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SEOUL, South Korea — The months leading up to South Korea’s college-entrance exam, the College Scholastic Ability Test, are some of the most stressful in a South Korean teenager’s life. Far more than the SAT or ACT, the CSAT holds bearing on people’s well-being 20 years after they take it. If students score highly enough to get into a “SKY” university—a Seoul National University, Korea University or Yonsei University—they land on the path towards an enviable...
...CSAT holds a singularly sacred place in Korean culture. On the day of the national exam, many businesses and the stock market open late in order to keep the roads clear for students driving to their testing locations. Airplanes are prohibited from landing or taking off from Korean airports during the listening section. Korea’s temples and churches are filled with praying parents...
...first reaction is, “Wow, you must be really smart.” Since Korean college admission is based entirely on a test score, it is widely acknowledged that no matter how naturally intelligent you are, if you don’t study intensively for the exam, you won’t go to a top-tier university. Grades don't even matter: I know one Korean girl who got sick of her high school’s competitive atmosphere, dropped out, and studied on her own for the CSAT. She scored highly enough to go to Ewha...
...often valid to write off disappointing admissions results as bad luck or unfortunate circumstances. Korean students blame themselves. It is common for those who don’t get the score they want on the CSAT to take a year off to study and then re-take the exam. If they fail again, it’s even more heartbreaking...
...Like other minorities, Uighurs are given additional points in China's college entrance exam, but as a group they don't have the same educational level as Han Chinese. Many can't speak fluent Mandarin. Company managers with roots outside of Xinjiang often make hiring decisions based on connections or regional origin, leaving Uighurs at a disadvantage. China doesn't have a fair-hiring law, meaning that those with sufficient skills and experience still have no recourse if they face discrimination in the job market. (See pictures of China after the riot deaths on LIFE.com...