At Dwight School Hanoi, University Guidance and Career Planning extends our mission to ignite the Spark of Genius in every child. Our program is shaped by Dwight’s three pillars: personalized learning, community, and global vision.
Personalized Learning ensures that each student follows an individual guidance journey, connecting academic choices, interests, experiences, and future goals to universities and pathways where they are most likely to thrive.
Community encourages students to develop through leadership, service, collaboration, and meaningful contribution, helping them understand not only what they achieve but the impact they have on others.
Global Vision exposes students to universities, countries, cultures, and post-secondary pathways around the world, supporting informed choices based on fit, opportunity, affordability, and long-term goals.
Grade 9: Exploration
University and career preparation begins with self-discovery rather than university selection. Students explore their interests, strengths, values, and emerging aspirations while beginning to understand how their academic choices and involvement beyond the classroom can shape future opportunities.
Through CORE learning and guidance activities, students are introduced to different careers, university systems, and pathways while being encouraged to participate meaningfully in school life, explore new interests, and begin developing their individual Spark of Genius.
Grade 10: Direction
In Grade 10, students move from broad exploration toward more purposeful decision-making. Guidance focuses particularly on academic planning and the relationship between subject choices, university courses, and future opportunities.
Students begin exploring possible fields of study, researching universities and countries, considering career pathways, and understanding how their academic profile and experiences may influence future choices. Individual meetings support students as they prepare for the transition into the Diploma Programme or their chosen Upper School pathway.
Grade 11: Building the Application
Grade 11 marks a significant increase in dedicated University Guidance provision. Students participate in regular CORE sessions focused on university research, application strategy, and the skills required for different admissions systems.
Students work individually with counselors to develop an appropriate university longlist, investigate courses and entry requirements, assess academic competitiveness, consider standardized testing where relevant, and identify opportunities that strengthen their understanding of prospective fields of study.
Application writing also begins during Grade 11. Students are explicitly taught how to reflect on their experiences, identify meaningful stories and evidence, and communicate their academic interests and personal qualities effectively. This includes preparation for the Common Application personal statement, UK personal statement, supplemental essays, and other country-specific written requirements.
Grade 12: Application and Transition
In Grade 12, University Guidance becomes highly individualized as students finalize university lists and complete applications across different global systems. The academic year begins with our University Guidance Bootcamp, an intensive program designed to give students focused time to prepare for the year ahead. Through workshops, individual guidance, collaborative activities, and practical application work, students clarify their priorities, review their university plans, and identify the key steps they need to take next. The Bootcamp creates early momentum and ensures that students begin the year with clear goals, greater confidence, and an individual action plan for the months ahead.
Throughout this year, University Guidance counselors support students with application strategy, written materials, activity lists, university-specific requirements, interviews, submission planning, and decision-making. Students continue to meet individually with counselors throughout the process, with support tailored to the universities and countries to which they are applying.
Guidance continues after applications are submitted as students evaluate offers, financial considerations, and final destinations and prepare for the transition from school to university.
University Guidance & Global University Engagement
The University Guidance teams across Dwight Schools’ global network maintain strong relationships with universities and colleges around the world. Throughout the year, we welcome university admissions officers to our Schools for individual visits, information sessions, and college fairs, providing students and parents with valuable opportunities to learn directly from admissions professionals about universities, programs, and the application process.
Our University Guidance counselors work closely with students to prepare for these engagements, helping them conduct meaningful research and develop thoughtful questions so they can make the most of each interaction with university representatives.
Dwight School Hanoi is also actively engaged in the broader university guidance community in Vietnam and across the region. In 2025, Dwight School Hanoi proudly hosted the IACAC Regional Conference, bringing together university admissions professionals and international school counselors to share best practices, strengthen professional networks, and support students pursuing higher education around the world.
Dwight School Hanoi is also a member of the VISCA Hanoi community, a collaborative network of university guidance professionals from international schools across Hanoi. Through VISCA Hanoi, Dwight regularly participates in regional university fairs and engages with visiting university representatives. In 2026, Dwight School Hanoi will continue this commitment by hosting university representatives at the School and welcoming universities from around the world as part of the VISCA University Fair.
Dwight School Hanoi welcomes university representatives to visit our campus throughout the year. Representatives interested in meeting with our students are encouraged to register their visit through Cialfo.
