You’ve Applied to CIEE Seoul! Now What? (Tips from a CIEE Student)

Congratulations if you've applied to CIEE Seoul! Now, the waiting game begins, but I hope it won't be a lengthy one. Once you've completed your application, you may wonder what to do while awaiting your acceptance from CIEE. Here are some tips from my application cycle which may be helpful to you!

1. Relax! You've put in a lot of effort to meet your application deadline. Take some time to relax and enjoy a few hours of your favorite YouTube or Netflix series. You've earned it.
2. Take a Passport-Style Photo of Yourself If you don't already have a digital copy of your most recent passport photo, it's a good idea to get one. You'll need it for your visa application, and it can also serve as your Yonsei ID photo. You can find tutorials on YouTube or TikTok to help you take these photos, and it can be a fun activity to do with friends who are also preparing to study abroad next spring. Alternatively, you can visit your nearest pharmacy or photo studio to obtain a few physical copies as well as a digital version.
3. Think About Some Classes You Might Want to Take! Yonsei has a wide variety of classes available to students who are studying abroad here! Some classes I am taking this semester that might be of interest to you are Understanding K-Pop, and Pre-Modern Korean History. Yes, there are classes that focus on K-pop and K-media, so if you are a fan and consumer of K-content, you might want to look into taking one of these classes for elective credit at your home university. The Yonsei portal currently doesn't reflect classes that will be available in the Spring, but there usually isn't much of a difference in classes offered from one semester to another. But CIEE also offers a class that might be of interest to students, so definitely do start thinking about possible classes you are interested in. 
4. Focus on Your Studies Your top priority right now should be to excel in your current semester. Concentrate on your classes, and occasionally check your email for any updates from CIEE.

Seoul is an exciting place to be, no matter the season of your visit, and I'm confident you'll have an incredible experience here!