VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference 2013 - Executive Report
1.
2. ABOUT
VietAbroader is a student-run, non-profit organization that empowers Vietnamese youth to contribute
to the sustainable development of Vietnam. VietAbroader was founded in 2004 and current VietAbroader
members are attending 50+ colleges and working for 20+ companies in the U.S. We organize educational and
professional programs to equip Vietnamese youth with knowledge and a support network for their academic
as well as professional developments.
Amongvariousprojects,VietAbroaderStudyAbroadConferenceistheflagshipprogramofVietAbroader.
VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference was initiated in 2005 to provide Vietnamese students with training and
guidance to encourage them to study abroad, primarily in the United States. The event includes a seminar
in the morning, which provides attendees with general information on U.S. education, and a school fair in
the afternoon, where students can ascertain school facts and scholarship programs through representatives of
more than 80 top U.S. schools. This year, the conference was held on July 20, 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City and
July 21, 2013 in Hanoi.
3. FOREWORD
Dang Thai Thi Thanh Thao
On behalf of the VietAbroader
Conference 2013 Staff
at Ho Chi Minh City 2013
First of all, we are pleased to announce the publication of this report on VietAbroader Study Abroad
Conference 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The conference has come a long way since its first inception in 2005, adding on new features every year
and changing the program’s content. This year has marked a complete transformation of the conference in vari-
ous ways, and we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed the experience with us.
We would like to take this opportunity to dedicate a special appreciation firstly to all of our attendees,
for you are the single most critical reason why we are here today. We would also like to thank our sponsors;
our partners and our friends, for your tremendous support have made this event possible. Our commitment
to cater to the needs of our attendees today and to empower the Vietnamese youth tomorrow, without you all,
would not have taken us this far.
We believe that you will find this report informative and enjoyable. We look forward to hearing your
thoughts on this year’s conference and suggestions for the coming years. And once again, thank you very much
for your interest in VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference.
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4. CONTENT
ABOUT
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
AGENDA
BACKGROUND & HIGHLIGHTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
School Life
Experience Sharing
Essay Analysis
Individual Application Assistant (IAA) Program
Gap Year Talk
DEMOGRAPHICS OF DELEGATES
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Info sessions
Communication
Staff
Facebook event page
Venue
Orientation Quiz
Conference Day
General Evaluation
OUR PEOPLE
APPENDIX
Info sessions
Communication
Venue
Format of conference
Content of conference
Presentation of guest speakers
Supporting materials of conference
Staff
General evaluation
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5. AKNOWLEDGEMENT
INSTITUTIONAL SPONSORS
Diamond Sponsors
Drexel University
Edmonds Community College
Lane Community College
Platinum Sponsors
Shoreline Community College
Southern Illinois University
University of Wisconsin-Miwaukee
Gold Sponsors
Carroll University
Kansas State University
Messiah College
South Puget Sound Community College
University of Cincinnati
Silver Sponsors
California State University, Fresno
Loyola Marymount University
Lycoming College
Miami University-Ohio
North Central College
Bronze Sponsors
Adelphi University
Agnes Scott College
Cascadia Community College
Green River Community College
Lasalle University
Marshall University
Sierra College
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsors
Yola Institute
Silver Sponsors
Access American Education
Capstone Vietnam
IIG Vietnam
USA VISA Consulting Services
Partners
EducationUSA
IDG Ventures Vietnam
Unilever Vietnam
MEDIA SPONSORS
VTM
TheBox.vn
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the support of:
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6. AGENDA
Conference Day – July 20, 2013
FOR PARTICIPANTS OF CONFERENCE DAY
07:00 – 12:30 Morning Session
07:00 – 08:00 Check-in
08:00 – 08:30 Opening Ceremony
08:30 – 08:45 Break
08:45 – 11:35 Information Session
BLUE Group RED Group YELLOW Group
08:45 - 09:35 School Life
Experience & Tips
Sharing
Essay Analysis
09:35 – 09:45 Break Break Break
09:45 – 10:35 Essay Analysis School Life
Experience & Tips
Sharing
10:35 – 10:45 Break Break Break
10:45 – 11:35
Experience & Tips
Sharing
Essay Analysis School Life
11:35 – 11:45 Break
11:45 – 12:10 Gap Year Talk
12:10 – 12:25 Sponsor Schools’ Quizzes
12:25 – 12:35 Closing Ceremony
12:35 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 18:00 Afternoon Session
Grand Hall
15:00 – 18:00 School Fair
Lavender 1
14:10 – 14:50 High School
15:00 – 15:35 Admission Workshop 1
Lavender 3
14:10 – 14:50 Community College
15:00 – 15:35 Admission Workshop 2
7. OPEN TO PUBLIC
08:00 – 08:45 Check-in
09:00 – 09:45 Drexel University Information Session
10:00 – 10:45 Edmonds Community College Information Session
11:00 – 11:45 Lane Community College Information Session
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8. BACKGROUNDS & HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights of the VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City
1. Orientation Materials and Orientation Quiz
2. School Life Section (Debate and Panel Discussion)
3. Essay Analysis Session (Playing the role of Admission Committees and Analyze changes of the new
Common Application)
4. Experience Sharing Section (Pentagon Seatings)
5. Cheat sheet
9. Orientation Materials and Orientation Quiz
In order to save budgets and increase the effectiveness, the organizing team decided to use Orientation
Materials (OM) to replace Orientation Day (OD). Because of the factuality and consistency of the information
provided, OM can be reused for following conferences and helps the organizing team focus on the main
conference day or any additional projects.
