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ggirlemc
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
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 Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:05 pm Post subject: EPIK: Withdraw or 'Other Location' |
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I'm sorry if this question has been asked before - I couldn't find any topic addressing this when I searched.
I am applying to EPIK with a friend, to a location that we think should be easier to be placed in together because it's not as popular as Seoul or Busan (for example). We really want to be placed in the same city, and talked to a few recruiters who said our chances through EPIK were pretty good.
We also know three friends from our school who applied at the same time and are now all teaching together in this same city.
My question: Are there any downsides to putting 'withdraw' on your application, if you don't get your preferred location? I'm afraid if we say 'other location' they will just place us wherever is convenient without really taking the location preference into consideration.
On the other hand, I'm worried 'withdraw' will make us seem inflexible, and that we could possibly be rejected for that reason.
Anyone have suggestions? Thanks! |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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You could always get another friend, if you were placed apart. Or just meet up on weekends.
What if your friend gets a bf/gf whilst they are here and abandon you? |
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johnny_russian
Joined: 24 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| if you are so completely unable to be alone that the mere thought of not being in the same city as your friend fills you with dread, then Korea is not the place for you. you will not last here, even if you have your friend in the same city. |
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frankhenry
Joined: 13 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| johnny_russian wrote: |
| if you are so completely unable to be alone that the mere thought of not being in the same city as your friend fills you with dread, then Korea is not the place for you. you will not last here, even if you have your friend in the same city. |
96% absolutely true
2% most likely true
1% possibly true
-+1% for margin of error |
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jtp07
Joined: 23 Feb 2013
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not exactly in the same boat as you, but I put withdraw on my application if I do not get Seoul. My reasoning is that right now I have a good paying teaching job in the U.S. and if I am going to walk away from it it best be for the location I want. If EPIK allowed us to listed multiple preferred locations I may put Busan, but since you can only put on preferred place I'm going to roll the dice with Seoul. |
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Stain
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Think of it this way, if you are without your friends, then you are forced to make new friends, which will inevitably happen. Then, you can introduce the new friends to the old, and watch them not get along. Then, you have the dilemna of choosing between the two. My advice is lose all of them. Become friendless. Your bank account will be fine and you can live a life of honesty and tranquility. |
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ggirlemc
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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I'm sort of disappointed in the responses on this question 
My friend and I have already lived abroad, in two separate countries, for longer than we'd be in Korea. We live in separate states now. There's no doubt in my mind that we'd be fine with or without each other in South Korea. That wasn't what I was asking.
My question was simply whether writing 'withdraw' would make us less likely to be accepted at all. I really love the location we're choosing too. We just are curious as to which response might improve our chances of being placed in the same city.
Besides, if you were going abroad with your best friend, wouldn't you at least want to try to be placed near each other?
Thanks! |
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johnny_russian
Joined: 24 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| ggirlemc wrote: |
I'm sort of disappointed in the responses on this question
My friend and I have already lived abroad, in two separate countries, for longer than we'd be in Korea. We live in separate states now. There's no doubt in my mind that we'd be fine with or without each other in South Korea. That wasn't what I was asking.
My question was simply whether writing 'withdraw' would make us less likely to be accepted at all. I really love the location we're choosing too. We just are curious as to which response might improve our chances of being placed in the same city.
Besides, if you were going abroad with your best friend, wouldn't you at least want to try to be placed near each other?
Thanks! |
well you've answered your own question here then. if you don't mind being placed apart from your friend then simply put 'other location'.
i actually doubt putting 'withdraw' will make it less likely for you to be accepted. there are tons of other things EPIK will look at when it comes to the decision as to accept you or not. all putting 'withdraw' means is that if they don't accept you then your application goes in the trash and you get booted from the program. so you could end up then with a situation where one of you gets accepted and the other not, and then one of you ends up in Korea and the other doesn't. would it not be better for both of you to be in Korea but apart than it would be for one of you to be in Korea and the other not? |
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ggirlemc
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| johnny_russian wrote: |
| ggirlemc wrote: |
I'm sort of disappointed in the responses on this question
My friend and I have already lived abroad, in two separate countries, for longer than we'd be in Korea. We live in separate states now. There's no doubt in my mind that we'd be fine with or without each other in South Korea. That wasn't what I was asking.
My question was simply whether writing 'withdraw' would make us less likely to be accepted at all. I really love the location we're choosing too. We just are curious as to which response might improve our chances of being placed in the same city.
Besides, if you were going abroad with your best friend, wouldn't you at least want to try to be placed near each other?
Thanks! |
well you've answered your own question here then. if you don't mind being placed apart from your friend then simply put 'other location'.
i actually doubt putting 'withdraw' will make it less likely for you to be accepted. there are tons of other things EPIK will look at when it comes to the decision as to accept you or not. all putting 'withdraw' means is that if they don't accept you then your application goes in the trash and you get booted from the program. so you could end up then with a situation where one of you gets accepted and the other not, and then one of you ends up in Korea and the other doesn't. would it not be better for both of you to be in Korea but apart than it would be for one of you to be in Korea and the other not? |
True! Thanks for the feedback - I think we will put 'other location' on there. I guess I wasn't thinking of the possibility that one of us might not get accepted, and that would definitely be a worse situation. |
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ttb02
Joined: 24 Mar 2014
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:18 am Post subject: |
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It shouldn't make you seem inflexible. At least you're being upfront about what you want. The last time I spoke to an epik recruiter (a year ago) he said that placing "Withdraw" is a better option because if you don't get the location you want, you're eligible to re-apply the following semester. If you choose "other location" and then decide to decline it, you're not eligible to re-apply until the following YEAR.
However, as I mentioned, it was a while ago when I spoke to him and perhaps things have changed. |
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johnny_russian
Joined: 24 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| ttb02 wrote: |
It shouldn't make you seem inflexible. At least you're being upfront about what you want. The last time I spoke to an epik recruiter (a year ago) he said that placing "Withdraw" is a better option because if you don't get the location you want, you're eligible to re-apply the following semester. If you choose "other location" and then decide to decline it, you're not eligible to re-apply until the following YEAR.
However, as I mentioned, it was a while ago when I spoke to him and perhaps things have changed. |
interesting, i wasn't aware of this. to the OP then i'd say that it would probably be best to email EPIK, explain your situation to them, and ask them about it. the EPIK coordinators have been pretty helpful on the rare occasions I've had to ask them stuff, so i'm sure they can tell you what the deal is better than most people on this forum, including myself.
good luck with your applications and placement!  |
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ggirlemc
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
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| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| johnny_russian wrote: |
| ttb02 wrote: |
It shouldn't make you seem inflexible. At least you're being upfront about what you want. The last time I spoke to an epik recruiter (a year ago) he said that placing "Withdraw" is a better option because if you don't get the location you want, you're eligible to re-apply the following semester. If you choose "other location" and then decide to decline it, you're not eligible to re-apply until the following YEAR.
However, as I mentioned, it was a while ago when I spoke to him and perhaps things have changed. |
interesting, i wasn't aware of this. to the OP then i'd say that it would probably be best to email EPIK, explain your situation to them, and ask them about it. the EPIK coordinators have been pretty helpful on the rare occasions I've had to ask them stuff, so i'm sure they can tell you what the deal is better than most people on this forum, including myself.
good luck with your applications and placement! |
Thanks guys! That's good advice. I'll talk to my friend about it tonight - and then we're submitting the app! Ahh, so nervous/excited!
Cheers! |
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