“What kind of school is Minerva, where students go instead of Seoul National University?”

Ranked #1 World Innovation University 2022-2024
A school that never existed before
A school that offers 100% online classes
A school where you can study in seven countries over four years.

Minerva University, ranked #1 among world's most innovative universities for three consecutive years.
Today, as reform of the outdated education system becomes a global issue, extending beyond primary and secondary education to higher education, Minerva University stands as a symbolic figure at the forefront of this reform. Despite being accepted to universities like Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, this young man chose a more unfamiliar and seemingly exciting path over the more coveted, stable path.
For four years, I traveled the world and studied in seven cities, using them as my classroom.
By holding questions instead of answers and choosing adventure over stability, we created our own unique life story.


This story tells of a school in the midst of competition where selection was prioritized over education, where grades and rankings were important and friends were seen as competitors and enemies to be defeated, but in a school where the principle of valuing individual and collective growth was maintained, students can now enjoy the joy of learning through cooperation.
You can also hear stories of how, in a study focused on finding the right answer, you deeply understand the importance of asking questions in every process and the importance of setting up the right problem.
This book is a narrative of the choices and growth of a young Korean man who boldly took on the unknown world of a "university that never existed before."
This book will be helpful to students preparing for college, parents concerned about how to raise their children, educational researchers interested in specific examples of education that focus on learner growth, teachers and professors, and even college students, all of whom will find it helpful in their own unique circumstances.

The '6 Applications, 6 Acceptances' talent, which was posted as a joke on the Facebook community 'Truth or Lie: A Waste of Talent', received unexpectedly hot attention.
I especially remember that the last sentence of the article, “I am going to Minerva!”, caused a great stir.
Starting with the question, "What kind of school is Minerva, where students go instead of Seoul National University?", various media outlets covered stories about Minerva University (then Minerva School).

--- p.18

'Your Admissions Decision.' This was the subject line of the email I received from Minerva University on November 1, 2018.
It means that the entrance exam results have come out, so check them.
Since there were only about two weeks left until the CSAT, whether I passed or not had a significant impact on me.
Usually, at the end of the first semester of the third year, students start to focus on studying for the college entrance exam, throwing away their school grades.
Out of the blue, I've been filling this period with English conversation and writing practice for the Minerva entrance exam.
The rhythm of the college entrance exam was completely broken.
If I had received the news that I had been rejected from Minerva University, I would have had to look into a prep school first.
--- p.62

In conclusion, for the 2019 school year, I applied to the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University through the student record screening process, and to the Department of Policy Studies and the Department of Global Leadership at Hanyang University and Sungkyunkwan University, which offer scholarships upon admission.
Luckily (and of course, with constant effort), I passed all five final rounds.
Perhaps because of the keyword 'miracle(?) of applying 5 times and passing 5 times', it may seem as if I had planned the entrance exam process and preparation method thoroughly from the beginning and prepared everything from school grades to activities to self-introduction to interview without a hitch, but in reality, there were many changes in career path and modifications to the entrance exam strategy accordingly.
--- p.67

Career paths in high school are also storytelling.
It's a story that tells why I want to walk this path by weaving together my usual thoughts and past actions.
So how can we do storytelling? Here's an example based on my school records and college application self-introduction (my Seoul National University self-introduction, which you won't find anywhere else).
Haha) I would like to show you one.

--- p.68

It was my mom who told me about Minerva University, but even she was flustered when I suddenly said I wanted to go to Minerva University right before the college entrance exam.
So after I finished using this table, I started talking to my parents.
We shared our thoughts on why we want to go to Minerva, why now is the time to apply, and what we hope to do there.
It wasn't because I vaguely wanted to go to the US or had fantasies about studying abroad, but because I had a clear reason for it, I was able to begin preparing for the Minerva entrance exam in earnest with great support.

--- p.75

As you prepare for the final stage, you will find yourself looking back on your life so far.
Because it asks what the applicant has achieved through what experiences.
When I took the domestic university entrance exam, there were many activities that could not be used in the comprehensive student admission process.
Extracurricular activities, official certification exam scores, and Olympiad awards that were not approved by the school principal could not be included in the self-introduction.
However, Minerva University's admissions process allows applicants to write about any activity they deem important and valuable.