Even though OM is more economical than OD, the quality is OM is effectively guaranteed because of its
interactive content and undoubtedly, presentation of the quiz (O-Quiz). The content of OM covers all topics in
OD: Why US, Timeline, School Selection, Standardized Tests, Application, Financial Aid, and Interview. These
parts are provided via a web-based platform and under varied formats: video clips and slideshows.
This combination delivers necessary information actively and effectively to our participants.
Knowledge, after that, will be tested through O-Quiz which cover all bullet points. The better the applicants do
well on the O-Quiz, the better they can grasp such sophisticated contents on Conference Day.
In general, as a more economical alternative than traditional Orientation Day, Orientation Materials
are one of the breakthroughs of VietAbroader Conference 2013.
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10. School Life Section
Debate and Panel Discussion
Life session featured sharing about both the school selection process and college life experiences. To
effectively accommodate the many stories told, we decided to take on the panel discussion format with added
twist of debates between guest speakers. Guest speakers were seated five in a semi-circle shape on the stage,
facing the audience and each other. Not only did this arrangement allow face-to-face communication between
guest speakers and the participants, but also foster an intimate atmosphere for discussion between them.
Another interesting feature is the alternate sharing and discussion between our guest speakers. All
having different background, having gone through many different paths, and making many different choices,
they honestly shared their stories and present a myriad of points to protect their own choices.
Compared to the serious and informative Experience Sharing session and the lively, complicated Essay
Analysis, School Life was straightforward, very informative yet entertaining session. It was a compilation of
all the sharing, personal experiences, and stories that the guest speakers have themselves gone through. It was
also an interactive debate where guest speakers not only spoke to the audience but also spoke to one another to
debate and add so many interesting perspectives, funny stories to complement the whole study abroad picture.
Those fascinating stories wove a more or less suitable picture of college life in the U.S, the ups and downs, the
advantages and disadvantages of certain geographical locations, school features and climate differences.
Last but not least, school selection based on majors and financial aid were the most popular factors.
However, others such as climate, school location or even school size also played an important role in the kind
of life students will have in college. At the end, the guest speakers also shared tips about getting a good financial
aid package and each took turn to share his/her personal tips about the whole application process.
Life session featured sharing about both the school selection process and college life experiences. To
effectively accommodate the many stories told, we decided to take on the panel discussion format with added
twist of debates between guest speakers. Guest speakers were seated five in a semi-circle shape on the stage,
facing the audience and each other. Not only did this arrangement allow face-to-face communication between
guest speakers and the participants, but also foster an intimate atmosphere for discussion between them.
11. Essay Analysis Section
Playing the role of Admission Committees and Analyze changes
of the new Common Application
Admissions Committee is a notable new feature in the format of Essay Analysis in this year’s Conference.
For the first time ever, we created a discussion setting in which participants experienced the job of an admissions
committee. The change was driven by the surveys of previous conferences that participants would like to get
more chances to express their opinions and be corrected by guest speakers.
We also noticed that students couldn’t write good personal statements if they forgot what their
purposes were. What would they want the readers of their application to know about them apart from
courses, grades and test scores? The new format allowed participants to think and write from the perspective
of an admissions committee. They understood what an admissions committee might be looking for in their
personal statements, thereby avoiding a lot of common mistakes. Two of them were exemplified in two selected
model essays for participants to critique: vagueness and pointlessness. Other mistakes were also identified by
participants during discussion. This activity trained students to proofread essays, which would be vital to their
producing good essays afterwards.
The upcoming admission season will see important changes in Common Application, including
essay topics. Hence this year’s session helped familiarize students with these changes. The new essay topics
encourage students’ sharing of their personal development. Each topic focuses on “a slice of life”. The guest
speakers helped participants understand more about each topic’s expectations, know how to pick the one that
would be most suitable for them, and tackle it effectively. Since time was limited, handouts of more advices and
explanation were provided to participants.
91% praised the contents and materials presented in the Essay Analysis section.
89% expressed their satisfaction towards guest speakers.
88%, 81%, 93% of the participants highly evaluated the presentation skills, the flexibility, the
approachability of IAA mentors, respectively.
“I have more serious and stricter conception for my own abilities and learned how to express myself
in the most honest and effective in the essays.”
