universities that dropped their CSAT minimums -- Yonsei Mirae, Chung-Ang Da Vinci

On the other side, Yonsei University's Mirae Campus and Chung-Ang University's Da Vinci Campus have dropped the CSAT minimum requirements they used to apply. When the minimum disappears, the essay answer itself carries that much more weight in distinguishing candidates -- so easing up on essay prep just because the CSAT pressure is gone could backfire.

Medical-track majors added or cut

Gachon University's Korean Medicine and Pharmacy departments, Sahmyook University's Pharmacy department, and Pusan National University's Medicine/Pharmacy general track are newly recruiting through essay admission. Gachon's Korean Medicine and Pharmacy departments and Sahmyook's Pharmacy department are also newly subject to a CSAT minimum requirement. On the other hand, Dankook University's Cheonan Campus Medicine department, Yonsei's Mirae Campus Medicine department, and Yonsei Seoul's Dentistry department have cut essay admission entirely. If you were prepping for these majors through essay admission last year, you'll need to rebuild your application path through a different track -- and if you're targeting the medical track through essay admission generally, check whether a school or major newly opened up in your range.

Universities that changed the test format itself -- creative-type and science essays

Some changes affect prep more directly than which majors opened or closed. Chung-Ang University split its single essay track into a general type and a new creative type, and Yonsei University's Seoul Campus introduced a written/essay evaluation using science (integrated science) prompts for its natural sciences track. If you're targeting either school, the past-paper format itself has changed from prior years -- don't plan your prep around last year's fixtures alone; check this year's released mock essays and sample questions first.

Universities that dropped GPA entirely -- 100% essay weight

Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University, Gachon University, Catholic University, and Seokyeong University, among others, have maintained or expanded a format where GPA isn't factored in at all and the essay score alone decides admission. Since these schools let a strong essay override a weaker GPA, applicants should look at the three numbers on a CSAT result sheet (standard score, percentile, and band) for meeting the minimum requirement, and separately put more raw practice time into full essay run-throughs.

What to weigh alongside your regular-cycle (jeongsi) options

Essay admission is one track within the early (susi) cycle, so missing the CSAT minimum or slipping on the essay itself sends you into the regular (jeongsi) cycle. Checking the converted score that varies by university before applying jeongsi ahead of time lets you build a jeongsi backup plan before your susi results are even out. Holistic admission, which centers on documents and interviews, evaluates candidates in a fundamentally different way from essay admission, so the same student can come out ahead or behind depending on the track -- if you're applying to both, plan your prep time separately for each.

What to check right now

First, check whether your target school is among those that raised, dropped, or newly added a CSAT minimum. Second, check the department-level admission guidelines again to see whether your target major was newly added or cut this cycle. Third, if you're targeting a school that changed its test format (Chung-Ang's creative type, Yonsei Seoul's science essay), get the newly released sample questions first. Fourth, if you're targeting a 100%-essay school, put the time you save on GPA anxiety into full essay practice runs instead. Fifth, for schools with bigger quotas this year -- Gachon, Kyonggi, Kyungpook National, Dankook's Cheonan Campus, Duksung Women's, Sahmyook, University of Seoul, Ajou, and Hongik's Sejong Campus -- also check recent years' admission-rate trends, since competition levels may shift. Exact quotas and format details are released on different schedules by school, so before making a final decision, always check the original 2027 susi admission guidelines on each university's admissions office website.