How to Open a University Interview Notice in HWP Format on a MacBook (No Install)
SENULA COMPANY · 2026-10-15 · 6 min read
Students who apply to Korean universities through early admission (called *susi*) usually hear in mid-October whether they passed the first round. In that round, the university screens application documents. Once you pass, you have a job to do straight away: read the interview guidelines the admissions office has posted on its notice board. The problem is that the attachment is often an HWP file, and double-clicking it on a MacBook usually does nothing. A browser-based HWP viewer fixes this. You don't install anything, the notice shows up in its original page layout, and you can make a PDF to take with you on interview day.
Why HWP notices won't open on a Mac
macOS has no built-in app that opens HWP files. HWP is the word-processor format most Korean schools and public institutions use, and university admissions offices tend to write their documents in it. They often post notices in the same format. A file that opened fine on a school computer can show up on a MacBook as a blank icon or a "can't be opened" message.
You could download and install a dedicated program. But if your interview is only a week or two away, going through an install and sign-up just to read a few pages is more trouble than it's worth. If all you need is to read the notice, opening it in your browser is faster.
Be careful where you upload personal notices
The general interview guidelines are a public document that every applicant gets. Some universities also send each applicant a separate HWP notice with their applicant number, name and exam room. If you upload that kind of file to a conversion site you don't know, a document with your personal details ends up on someone else's server.
The Keepdesk HWP Viewer used in this guide never sends your file to a server. It reads the file inside your browser and draws it on screen. You don't need an account, and there are no usage limits and no watermarks. Once the page has loaded, it keeps working even if you go offline. To check for yourself that the file never leaves your device, turn off Wi-Fi and then open it.
How to open the notice in a browser-based HWP viewer
Say you've downloaded "2027_Early_Admission_Comprehensive_Review_Interview_Guidelines.hwp" (about 380 KB, 4 pages) from the admissions board. Here's how to open it in Safari or Chrome on your MacBook:
- Download the notice from the admissions board and leave it in your Downloads folder.
- Open HWP Viewer in your browser, then drag the file onto the page or select it manually.
- When the pages appear in their original layout, read the date, check-in time and what to bring first.
Notices posted in HWPX format open the same way.
The fonts on screen may look a little different from the original. That's because the viewer substitutes free fonts for the original ones. Line breaks and page layout follow the original, so this doesn't affect reading. Images in headers or footers, such as the university logo, aren't drawn yet. A missing logo doesn't mean the file is broken. Just focus on the body text.
What to look for in the notice
Every university uses its own template, but interview guidelines usually include the items below. Fill in the notes column as you read, and you won't be scrambling on the morning of the interview.
| What to check | Where it usually appears | What to note down |
|---|---|---|
| Interview date and time | Schedule table on page 1 | Date, time slot for your program |
| Check-in deadline | Main guidelines section | Whether late arrivals are admitted |
| Exam location | Venue info, floor plan | Building name, waiting room |
| What to bring | Items to bring section | Accepted types of ID, whether you need a printed admission ticket |
| Prohibited items and rules | End of the guidelines | Rules on wearing a school uniform, phone collection |
| Contact | Last page | Admissions office phone number |
A quick note on uniforms: many Korean universities don't allow applicants to wear their high school uniform to the interview, so interviewers can't tell which school they attend. Check this line carefully.
It's safest to work your check-in time out backwards. If the interview starts at 10:00 a.m. and the notice says to check in 40 minutes before, the check-in deadline is 9:20. If it takes 15 minutes to walk from the main gate to the exam building, you need to be at the gate by 9:05 at the latest.
Save a PDF to take with you, and print it
Once you've read the notice, save it as a PDF. It's easier to pull up on your phone while you travel on the day, and easy to send to your parents.
Choose Save as PDF in the viewer, and you get a PDF with the same page layout as the original. Print it from your MacBook's Print menu. To copy some of the text into a notes app, save it as plain text. Word (docx) is also available. You can't edit the notice in the viewer.
Here's a second example. Suppose there's a separate 2-page HWPX floor plan of the exam venue on top of the 4-page guidelines. Print both PDFs and you have 6 pages in total. Printed double-sided, that's 2 sheets of guidelines and 1 sheet of floor plan, so 3 sheets of paper. Put them in a clear folder with your admission ticket and you're set.
Print pages where the picture matters, like the floor plan, single-sided and large so the building names are easy to read.
Common mistakes
- Reading only the schedule on page 1 and closing the file. What to bring and the rules are usually near the end.
- Mixing up the time slots for different programs. Even on the same day, departments may be split between morning and afternoon.
- Missing a revised notice. Universities sometimes re-upload the file with "revised" added to the end of the file name.
- Uploading a personal notice to a site you don't know.
Interview schedules and venues can change. Check the admissions board again the night before. If there's a new file, open it in HWP Viewer and look for what changed. For questions about your own case, contact the admissions office listed in the notice. That's the most reliable source.
FAQ
Q. The fonts look different from the original. Is it still OK to print?
A. The difference comes from the viewer substituting free fonts for the original ones. The page layout follows the original, so it's generally fine for reading the content and printing a copy to take with you.
Q. Can I add notes directly to the notice?
A. The viewer has no editing features. If you need to add notes, save the file as Word (docx) or plain text and write in another program.
Q. Can I open an HWP file I received on my iPhone?
A. If your browser lets you pick files, you can try the same steps. The screen is small, though, and the way you pick files differs from device to device, so it's easier to make the PDF for printing on your MacBook.
Wrapping up
You'll probably reread your interview guidelines several times, right up to the morning of the interview. When the notice goes up, open it right away in HWP Viewer, check the check-in time and what to bring, and save it as a PDF. Then you can spend the rest of your time preparing for the interview itself.
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