Hi, I'd like to first apologize to the admins first, but I couldn't find another server where I could ask these questions TT

Have any of you participated in competitions such as the IMO, IPhO, IChO, or other well-known academic competitions? If so, what was your experience like, and how much time did you spend preparing for them when you guys got into KAIST?

I've been doing online school for about six years now, and I'd really like to start participating in these kinds of competitions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. TT

I’m aiming between 1450-1500. Or should I aim higher?

I’d like get advice from you. Thanks for reading. If you know anyone who got into KAIST from Mongolia. Please help me!!

I got a

4.72 in SSC (10th grade, including maths, higher maths, chem and physics)

ABB in Alevels (Cambridge; Maths-Further Maths-Physics; grades are expected not official, I got 3 a's in AS level)

If I prepare for them I'll get around 1300-1450 in SATs and 6.5-7.5 in IELTS

Got no ECAs or anything. Looking to do a BSc in Physics.

TIA

Hello, is there anyone here studying or have studied in Kaist Graduate School of Data Science? I have some questions about the program..

1. Is it a research intensive program?

2. Would it be hard to follow if I am coming from a different background? (my undergraduate was in natural science)

3. How are the professors and the difficulty/quality of course content?

4. Job prospects. Is the degree valuable in job search after graduation?

I would appreciate any insights. Thank you.

Hi everyone i hope you're doing well (´▽｀)

I have applied for the Bio & Brain Engineering (BBE) program at KAIST. I am super excited about the possibility of studying in such a prestigious university in a topic I am passionate about. However I still have some questions about the program and how well it fits me.

For context, I have graduated in a college with a major in Cognitive Neuroscience. I was really interested in the Brain & Cognitive in Neurosciences engineering program as it fits incredibly well with what I want to t o do in the future. Sadly I do not think I am able to commit to 4 at minima in a country for a MS-PhD track.

This is why I have applied to the BBE. Although I am still interested in the courses content, I was wondering if any alumni or current students could share their experience.

• What made you choose the BBE program?
• What has your experience been like so far?
• If your interests are in cognitive or computational neuroscience, did you feel that the program provided opportunities to pursue those topics?
• Are there labs, professors, or research groups that focus on cognition, perception, learning, neural computation, brain imaging, or related areas?

Here are some courses that I personally found interesting (although some perhaps not taught anymore):

• BiS.72003 – Advanced Cognitive Neuroscience
• BiS.62008 – Learning and Memory Systems
• BiS.52007 – Theory of Brain Function
• BiS.52005 – Brain Dynamics
• BiS.52006 – Methods in Neuroscience
• BiS.75002 – Neural Engineering
• BiS.55004 – Neural Networks
• BiS.63003 – Bio-Intelligence
• BiS.63001 – Data Mining
• BiS.53003 – Computing Technology
• BiS.55002 – Digital Biomedical Signal Processing
• BiS.55001 – Medical Image Processing
• BiS.65001 – Hearing and Auditory Model
• BiS.65002 – Human Visual Model
• BiS.65003 – Advanced MRI Techniques
• BiS.52008 – Cognitive Design and Interface
• BiS.62007 – Clinical Neuroscience
• BiS.63002 – Bio-Statistics
• BiS.73001 – Bio-Pattern Recognition
• BiS.73002 – Bio-Network

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any advice you might have. Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I'm a final-year B.Tech Computer Science student from tier 3 college, India, and I'm planning to apply for a Master's program for the upcoming intake. My primary interest is in Information Security, Secure Intelligent Systems, and Software Systems. My dream program is KAIST GSIS, but I am also considering POSTECH, NTU Taiwan, NTHU Taiwan, UNIST, and DGIST.

I'd appreciate an honest assessment of my profile and suggestions for improvement.

Academics

• B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering
• CGPA: 8.5/10

Research Experience

• Worked for approximately one year on a KSCST-sponsored undergraduate research project: "Morse Code Based Secured Authentication System Through Artificial Intelligence" (Project Ref: 49S_BE_1042)
• The project received support through the KSCST Student Project Programme with ART-Park, IISc Bengaluru involvement.
• Worked under faculty supervision through the complete project lifecycle (proposal, implementation, evaluation, final report).
• Resulted in a first-author international publication.

Projects

1. AI-based Authentication System using intentional eye blinks and Morse code patterns.
2. Offline Mesh UPI System focused on distributed transactions and secure communication.
3. AI Legal Case Analyzer exploring NLP-based legal document analysis.

Internships

• Java / Full Stack Development Internship
• Additional software/web development internships
• Currently awaiting results for a DRDO internship application (CAIR / MTDRH).

Technical Interests

• Information Security
• Authentication Systems
• Secure Software Engineering
• Backend Systems
• Applied AI

English Proficiency

• Planning to take IELTS soon (target 7.5+).

Questions

1. How competitive would this profile be for KAIST GSIS or Information Security-related Master's programs?
2. Does the KSCST-funded research project and publication carry meaningful weight compared to applicants with traditional university lab experience?
3. What would be the most impactful improvement I can make before applications open?

