ISHCMC – American Academy: A School With a Difference

Located in Ho Chi Minh City, ISHCMC – American Academy is Vietnam’s foremost international American secondary school and, due to its worldwide reputation for educational excellence, the first choice for many parents with children aged 11 to 18. The School inspires students to strive academically while pursuing extracurricular endeavors in areas such as sports, arts, or technology, all while building key skills for life beyond education.

Read on to discover what makes ISHCMC – American Academy a school with a difference.

The Gift of an Outstanding Education

For pupils who want to learn and develop in collaborative and challenging environments, ISHCMC – American Academy could be the perfect place. The School’s American-inspired curriculum encourages students to seek academic success, and its flexibility ensures high schoolers can create their own learning pathways to graduation based on their talents and interests.

The School acknowledges that for young people to feel prepared for their futures as global citizens, they benefit from 100% English language immersion and, as such, the language of instruction is English, though Vietnamese studies hold an important place on the curriculum too.

Students have a great advantage when it comes to their higher education options due to the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA). As the first and only international school in Vietnam to offer SUPA, ISHCMC – American Academy high schoolers have the great opportunity to graduate with an American high school diploma and a Syracuse University transcript.

University-level Advanced Placement (AP) courses have also been available to students of the School since the 2012-2013 academic year. Only a few schools in Ho Chi Minh City and the capital city of Hanoi offer AP courses, and ISHCMC – American Academy intends to expand the SUPA and AP course offerings in the next five years, in addition to providing more students than ever before with scholarships to their first-choice universities.

A Tradition of Teaching Excellence

The School’s teaching standards reflect its core values of positivity, care, and engagement. Complementing the ethos of high academic achievement, teaching staff ensure students grow in other important areas, such as developing well-rounded characters and positive mental attitudes. Teachers achieve this through engaging and stimulating approaches to educating. Both in and out of the classroom, students feel valued and supported as individuals.

ISHCMC – American Academy’s faculty each have experience working in the best U.S. and international schools, and 70% have at least a master’s level degree qualification. The other 30% all have bachelor’s degrees with a minimum of five years of teaching experience and credentials from their home countries.

As a result, the School boasts impressive academic results, with more than 60% of grade 6 to 10 students scoring over the U.S. reading average and more than 80% scoring approximately the U.S. math average. Seniors achieved above the global and Vietnam average in AP computer science, statistics, calculus, and psychology, and over 40% of AP students who sat exams in 2022 earned top scores of 4 and 5.

Pastoral Care

Top exam results will only take a child so far in the modern world. A truly holistic education combines academic prowess with a focus on personal development, building characteristics like resilience and self-awareness that will serve students throughout their lives.

ISHCMC – American Academy takes care to achieve this with a strong pastoral care system that sees teaching staff monitor students’ well-being alongside their academic progress. As well as receiving social-emotional lessons, each student has an assigned advisor, who they meet daily in small groups, and there are two staff counselors on hand to provide students with support for any personal or academic struggles they may experience. Newcomers to the School also benefit from regular student counselor catch-up meetings, and the “buddy” system means that they enjoy a warm welcome and get settled in quickly with help from their student guide.

When asked what makes their school different, ISHCMC – American Academy students quote the warm community atmosphere and the focus on pastoral care. The characters of the students themselves are a testament to this, and they demonstrate qualities like open-mindedness and friendliness. Lasting friendships develop through time spent in the classroom and during the wide range of extracurricular activities, such as competitive team sports, the student council, House leadership, chess and the board game club.

Support for Higher Education and Career Advice

The gift of an ISHCMC – American Academy education serves pupils throughout their time at the School and beyond, to higher education and future careers. The School provides invaluable support to all students to ensure they are well-informed and confident as they make decisions about the next steps in their journeys.

This process begins in middle school, with younger students identifying career paths that suit their passions and skills. Then, during high school, students researching college options receive support from their advisory teachers who illuminate these colleges’ requirements and recommend areas for students to focus on.

During the college application process, students and their families receive further tailored support through one-to-one meetings with the School’s college and careers counselor. Additionally, teachers pen letters of recommendation to ensure that, along with their education transcripts, students have the best chances of success when applying for their chosen colleges and universities.

Achieving an ISHCMC – American Academy diploma provides access to many college opportunities in Vietnam, the U.S., and elsewhere around the world. This, coupled with comprehensive higher education and career advice, means that when the time comes for ISHCMC – American Academy students to leave school, they have the best possible start in life.

About ISHCMC – American Academy

ISHCMC – American Academy, also known as International School Ho Chi Minh City – American Academy, is the top American international school in Vietnam for students between the ages of 11 and 18. Thanks to the School’s robust educational vision and guiding statements of care, it boasts a reputation as one of Asia’s most academically prolific institutions for those seeking a high-quality American-international education, empowering students to aim high and achieve their best.

Along with a lifelong passion for learning, students receive a top-notch American-style education and the necessary support and opportunities needed to gain entry to some of the world’s leading colleges and universities. Underpinning the School’s ethos of helping students grow into respectful global citizens is a comprehensive immersion in the English language and an appreciation for all cultures and languages, including those of Vietnam.

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