In this blog post, I will introduce a sample personal statement for applying to the Department of Mathematics at Korea University.

Academics: Supplementary Learning Through Advanced Classes and After-School Sessions

I have a strong intellectual curiosity about mathematics, which led me to want to study science-track mathematics—such as Mathematics II, Calculus, and Statistics—in greater depth. However, since regular school classes have limited class hours and are conducted with the average level of the homogenized class in mind, I always felt that something was missing. To compensate for this, I utilized both advanced math classes and after-school tutoring sessions.
The after-school tutoring sessions served to reinforce material not covered during regular class hours and provided a time to address the questions of participating students, focusing on solving the problems they found most difficult. I participated diligently in these supplementary sessions with the mindset of learning everything I possibly could from the teacher. This was because even the theories and example problems in the textbook were by no means easy, and when studying alone, it was easy to just get the answers right and move on without truly understanding.
During supplementary sessions focused on solving mock exam problems, I listened more intently than anyone else and meticulously took notes on the solutions to problems I had gotten wrong or didn’t understand. Since the teacher selected and explained only the questions that received the most raised hands, I participated so enthusiastically that I even asked my classmates to raise their hands for the questions I wanted to hear.
I also participated in the advanced class, which was an in-school program open to students who met certain grade requirements. I was eligible to apply because I had earned a grade of 2 or higher on my school exams. In the advanced class, we worked through advanced problems on integration and statistics using handouts created by the teacher, and received individual guidance in a tutoring-style setting. Since I didn’t take any private tutoring or supplementary classes, this was a huge help to me, and I attended every class diligently so I wouldn’t miss any of the handouts. In this way, I studied to improve my math grades through channels outside of regular classes.

School Activities: Planning and Executing Activities as Club President

I initially joined the math club because my favorite math teacher was in charge and recommended it. Later, I came to resonate with the club’s purpose: our club did not focus solely on solving a large volume of problems or tackling difficult Olympiad-style questions. Instead, our goal was to help members realize that mathematics is a fundamental principle of life that is always present in daily life and helps develop critical thinking.
As president, I pondered how to run effective activities with a small group. I first planned a reading activity, setting aside time for members to read books together and directly try out the activities suggested in them. We read books introducing math in daily life, such as *Fun Math Found in Daily Life* and *Fun Math Puzzles*, and engaged in geometric activities like playing with tangrams. Since we were a math club, we also analyzed mathematical principles from the perspective of game developers rather than players, and even developed related games ourselves.
We didn’t stop at school activities; we also planned to participate in external events. After consulting with our advisor, we decided to participate in the Math Festival and plan and operate our own hands-on booth. The Math Festival was an event comprising a math experience exhibition, a math competition, a Math Tour, and public math lectures, serving as a gathering place for math clubs and math classes from across the country. We introduced “8-Piece Puzzle,” an evolution of the 7-Piece Puzzle designed to be easily accessible even to younger students, and operated a booth using puppets to explain the principle of center of gravity, which attracted the attention of participants.
For the math competition, we participated by creating a video under the theme “Math in UCC,” using projects developed by our club and photos from past events. During the Math Tour, we walked around the host city participating in various math programs—such as learning about the principles of arch bridges and observing the coastline—and had a valuable opportunity to reflect on how narrowly we had previously viewed “math.”
After participating in the festival, we were able to devise more creative hands-on projects, and as the club president, I received a lot of help in coming up with ideas. Subsequently, we devised various activities—such as designing a straw structure that wouldn’t break an egg—and carried them out with club members, thereby improving the quality of our club activities.

Care, Sharing, and Cooperation: Mentoring with the Youth Talent Donation Group

Having received significant help from university seniors through mentoring during my school years, I joined the “Youth Talent Donation Group” to give back to friends with similar dreams. This group operates as a school-based volunteer organization and is a project sponsored by the local government, so it was carried out through public-private cooperation.
I applied as a high school mentor, going through a document screening and interview process. I emphasized my experience as the president of a math club, where I planned and implemented creative math programs accessible to elementary school students. I also expressed my ambition to apply the educational programs I learned at the Math Festival and the activities I developed to my mentoring role. As a result, I was selected as one of the final 31 mentors and gained the opportunity to learn about character development and mentoring techniques from education experts.
During the actual mentoring activities, I met with 19 elementary school mentees at a local children’s center. While primarily helping them overcome difficulties in math and counseling them on career concerns like a friend, I gained a deep understanding of the mentees’ circumstances through one-on-one learning sessions. Driven by a desire to help them more, I also began studying math diligently myself.
We met for two hours every Saturday and wrote growth journals together with my mentees. Seeing phrases like “Thank you for always teaching me” in their writings gave me a great sense of fulfillment as a volunteer. Furthermore, while teaching them that the process of learning and exploring mathematics is enjoyable in itself, I realized that the teacher can also enjoy the process of sparking curiosity in the student.

Motivation for Application and Preparation Process

I plan to enroll in the Department of Mathematics at Korea University to build a solid foundation in basic mathematical theory, and based on this, I aspire to grow as a researcher who develops creative mathematics programs. Creative mathematics programs refer to participatory programs designed for elementary, middle, and high school students that spark interest and curiosity in mathematics and foster self-directed inquiry. I aim to design experiential programs that engage all five senses and develop a curriculum that continuously enhances students’ curiosity while taking into account their stages of learning development.
The reason I aspire to this career path is that I discovered my aptitude through various experiences during high school. Starting in my freshman year, I was active in a math club where I personally developed and implemented various hands-on activities. Witnessing the curiosity of participants in the programs we created during club events and math festivals sparked my desire to further research this field.
Beyond club activities, I served as a youth mentor, helping elementary school students with math and guiding them to apply programs I had designed myself, rather than relying solely on textbook-based learning. I realized that providing experiential opportunities to dispel prejudices against math and foster a spirit of inquiry can have a significant impact on a student’s career path and future.
After entering university, I plan to continue my research by running a club dedicated to developing related programs alongside my major studies. Through this, I aim to grow into a researcher who creates innovative educational programs that break down prejudices against mathematics and spark lasting intellectual curiosity.