Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies
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| Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies 한국외대부속외국어고등학교 |
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| Established | 2004 |
| Type | Private |
| Principal | Nam, Bong Chul |
| Faculty | 112 |
| Students | approx. 1050 |
| Grades | 10-12 |
| Location | Yongin, Gyeonggi province Republic of Korea |
| Website | [1] |
Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies(HAFS)is an elite Korean high school for students who want to pursue a solid education based on a high quality of foreign studies and international matters. It is located in Yongin, Republic of Korea, and is a branch school of the Seoul-based Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS).
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[edit] Location
The school is close to the mountains and thus has fabulous environmental benefits. Other advantages include the delightfully fresh air and the isolation from the outside world so that students can concentrate on studying. Also, the night sky is exceptionally clear, with many stars dotted above the campus, making for beautiful weather both day and night.
[edit] Competitiveness
Despite its short history, HAFS is regarded as one of the most prestigious high schools in South Korea. Its admission process is known to be one of the most selective. In 2004, the acceptance rate was about 10.1%. (9.8:1) According to the admission officer of HAFS, the average TOEFL score of admitted students is about 280, but at a new report it was reported to be 260(from portal page Daum.
[edit] Students and Staff
The school received its first students in 2005. There were a total of 355 students: 153 boys and 202 girls. It is also known (perhaps more famously) as Yongin Foreign Language High School. The school's current principal is Nam, Bong Chul(남봉철), the previous principal of Daewon Foreign Language High School , and the current vice principal of the school is Park, Ha Sik (박하식), the previous vice principal of the Korean Minjok Leadership Academy. Although there were many talented teachers when the school was first set up, most of them left due to conflicts with the administration, and thus HAFS is currently in desperate need of qualified teachers. Many students hope that the new semester will bring in teachers who are fully able to nurture the global leaders of the next generation.
[edit] Academic Information
Currently, there are 5 fields of foreign languages offered in HAFS. English-majored students study English as their first-language. They aim to apply for Ivy League schools such as Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other famous universities such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, Northwestern and so on. French-, German-, Japanese-, and Chinese-majored students mostly seek to apply for Korean schools, but some also target foreign schools in Europe, Japan, and China.
The students of the English major must choose a second foreign language to study: Chinese, Japanese, German and French. During their second grade, they must also choose their third language, although they only have two choices (French and Spanish). This year, students from the English major have done particularly well on their AP (Advanced Placement) Examinations. Of the 200 students who took the AP Examinations, 59 students received the AP Scholar Award, 28 received the AP Scholar with Honor Award, and 16 received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. This is considered a significant achievement by any standard.
Like other prestigious schools such as the Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, HAFS is famous for offering many AP subjects, with students learning at their best in school, unlike most students in other Korean high schools, who prefer hagwons (Korean cram schools).
[edit] Unique School Policies
One of the school's most distinguishing features is the EBC, or "English Based Campus". Students are required to speak English or any of the other foreign languages taught at the school at all times. However, few bother following this policy.
Global Leader Monitor team members are elected by their fellow students and ratified by teachers. The Global Leader Monitors regulate school policy and catch students who violate the EBC policy. All the GLM members have their priviliage to attend HAFS Student Council known as HAFS Senate. It has 2 members from each class, consisting 20 members including few captains who are elected in GLM regular executive meeting.
Another unique feature is the strike system. Students at HAFS are seldom given physical punishments. They are given a 'strike', a penalizing mark for every misconduct on the premises of the school and the dormitory. An aggregation of three strikes lead to an 'out', which means that the student has to participate in 'voluntary work'. One will be expelled from HAFS when one gathers three outs. To remove a strike from your record, a student must humiliate themselves in front of the school body.
Recently, the school decided to change the name of every building on the campus. The three school buildings, which were formerly called Buildings A, B and C, are now called "Pioneer Hall", "Dream Hall" and "Challenge Hall". The dormitory, as mentioned above, was changed from Global Manners Center to "Ace Hall".
[edit] Uniforms
André Kim, a world-class fashion leader, designed the school uniforms. There are four types: the Western, the Oriental, the summer formal, and the Safari styles. The winter Western style is an indigo-colored suit with gold linings. There is also a tie with interlaying yellow and indigo stripes and an emblem with the school mark. This uniform is worn mostly on Wednesdays and Fridays, but also in special occasions. The Oriental style is designed with comfort and practicality in mind. It resembles the Hanbok, a traditional Korean dress. It is wider than the Western style and easier to move in. The Oriental style is worn on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These two styles are for spring, fall and winter. The two other styles, the summer Western and the Safari, are worn in summer. The summer Western style is an indigo color with white stripes, and was probably designed with the suits people wear to night clubs in mind. The Safari style, on the other hand, is a plain brown color with many pockets. As is the case with the winter uniforms, the formal style is used for more formal occasions, while the Safari style is a little more practical. There are also school gym clothes: blue for the boys and grey for the girls. These are worn in P.E. classes and during the evening self-study times. Some say that HAFS is known more for its uniform than for any academic achievements its students may have achieved.
[edit] Renown
Most believe that the school is highly competitive and ranks among the top high schools of the country, if only in terms of technology. However, because it is still young, critics agree that HAFS must still develop much further in order to be recognized as "great" by any standard of the word. As the principal has mentioned in his interview with the Joong-Ang Daily, this school holds full potential to be a top ten high school in the world in five years, although it should be noted that this is only the principal's opinion.
