The thing families considering an international school check last is the exit. Yet it has to be checked before entry, because which school a child attends determines their eligibility to apply years later.

Step 1 — what status does my child's school have?

The schools called "international schools" in Korea vary in legal status. They divide broadly into three.

• Foreign schools (miscellaneous schools) — as a rule, Korean nationals do not receive recognised Korean credentials. Where Korean systems such as university entry or military service require high school completion, the qualification examination has to be taken.
• Accredited international schools and foreign educational institutions — the international schools in Jeju Global Education City are established and accredited under a special act, giving them recognised Korean credentials. Among foreign schools, Cheongna Dalton School grants recognition of Korean high school completion where designated subjects such as Korean language and Korean history are completed.
• Unaccredited international schools — operating without accreditation. Credentials are not recognised.

So the first question is neither the fees nor the curriculum. It is "will graduating from this school give recognised Korean credentials?". Ask the school directly and check the accreditation it rests on.

Step 2 — when the qualification examination is needed

If the school attended does not carry recognised credentials, the high school graduation qualification examination has to be passed in order to apply to a Korean university. This is less a disadvantage than a step that creates eligibility.

What matters in practice is timing. The examination is held only in set sittings during the year, so it has to be planned a year or two ahead to fit around the university application calendar. Finding out in the final year costs another year.

Step 3 — if the schooling was abroad: the overseas Korean track

Where a student attended school abroad, there is a separate route: the special admission track for overseas Koreans and foreign nationals, commonly called the three-year route and the twelve-year route.

The general conditions for the three-year route (children of those working abroad) are as follows.

• One parent working, running a business or trading abroad for a cumulative three years (1,095 days) or more
• The student completing three or more school years of middle and high school in that country during that period, including at least one year of high school
• Days of residence — typically the student for at least three quarters of each school year and the parent for at least two thirds

The twelve-year route (completing the whole programme abroad) applies where the entire programme corresponding to Korea's twelve years of schooling was completed abroad. There is a condition that frequently catches people out: time spent at a foreign school located in Korea does not count. In other words, attending an international school in Korea before going abroad can mean the twelve-year route does not apply.

Step 4 — the foreign national track is for different people

A frequent confusion. The foreign national track turns on nationality. It generally requires both the student and both parents to hold foreign nationality. A student who retains Korean nationality is not eligible however long they have lived abroad.

Departments taught in English (international faculties and the like) sometimes allow TOEFL or IELTS in place of TOPIK for the language requirement. For students who have followed an international curriculum, this route can be a realistic option.

Step 5 — going through the general track

Where credentials are recognised and there is no overseas Korean eligibility, the application goes through the general track. Here there is no Korean school record, or it takes a different form, so what matters is how the university assesses applicants from schools abroad or from the qualification examination. How transcripts and completed programmes are converted in document assessment differs by university and by track.

Which curriculum was followed comes back into play at this stage. The differences between IB, A-Level and AP are set out in Curriculum.

In summary

Progression after an international school is an area where eligibility comes before grades. The order is this: (1) is this a school with recognised credentials? (2) if not, when will the qualification examination be taken? (3) does an overseas Korean route apply? (4) if not, which track will be used? These four questions belong not to the final year of high school but to the moment you decide on enrolment.