“About the essay discussion, I really enjoy because the Organizing Team had chosen from
easy-to-make mistaken essays, which we can easily learn from. I then have more experience
in writing application essays. Moreover, the guest speakers also mention ways to write coherently,
sincerely and concisely. And when we finish a particular essay, we could send to them for the better
version.”
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12. Experience Sharing Section
Pentagon Seatings
An important new feature of the Experience Sharing Panel this year was the pentagon-seating format
where five guest speakers sat among participants in a closed pentagon format. Simulating a campfire, this new
seating format created an intimate atmosphere where participants could fully feel the connection between older
and younger generations of “Viet-Abroaders”. Replacing the lecture-like panel discussion format where guest
speakers spoke on a stage separated from the audience, we hoped participants see guest speakers as brothers
and sisters rather than teachers, thus feeling more comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns, which
orientated to our mission “Passing The Torch”. In addition, as each guest speaker shared his or her experience,
the attention shifted around the room, focusing not only on speakers but also participants. As a result, the
concentration level of participants as well as the efficiency of comprehension is significantly improved.
Thecontentofthissessioncoveredsomekeycomponentsofacollegeapplicationpackage:extracurricular
activities, interviews, letter of recommendation, and SAT. Not only do participants got a chance to listen to
useful advice and tips shared by successful U.S. Colleges students, they also had the opportunity to hear famous
alumni who talked about the application process from the point of view of admission committees.
The added Q&A session at the end of each Experience Sharing Panel aimed to provide participants time
to think about the newly acquired information and to voice their concerns through questions.
13. Cheat Sheet
This year, there was a small but noticeable change in the folder for participants. The recap section,
which summarized the additional content of the 3 panels from last year’s booklet format, was removed from
this year’s booklet. Instead, a small cheat sheet (brochure) went on surface, consisting of basic tips on some of
the most important elements of studying abroad: College Essays, Extracurricular Activities, Interviews, the
SAT, School Selection and Transcripts.
Along with the Orientation Materials and Quiz, the cheat sheet provided participants with a foundation
on said subjects, which allowed our guest speakers to take the content of the information sessions a step fur-
ther, encouraged our participants to adopt some higher order thinking and broader mindset on mentioned
subjects.
The design of the cheat sheet was fun, colorful and very eye-catching, with the content mostly pre-
sented in bullet points, which were intended to capture attention and make the information more memorable.
81% appreciated the usefulness of contents.
80% said that they really loved its high compactness.
84% expressed their favors for the design and outline.
“The cheatsheet was amazing. I was first attracted by the lovely design with lots of cute drawings. I
then found the contents were highly compacted and so useful in helping me review basic information
of US college application anytime I needed. It definitely wins a place inside my pencil case.”
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14. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To Xuan Nam, Cornell University ’14 (Moderator)
Nguyen Phan Dai Trang, Wellesley College ’16 (Panelist)
Doan Nguyen Duy Anh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ’16 (Panelist)
Hoang Le Hung, Hamilton College ’16 (Panelist)
Luong Minh Toan, Colorado College ’17 (Panelist)
The School Life panel this year takes on a new perspective when it serves the objective of both school
selection and college life sharing session. Starting the panel, Mr. To Xuan Nam let all the guest speakers briefly
self-introduced their interesting backgrounds and led the panel onto the importance of the first factor when
compiling college list: Majors.
Mr. Hoang Le Hung then carried on the panel by sharing his undecided case, which shows that one
does not need to know what he or she wants to do before entering college. College is the time for exploration
and self-discovery. However, Ms. Nguyen Phan Dai Trang’s case is a completely opposite one, in which she
already had a good idea of her majors prior to attending college. According to her, alumni network and special
programs are also important when it comes to choosing colleges in the U.S. Mr. Luong Minh Toan then added
in his school’s fascinating block plan system as an example of how special programs play a big role in school
selection.
Leading on the discussion, Mr. Nam switched the participants’ attention to another side of college life:
extra-curricular activities (ECAs). As regards the role of ECA, Mr. Toan then talked about his fascination
with the wide range of outdoor activities, such as rock climbing, in rural areas with fresh atmosphere and
beautiful mountains. Mr. Doan Nguyen Duy Anh also continued Mr. Toan’s point by sharing about the gamut
of small and unique clubs offered in college such as anime, manga, or DOTA clubs.
Moving on to natural factors, Ms. Dai Trang talked about her transition from the one of the hottest parts of
SCHOOL LIFE
15. When it comes to the matter of choosing between national universities or liberal arts colleges, Mr. Nam
then questioned whether it is enough just to talk about school clubs. Some universities have huge facilities
and globally renown faculties to facilitate their extensive research, shared Mr. Duy Anh. He also pointed that
school facilities and faculty should definitely be one of the important factors when choosing school because
school facilities were important for research while students could expand our connection and opportunities
through interaction with our professors.