--- p.81

Minerva University offers four years of 100% online instruction, with living in major cities across seven countries.
At this point, "living" in a major city doesn't mean having a campus in each of the seven countries.
Minerva University does not have a campus.
There is a building called the Residence Hall, where students live and reside.
I literally live as a resident, taking classes, sleeping, showering, and singing with friends.

--- p.24

As expected of Minerva, 1 Minerva's Flower, HC.
Can we teach people how to think? How to think critically, how to think creatively, how to communicate effectively with others, how to negotiate well, how to be a good leader.
Transmitting concepts that are difficult to quantify is never easy.
It is common to think that know-how is something you acquire, not something you learn.
But Minerva University responds that even this can be taught.

--- p.28

Vicki Chandler, Interim Provost, explains how HC came to be:
“Minerva’s curriculum was developed through interviews with a variety of employers and graduate school administrators.
I asked them what they expected from new employees and graduate students.
“Usually, students who have just graduated from college have a good knowledge of a specific field, but they often lack the practical skills to apply it in practice.”
--- p.32

Aren't you curious? Why bother traveling to seven countries and living there? Even going through the hassle of packing and unpacking every four months, on average.
The first reason is the diverse cultural experience.
Minervan has lived in cities around the world, including San Francisco, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Hyderabad, Taipei, and London, experiencing firsthand the unique culture, history, and social context of each city.
These experiences broaden your understanding of the world beyond what you can learn from books, and cultivate cultural sensitivity through interactions with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

--- p.48

Through the Civic Project, Minervan will not simply 'reside' in a city, but 'contribute' to it.
It's a powerful tool that allows you to experience the seven cities properly, rather than just skimming the surface.
Rather than just focusing on accumulating knowledge, the experience of proactively using it to solve problems will soon become your inner strength.
In this way, Minervan is reborn as a person who can bring about great change.

--- p.58

Minerva University's live online classes are conducted through its own platform called Forum.
Since I live in several countries, instead of creating a campus in every city, I want to make it possible for students to take classes in real time from anywhere.
The forum itself is not a special technology.
Real-time online classes are also possible through online meeting platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet.
Therefore, Minerva is called an innovative school not because of the platform or technology it has incorporated, but because it has thought hard about how to use that platform to educate.

--- p.102

Freshman year in San Francisco is more challenging than you might imagine, as evidenced by the Minerva joke that "A student who survives San Francisco can overcome any hardship or adversity."
First of all, since it is a place where the cost of living is really high, it is not enough for an unemployed international student to save up for living expenses.
Especially for students who are living in a dormitory or in a foreign country for the first time, adjusting is even more difficult.

--- p.111

I think I was a runaway train until my junior year at Minerva University.
Anyone who experienced me before my early 20s, juggling school and work, would call me a "workaholic" because my schedule was so hectic.
There was a time when busyness was the only driving force in life.
I liked the fact that I was busy.
After surviving a tight schedule all day, there was nothing more satisfying than that.
It's not like I accomplished anything great.
I liked filling my diary with things to do and then crossing them off as I finished them.
Because the traces of having lived hard seem like proof that I am not falling behind.
But both my body and mind were becoming exhausted.
I was always sleep deprived and my mind was impoverished.

--- p.177

There is no relative grading at Minerva University.
There is no test.
The evaluation consists of just two things:
One is a randomly selected and evaluated question among the opening question at the beginning of class, student comments during class, and closing question at the end of class.
Another one is essays submitted about once a month, which are given high weighting.
In order for a student to write an essay that expresses his or her own thoughts, he or she must have a high level of understanding of what he or she has learned so far.
It is an ideal assessment method for assessing the breadth and depth of learning.
But to apply this to our education, there are some things we need to look at in a little more detail.

--- p.220

In fact, when I chose Minerva, I started to pay little attention to other people's standards.
Since I gave up the brand power that my school name gave me, I couldn't rely on some famous name to tell others about my worth.
I had to show and prove what kind of person I was through my experiences, my words, and my actions.

--- p.247

Since systems are ultimately created by people, they are bound to change with the times.
As times change, the types of talent the world wants also change, as do the contents and methods of education.
The way we live also gradually changes.
I don't think there is a perfect system.
It will be difficult to break the system every time an absurdity is discovered or a blind spot is discovered.
So I want to talk about how to adapt well to an ever-changing world.
Not a way of conforming to fit into a changing world, but a way of adapting to change while protecting myself.

--- p.254