KAIST 2027 International Undergraduate Admissions: Early Round Closes October 22, Regular Round November 10 to January 14, Full Scholarship on Admission

KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) has published its 2027 international undergraduate admissions with two rounds, Early and Regular. KAIST is Korea's first research-oriented science and technology university; most courses are taught in English, and freshmen enter without a declared major and choose one in their second year.

Application dates (deadlines at 6:00 PM KST)

• Early: September 22 to October 22, 2026; recommendation letters by October 29; online interview if required on December 22; results January 7, 2027. Choose end-of-February (spring) or end-of-August (fall) 2027 entry.
• Regular: November 10, 2026 to January 14, 2027; recommendation letters by January 21; interview if required on March 3; results March 25; fall entry only.
• KAIST advises submitting at least a week early; the track cannot be changed after paying the fee.

Eligibility

• Foreign citizens whose parents are not Korean citizens (applicants with a Korean parent must have completed all schooling outside Korea); Korean or dual citizens cannot apply as international students.
• Graduation from high school by February 28, 2027 for spring entry, or by August 31, 2027 for fall entry.
• KAIST has no transfer system; students already at another university start as freshmen.

Application materials

• Required: online application (with essays), high school (and any university) transcripts, passport or national ID, standardized test scores and English test scores.
• Standardized tests: at least one, such as SAT, ACT, AP, IB, A-Level, or another national high school leaving or university entrance exam; those submitting a national exam add a one-page summary (procedure, competition rate, results). Scores showing strength in maths and physics, chemistry or biology are encouraged. Only IB and A-Level predicted scores are accepted.
• English (recommended scores): TOEFL iBT 83 (tests before January 21, 2026) or 4.5 on the new scale, IELTS 6.5, TOEIC 720, TEPS 326. Duolingo, ITP and at-home/online tests are not accepted; Early applicants need tests taken on or after November 12, 2024, Regular applicants on or after February 4, 2025. Graduates of English-medium high schools may request an exemption with a school letter.
• Optional: up to two recommendation letters (optional from 2027 but highly recommended, ideally from a homeroom, maths or science teacher, in English), up to five honors and awards, a school profile and a school report.
• Non-English documents need a translation sealed by a translation agency or notary; only scanned copies are uploaded at this stage.
• Application fee: USD 80 by card or bank transfer; eligible applicants may request a waiver.

Scholarship

• KAIST's guide states that all international students receive full financial support.
• KAIST Scholarship: full tuition for 8 semesters, KRW 350,000 a month for living expenses and health insurance; tick it in the financial section of the application, with no separate process, and it is granted automatically on admission.
• Students must keep a GPA above 2.7 (out of 4.3) after their first year.

Advice for students and families

• The Early round closes October 22; international transfers can take weeks, so card payment is safer, and recommenders only receive their email after you pay, with letters due a week after the application deadline.
• Students whose national exam results come out after the deadline should prepare SAT, AP, A-Level or similar results they can submit in time.

Sources: KAIST International Undergraduate Admissions, 2027 application timeline; 2027 Admissions Guide; KAIST Scholarship. Check the official sources for the latest policy.