The question parents of science high school applicants ask most often is whether an Olympiad award or a gifted-education-center certificate gives an advantage. The 2027 High School Admission Basic Plan that the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education published in March 2026 answers it plainly: subject knowledge, Olympiads (such as the KMO), school and external contests, certification tests, licenses, and gifted-education-center training or completion are not used as selection factors. This article sets out, based on that document, what the science high school selection looks at and what it does not. The document covers Gyeonggi Province, so for other provinces you need to check that province's own basic plan separately.

Science high schools fill 100% of their quota through self-directed learning screening

The basic plan says science high schools recruit through the "self-directed learning screening" under the 2027 Science High School Admission Manual, and that 100% of the quota is filled this way. Applicants under the social integration category are included in the same screening. Each school's admission guidelines are carried out with the approval of the superintendent, and eligibility to apply also follows each school's guidelines. So it is not possible to state eligibility for science high schools in one line; the most accurate step is to open the approved guidelines of the school you plan to apply to.

What is left out of the selection: Olympiads, certificates and gifted-center completion

The document names two prohibitions. First, modified question-based assessments such as oral interviews on subject knowledge or aptitude tests, and any selection that goes beyond the middle school curriculum, are banned. Second, subject knowledge, Olympiads, school and external contests, certification tests, licenses, and gifted-education-center training or completion are not used as selection factors. Time spent on these may have value as learning, but they are not converted into points in the selection. The application process for gifted centers is covered separately in gifted education center applications and the course-assessment cutoff.

Grades count only math and science achievement levels and the number of students enrolled

The basic plan says the school record is reflected as the math and science subject results calculated under the achievement evaluation system. The note in parentheses is the key point: only each subject's achievement level and the number of students enrolled are reflected, while raw scores and subject averages are not. The same achievement level can therefore produce a different result at a different school because the number of students enrolled differs. How other subjects such as Korean or English enter the school record is not stated in this document, and the semesters counted, the weight of each subject, the calculation method and how the school record, document review and interview results are combined are set by the principal and carried out after the superintendent's approval. The actual numbers can only be checked in each school's guidelines. Looking at how achievement levels and enrollment numbers appear for math and science on your child's middle school report card will make the calculation structure much easier to follow when you read those guidelines.

The social integration category is at least 20% of the quota

At least 20% of the quota is filled with social integration applicants (Article 17 of the Directive on the Designation and Operation of Special-Purpose High Schools). The eligible groups are recipients of national basic livelihood benefits or their children, near-poverty households designated by the superintendent or their children, persons of national merit or their children, and others the superintendent recognizes as needing equal educational opportunity. If the social integration quota is not filled, applicants outside these groups may be selected up to 50% of the shortfall. Confirm eligibility in the school guidelines together with the supporting documents. This ratio is a minimum set by the directive, so check the actual number in each school's guidelines.

The 2027 Gyeonggi science high school schedule ends in November

In the same document's schedule, science high schools show applications August 24-28, 2026, the summoned interview on November 20, and the results announced on November 26. The College Scholastic Ability Test is on November 19, so the interview falls on the following day. For a current third-year middle school student, applications have already closed and the screening is under way, and for first- and second-year parents the point is that applications close in late August of third year. The full early-admission schedule is laid out in high school admission starts in August. The document says schedules differ by province and year and may change due to circumstances such as infectious disease, so check that year's announcement.

If admitted, you cannot apply to late-round schools

Under Article 85(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, anyone admitted to an early-round school (science, Meister, arts, sports or specialized vocational high schools and so on) cannot apply to late-round schools. Late-round applications for general high schools in equalized areas are accepted December 4-10. Early-round schools that fall short of their quota accept additional applications November 26-27 and announce results December 1, according to the schedule table. Because the science high school results come out on November 26, it helps to know that this next schedule follows right after. The document also treats cases such as an applicant admitted to one high school applying to another as double applications, so know in advance what path follows an unsuccessful result. Double applications are managed under the responsibility of the principal of the applicant's middle school, so it is safest to confirm with the homeroom and admissions teachers.

Gifted academies are separate from science high schools, and Gyeonggi recruitment is limited to the province

A note in the document separates them: Gyeonggi Science High School is a gifted academy and does not count as an early-round school (science high school). Under the Ministry of Education's improvement plan for gifted academy and science high school admissions (November 17, 2020), double applications between gifted academies have been prohibited since the 2022 admissions. The recruitment unit for Gyeonggi science high schools is also set within the province. The self-directed learning screening for foreign language and international high schools evaluates differently and can be compared in the two-stage screening for foreign language and international high schools.

What parents should check, in order

First, find the science high school section of the basic plan of the provincial education office you plan to apply to, for that year. Second, check eligibility, the semesters counted for grades and the achievement-level conversion method in each school's admission guidelines. Third, plan your preparation knowing that Olympiad, certificate and gifted-center records are not selection factors. Fourth, go over the no-late-round rule and the schedule with the homeroom teacher. This article is general information based on the 2027 Gyeonggi basic plan and does not judge an individual school's chances of admission. It may differ by province, school and year, so please rely on the latest announcements of the education office and the school.