The most common question from 11th-grade parents these days is, "There's no personal statement anymore, so what does the university actually look at?" The answer is already sitting inside the student record. In the 'Subject Learning Development' section of the school record, the narrative attached to each subject -- commonly called 'se-teuk' (subject-specific detailed remarks) -- fills that role. But se-teuk isn't something a student writes. Knowing exactly who writes it, when, and how much shows what to prepare for during the semester.

Where Se-teuk Sits in the School Record

The school record is divided into sections: personal information, attendance, awards, creative experiential activities, Subject Learning Development, reading activities, and behavioral characteristics and overall opinion. Se-teuk sits inside Subject Learning Development, running alongside each subject's raw score, class average, achievement level, and rank grade. Unlike items that appear on the record but are never actually used as admissions material, se-teuk is read by universities in both grade-based and holistic admissions -- which is exactly why it carries real weight.

Why Se-teuk Grew Heavier After the Personal Statement Was Scrapped

Starting with the 2024 admissions cycle, the personal statement was eliminated entirely from Korean university admissions. With that channel gone, holistic evaluation now runs entirely on what's already written in the school record, which is why admissions officers say they weigh Subject Learning Development -- and se-teuk in particular -- more heavily. Universities fill that gap differently: some read se-teuk narratives more closely, while others ask directly at interview about whatever the documents don't confirm. Knowing the difference between universities that select on documents alone and those that pair documents with an interview makes it easier to plan an application strategy.

Students Don't Write It -- the Subject Teacher Does

Se-teuk is written by the teacher who teaches that subject, not the student. Under the guidelines for preparing and managing school records, the teacher writes the narrative based on classroom-observed learning attitude, participation, how assignments were carried out, and the ability shown in presentations or inquiry projects. The key point is that this is a third party's -- the teacher's -- observation record, not a self-description like a personal statement. That said, when a student organizes presentation materials or inquiry results and submits them, teachers often draw on that material. Using this reference material -- often called a 'self-prepared record form' -- is a different act from writing the se-teuk itself.

Filled In at the End of Each Semester, Subject by Subject

Se-teuk doesn't appear all at once the way exam scores do. The subject teacher enters it at the close of each semester, and first- and second-semester entries accumulate separately. For an 11th grader, the first-semester se-teuk for a current subject is either already entered or about to close, while the second-semester se-teuk still reflects whatever attitude and activity happens in the remaining classes. Just as the school record submitted for early admission stops being updated as of August 31, se-teuk only carries forward whatever accumulated before its own cutoff. Nothing done after that cutoff can be added to that semester's se-teuk, which means each semester's share is effectively decided partway through, not at the very end.

There's a Clear Character Limit

Se-teuk isn't free-form writing with no limit. According to the guidance on the School Record Support Portal (star.moe.go.kr), each subject's se-teuk has a base limit of 500 characters per subject, and starting with the 2025 first-year cohort, common subjects such as Korean, math, and English combine their two courses into a single 500-character limit. There was a time when the allowance per subject was more generous, but the limit has kept being tightened to cut down on long, encyclopedic listing and push toward writing compressed around evidence and specific examples. A fixed limit means what a teacher can write about any one student is already filtered before it's written. The more distinct an impression a student leaves in class, the more likely it is to make it into that limited 500 characters.

What an 11th Grader Should Be Doing This Semester

Not being able to write your own se-teuk doesn't mean there's nothing to do about it. Creating the material the teacher can observe is still the student's job. If you gave a presentation, don't stop at just finishing it -- write down what sources you found and why you reached that conclusion. If you attach a separate activity log alongside the graded assignment and hand it to the teacher, it becomes easier for the teacher to fit concrete evidence into that 500-character limit. Conversely, if a student only shows up and leaves no record behind, the teacher has little to work with beyond a generic description of attitude. It's fair to say the quality of se-teuk is roughly proportional to the volume of traces a student leaves behind during class.

Once Entered, Corrections Are Hard

Like other parts of the school record, se-teuk is relatively easy to correct only before the end-of-year deadline; once that deadline passes, it moves to a process requiring review by a correction review committee. The procedure and deadline for fixing incorrect entries in the school record apply to se-teuk as well, so if something factually wrong shows up after entry, checking and requesting a correction before the school year ends keeps the process simple. The longer it's left, the more the question shifts to whether a correction is even possible at all -- so right after the semester-end entry is the real window to check.

Three Things to Check Right Now

1. Have you organized your own record of this semester's presentations, inquiry projects, and performance assessments in each subject?
2. After semester-end entries are complete, have you reviewed your school record to see whether each subject's se-teuk matches what you actually did?
3. If something doesn't match the facts, did you request a correction before the end-of-year deadline?
Se-teuk is written by the teacher, but building the material it's built from is still the student's job.