Hi friends! My name is Diana Zhanakulova, and I’m currently a third-year student at SolBridge International School of Business, located in Daejeon, South Korea. When people hear the name "SolBridge," they often have no idea what it is, and I get it—before I began this journey, I didn’t know much about it either.

But today, I’d love to share how I found my university, my reasons for choosing it, and a few things I learned that might help anyone thinking about studying in Korea.

Finding My Path to SolBridge: The Start

Back in my final year of high school, I began exploring opportunities to study abroad. I attended educational fairs where agencies help connect students with international universities, and that’s where I first learned about SolBridge. A representative introduced me to the school, mentioning its international focus and business-oriented programs, which I was quite interested.

Why I Chose SolBridge

There were a few key reasons SolBridge stood out to me:

1. English-taught Programs: At the time, my Korean was very basic, so I needed a program that was 100% taught in English. SolBridge was one of the few schools in Korea that offered this, making it ideal for international students.
2. International Business Focus: I wanted to pursue a degree in international business, and SolBridge specializes in business education with a global perspective. This aligned perfectly with my career goals.
3. Diverse Student Body: SolBridge has a highly international student community, which appealed to me because I wanted to study in a multicultural environment and gain exposure to different perspectives.
4. Location in Korea: Being based in Daejeon offered a quieter lifestyle compared to Seoul, yet it’s still close enough to explore the capital and other major cities.

Preparation & the Application Process

For students wanting to study in Korea, there are often specific requirements, and for SolBridge, I needed an English proficiency test, like the IELTS, to qualify for a scholarship. This was one of the biggest challenges in my application journey. I spent months studying and finally passed the exam, securing a 60% scholarship for my first semester. Although I was thrilled, I later realized that scholarships for international students at SolBridge are often temporary, covering only the first semester, which means tuition remains a significant investment at over $5,000 per semester.

The Role of Mentorship (and a Lesson Learned)

During this time, I also consulted with a mentor who specialized in helping students apply to Korean universities. Since I was a beginner in Korean, they assured me that SolBridge was one of the few options open to me. Looking back, I wish I had done a bit more research and sought out other possibilities rather than relying solely on one source. But at that time, the prospect of studying in Korea was exciting, and I took the leap with SolBridge.