The APU International School (APUIS) is a school in Vietnam licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training to provide American education to K-12 students using the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

curriculum. Currently, the school has two campuses and boarding facilities, one located in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and one in Da Nang City, Vietnam. The school is privately owned by the APU Educational Development Group and is non-sectarian. APU is a member of the

College Board The College Board, styled as CollegeBoard, is an American not-for-profit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an asso ...

, and is authorized to offer the

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere ...

(AP), PSAT and the ACT exams.

History

APU American International School was founded in 2004 by the APU Educational Development Group. Initially, only welcoming twenty students to the Lanh Binh Thang campus in

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

,. i Since then, it has expanded to include a separate elementary school campus in the district 11 area of Ho Chi Minh City and a new campus for university in Da Nang, Vietnam in 2015, now with the capacity to accommodate over 900 students. Since its inception, over 1,200 students have been sent abroad to US universities through APU's network of support since 1996. APU American International School, a subsidiary of APU Educational Development Group, serves Vietnamese as well as

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

students who are seeking to gain admission to universities and colleges in the United States by partnering with them in test preparation, college financial planning, college admissions coaching, as well as providing

concurrent enrollment In the United States, dual enrollment (DE), also called concurrent enrollment, programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college or university cour ...

advanced college credit courses for high school students. The school has received generous support from US universities and colleges in the form of scholarships, opportunities for

study abroad in the United States Some students from the United States pursue educational opportunities outside the United States. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students. Most outgoing U.S. students study abroad for one or two academic terms. The majori ...

, faculty exchange programs and

programs that allow students to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school. Graduates at APU have annually gone on to win generous scholarships from universities in the United States. Annually, the valedictorian has been awarded full scholarships from a growing number of APU affiliate institutions, such as Roger Williams University, The University of Missouri–Kansas City, and Central Washington University.

Academics

Classes at APUIS are held Monday through Friday, and occasionally on Saturdays. APU uses a traditional American-based grading system and credits are calculated following the Carnegie Credit system. Students are required to take courses in the arts, classical or modern languages, computer science, English, natural science, history and mathematics. There is a long tradition of merit based scholarship awards to graduates, usually allotted at the graduation ceremony. The medium of instruction is in English, although Vietnamese local nationals are required to take some Vietnamese courses that align with standards set by the

Ministry of Education and Training The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET, ) is the government ministry responsible for the governance of general/academic education and higher education (training) in Vietnam. Vocational education is controlled by the Ministry of Labour, ...

. There is also a support program offered for early state

English language learners English-language learner (often abbreviated as ELL) is a term used in some English-speaking countries such as the United States and Canada to describe a person who is learning the English language and has a native language that is not English. Some ...

. APU offers both AP college credit courses as well as English language development programs. The faculty are predominantly American along with faculty from around the world. Many clubs and organizations exist at APU and students also participate in community service programs in the region.

English language development

APU International School offers an English Language Development (ELD). The program consists of nine levels of instruction: an introductory level for students without prior ELD experience followed by eight levels of instruction, each focused around progressively more challenging degrees of English proficiency.

Facilities

APU American International School includes two operating campuses with dormitories in Ho Chi Minh city and APU American International School Da Nang Campus, and two construction projects in Cu Chi and Dalat.

Main campus

Located in District 11, this campus houses the middle and high school comprising grades 6 to 12. Campus facilities include a science laboratory, separate music and art rooms, a canteen, a library, computer labs, a bookstore, an assembly hall and over 50 classrooms. Classrooms are fitted with a work area for the homeroom teacher, and desktop computers. The surrounding area includes access to an indoor gymnasium, outdoor basketball court and weight room. Recently APU expanded the middle high school and built an eight-story building adjacent to the current campus, increasing student capacity from 300 to a 1000 students. A sky bridge connects one building to the other on each floor.

Elementary school campus

The campus has twelve classrooms that can accommodate roughly 250 students.

Boarding facilities

APU International School offers a boarding program.

College bridge program

APU International College Bridge Program (CBP) gives students an opportunity to experience college coursework and earn college credit before graduating from high school. It allows high school students to boost their academic profile as well as save time and money from future study abroad expenses. There has been a boom in the number of Vietnamese students studying in the United States, and most families in this category often cite cost as the number one barrier. CBP allows families to save one or two years in earning their bachelor's degrees, which translates into a cost savings of up to $80,000 for the family.

Virtual courses

This program offers students flexibility in scheduling the start date of enrollment, scheduling lessons and completing coursework. All course materials and supplies are mailed to students and are available online (except third-party textbooks). Students are given access to a personal homepage from which they can access online study guides, take exams, submit assignments, view financial standing, view messages sent by the school, view grade history and access online blogs, chat groups, discussion boards and career services. The Virtual High School is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary School and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.

Exchange programs

APU American International School offers students an immersion experience in Vietnam. APU currently partners with a public secondary school in Maine, U.S. APU American International School periodically offers a special topic course on the history and culture of Vietnam. Students and faculty from both the United States and Vietnam traverse the country from South to North on a two-week immersion program where they visit and interact directly with the places and people discussed within the course.

US summer college tour

Each summer, APU International School organizes a tour of the United States for a limited number of students. This tour provides students with first-hand experience of American culture and the education system.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apu International School Educational institutions established in 2004 2004 establishments in Vietnam International schools in Ho Chi Minh City High schools in Ho Chi Minh City American international schools in Vietnam