May-September 2019 US Student Visa Update from Viet Nam

maavn Updates , , ,

Modest Upward Trend Continues

us state dept sealI have some good news for those of you who are involved in the recruitment of US-bound Vietnamese students.  Since this is International Education Week (IEW) in the US, this is a fitting time to upload this post!  

Interest in study in the USA among Vietnamese parents and students remains high, as evidenced by the number of student visas issue from May through September of this year, the peak season.  This information is lieu of the SEVIS by the Numbers update, which should be out any day now, according to SEVP colleagues, whom I’ve emailed on several occasions.  

As of March 2019, there were 30,684 young Vietnamese studying in the US at all levels, most in higher education.  Viet Nam ranked 5th among sending countries.  

Consider this an addendum to an August 2019 update that covered the months of May, June, and July.  

May 2018: 1110
May 2019: 1223 (+10.18%)

June 2018: 3147
June 2019: 3148 (+.03%)

July 2018: 4942
July 2019: 5250  (+6.23%)

August 2018: 2754
August 2019: 2760 (+.22%)

September 2018: 405
September 2019: 435 (+7.41%)

May-September 2018: 12,358
May-September 2019: 12,816 (+3.71%)

The YOY increase over 2018 was 3.71%.  While modest, it does indicate forward momentum, which definitely qualifies as “good news” in challenging times.  

Source:  Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Statistics (PDF download), US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs

Stay tuned!  

Shalom (שלום), MAA

 

Happy 10th Anniversary, IEVN!

maavn Announcement , ,

Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 10 years ago.
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.

anniversary-2x

Wishing An International Educator in Viet Nam a Happy 10th!  2009 to 2019 is a lot of Information, Insights & (Occasionally) Intrigue.  Here’s to another decade of more of the same!  

10-year-logoNot surprisingly, the creation of this blog coincides with the founding of Capstone Vietnam, give or take a couple of months.  

Shalom (שלום), MAA

Announcing Capstone’s Spring 2020 StudyUSA & Canada Higher Education Fairs

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gif-2And now a word from our sponsor…  🙂  I’m pleased to announce Capstone’s spring 2020 StudyUSA & Canada Higher Education Fairs, which will take place from 21 February to 1 March in Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).  Please click on the ad on the left or the poster below for detailed information and online registration.  

Shalom (שלום), MAA

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The Importance of Showing International Applicants THE LOVE

maavn Commentary , , , ,
Show-the-love
Once upon a time, there was a Vietnamese transfer student in the US who was planning to attend one  university and ended up accepting an offer from another.  Here are the main reasons:  
 
1.  The other school has better communication with students, including sending them a note on their birthday and more frequent updates.  
 
2.  An adviser emailed the original school on behalf of the student with a question about the international student orientation and didn’t receive a response until 11 days later.  
 
3.  The student called the original school to ask about credit transfer.  She was instructed to contact “Jim,” academic adviser.  She emailed him and received an answer more than a week later.  
 
4.  While the student was waiting for the above information, she received an additional scholarship from another university. 
Game over!  Uni #2:  1; Uni #1: 0.
 
If it’s taking some time to reply for whatever reason, international admission colleagues might want to update students even if only to say that they’re checking and will let them know by a certain date.  
The bottom line, figuratively and literally, is that institutions need to show applicants the love because they have so many choices in what has become a very competitive market in most countries, including Viet Nam.  
 
Shalom (שלום), MAA

Catholicism in Viet Nam

maavn Updates , , ,

About 6.6% of Viet Nam’s population of about 97,000,000, or 6.4 million people, are Catholic.  While most are in central and southern Viet Nam, there are still some in the North.  Most Vietnamese identify themselves as Buddhist.  This photo was taken in Hà Đông, an urban district in the southwestern part of of Hà Nội.  Follow this link to read a 2018 post I wrote entitled Catholicism, the Vietnamese Language, & Student Recruitment in Viet Nam.  

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Shalom (שלום), MAA

Educational Advisers: Is Being a US Higher Ed Alum Enough?

maavn Commentary , , , ,

As seen on a Facebook group devoted to the work of independent education counselors (IECs):  

edusa logoIntimidated by college deadlines? #EducationUSA advisers and U.S. university alumni are here to help! Type your questions down below or shoot us an e-mail at manila[AT]educationusa.org or cebu[AT]educationusa.org for any questions and concerns regarding your college applications. Our services are completely free!  (Source:  EducationUSA, The Philippines)

This spot-on observation came from an IEC based in the Philippines:  They said EducationUSA advisers and US university alumni will answer their questions.  I said:
‘Be very careful about where you get your advice from regarding your college applications. It isn’t enough to be an alumnus of a US university or an EducationUSA adviser. Ask if they are professional college counselors…most US alumni are not.’  Good advice!  

This is akin to native speakers being hired to teach English as a foreign language.  Because they speak the language doesn’t mean they can teach it properly.  Same for US higher education alumni; they definitely have a lot to offer in terms of sharing information and experiences from a former student’s perspective but most are not trained educational advisers.  

Shalom (שלום), MAA