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As I was contemplating on whether I should go abroad to get an advanced college degree, I was asking myself a question: What if a Vietnamese national wanted to study abroad? Where would they start?

I started ‘googling’ with the keyword ‘du hoc my’ for an answer and I found tons of services, but I did not know which to pick from. I then turned to a friend who is currently studying abroad in University of Central Oklahoma for a quick answer. Here are the bits of knowledge that I’ve gathered so far:

1. Go to a study abroad agency for initial advising:

- Price: $300-$800

- Service: Provides school information, reviews student grades, and recommends schools

- Requirements for students:

+ Qualified TOEFL  or IELTS scores

+ Financial statement that can cover the expense for 2 years

+ Copy of passport

+ Copy of all diplomas

+ Completed application

- Time until receive letter of acceptance, if accepted: 3 months

2. Apply for a Visa:

- Cost: Advising agency offer mock interview for $800

- Requirements:

+ I-20 form (comes with acceptance letter)

+ Proof of intention to return to Vietnam upon the completion of the degree

- Time frame: 1 week

So this is all just paperwork. After completing this, the students can start finding housing and prepare for the rest of the complicated process of living alone in the foreign country.

I also asked my friend a couple of related questions:

1. What are the benefits of studying abroad?

-Studying abroad is a current trend in Vietnam. There are international universities in Vietnam, but the quality of education is not up to par with foreign schools. In schools with many Vietnamese students, the students do not speak English as well. Regarding the benefits, if one holds a foreign degree, one can earn a higher than average wage in Vietnam that allows them to live comfortably.

2. What about international high school?

-There are some international high schools tailored to the children of foreigners. The cost of attendance is high, however (about $13,000/year). The schools are sponsored by many international organizations (including Cambridge University) and offer International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.

3. Given two identical job opportunities (same type of work, same level of salary), with one being in Vietnam and the other in a foreign country, which would you choose?

-Vietnam.

4. Given two identical universities, one in Vietnam and the other in a foreign country, which would you choose?

-Not Vietnam

5. What some of the popular majors?

-Business and Engineering. Nothing related to the medical field because people usually do not want to return to Vietnam once they have obtained a medical degree.

I hope the readers can find this article somewhat eye-opening, but again, the answers only come out of one sample student. I wonders if there are large surveys out there that can give us a better estimate of the studying abroad trend among Vietnamese.