Reading Korean University Notices: Applications, Documents, Deadlines and Changes
Start here: You do not need to translate every word first. Check that a notice applies to your university, campus, program and semester, then find who it is for → what to do → when → where to submit → whom to ask. An application can be submitted while a separate document is still outstanding. Every notice, date and time in this article is invented for reading practice, not a real university schedule.
1. Check whether the notice is for you
신입생 (“new student”) does not automatically include every new student. Undergraduate, graduate, exchange and language programs can have different guidance; campus and semester also matter. For search results, check the official domain, target semester, publication date and revisions.
Write “Does this apply to my program?” above the notice. If unclear, ask:
저는 [캠퍼스·과정·학기] 학생입니다. 이 공지의 신청 대상에 포함되는지 확인 부탁드립니다.
“I’m a student in [campus, program and semester]. Please confirm whether I am eligible to apply under this notice.” Understanding a sentence and actually being eligible are separate things. 외국인 학생 (“international/foreign student”) alone does not establish that every program is included.
2. The title suggests the type of action
| Title expression | What to look for |
|---|---|
| 신청 안내 — application guidance | What do you apply for, and how? |
| 모집 — recruitment/intake | Who is being selected, with which conditions and process? |
| 제출 안내 — submission guidance | Which materials go where? |
| 변경 — change | Exactly what changed from the earlier version? |
| 취소 — cancellation | Does it mean canceling an application, or canceling the event itself? |
A title is only the starting point. If an application notice also requires document submission, mark both actions. With 취소, read the sentence to find out what is canceled.
3. Read a fictional dorm application notice
The institution, dates and process below are invented. There is no real university name or application link.
[창작 공지] A캠퍼스 교환학생 기숙사 신청 안내
대상: A캠퍼스 이번 학기 교환학생 중 기숙사 미신청자
신청 기간: 3월 2일 오전 9시부터 3월 5일 오후 5시까지, 한국 시간
신청 방법: 학생 포털의 ‘기숙사 신청’ 메뉴에서 신청서를 작성하고 제출
추가 제출: 신청서 제출 후, 신청 확인서를 내려받아 같은 기간 안에 기숙사 담당 부서로 이메일 제출
유의 사항: 신청만으로 입사가 확정되는 것은 아닙니다. 배정 결과는 별도로 안내합니다.
문의: 기숙사 담당 부서
Meaning: “[Fictional notice] Dorm applications for exchange students at Campus A. Eligible: exchange students at Campus A this semester who have not yet applied for a dorm. Application period: March 2 at 9 a.m. to March 5 at 5 p.m., Korean time. Complete and submit the form under ‘Dorm application’ in the student portal. After submission, download the application confirmation and email it to the dorm office within the same period. Applying alone does not confirm a dorm place; allocation results will be announced separately. Questions: dorm office.”
A reading exercise, not a real application schedule or policy.
| Field | Answer from the notice |
|---|---|
| Who | This semester’s exchange students at Campus A who have not applied for a dorm |
| Actions | Submit the portal form, download the confirmation, email the confirmation |
| Deadline | Both submissions due March 5 at 5 p.m., Korean time |
| Submit to | Form in the portal; confirmation by email to the dorm office |
| Questions | Dorm office |
In 미신청자, 미- means “not yet done.” 신청서 제출 후 means the next action follows submission of the form. 같은 기간 안에 means the confirmation shares the application period in this example.
Do not miss 입사가 확정되는 것은 아닙니다 (“a dorm place is not confirmed”). Completing the application and receiving a room allocation are different. Check the separate allocation announcement for the latter.
4. Read the time and conditions beside the date
Remembering only “by March 5” misses the 5 p.m. cutoff. Here, 오후 5시 is 17:00 and the time zone is explicitly Korean time. If a real notice does not state the zone and you are applying from abroad, ask.
| Expression | How to read it |
|---|---|
| 오전 9시부터 | Starting at 9 a.m. |
| 오후 5시까지 | Until 5 p.m. |
| 마감 이후 접수 불가 | Submissions are not accepted after the cutoff. |
| 별도 안내 | Look for additional information in a separate announcement. |
| 기간 내 | Within the period already specified. |
Leave time to confirm completion instead of relying on a submission at the final instant. Follow the actual system’s processing rules. If only a date is given, do not invent a midnight deadline. Ask “마감일의 몇 시까지 제출하면 되나요?” (“What time on the deadline date must I submit by?”). If a boundary expression such as 이후 is unclear and affects your action, give your intended submission time and ask explicitly.
