In this blog post, I will share the edited and revised version of a personal statement written by a student applying to the Department of Media Studies at Korea University.
Efforts Devoted to Academics and Learning Experiences
Because I was very interested in video and media, I began gaining practical design experience in my first year of high school to improve my design skills. Aspiring to become an advertising planner, I pondered what kind of advertising content captures people’s attention and realized that advertisements with striking and sophisticated visual effects lead to higher purchase rates and strong brand recognition. Consequently, I read books on content and media and, as a member of the school’s Media Club, planned promotional posters for the club and designed the cover for a festival anthology. During this process, I proposed the idea of “promoting the club by making a film” and focused on video production with a strong emphasis on visual effects. The most challenging part was structuring the storyboard in a cinematic format and achieving the right color palette. To create an advertisement that was easy for consumers to view, I arranged the scenes and produced the cover and content across two parts. I modeled the project after an upcoming movie release, applying dazzling 3D effects to the main image to maximize its impact. When conceptualizing the cover design, I carefully considered which design would be most effective for club promotion, and my work was praised by friends as original and groundbreaking. To promote the club—the core theme of the project—I taught myself four programs: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects, and practiced repeatedly until I became proficient. As my first advertising project was successfully completed, I realized that no matter how difficult a task may seem, it is important to keep challenging myself and participate with passion. This gave me the courage to take another step toward my dream of becoming an advertising planner, leading me to decide to obtain a Photoshop certification.
Meaningful Extracurricular Activities (Up to 3)
The most memorable activity was the national hiking pilgrimage organized by the school twice a year. At first, I thought it would be too difficult and considered giving up, but at my friends’ urging, I decided to participate. After receiving training from safety officers, I completed the itinerary, which involved hiking Mount Jirisan and then walking dozens of kilometers. Given my lack of physical stamina, it seemed like a reckless challenge, but once I’d decided to finish, I couldn’t give up. There were many times when I wanted to quit, but thanks to my friends’ support and encouragement, I was able to complete the entire journey. That experience left me with the confidence that “I can do anything.” I filmed the events of the pilgrimage myself to create a video capturing our class’s special experience and showed it to my friends; the response was enthusiastic. It was very meaningful to be able to use a video editor to produce the video and document the challenge in detail. Through this experience, I learned the lesson that I should take on challenges with confidence rather than simply assuming they are impossible.
The history camp I attended every Saturday was also an important activity. In history museum classes, we covered various topics ranging from the Japanese colonial period to the history of the independence movement. To process the material more creatively, I devised my own stories and created comics to turn them into content. I also imagined, “If I were a film director, what kind of movie would I make?” and participated in the entire creative process—from design and theme selection to storyboard creation. We formed teams, divided roles, compared our storyboards, and even created movie promotional posters based on historical facts. Through this activity, I realized that content creation isn’t a standalone task but requires collaboration with various departments. By applying my favorite subject to creative activities, I gained both enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment from learning. There was also a moment when I truly experienced the role of an advertising planner while creating the movie promotional poster.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, Cooperation, and Conflict Management
Although my third year was a time when I should have been focusing on my studies for college entrance exams, the atmosphere in our class was tense due to frequent conflicts. When a new transfer student was being bullied by a certain group, I agonized over what to do but eventually decided to inform our homeroom teacher of the situation and persuade my classmates to help together. After the teacher called the group in question in for a talk, the bullying stopped. As our class united to protect the new student, the group that had been bullying them also ceased their behavior. From then on, I listened carefully to the new student’s struggles, showed consideration, and helped them participate in group activities. As I became friends with that student, I came to understand the difficulties they had faced at the time and learned that standing up for someone can be a great source of strength. I resolved to continue actively helping those in need, empathizing with their perspectives and working together to find solutions. I realized the importance of adopting an empathetic mindset to consider the other person’s position and thoughts in advance.
Reasons for Applying and Why Korea University Should Select Me
While in high school, with the goal of becoming an advertising planner, I developed a strong desire to enroll in the Department of Media Studies at Korea University. This department offers unparalleled education in the field of media content, and the fact that it has produced many renowned advertising planners was particularly appealing to me. I was especially impressed by the integrated bachelor’s-master’s program, which allows students to earn both degrees in just five years, and I believed this would provide me with the opportunity to study professional advertising content in depth. New media—including broadcasting, video, online, and mobile—exerts promotional effects in various forms, and I am particularly interested in the planning and production of advertising content. Given that a single short YouTube ad can simultaneously drive hundreds of thousands of purchases, I believe advertising holds significant social and economic value and has limitless potential for growth. At Korea University’s School of Media Studies, I will study the entire process of media content—from production and distribution to consumption—and deeply explore communication-related topics to grow into a professional advertising planner. As I have not yet received formal professional training, I need to acquire more knowledge and experience. I believe this department will provide me with the best educational environment, and during my time here, I will dedicate myself diligently to my studies and explore every aspect of content creation in detail. After graduation, I plan to join an advertising agency or company to become a professional who creates distinctive advertisements and devises strategies to maximize PR impact.