Moving on to natural factors, Ms. Dai Trang talked about her transition from the one of the hottest
parts of the world into one of the coldest lands on Earth. She advised that natural climate should never have
been missed when deciding which school to attend, especially for student with health concerns. Mr. Toan
then elaborated on the different climate zones in the U.S. Prospective students should pay attention not only
to climatic conditions but also to school settings or neighborhood, as Mr. Duy Anh mentioned. He excitedly
shared his school’s urban advantage for finding jobs and internships while Mr. Hung talked about both upsides
and downsides transportation of the sub-urban setting.
At this point, the atmosphere intensified into a debate between the side of Liberal Arts College
(represented by Mr. Hung, Ms. Trang, Mr. Toan) versus the side of National University (represented by Mr.
Duy Anh). Our Guest Speakers each argued about the school population, its effect on interactions among
students,thestudent-facultyratio,andaneffectiveteachingsystem,schoolfacilitiesandendowmentdifferences,
and the cultural diversity between the two types of U.S. Colleges. Although there were no winners, Mr. Nam
summarized all the points made and led the panel onto admission rate, another important factor.
Mr. Hung then shared his experiences of applying to many U.S. Colleges and his interpretation of the
admission rate. He pointed out that admission rate is not as scary as many often dreaded. Then, the panel
moved on to financial aid selection. After Ms. Trang shared her experience navigating through the financial
aid system in the U.S., Mr. Toan added his tips of making the best opportunities to get a full ride scholarship to
U.S. colleges.
Mr. Nam then concluded the panel by summarizing all the factors in the gold list and led on to short
Q&A questions.
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16. Le Ngoc Duy Thang, Wesleyan University ’05 (Moderator)
Tran Ngoc Thinh, New York University Abu Dhabi ’15 (Panelist)
Edward Thai, Harvard University ’07 (Panelist)
Nguyen Son Tung, University of Richmond ’16 (Panelist)
Nguyen Bao Truong Anh, Adelphi University ’15 (Panelist)
To get the session started, Mr. Le Ngoc Duy Thang asked participants for some extracurricular activities
(ECAs) they participated in. Ms. Nguyen Bao Truong Anh then debunked the misconception that ECAs are
only limited to outdoor activities. The two examples of successful indoor ECAs are crystal clear: managing
housework and reading Chinese martial arts novels. A mere hobby, she suggested, can be developed into an
impressive ECA if done with enough passion and responsibility.
Surrounded by a variety of ECA options, Vietnamese students often have trouble deciding which one
to participate. Addressing the topic of ECA selection, Ms. Tran Ngoc Thinh advised that students should
consider both passion and ability when choosing ECA and shared how those two factors helped her overcome
difficulties while working as a chief editor of her school newspaper. But what if students cannot find anything
that interests them among the existing ECAs? The answer is simple, just create one, shared Mr. Nguyen Son
Tung. With that being said, before starting a new activity, students should gather enough motivation as well as
find a partner to support one another when things get rough. Ms. Truong Anh added that students should also
think about funding when starting a new project.
EXPERIENCE SHARING
17. As an experienced interviewer for Harvard University in Vietnam, Mr. Edward Thai stated that what
Harvard, along with other top U.S. Colleges, looks for in ECAs is leadership potential, which is not only
about position but also about integrity, courage, and service. In other words, students should still try to take
on leadership position whenever they can, but no matter whether they are the top leaders or regular members,
students should do it differently and better. Ms. Truong Anh then added a few tips regarding how to present
ECA on the application: limit the resume to one page A4, use action verbs, stress the results, etc.
The panel then moved on to address the topic of Interview. Mr. Son Tung emphasized the importance of
self-awareness and prior research about the university and the interviewer. To better prepare for this daunting
process, students can look up and prepare key ideas for some common interview questions. Participants are
also encouraged to practice mock interviews with family or friends. Mr. Edward then offered some insights
from the perspective of an interviewer. The interview serves as a few key purposes: to check English ability,
to validate application package, to provide another perspective about the university, and to check academic
preparedness and leadership potential. Many alumni interviewers in Vietnam concurred that lack of confidence
constitutes the main weakness of Vietnamese students. Adding to Tung’s interview tips, Mr. Edward advised
students to practice but still be natural and honest; have a firm handshake, maintain eye contact, and smile; be
confident, but keep a balanced perspective; have a conversation and send a thank-you note afterwards.
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18. As the sharing session progressed, Ms. Ngoc Thinh and Ms. Truong Anh shifted to discuss the role of
letters of recommendation. Despite Vietnamese teachers’ unfamiliarity with recommendation letters, students
are strongly discouraged to write their own letters. Ms. Truong Anh suggested that students give teachers a
guideline with key ideas they want teachers to include and ask them to write the letter in Vietnamese, which
students should then ask another person fluent in English to translate. Students should send both the original
and translated letters signed by their teachers.
19. The session then moved on with Ms. Ngoc Thinh sharing her tips to ace the SAT. The Math section
is usually not difficult for Vietnamese students; however, participants should read the questions carefully and
double check answers to avoid careless mistakes. For the Reading section, students should focus on what is
mentioned in the passage and only infer when explicitly asked to. Finally, for the SAT essay, students are
allowed to make up examples as long as they are relevant to the argument. Ms. Ngoc Thinh also advised
students to prepare in advance a few examples, which are applicable to a wide range of topics.