5. Separate what changed from what stayed the same
This original amendment continues the fictional notice:
[창작 공지] 기숙사 신청 마감 변경
기존: 3월 5일 오후 5시, 한국 시간
변경: 3월 6일 낮 12시, 한국 시간
포털 신청서와 이메일 확인서 제출 기한을 함께 변경합니다.
신청 대상과 제출 방법은 기존 안내와 같습니다.
Meaning: “[Fictional notice] Change to dorm application deadline. Previous: March 5, 5 p.m., Korean time. New: March 6, noon, Korean time. Both the portal form and emailed confirmation deadlines change. Eligibility and submission methods remain as in the original notice.”
The date moves one day later, but the time also changes from 5 p.m. to noon. Reading “one more day” as March 6 at 5 p.m. is wrong. 낮 12시 is 12:00 noon, not midnight.
Both submissions are expressly included here. If a real amendment mentions only one procedure, do not assume another deadline has also been extended. Eligibility and methods remain unchanged in this example.
If official notices conflict or the scope is unclear, ask:
변경 공지를 확인했습니다. 신청 확인서의 이메일 제출 기한도 3월 6일 낮 12시로 변경된 것이 맞나요?
“I read the amendment. Has the emailed confirmation deadline also changed to noon on March 6?” Replace this practice date with the exact date and link from your real notice.
6. A contact address may not be a submission destination
문의 identifies where to ask questions; 제출 is the act of handing in required material. A contact email does not automatically accept applications. Check the submission method separately.
The fictional notice explicitly sends the confirmation to the dorm office by email, but not the portal form. Track completion of each step rather than thinking “I sent an email, so I’m done.” Quote the unclear step instead of only asking what the notice means:
신청서는 포털에서 제출했습니다. 확인서도 별도로 이메일로 보내야 하는지 확인 부탁드립니다.
“I submitted the form in the portal. Please confirm whether I also need to email the confirmation separately.”
Practice: answer from the two notices
- Are language-program students at Campus A included?
- What is the final deadline for both submissions after the amendment?
- What remains if you have only submitted the form?
- Does completing the application confirm a dorm place?
Answers and explanations
- Not on the evidence given. Eligibility is limited to exchange students who have not yet applied. Language students must check their own guidance.
- March 6 at noon, Korean time. Both the date and time change, and both submissions are named.
- Download the application confirmation and email it to the dorm office.
- No. Allocation results are announced separately.
Common questions
QMust I know every word?
Start with the five key fields. But do not guess past an unclear condition that affects eligibility, exclusions or extra documents. Recheck the original or ask the office before acting.
QIs machine translation enough?
Use it as support, then compare dates, times, people, negatives and conditions against the Korean. Confusing 확정되지 않습니다 (“is not confirmed”) with 확정됩니다 (“is confirmed”) changes your action. Ask about important ambiguity.
QCan I use an old semester’s notice?
It can help with vocabulary and format, but is not a current schedule or rule. Check the latest official guidance and revisions for your university, campus, program and semester.
Read next
- Your first week studying in Korea: prepare messages after reading the notice.
- Turn vocabulary into reading comprehension: connect words to the action in a sentence.
- Check TOPIK reading answer choices: notice people, conditions and negatives, not just matching words.
References and scope of the examples
Checked October 23, 2026. These sources support checking institutional guidance. The notices, dates, procedures and explanations here were written by TOPIK Note and are not copied from those institutions.
- Study in Korea: living and housing: why dorm conditions need checking by university.
- Hanyang ERICA exchange/visiting-student FAQ: an example aimed at a specific campus and program. Its admissions, credit and dorm information is not treated as national policy.