Seoul schools roll out AI-powered college guidance for migrant-background students

A poster promotes the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s college admissions information session for students with migrant backgrounds. Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

As the number of students from migrant backgrounds continues to grow in Korea’s classrooms, Seoul education officials are expanding efforts to help them navigate a college admissions system that can be difficult even for native-born students to understand.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Monday that it will broaden customized career and college admissions support for students with migrant backgrounds through a series of information sessions, consulting programs and career fair services.

The initiative is designed to provide practical admissions information while strengthening the college and career planning capabilities of students, parents and teachers.

A major admissions briefing will be held Tuesday at the education office’s main auditorium.

The session will introduce special admissions pathways, including social integration admissions, opportunities for students from multicultural families and admissions programs for foreign nationals.

Officials will also present successful admission cases tailored to different student groups, including late-arrival immigrant students, dual nationals, foreign nationals and naturalized citizens.

To help families with limited Korean-language proficiency, the event will provide simultaneous interpretation powered by artificial intelligence.

The education office said the technology is intended to improve accessibility and ensure that parents and students can better understand complex admissions procedures.

Beginning in July and continuing through October, education specialists will also visit schools to provide one-on-one consulting services.

The consultations will cover career exploration, course selection and student record management.

Separate guidance programs will be offered for parents to explain Korea’s higher education admissions system and entrance examination structure.

Teachers will receive consulting and professional training focused on supporting the unique educational needs of students from migrant backgrounds.

At the Seoul Career and Vocational Education Fair scheduled for July, the education office will also operate a dedicated support booth offering career and admissions counseling that takes students’ visa and residency status into account.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.