Finally, Mr. Duy Thang ended the sharing session by asserting that whether students get accepted to a
school depends on many subjective factors; for that reason, so long as students have tried their best, regardless
of what the results may be, they should not blame themselves.
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20. Nguyen Duong Ngoc My, New York University ‘16
Tran Viet Hung, Denison University ‘15
Nguyen Nguyen Phan, Yale College ’17
Diep My Phuong, Texas Christian University ’14
Che Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Boston College ‘15
The Essay Analysis Section was entailed as one of the three major components of the Room Rotation
Model (School Life, Experience Sharing and Essay Analysis). Each of the three aforementioned groups was
to be divided once again into smaller groups of 8 students each and to be led by a guest speaker. One of the
most unique changes of the Essay Analysis section this year is the format, in which participants had their first-
hand experience as an Admissions Committee. Not simply sitting passively to have their essays corrected,
participants were encouraged to actively think, speak, and interact with other students during the discussion.
The presentation of materials in the Essay Analysis Section was also transformed this year. There was
no longer a one-way talk in which students passively obtained guest speakers’ advice and insights. Instead,
each “admissions committee” was introduced to two essays, which had been carefully selected from successful
applications of last class. The group was then guided by their guest speakers to identify both strengths and
weaknesses in the essays and to suggest approaches to improve the writings. At the end of the session, students
had the opportunity to vote for the better essay.
ESSAY ANALYSIS
21. Thanks to this interactive format, advice and insights on this topic became a lot more vivid and
comprehensible to students. The main objective of the new format was to help students understand how
Admissions committees scrutinized and weighed the differences among essays. Our participants, in the end of
this discussion, were to understand how their essays would be perceived no matter which writing styles they
showed.
In addition, changes in Common
Application 2013-2014 were introduced to
our participants, together with explanations
and tips on how to attack new challenges and
succeed. Handouts of new essay topics were also
provided for students to start brainstorming and
writing before the application would be opened
in August.
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22. Huynh Chi Nhu Quyen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ‘13
Huynh Ninh Khang, Emory University ‘15
Tran Vu Thuy Tien, Washington and Lee University ‘11
Nguyen Vu Phuc Thu, Duke University ‘16
The Individual Application Assistance (IAA) Program was placed as an important component of the
Essay Analysis Section this year. The IAA Program paired thirty most capable attendees in regard to essay
writing with five experienced essay mentors. Each mentor would then correct and offer personal comments
on the essays that each participant submitted during the application process to the conference. This year we
worked hard to maintain the IAA attendee: mentor ratio of 2:1, which ensured the best personal attention our
IAA candidates could expect from the experience.
Thanks to the small ratio, most of the IAA participants stated that they greatly benefited from the
intimately personalized attention and the thoughtful advice of the mentors. All of the IAA participants were
highly impressed by the quality and depth of this session.
INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION ASSISTANCE (IAA) PROGRAM
23. Nguyen Hung Lam, Luther College ’17 (Moderator)
Tran Bao Tran, Amherst College ’17 (Panelist)
Nguyen Phuong Linh, Depauw University ’14 (Panelist)
Tran Ngoc Anh Thu, Mount Holyoke College ’17 (Panelist)
GapYearTalkwasanothersuccessamongthemorningeventsofVietAbroaderStudyAbroadConference
2013 in Ho Chi Minh City. Although gap year remained as a new term to most Vietnamese students, more and
more students were taking this step in order to be better prepared for U.S. colleges. By moving the session to
the morning of the conference, we hoped every attendee would learn more about it and seriously consider what
opportunities gap years could bring to them. The talk was designed as a panel discussion where our four guest
speakers shared with the audience their personal stories and experiences.
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GAP YEAR TALK
24. In the opening of Gap Year talk, a lot of concerns were also voiced and answered by guest speakers such
as whether taking gap years meant falling behind, whether gap years would affect your chances of getting into
good colleges. Telling their real-life stories, the guest speakers convinced and inspired participants that the key
to success was their own plan. Traveling, doing internship, volunteering, tutoring or researching were some
of the suggestions for activities students could get involved in during their gap years mentioned in our guest
speakers’ stories.
The panelists spent the next minutes explaining the pros and cons of not going straight to colleges,
digging into how to get over difficulties and giving advice on how to well prepare for the college application
process. A message was delivered at the end of the talk that gap year was a great option at the crossroads.
