Underlining the issues and phenomena of our society. Looking into their background and currents, and conveying what they mean.
"I completely blew the midterms this second semester. I'm wondering whether it would be better to quit school and start over rather than stay until graduation." So says a first-year student at a Seoul high school, identified only as A.
Students and parents weighing the same move — dropping out in the first year of high school and then re-enrolling, a practice known as a "grade reset" — are growing in number. The worry is that under the five-tier grading system, where the top 10% receive the highest grade, missing that band even once can put a desired university out of reach.
Under the previous nine-tier system, the top grade covered the top 4% and the second grade the cumulative top 11%. Under the five-tier system, the top grade covers the top 10% and the second grade the cumulative top 34%. Put another way, a second grade once meant the top 11%; now it means the top 34%. Students say that in the past, missing the top band once or twice did not carry the pressure it does now.
"A grade you receive once follows you all the way to college admissions"
High school grades do not merely show current academic achievement. In admissions tracks evaluated around the school record, they serve as primary assessment material. For that reason, a great many students react sensitively to the result of a single exam. When scores are poor, they start looking for ways to make up the ground.
In the past, there were not many options. Botch the midterm and you made up for it on the final; miss the final too and you had to wait for the next semester's midterm. Recently, however, students are considering dropping out to focus on the national college entrance exam after taking an equivalency exam, or re-enrolling in high school to earn fresh grades. Online, posts asking about re-enrollment procedures and conditions at individual schools are easy to find. Also noticeable are posts scouting schools in areas known for relatively less grade competition. A parent living in Seoul's Junggye neighborhood said: "Even in Junggye, there are schools where competition is fierce and others where it is relatively not. I've seen students quit the school they were attending and re-enroll at another school in the area, precisely to get better grades."
Not all reasons for considering dropping out are about grades, of course. There can be various circumstances, including difficulties in school life or a change of career plans. But the fact that some students weigh dropping out and re-enrolling to recover from low scores shows that the burden of grade competition can extend as far as the decision to leave school.
From nine grades to five — has the competitive burden eased?
The Ministry of Education introduced the five-tier system to ease the excessive grade competition seen under the nine-tier system and the advantages and disadvantages arising from course selection. By widening the top grade from the top 4% to the top 10% and the second grade from a cumulative 11% to 34%, it sought to lighten the burden of competing over bands. The aim was to let students choose a variety of subjects and learn cooperatively rather than cling to grade competition alone.
In schools, however, some argue that the change in the grading system has instead increased the pressure on students. The rising number of first-year students at general high schools who discontinue their studies lends weight to that analysis. The figure stood at 9,346 in 2024 and rose to 10,006 in 2025, the first year the five-tier system applied to first-year students.
At top-ranked schools, students in the top 20% to 30% have found it harder to earn the highest grade, while at lower- and middle-ranked schools, second-grade students in the top 10% range have found it harder to distinguish themselves from those in the top 20% to 30%. Lim Sung-ho, head of Jongno Academy, said: "Under the nine-tier system, the cumulative thresholds for the first through third grades were the top 4%, 11% and 23%, so you could set a goal of climbing one step at a time. Under the five-tier system, the top grade is the top 10% and the second grade runs to a cumulative 34%. From a student's point of view, the barrier to moving from the second grade to the first can feel far too high."
First-year dropouts concentrated in Seoul's three southern districts — is it the grade reset?
First-year dropouts have been especially concentrated in Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa, the three southern Seoul districts where top-tier students cluster. According to data from the Korean Educational Development Institute's education statistics service and the School Info disclosure system, of the 816 students at general high schools in those three districts who discontinued their studies in the 2025 school year, 473 were first-year students, or 58.0% of the total. Gangnam District had the most at 184, followed by Songpa District with 160 and Seocho District with 129. The share of first-year students who discontinued their studies at general high schools in the three districts was 4.49%, higher than the 2.59% rate across all grade levels.
In the admissions industry, one suggestion is that students who failed to reach the top 10% needed for the highest grade under the five-tier system judged it difficult to recover in their remaining years and chose to discontinue their studies, either to concentrate on the national entrance exam or to switch schools in pursuit of better grades.
