ASHEVILLE NC, USA – March 17 2013

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in partnership with The Vietnam Education Center (VETEC) has announced that it will be hosting a Boarding School Admissions Fair at Asiana Saigon Intercontinental Hotel on Thursday, November 7 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Families with children ages 10 to 17, and interested in learning about university preparatory schools abroad, are invited to attend this informal FREE event. Pre-registration will open soon at BoardingSchools.com/HCMC. (Registration will also be available on-site November 7.)

Schools from Canada, USA and around the globe will be available to answer questions, offer catalogs and application information, and to generally explore the boarding school option with families. Many types of schools will be represented such as single gender and coed, military, rural and urban, junior schools, athletics and pre-professional arts, IB, a variety of religious affiliations and those specializing in learning differences.

College prep boarding schools provide unequaled academics, supported by small classes of 10 to 12 students on average and students are allowed a kind of controlled independence. Living on campus with peers promotes lifetime friendships, and provides teachable moments for mentors to reinforce the lessons of both school and life. By the time graduates arrive at the world’s finest universities or their first professional job, they’re fully prepared for the challenges and responsibilities of adult life.

This event is just one leg of TABS annual 9-city Admissions Tour throughout Asia. To learn more, contact Annie Lundahl at lundahl@TABS.org or Mark Matsumoto at mark@vetecusa.com

more than 200 attendees who expressed strong interest to study in the U.S.   This event included participation from the following

U.S.  schools and organizations:

1) College Board

2) TABS

3) California State University, Monterey Bay

4) Coast Community College District

5) University of Hawaii Community College- Hilo

6) University of California, Irvine

7) University of Illinois, Chicago

8) Solano College

Mark Matsumoto (2nd,L), president and CEO of California ETEC and representatives from the College Board and some U.S. universities are seen at the launch of VETEC in HCMC last week – Photo: Kieu Giang;  Saigon Times,  March 25, 2013

California ETEC, a U.S.-based education consortium, last week announced the opening of Vietnam Education and Training Center or VETEC in HCMC to promote U.S. education in Vietnam.

VETEC, located at Level 7 of the Centre Point Building at 106 Nguyen Van Troi Street in Phu Nhuan District, was launched in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Administration to respond to the growing importance of the Vietnamese market as a source of international students.

The event had the participation of representatives from University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of California Irvine, Solano Community College and California State University Monterey Bay.

“The launch of VETEC will provide U.S. schools an in-country platform to aggressively augment efforts to promote, screen and recruit qualified students. VETEC will be staffed by a dynamic team of bi-lingual student advisors and marketing specialists,” said Mark Matsumoto, president and CEO of California ETEC.

“VETEC will offer Vietnamese parents and students a trusted source to obtain accurate and objective information about U.S. study options. The center offers in-person advising, direct access to U.S. school admission staff and counselors, guidance of application process, scholarship opportunities and English Testing Placement and remediation support,” Vy Vu, VETEC’s director added.

In 2011-2012, more than 15,000 students from Vietnam enrolled in U.S. institutions, placing it as the eighth largest host market. Australia continues to be the most popular choice for overseas study for Vietnamese students with more than 25,000 and nearly 36,000 students also choosing destinations within Asia.

California ETEC (CA ETEC) was established in 2003 to exclusively promote the attraction of international students to the U.S. and expand the export of education services in Asia. The organization builds a network of more than 250 schools throughout the U.S. CA ETEC coordinated the Meet Vietnam Education Forum on behalf of the Vietnam Consulate (SF) in 2009 and in May 2011, CA ETEC received the prestigious President’s “E” Award for exporting excellence.

Schools considering more active engagement of the Vietnam Education Market are encouraged to read the linked article.

http://export.gov/vietnam/build/groups/public/@eg_vn/documents/webcontent/eg_vn_051779.pdf

OPEN DOORS FACT SHEET: VIETNAM  2012

INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Educational Exchange Data from Open Doors 2012

In the 2011/12 academic year, 15,572 students from Vietnam were studying in the United States (up 4.6% from the previous year). Vietnam is the eighth leading place of origin for students coming to the United States.

Academic Level: The majority of Vietnamese students study at the undergraduate level. In 2011/12, their breakdown was as follows:

72.2% undergraduate
17% graduate students
5.5% other
5.2% OPT (Optional Practical Training)

Historical trends: The number of students from Vietnam fluctuated moderately throughout the 1980s and
1990s with a steady trend of growth beginning in the late 1990s. The number of Vietnamese students has risen significantly since 1998/99, with double-digit growth in many years. Vietnam has been a top 20 place of origin since 2006/07 and remains a top 10 place of origin for international students in the United States since 2010/11.

Year # of Students
From Vietnam % Change from
Previous Year
2011/12 15,572 4.6% n/a
2010/11 14,888 13.5%
2009/10 13,112 2.3%
2008/09 12,823 46.2%
2007/08 8,769   45.3%
2006/07 6,036 31.3%
2005/06 4,597 25.3%
2004/05 3,670 16.0%
2003/04 3,165 16.3%
2002/03 2,722 7.5%
2001/02 2,531 25.2%
2000/01 2,022 -10.8%
1999/00 2,266 42.8%
1998/99 1,587 – 95

VETEC Booth at the 2012 NAFSA Conference

The VETEC™ booth received strong interest from attending participants at the NAFSA Conference. Many U.S. schools indicated the need for an organization such as California ETEC-directly supported by the U.S. government- to provide in-country branding and promotional support to better compete against highly aggressive English speaking competitors from Australia, Canada, Singapore and the U.K. VETEC™ expands upon California ETEC’s continuous efforts over the past eight years promoting U.S. Education in Vietnam, Thailand and S.E. Asia and seeks to be an integral resource for U.S. providers seeking to pro-actively engage the Region.

California ETEC will soon be announcing Grand Opening Kick Off Events. Please check back soon for additional updates.