For middle and high schoolers starting life in the U.S. suddenly because of a parent's assignment, this is filled with real experiences and advice.
PreLink exists so that Korean middle and high schoolers don't have to figure out U.S. school life the hard way — the way most of us did.
I am Woojin Lee, founder of PreLink. I moved to the U.S. in 9th grade with almost no preparation, after my father's company assigned him to the U.S. branch office for what was supposed to be three years. However, in the middle of 11th grade, I moved back to Korea. My family had to make a hasty decision that could have gone differently, if only we had known what our options actually were.
Back in Korea, I watched my father's successor prepare for the same move, and saw other corporate families around us doing the same — packing up, pulling their kids out of school, heading to the U.S. with the same lack of information we once had. That's what led me to build PreLink.
PreLink is for Korean middle and high school students moving to the U.S. because of a parent's company assignment, not by their own choice, and often with only a few months' notice. Many don't know yet whether they'll aim for U.S. college admission or return to Korea before then, and that uncertainty shapes almost every decision along the way.
What you'll find here is not the kind of information you get from study-abroad agencies or official school websites. PreLink offers a timeline-based guide to U.S. school life, written from a student's perspective, with practical tips at every step, from the moment a parent's company assignment is announced to the decisions that follow.
Why PreLink exists
Most existing resources are written from an adult or administrator's perspective — official school websites, agency blogs, or generic study-abroad guides. They explain rules but rarely the reality.
PreLink is written from a student's perspective. It explains the confusing parts that official sources often skip: GPA, AP, course selection, sports, clubs, teacher communication, social adjustment, and whether to aim for U.S. college admission or return to Korea.
What you'll learn here
- What to know before
- What to check before school starts
- What to prepare after arriving.
- What mistakes Korean students often make.
- What I actually learned from experiencing American school.
How the site is organized
PreLink is structured as a resource hub, not an essay. Each phase of your move has its own page, and each page is broken into clear cards you can scan and revisit.
Mentor note — Woojin
If this site helps even one student avoid the mistakes I made, then it has done its job. Reach out anytime — I'd much rather answer your question once than have you spend a year figuring it out alone.