6 reasons Angelina Jolie’s son Maddox Jolie-Pitt has chosen to study at Seoul’s Yonsei University
Famous alumni include Park Jin-young, Han Seung-soo, Lu Han and Han Kang – while Yonsei’s three campuses will be familiar to K-drama fans
Seoul’s Yonsei University is regarded as one of Korea’s most prestigious places to study – one of three higher education establishments which, together with Korea University and Seoul National University, make up the capital’s career-making “SKY” trio.
With notable alumni including politicians, award-winning authors, celebrities and academics – and a picturesque campus featured in many movies and Korean dramas – it’s no wonder Maddox Jolie-Pitt has chosen to study biochemistry there.
1. History
Yonsei can trace its history back to 1885 with the founding of Gwanghyewon, Korea's first Western hospital, by Horace Newton Allen, an American Protestant missionary. In the early 1900s, Gwanghyewon was later renamed Severance Medical School, and finally merged with Yonhi College (formerly Chosun Christian College) in 1955, to become Yonsei University.
2. It’s extremely hard to get in
Only the cream of the academic crop can pass through Yonsei’s hallowed halls. While Yonsei’s acceptance rates aren’t published, it’s generally thought that in Korea, you’ll need to be in at least the top two per cent of students to be accepted. International students with good grades stand a 40 per cent chance of being accepted, according to the Global Scholarships blog.