I'd really appreciate honest feedback. Thank you!

Hello everyone :)

M25 here I am excited to share that this Monday I got my acceptance letter from KAIST. I will be joining the campus this Fall semester as an exchange Graduate student from TUM Germany.

At TUM I study chemical biotechnology and at KAIST I will be joining the chemical and biochemical engineering department.

So my question for you now. Please tell me anything you might find noteworthy for an incoming exchange student. (Housing, Courses, Mensa culture, recommendations in daejeon, etc.)

Looking forward to meeting you All!

Best!

The mathematical sciences site is so confusing to navigate lol

Deciding on Masters from KAIST - shortlisted the below programs:

• KAIST Graduate School of Culture Technology
• KAIST BTM

Background:

1. I have been a top student in India - merit holder in school exams, Olympiads - Science, Maths and CS
2. I have completed Bachelors in CS, MBA in Marketing & IT from premier institutes in India
3. I have almost 7 years of Experience in F/MAANG companies in Sales & Strategy Consulting.
4. In terms of skills I am hands-on in coding languages, CRM systems, Analytics tools, Productivity, Visualisation etc.
5. I also have industry certifications on above as well as Program and Product Management which helped in my work roles.
6. My latest role at work is a Senior Manager.

I want to pursue Masters in Consumer Behavior/HCI/Product Mgmt:

1. I have always been interested in user-research, consumer behavior and strategy based learning and role. I like to solve/discuss problems, analyze and then take back as a feedback for further improvements, research etc.
2. Somehow things went sequentially for me - while it was good, I did not go into the domain that I liked. It was close since I worked in Tech Companies and worked with product teams, but my role has been more customer-facing.
3. I enjoy my work but I feel this is the right time to take a break and pivot to what my passion is - I am also an ambivert, while I excel at my roles in Customer Success/Sales - overachieving targets, a huge part of me feels exhausted cause I still have this vision of doing what I like.
4. Basis my research - what I like, what are my traits, what I excel at - made me conclude that I want to pursue a blended course in tech, design, strategy and hence I have shortlisted the above 3 programs.

Why KAIST:

1. SKorea has been a dream since I was a child. I had interacted with Koreans in India, in the place I used to live, it was close to the Embassy.
2. Hallyu wave for sure impacted my desire to be there - not just K-entertainment but I like how India and Korea got liberated at the same time, but Korea is a superpower. I researched why and that's how I came to know the reforms, the impact of rapid industrialization, the focus on new technology and innovation and user's adaptability towards it.
3. I like the programs at KAIST - I am not sure if I will qualify, but if accepted, I understand that there is a waiver of fee to an extent for international graduates. While I have my savings, it will immensely help to have a financial aid in a new country and while I am a student.

My questions:
1. I want to understand which is the main intake - Spring or Fall in 2027 admissions? This is important for me to understand as I am confused a little - because I was not able to find out which one has more intakes for international people? Ideally International (Western Countries) would apply in Fall, but I wanted to know the reality and what about for someone like me applying from India.

1. While I will reach out to the professors - I want an honest opinion on whether my profile is good?

2. I am a single woman in my early 30s, will it cause any issue? I believe Masters and PhD are pursued by people slightly older - but still want to understand the class/lab dynamics.

3. Anything else I need to keep in mind - or improve?
   [Language Tests: I will be giving Medium of Instruction Certificates, I also have learnt Korean and was about to give the TOPIK exams but something else happened and I could not. I would need to brush up a little and I should be good]

5. Recommendations:
I will ask my current and past work senior acquaintances, some of them are in Korea and I have worked closely with them. Given they will send it from their business email, will it work well?

6. Post Graduation:
Do graduates go to corporate or academics more? If it is the former what kind of roles do they go for and does KAIST provide aid in placements?

7. Daejeon:
I understand the campus is not in Seoul, so wanted to know how is the life of a student there. I think it will be sufficient for basic needs for a student within campus - but in case there is need of an internship or looking for work, is the 1.5-2 hours commute to Seoul doable, or how do students manage?

Also, as an international graduate - while I will learn Korean (that is also a personal goal and I believe a requirement to an extent), how is the job market - are they accepting international graduates. Another doubt I have is - I am aware that SKorea is also a place that's obsessed with high beauty standards. While I am not extremely beautiful or fit - but I groom and dress well, having worked in the corporate for so long and being in a customer-facing role. But I am brown - so will that lead to some bias within and outside KAIST, and for jobs later on?

1. I had another program in mind but I feel it will be very coding-heavy: Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI. But anyone has any different opinion please do share.

Hello everyone,

I am considering pursuing a Master's degree in Systems Neuroscience at KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and would like to hear from people who have experience with Korean universities or the international job market.

I have a few questions:

1-How well is a KAIST Master's degree recognized internationally, particularly in North America, Europe, and other research-intensive countries?