Still, it is difficult to conclude from the dropout statistics alone that more students have quit for the purpose of a grade reset. The reasons for discontinuing study vary, from changes in career plans to problems with peer relationships. Nor are there official statistics counting dropouts undertaken specifically to earn new grades. Even so, what is clear is that some students do drop out for a grade reset. The fact that students weigh — and actually make — such a decision in order to get better scores deserves attention.
"Miss the top grade and you're out of Seoul" — admissions marketing plays a part
Students' anxiety is bound up with the way admissions information circulates. In online communities and in the private education market, explanations are repeated along the lines that failing to reach a particular grade makes it hard to enter a major Seoul university. Such messages can reduce a complex admissions process to simple competition over bands, and can leave students feeling that few chances remain to recoup lost points.
Yet university admissions are not decided by grades alone. The school-record subject track, the comprehensive school-record track and the entrance-exam-centered track all assess applicants differently. What counts also shifts by university and by program. Claims that the top grade in every subject is required to enter a major Seoul university can impose excessive pressure on students while overlooking the range of admissions tracks and the possibilities they offer.
Providing accurate admissions information matters. Presenting a particular grade as if it were an absolute threshold for entering university is the problem. When that happens, students are inclined to consider starting their grades over from scratch rather than exploring the various routes available. It is worth asking whether admissions information is helping students judge rationally or instead fueling competition over scores.
Does re-enrolling after dropping out wipe the slate clean?
Re-enrolling after dropping out does not automatically erase every score and record. Procedures and the handling of academic records can differ depending on whether a student re-enrolls at the same school, enters a different school as a new student, or transfers. Before deciding to re-enroll, students also need to check whether individual schools have openings, as well as education office rules and school regulations.
In particular, it is worth examining how scores and school-record entries from previously completed semesters are handled, and which materials are used in admissions at the desired university. Even when entering a new school, the handling of academic history and scores can differ by circumstance, so students should not assume that dropping out and re-enrolling alone will reset their grades.
Amid the controversy over grade resets, it is also notable that the Education Ministry is reviewing a plan to keep academic records continuous even when a student enters a school anew after dropping out. The ministry said it does not see the five-tier system as having accelerated grade resets, but left open the possibility of adjusting the relevant rules. If a revision is confirmed, it could affect grade resets. Should the method of recording academic history change, how a dropout history is reflected in admissions will also bear watching.
Better grades the second time? It depends on how each university evaluates
A grade reset does not guarantee success. There is also the possibility of ending up with worse scores the following year. Students must also consider that assessment methods and school-record criteria differ by university and by track. Depending on how scores earned at a new school are evaluated and how prior academic records and scores are handled, the hoped-for outcome may not materialize.
In the comprehensive school-record track, assessment can cover not only grades but also course selection, the learning process and growth evident in school life. An explanation may be required for the gap created by dropping out and re-enrolling. And for those considering the entrance-exam-centered track, concentrating on exam preparation may be a better choice than switching schools.
In the end, a grade reset is not an admissions strategy that works for everyone. Experts advise against deciding on the vague expectation that grades can simply be earned again. Above all, students should check the admissions guidelines and the academic-record rules at their target universities. An official at Etoos said: "The kind of student universities want is itself changing. The trend is toward designing tracks that look at attitudes in school life as well. Candidates who approach this as if dropping out and simply scoring well on tests were enough may find themselves at odds with the kind of student universities want to admit."
Is leaving school the only answer? Are there alternatives?
Dropping out to concentrate on an equivalency exam and the national entrance test is not a disadvantageous choice for every student. Depending on learning style, target university and level of preparation, leaving school may be the better alternative. Quitting school, however, means no regular classes and no guidance from teachers. Study plans and daily life must be managed alone.
Dropping out and re-enrolling is not a matter that can be decided simply on the grounds of earning new grades. The gap in study, adjustment to a new environment, school-record entries and each university's assessment methods must all be weighed together. Education officials advise that even when the urge to make up for poor scores comes first, students should carefully examine the benefits they can actually obtain and the risks they must accept.
Experts stress that for institutional reform aimed at easing grade competition to have real effect, it cannot stop at changing the grading bands. Students need opportunities to make up for low grades and redesign their career plans. Admissions tracks and assessment criteria at each university also need to be explained in terms students can readily understand. The emergence of students who leave school to manage their grades anew should not be dismissed as a matter of individual choice alone. The task for the education system is to create real opportunities for students to explore new paths within school rather than choosing to drop out.