25. DEMOGRAPHICS OF DELEGATES
Attendees
Total Admitted Attended Admission Rate (%) Yield Rate (%)
Applicants 1659 150 133 9.04 88.67
IAA Applicants 149 30 30 20.13 100
Finished Applications
Geographic Locations High Schools
Age
(at the time of the
conference)
Ho Chi Minh City 83.23 Pho Thong Nang Khieu 15.24 15 or younger 12.2
Dong Nai 3.05 Le Hong Phong 14.33 16 33.54
Vung Tau 4.27 Tran Dai Nghia 10.37 17 30.79
Others – Tay Ninh, Da Lat,
Can Tho, Nha Trang, Ha
Noi, Hue, My Tho, Long
Xuyen, Quy Nhon, Tan
An, Quang Tri, Buon Me
Thuot, Auckland, Moscow
9.45
Gia Dinh 2.44 18 or older 21.95
Other High Schools/Colleges/
Universities in Vietnam/US/
Russia)
57.62
Not mentioned (put
in invalid DOB)
1.22
Total 100 Total 100 Total 100
Accepted Applications
Geographic Locations High Schools
Age
(at the time of the
conference)
Ho Chi Minh City 84.67 Pho Thong Nang Khieu 23.33 15 or younger 11.33
Dong Nai 4 Le Hong Phong 20.67 16 38.67
Vung Tau 5.33 Tran Dai Nghia 10.67 17 37.33
Others – Tay Ninh, Da Lat,
Can Tho, Nha Trang, Ha
Noi, Hue, My Tho, Long
Xuyen, Quy Nhon, Tan
An, Quang Tri, Buon Me
Thuot, Auckland, Moscow
6
Gia Dinh 1.33 18 or older 11.33
Other High Schools/Colleges/
Universities in Vietnam/US/
Russia)
44
Not mentioned (put
in invalid DOB)
1.33
Total 100 Total 100 Total 100
Breakdown by attendees’ geographical locations, high schools and ages
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26. GUEST SPEAKERS
Number of guest speakers: 33
Institutions represented by guest speakers:
US Consulate General, St. Olaf College, Bates College, Cornell University, Wellesley College, Hamilton College,
Colorado College, MIT, NYU Abu Dhabi, Harvard University, Wesleyan University, University of Richmond,
Adelphi University, Duke University, Washington & Lee University, Princeton University, Emory University,
Texas Christian University, Yale University, Denison University, New York University, Boston College, Luther
College, Amherst College, Depauw University, Mount Holyoke College, Stevenson School, SUNY Plattsburg,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Portland State University.
SCHOOL FAIR
Number of Institutions represented: 93 colleges and universities and 5 high schools
Number of school representatives: 133
Please refer to this link for the complete list of schools:
http://vietabroader.org/portal/Programs/VietAbroader-Conference/VietAbroader-Conference-2013/School-
Fair-List
27. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
67 out of 133 Main Conference Day attendees responded to our online survey form for the Conference
Day.
The grading system includes: 1 (very bad), 2 (bad), 3 (okay), 4 (good), 5 (very good).
We were very grateful that the participants took effort to fill in our post-conference survey, as well as
gave us detailed written comments and feedbacks. Thanks to them, we could evaluate our performance this
year, as well as keep perfecting our future conferences. We were glad to see the selfless effort of the participants,
who are under no obligation to help VietAbroader, by sharing their opinions through the online survey.
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28. INFO SESSIONS
Nearly 70% of the Conference Day’s participants attended one of the info-sessions. Among them:
• 71% praised the helpfulness of the contents and materials presented in the info-sessions. 35% gave
the highest grade of 5.
• 94% gave the grade of 4 or 5 when asked to evaluate the helpfulness of Organizing team. 68% gave
the maximum score of 5.
• 74% gave either 4 or 5 when asked to comment on the helpfulness of Conference related informa-
tion in the info-sessions.
• 87% praised guest speaker quality and 50% gave highest score of 5.
• 77% gave positive evaluation on presentation of guest speakers.
• Most of them agreed that they were totally eager to attend the Conference after attending in one of the
info-sessions.
29. COMMUNICATION
Many students expressed their great satisfaction as they communicated with Organizing team, espe-
cially via email info.vachcm@vietabroader.org (70% gave the either score of 4 or 5) and through Facebook
(83% gave the grade of 4 or 5).
“Whenever I had any question posted on Vietabroader Facebook event page, Organizing team always an-
swered it “fast and furious.”
“I was impressed by how the Organizing team sent me the whole agenda with lots of useful details about
what to prepare before the main Conference.”
“The hotline was always responsive and I never had to wait to get the answers to my questions!”
“Before the Conference, for some reason I did not received the email about my group so I contacted the
Organizing team via Facebook event page. It was midnight then and I got the response within a few minutes!”
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30. STAFF
90% of participants appreciated the attentiveness and professionalism of Organizing team.
Also, 82% praised Staffs and Volunteers’ friendly assistance throughout the Conference.
“Staffs and volunteers were so enthusiastic and had lots of sense of humor”
“Although everyone in Organizing team seemed so tired, I always found their smiles which were so viral!”
“The professionalism and attentiveness of Organizing team truly impressed me, I wish I could be one of
them someday!”
31. FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
Interaction with Organizing team: 73% gave positive responses.
Precision and Thoroughness of Info on US Education: 75% graded 4 or 5, 49% approved score of 5.
