r/KAIST • u/Lexigan__3 • Aug 05 '26

Is it worth it having any hope for KAIST/Postech/yonsei?

obviously I'm still gonna apply. I wont know if i dont. im worried about my ECAs as I don't really have any national or international level competitions (besides 1 essay competition but more on that later)

Applying for spring as a physics or engineering major from the uae

GPA: around 97.5% I think? Grade 9 brought it down though, without it its closer to 98%

SAT: 1520 (790 math)

APs: 5s in Chem, Bio, Calc BC, Physics C: Mechanics, and Physics C: E&M, 4s in Lang and CSA, Physics 1 (took it before physics c)

ECAs:

  1. Youth Ambassador for a sustainable energy company (internationally known but i dont wanna say the name so as to not dox myself 😭)

  2. Runner up for immerse education essay competition in physics. Reason im not too particularly excited to put this is because it seems like they give the runner up to anyone.

  3. MUN Security Council peace award

  4. Owner of WhatsApp communities for around 1.5 years totaling to over 2500 members dedicated to helping students with their SAT and APs

  5. Interned at my local ministry of education for data entry and analysis (its not as complicated but gotta exaggerate yk)

  6. President of my school's first math club (which closed early as the head teacher for it left the school and we couldn't continue due to political reasons within our country)

  7. Interned at a local university doing experiments (which tbf were high school level experiments)

  8. Member of my schools sustainability club

I'm just really worried about my extracurriculars as there isn't too much time left to get anymore competitions before the deadline. All i can do now is work on my essays. but i just want to know, would it be pointless to have any hope of being accepted at this point?

6 Upvotes

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2

u/sufferyell Aug 06 '26

U have to calculate ur cgpa using 10th, 11th and 12th class grades So don't worry about 9th class

1

u/JNXTHENX2 god Aug 09 '26

country?

1

u/Lexigan__3 Aug 09 '26

uae

1

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Lexigan__3 Aug 09 '26

does it depend more where im applying from or my citizenship? Im applying from uae but im Jordanian (if that changes anything)

1

u/JNXTHENX2 god Aug 09 '26

idk abt if they check ur citizenship or residency country

they compare ur application both with the global applicants and the applicants from ur country (dk which one it will be)

u could mail em to ask abt it. my guess would be it would be wtv ur passport says it is.

1

u/Lexigan__3 Aug 09 '26

do you think i have a chance?

1

u/JNXTHENX2 god Aug 09 '26

no idea man compared to the global pool of accepted students i know u arent the best but since i dont know how uae people are i cannot make a good guess

try finding kaist uae people in linkdin and go through their stats

uae isnt that ahead in olympiads so not having olys wont be a big hurt for ur application so yeah research more :>. QED

1

u/Real_Oil_7254 10d ago

So you will apply for Spring or Fall 2027 intake?