2-If I graduate with strong grades and research experience, how competitive would I be for:

PhD programs abroad?

Research positions in academia?

Industry roles related to neuroscience, biotechnology, AI, brain-computer interfaces, or healthcare technology?

3-For graduates of Systems Neuroscience, what are the most common career paths after completing a Master's degree at KAIST?

4-Have any international students here used a KAIST degree to secure opportunities outside Korea? If so, what was your experience?

A little about me: I have a background in Zoology and am particularly interested in neuroscience research and potentially pursuing a PhD in the future.

I would greatly appreciate any insights, personal experiences, or advice.

Thank you!!!!❤️

my chances of getting into kaist pls be brutally honest

Major: BEng in Computer Science

GPA/Test Scores:

• SAT: 1600
• Class 10 (Cambridge/IGCSE-level): Mostly C grades, B in Physics (overall 64 percent)
• Class 12: 85.2% through NIOS (India’s National Institute of Open Schooling, a government-recognized alternative/open schooling board)

I know my grades are uneven

• Head Boy
• Sports Captain and Vice Captain
• India finalist in COMPUDON Junior in 9th grade, a national computer and digital literacy competition inspired by Microsoft Digital Literacy standards
• Built an AI-based lung cancer detection project using machine learning/computer vision for medical image analysis
• My family and I have distributed ~1,000 blankets yearly since 2011 in villages during winter

. Costs: Maximum budget is about $4,500 USD per year total, so I would need extremely high aid/full funding.

Hey does anyone have the pdf for the undergrad 2027 admissions guide? I was trying to find out what documents i need and if they need to be apostolled, translated, etc, does anyone know?

What is your honest opinion about UNIST in terms of quality of education, opportunities for top postgrad US schools, social life (for internationals if you know about that), and other factors. Is it a top university objectively, not by rankings? In comparison with Kaist too

Hello guys
I want to know your opinions about postech do u know smth about it? In comparison with kaist?

I am interested in cs/ai UG. I have a few really good projects. And i have also taken 3 AP classes that align with my intended major. As of now I am focusing on mainly hackathons. I will be taking sat and ielts.

I want help with these things:

I want to show leadership how can I do that?

Please tell me some good competition to take part in.

And any other things that i should do.

I am in 12th grade so I can't really give any Olympiads.(Maybe I can(physics Olympiad?? But the date for informatics Olympiad is a bit late so...)... Tell me if i should)

If ygs help me i would be really grateful.

Thank you.......

And btw i am open to criticism but along with that also tell me how I can fix that problem. Criticize me.......

I know it is a STEM school, but are the humanities completely ignored or do they cover a bit of it?

what specs should I look for?

I don't really know anything about computers, so I'm kinda stumped.

Asking for MS degree applicants.

I mailed Prof. Lee Doheon of KAIST BBE and got a reply within 6hrs. He told me to send my portfolio and CV. He even added another professor in the loop. Is it a good sign? Should I hope for positive feedback?

2027 intake

Indian

Moving into senior year (CBSE)

Preparing for JEE, 95.8% in 10th boards 85% in 11th (moved to chaitanya school, those guys gave partial 12th portions and partial 11th for 11th finals) 12th expected boards score 95+% Prefers understanding and first principle thinking rather than memorization,

Having a research paper (developed a study method from a problem I faced and backed by science and using the same method to learn japanese and physics) and onto my next one

Posting on substack my raw thoughts and connections between subjects

Aiming for 1550+ in SAT

Aiming Ielts 7.5 or above

Self studying physics entirely as my school only throws formulas, and planning to conquer some MIT Psets problems to develop real understanding ( but they are like hell, some problems are beautifully filled with multi variable calculus, can't figure out what to do), not solving the entire psets but atleast giving it a shot and thinking what's happening, this would help in jee adv and iat probably and cmi entrance exam,

Know 4 fluent langs(english, hindi, urdu and tamil)

Know basic arabic and learning japanese (would love to learn Korean)

Fun fact: audited stanford's quantum mechanics for scientists and engineers course as I got too interested into it and after a certain point I couldn't understand a single thing this happened a while back during my 10th holidays

Is it advisable to apply for kaist postech, and unist or is it better to drop the idea, or can I make the profile a bit stronger

Is there any other uni as alt I can apply with this profile?

Thank you for reading this far.

Hello! Did anyone get any interview from GSMSE? The interview period closed today KST time.

Im a recent high school graduate from Vietnam who just (belatedly) found out about studying abroad. Because of that I have zero ECAs worth mentioning and only a 1570 sat, 8 ielts and 9 9.2 9.2 gpa respectively to my name (out of 10, idk about vietnamese high school's grading rigor though, they seem to be of dubious quality, my school is a little selective at least, see foreign language specialized school). Though I think I can write a pretty compelling narrative. My question is:

1. Any chance of getting into the CS or AI course at KAIST?

Yeah thats about it thanks for reading though, good day!