Milton student’s book tops the best-seller list in Korea “How-to” book by Chang-Hee Huh, Class III, finds a huge audience
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hang-Hee Huh is unrattled by his appearances on national news stations at home in Korea. “Maybe it will be good for my future,” he wryly comments. Reviews by the major Korean press outlets of the book he authored helped spread the word, but perhaps the practicality of the advice was what fueled the word-of-mouth grapevine. In 1999, feeling constrained by the Korean high school system, Chang-Hee began what would be a difficult journey to gain acceptance to an independent school in the United States. His book, Mission to America, chronicles his journey through the independent school admissions process and offers critical commentary on the Korean education system. Chang-Hee spent the summer of 2000 contacting publishers on his own, and a few months later, after the book was published, he became an overnight celebrity and national role model. In Korea, education is understood to be the key to success. Korean schools rely on learning; they are highly regulated, and centered around college entrance examinations. Entrance to Korean colleges is competitive and the social emphasis is on entering a prestigious university rather than pursuing a university or area of study based on personal aptitude and interest; the school one graduates from can determine success or failure.
A good student and active in athletics and music, Chang-Hee studied hard in middle school and took an interest in the world around him. He had a difficult time, however, adjusting to the more rigid high school system. “While eating lunch one day, I realized I didn’t know what was going on in the world. I had been spending all of my time studying for the college entrance exam and I wanted to do something with my life besides studying all of the time.” Intrigued with stories of another student’s experience in an American independent school, Chang-Hee decided he could escape the confines of the Korean system without sacrificing a great education. He set off to explore the possibilities of going to school in America. “Without the Internet,” says Chang-Hee, “I wouldn’t be in America. I not only gathered all of my information online, but I emailed questions to the admissions officers and chatted with students in America who had completed the admissions process. After taking extra courses in English, Chang-Hee bought an SSAT preparation book and began practicing. While math was quite easy for him, the written English portion of the test proved to be more difficult. Chang-Hee submerged himself in English trying to learn as much as he could in a short time. After filing his applications, Chang-Hee attended a reception in Korea sponsored by a number of independent schools, and
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interviewed with former Milton faculty member, Bob Cornigans. “Mr. Cornigans was the first African-American I had ever met. I spent the interview comparing the African-American culture and the Korean culture. Mr. Cornigans just listened for 30 minutes, asked if I was done, and told me I would be perfect for Milton. I couldn’t believe it, my dream was about to come true.”
tional meeting and was surprised how interested and active students were in the protection of human rights,” says ChangHee. “I was surprised to see young people that were involved in the world outside of the School community. The students here discuss these issues voluntarily; they discuss culture and issues rooted throughout American culture. Nothing like that ever happens in Korea.”
Bob and Chang-Hee continued to keep in contact. Finally, in March 2000, Chang received a letter from Milton informing him that he was on the waitlist. “I knew I was in trouble,” says Chang-Hee. “I had put off most of my Korean work in order to complete the admissions process in America. There was no way out and now I was far behind the other students studying for the college entrance exam.” One month later his dream really did come true. Chang-Hee received a call from the admissions office; he had been accepted.
According to the admissions office, Korean applicants to Milton increased significantly this past year, a trend that surprises, elates and saddens Chang-Hee. “I am saddened by the fact that interest in this book may be based on the problems in the Korean education system. I wrote the book to bring some of the issues out into the open. I want people to know there are other alternatives. I want Korea to look at its current system and make the necessary changes, because I want my children to be able to go to school in Korea someday.”
It was at that time that ChangHee began writing Mission to America. “I felt a social responsibility to the Korean society to let them know that getting a good education is possible without giving up everything else in life.” With a curiosity and passion for learning, Chang-Hee Huh, the first student at Milton to come directly from a Korean high school, arrived ready for the challenge of a lifetime. A member of the Asian Society and a writer for the Asian (Asian Society magazine), Chang-Hee is very interested in politics. “I attended an Amnesty Interna-
What’s next from Chang-Hee? “I want to write a sequel to Mission to America as my senior project. I want people to understand that going to school in America is a challenge. I was handicapped when I came here. I couldn’t write or speak English well, and it took a good amount of time to learn about the culture here, but I did my best to keep up in class and do as well as I could. I want to show everyone that Mr. Cornigans was right about me. I don’t want to disappoint him.” Shannon Groppi