My dream of studying abroad in South Korea finally came true

I want to share my experience in the hope that it may help and inspire others who carry a dream in their hearts.

I am currently studying Business Administration for my Bachelor’s degree in Berlin. My university offered students a so-called “direct exchange” program. The wonderful thing about such partner university exchanges is that students do not have to pay tuition fees. For me, this was a huge relief, as I do not come from a family where large amounts of money can simply be spent without concern. This was my chance—among hundreds of other students—to possibly study in South Korea for one semester. What an opportunity, right? I did everything perfectly. I was the first to submit all my documents. I even helped friends from university complete their applications and write their motivation letters. And what do you think happened? All of my friends received spots for their semesters abroad because they had listed several Asian countries in their preferences. I, however, listed only one country: South Korea. It was the only place I wanted to go.

You can imagine how shocked I was when I did not receive a single placement—despite having good grades and strong English skills. I cried for a long time. I simply could not process it. Attempt number one had failed. 

After that, I started searching frantically online. It could not be true that the only affordable way to study abroad was through my university. And indeed—it wasn’t. I found an agency that offered to send my documents to universities in South Korea free of charge. However, at that time I had already secured an internship in Germany, and all deadlines for 2025 had passed. So I could not take advantage of that opportunity immediately. I successfully completed my internship and was almost ready to apply for the summer semester of 2026 when I received an email from the agency:
“Thank you for the wonderful collaboration. After 25 years, we are closing our agency.”. I was sitting on a train when I read that email. I could hardly believe my eyes. Once again, the answer was no. Once again, I could not go to South Korea.

How likely was it that I would find another agency that would handle communication with universities independently, quickly, and without complications? Everything I found online required payments starting from €9,000. Where was I supposed to get that kind of money? I was a 20-year-old student from a family with limited income. It felt wrong to ask my family for such a large amount. This was not about medication, housing, or food. It was about a wish—a dream. And my dream should not cost my parents €9,000. So Attempt number two had also failed.

I kept searching, but everywhere I looked, the numbers were simply too high for me to afford. Then, after a long search, I came across a website called asiaexchange.org. I read through the information carefully and could hardly believe it: this might be my only real chance to study in South Korea for a semester. I learned that the only fee Asia Exchange charges is $75 for processing. And that’s it. No €9,000 upfront fees. No strange travel packages. Everything was transparent and straightforward. The people at Asia Exchange are incredibly kind and professional. They truly do everything they can to help students go abroad. They support you with all questions regarding documents, applications, and required certificates. It is true that you must initially pay the tuition fees of the host university yourself (the amount varies from university to university). However, in Germany (and many other countries) we have social financial support for students going abroad for a semester, and fortunately, I was able to receive assistance.

That is how asiaexchange.org fulfilled my lifelong dream. Here is how the process worked for me: First, I filled out a contact form to receive more detailed information about the application process and to ask personal questions, including my chances of being accepted at certain universities. You can ask a staff member anything you want, which is incredibly helpful. In most cases, you are even matched with someone from your own country, so you can ask country-specific questions. Then, during the application period, you submit the required documents. They are not very complicated: your passport, proof of enrollment from your university, your academic transcript, and similar documents.

After that, you wait for the processing to be completed. You receive your official acceptance letter from the host university about one to one and a half months before departure. With that document, you can apply for your visa. The visa application is your own responsibility, but in my experience, it was very quick (about one week) and straightforward. You simply need to fill everything out carefully and submit the required documents. Even during this step, Asia Exchange is always open to questions.

You do not need excellent grades for travelling abroad. If your main goal is to experience the country and its culture, and you are not overly focused on a specific university, your dream can become much more achievable. At one point, I even considered going to other countries such as Japan or Singapore because Asia Exchange offers such a wide range of options. And that is why I want to encourage everyone—especially those who may not have a lot of money, who do not come from wealthy families, or who do not have perfect grades. I did not have anyone who could explain all of this to me. That is why I want to share my experience.

Today, I can finally say:

Yes—attempt number three worked. And it worked because I never gave up on my dream and because I found asiaexchange.org

Thank you so much! 

— Alexandra

Originally posted here: My Student Life in Seoul: #1

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