Interaction with peers: 46% gave positive responses (grade of 4 or 5).
Inspiration from Guest speakers’ Biographies: 85% gave score of 4 or 5.
“Before the Conference, for some reason I did not received the email about my group so I contacted
the Organizing team via Facebook event page. It was midnight then and I got the response within a
few minutes!”
“The continuous updating post on Facebook event page caused great curiosity in me and highly
motivated me to be able to attending the conference, especially guest speaker biographies which gave
me chance to know and follow lots of successful seniors.”
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32. VENUE
97% of participants expressed their preference for Grand Hotel the venue of this year’s Conference.
“The venue was really convenient, formal, appropriate; and the halls were so gorgeous and warming.”
“Grand Hotel was such a decent, tailor made location for the Conference.”
“I love this year’s venue. It was in the city center, surrounded by lots of bus stations, food stalls and
beautiful stores. I had no trouble getting there and found my break in the afternoon wonderful just by
having lunch at the restaurant nearby and wandering around the hotel!”
33. ORIENTATION QUIZ
82% expressed their preference for “Timeline”
76% O-Quiz takers gave positive grading on “Why US?” (grade of 4 or 5)
72% approved “School selection” to be good or very good
70% gave the score of 4 or 5 for “Financial Aids”
67% had their favor for “Standardized tests”
51% graded good or very good for “Interview”
Despite some minor disagreement, 98% of survey takers praised the usefulness of O-Quiz in summarizing
important and precise information of US college application package.
“Orientation Materials provided a sufficient amount of basic information to prepare for studying abroad in the
US. All the confusing information on the net was clearly organized to be easier to understand. Moreover, through
videos, parts of O-Materials were made so vivid and friendly to any students who wanted to get to know study-
ing abroad in the US.”
“O-Quiz gave me great experience by not only providing useful and lively instructions but also allow me to do
my own research to complete the quiz. After doing this quiz, I felt more confident and better-prepared for US col-
lege application.”
“Orientation Quiz was truly original. The information given was highly precise and useful for reviewing basic
knowledge of studying abroad in the US.”
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34. CONFERENCE DAY
School Life
81% graded 4 or 5, 81% were pleased with its presentation quality.
Experience Sharing (Pentagon seating model - Discussion):
This was one of the most favorite parts of the Conference, with 90% found the content very helpful
and 82% expressed their satisfaction for guest speakers’ presentation skills.
General Essay Analysis or IAA (Small group Discussion):
Already presented in the “Background & Highlights” section of the report.
Gap Year Talk (Panel Discussion)
62% of attendees appreciated the content of Gap
Year Talk and 64% gave positive responses for guest
speakers’ presentation skills
TOPICS
35. Hoang Le Hung (Hamilton ‘17), Edward Thai (Harvard ‘07), Nguyen Son Tung (University of
Richmond ‘16), Đoan Nguyen Duy Anh (MIT ‘16) received the highest consideration by 72%, 66%,
64% and 60% of participants, respectively.
“The are many guest speakers from variety of colleges, which truly give more diverse and thorough
concepts on every aspect of US education.”
34
PRESENTATION OF GUEST SPEAKERS
36. 82% gave the score of 4 or 5 for the Interaction between Guest Speakers and Attendees.
57% graded good or very good for the Interaction among Attendees.
85% said that it contributed to their concentration on the Contents.
90% acclaimed the Overall Effectiveness of this Model.
85% expressed their Fondness for this Model.
“I am very pleased with this room rotation model because it enhances the communications between
guest speakers and participants. I wish the Organizing team keep this model for the next years,
especially in the Essay Analysis and IAA.”
ROOM ROTATION MODEL
37. Booklet
85% of participants found the Summary useful in helping them review the information received
during the sections.
90% highly graded Guest speakers’ biographies.
77% gave positive responses for the design and outline.
“The booklet was nicely designed in harmony with the Conference’s theme this year.”
“I love this year’s booklet. It was simple yet so informative. I could review my favorite guest speakers’
biographies and their presentation after the Conference; and get to know them via the emails given,
which made me so happy to have it on my hands.”
Cheat sheet
Already presented in the “Background & Highlights” section of the report.
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SUPPORTING MATERIALS
38. GENERAL EVALUATION
90% of attendees praised the smoothness and punctuality of program.
85% acclaimed the usefulness of information provided on the conference day.
67% applauded originality of content provided on the conference day.
90% expressed their satisfaction for interaction between attendees and guest speakers.
67% gave positive grade for the interaction among attendees.
96% truly appreciated the working attitude of organizing team, 75% gave the highest score.
93% highly acknowledged the overall professionalism of the conference, 75% agreed the grade of 5.
94% fell for overall fondness for the conference, 72% gave all their heart for the conference.
