Happy 9th Birthday, Capstone Vietnam!

This week, Capstone Vietnam, a full-service educational consulting company that I co-founded in 2009 and of which I am managing director, celebrated its 9th birthday.  It has been a helluva ride, one I've found to be deeply rewarding on many levels.  As I mentioned to a colleague the other day, the best situation is when … Continue reading Happy 9th Birthday, Capstone Vietnam!

Shifting focus: Vietnamese students & overseas study destinations

There is never a dull moment in the dynamic Southeast Asian country of Viet Nam, including among its overseas-bound students. While overall interest in study in the US remains strong, there is also ample evidence of a shift to other countries, including Canada. Follow this link to read my latest PIE blog post.  Peace, MAA

In Country Representatives: A Tale of Two Models

A growing number of educational institutions are turning to in country, including regional, representatives to assist them with international student recruitment.  While this option obviously costs more than other recruitment tools and techniques because it includes the cost of a local salary, benefits (?), and other expenses, including travel and marketing, it can potentially be … Continue reading In Country Representatives: A Tale of Two Models

Study in the USA: A Service Sector Export That No Longer Sells Itself

This matter-of-fact assertion does not (and should not) come as a surprise to US colleagues who recruit internationally.  Here's a recent story that inspired this post, so to speak, plus a heartfelt appeal.  I noticed that a number of students had applied to, been admitted by, and received visas to attend a particular school in … Continue reading Study in the USA: A Service Sector Export That No Longer Sells Itself

Viet Nam Ranks 5th in International Enrollment in 3 Countries

...including Australia, Canada, and the USA!  Those countries also happen to be the world's leading hosts of international students, albeit in this order:  1)  USA; 2) Australia; and 3) Canada, followed by the UK and Germany.   Of the estimated 200,000 Vietnamese students studying overseas, 23,000 are in Australia (PDF download), about 15,000 are in … Continue reading Viet Nam Ranks 5th in International Enrollment in 3 Countries

The Vietnamese Student Pivot to the Great White North

This was the original title of my latest University World News article.  Why?  Because overseas study is not a zero-sum game or a black & white issue but rather a complex and technicolor phenomenon with many different forces at work, including push and pull factors.  While it's true that growing numbers of Vietnamese student are … Continue reading The Vietnamese Student Pivot to the Great White North

The Art & Science of Creating Good Videos

Vietnamese get most of their information from online sources, including social media, primarily Facebook.  They also watch a lot of video, 2 hours, 43 minutes a day, to be precise, according to the results of the annual We Are Social and Hootsuite update.  As a result, YouTube ranks 4th among all websites in Viet Nam, … Continue reading The Art & Science of Creating Good Videos

Q: How to Choose an Education Agent? A: Use Your Best Judgement

And Don't Forget the Tried-and-True Carrot & Stick Approach Colleagues sometimes ask me to recommend education agents in Viet Nam. While I'd like to be able to help them in this regard, I can't.  The simple reason is that this is such a problematic (read shady) and unregulated sector.  There is no one (or one … Continue reading Q: How to Choose an Education Agent? A: Use Your Best Judgement

Direct Applications on the Rise

While Viet Nam is still primarily an agent-driven market, growing numbers of students are beginning to bypass education agents and apply directly to educational institutions, especially for certain types of institutions and programs with simpler application procedures.  In some cases, more than 50% of all apps are directly from students. The reasons for this recent … Continue reading Direct Applications on the Rise

New Website: Recruit in Viet Nam

Below is an announcement about a new website created by Capstone Vietnam, a full-service educational consulting company of which I'm managing director. Peace, MAA This website is intended to serve as a one-stop resource for student recruitment in Viet Nam for colleagues from all over the world.  It was inspired by a session that Dr. … Continue reading New Website: Recruit in Viet Nam