Many students and parents ask, a few months after dropping out, whether they can go back to that school. The short answer is yes, but you can only return to the school you originally attended, and the principal makes the final decision. Going to a different school is called a "transfer admission" instead. This article sets out the conditions and steps for re-admission, based on the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's "2025 Secondary School Enrollment Guide" and the Ministry of Education's school record guidelines it cites.

Re-admission means returning to the original school, at your former grade or below

The guide defines re-admission as a person who stopped attending high school entering the same school again, at the grade they were in or a lower one. Entering a higher grade or a different school is handled as transfer admission. Compulsory-education schools such as middle school and students designated for special education are not eligible. A student who finished year 2 before leaving and asks to return to year 1 is also covered, because it is a lower grade.

The default window runs from March of the next school year to the day before you left

For a student who dropped out on May 10, 2024, the default re-admission window is March 1 to May 9, 2025. The guide also addresses a request made on June 10 of that year. In that case the attendance days in the year the student left plus the attendance days remaining after re-admission must add up to at least two thirds of the school days, and the principal must find the reason acceptable before permitting it. Missing the window does not shut the door, but permission is discretionary.

The principal may permit it when it does not interfere with completing the curriculum

That phrase has a standard. The Gyeonggi office explains it as a point with at least two thirds of the school days remaining and a semester grade that can still be calculated. A student who wants to return in the second half of a semester should ask the school about both conditions first. The decision follows the school's rules and is made by the principal, so the answer can differ between schools even under the same conditions.

Applying starts with a consultation, then an application form and a residence certificate

The sequence is: the student and parent consult the original school and submit a re-admission application, the school reviews it, and the principal approves or declines. The required documents are the re-admission application, a resident registration certificate, and any other documents the school asks for. In a household where the parents are divorced, the signature of the person with parental authority is required, and the school checks it when the guardian the student lives with is someone else. Forms differ by school and provincial office, so pick one up at the school office.

How the record carries over: overlapping periods are deleted, but school-violence measures stay

After re-admission, content before the re-admission date stays as the record at the time of leaving, and later content is built up fresh. Data for the overlapping period is removed through the correction ledger, except grade history, personal and enrollment details, and school-violence measures. If you expected dropping out to erase a record, check this point. How school-violence measures count in college admissions is covered separately in our article on how long school-violence records are kept.

A student who passed the equivalency exam can also go back to school

A student who dropped out and then passed the high school equivalency exam may enter a high school again. Entering at the grade left or lower is re-admission and a higher grade is transfer admission, and in both cases entry is possible only at a point with at least two thirds of the school days remaining. The exam requires six months between the date of removal from the school roll and the exam announcement date, so check the requirements in our article on the six-month rule for the equivalency exam.

Time abroad or at an alternative education facility can change the grade

A student who left in March of year 1, studied abroad and returns for the second semester is also re-admitted if they go back to the original school at the same grade. What was studied at a foreign school is only a reference for deciding the grade and is not recognized as completing that grade's curriculum, so it is not entered in the school record. Time spent at an alternative education facility that is neither licensed nor registered is not recognized as schooling, so even a year there does not let the student move straight to a higher grade. A student who was expelled has re-admission decided by the review committee on early advancement, graduation and progression.

What to check before leaving, and what to do before going back

If you are still deciding, go through the school dropout reconsideration period first, and ask the school how the timing of leaving affects the re-admission window and grades. From the 2025 first-year cohort, a student who leaves after the second written exam reportedly has to complete minimum-achievement guidance before the grade enters the school record. Before going back, do three things. First, ask the school office when permission is possible and which documents are needed. Second, calculate whether two thirds of the school days still remain. Third, check the credit standard for the grade you will join in our article on the eased high school credit standard. This article is based on Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education materials for 2025, and details may differ by provincial office guidance and school rules, so confirm eligibility with the school and your district office of education.