“This is the first time I have attended the VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference. From the Talk day to the
survey after the Conference day, the Organizing Team always keeps the image of professionalism, thoroughness
also friendliness, approachability. The information from VietAbroader Conference has changed my mind from
sluggishly, passively looking for the scholarships to becoming more serious and ambitious in preparing for studying
abroad. In the conference, I was always happy, from obtaining information to jocularities of the guest speakers. At
the end, I felt very pleased, confident and determined. Thank you very much, VietAbroader.”
“There are no unnecessary contents.”
“VAC plays a role as a tour guide leading us in American dreams. VAC provides fully most basic information for
every aspect of US education, helps us have more realistic look on studying abroad. After attending the conference
and meeting the guest speakers, I now have more confidence chasing my American dreams.”
39. OUR PEOPLE
Conference Chair
Dang Thai Thi Thanh Thao Bates College’ 16
Fundraising Team
Nguyen Thi Mai Thy Le Hong Phong High School’ 13
Diem Anh Thu Franklin & Marshall College’ 16
Public Relations Team
Khau Nguyen Du Linh Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’ 13
Bui Thu Thao The Baldwin School’ 14
Nguyen Vu Phuc Thu Duke University’ 16
Program Team
Nguyen Quang Thinh Binghamton University’ 16
Ta Nguyen Chi Worcester Polytechnic Institute’ 16
Nguyen Thu An Khanh Syracuse University’ 18
Vo Ngoc Quynh Anh Ohio Wesleyan University’ 15
Luong An Tam Tufts University’ 16
Do Sy Hieu Westminster School’ 15
Logistics Team
Bui Quang Le Texas Christian University’ 17
Nguyen Huu Hoang Le Hong Phong High School’ 14
Do Danh Viet Clark University’ 17
Tran Khanh Han San Francisco State University’ 16
Dinh Le Bao Ngoc Smith College’ 17
Tran Thi Viet Hai Le Quy Don High School’ 15
Delegate Team
Nguyen Anh Huy Franklin & Marshall College’ 16
Trinh Thi Thanh Thuy Manhattanville College’ 16
Tran Tam Nhi Saigon South International School’ 14
Le Duy Minh Ngoc University of Mississippi’ 16
Nguyen Tuc Ngoc Hao High School For The Gifted’ 14
38
40. We would like to dedicate a special appreciation to the following members of the VietAbroader Executive Team
for their tremendous support in the organizing process of the Conference:
Trinh Duc Minh
Harvard University’ 14
Co-President
Ha Duy
St. Olaf College’ 15
Co-President
Pham Anh Thu
Mount Holyoke College’ 15
Head of Funding, Fundraising Team of 2013 Conference
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong
Quinnipiac University’ 13
Head of Communications, PR Team of 2013 Conference
Lam Tran Nhat Uyen
North Central College’ 17
Associates of Communications, PR Team of 2013 Conference
Nguyen Le Phuong Khanh
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’ 14
Associates of Communications, PR Team of 2013 Conference
Tran Le Bao Anh
University of Cincinnati’ 15
Designer for 2013 Conference
Cao Ngoc Linh
Mercyhurst University’ 17
Designer for 2013 Conference
Nguyen Duc Hoang Long
Worcester Polytechnic Institute’ 16
IT Associate, IT Support for 2013 Conference
41. APPENDIX
Info Sessions
Info Sessions
Score 1 2 3 4 5 Response Count
Attentiveness of Organizing Team 0 0 2 8 21 31
Usefulness of Information on US Education 0 2 7 11 11 31
Usefulness of Information about the
Conference
0 1 7 10 13 31
Quality of Guest Speakers 0 0 4 7 20 31
Quality of Guest Speakers 0 3 4 9 15 31
40
42. Means of Communication
Means of Communication
Score 1 2 3 4 5 Response Count
VietAbroader Facebook Event Page 0 4 7 19 36 66
Direct contact from Delegate Team 3 3 21 11 24 62
Yahoo! Messenger 11 2 25 6 7 51
Skype 10 1 24 7 5 47
Email info.vachcm@vietabroader.org 1 0 12 10 20 43
Hotline 5 0 19 6 12 42
43. Facebook Event Page
Facebook Event Page
Score 1 2 3 4 5 Response Count
Interaction with Organizing Team 0 1 17 23 26 67
Interaction with Other Attendees 1 8 27 21 10 67
Precision and Thoroughness of Information
on US Education
0 2 15 17 33 67
Influence of biography of the guest speakers
on the event page
1 0 9 13 44 67
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54. General Evaluation
Conference Day
Score 1 2 3 4 5 Response Count
Smoothness and Punctuatlity of Program 0 2 5 23 37 67
Usefulness of Information Provided on the
Conference Day
1 0 9 23 34 67
Originality of Content Provided on the
Conference Day
1 4 16 21 25 67
Interaction Between Attendees and Guest
Speakers
0 3 9 30 25 67
Interaction among Attendees 2 4 25 21 15 67
Working Attitude of Organizing Team 1 0 2 14 50 67
Overall Professionalism of the Conference 0 1 4 12 50 67
Overall Fondness for the Conference 0 1 3 15 48 67
