Here’s the January 2024 Update from Vietnam from Mark A. Ashwill, Ph.D
Warm greetings from Vietnam! I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Happy, Healthy, Successful, & Peaceful New Year! For those of us in Vietnam and elsewhere, the countdown continues to the Lunar New Year, or Tết, on February 10th.
In case you missed it last month, below is an overview of Capstone Education – who we are and what we do. I welcome your feedback and questions.
What is Capstone?
We are a full-service educational consulting company co-founded in 2009 in Hanoi by me and Ms. Hang Pham, our deputy director. We added a branch office in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) three years later. Our official slogan is Reaching New Heights and our unofficial mantra is the unattributed saying, Success Without Integrity is Failure. Please follow this link to download our two-page company profile (PDF download).
Who Are Our Partners and Clients?
We work with educational institutions at the secondary and postsecondary levels as partners with which we have an agent agreement and institutional clients who take advantage of one or more of our recruitment-related services. For information about those services, have a look at our Marketing and Outreach Opportunities landing page.
We also work with individual clients, i.e., parents and students. We act as a consultant or agent, depending on the circumstances of each case. Have a look at this page to learn about our unique approach to educational advising and read this 2018 article co-authored by me.
Who Are We?
Follow this link to learn about the background of our leaders and senior managers, including yours truly.
Fun (& Important) Fact
Capstone Education is the only educational consulting company in Vietnam and probably the world that works exclusively with regionally accredited institutions in the US at the postsecondary level and officially accredited schools in other countries. Regional accreditation is the gold standard of institutional accreditation in the US. The reason for this policy is simple. Quality trumps revenue. This is a source of pride for us.
Some Final Reminders & Announcements
Here’s a reminder about our spring 2024 StudyGlobal Education Fairs from March 15-19, 2024 in HCMC, Hanoi, and Danang. Follow this link for information and online registration. Capstone partners can take advantage of a 5% discount and a multi-city discount, if applicable, is available to everyone. The final registration deadline is February 15th.
I also want to remind you about a new Capstone service, our referral form, a new promotional opportunity, and news about our membership in NACAC:
1) Bespoke Graduate Scholars Program (Please share with Vietnamese students interested in overseas graduate study. I oversee this program.)
2) Connecting Capstone With Colleagues – Be rewarded for your collegiality and kindness!
3) Institutional Logo on Fair Bags: We’ve decided to distribute 2,000 cloth bags containing the usual items, e.g., a fair guide, a Capstone notebook, and other materials and gifts, to all participants at our March 2024 StudyGlobal Education Fairs in HCMC, Hanoi, and Danang. In addition, we’ll give them to students at the high school visits and distribute the remaining bags in both offices and at post-fair events. This opportunity is available to everyone, including institutions that do not join our spring fairs, on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $1,000 USD. Please email me if you’re interested, and indicate which placement you would like. The file type should be AI, EPS, or SVG. (2.5 cm = 1 inch)
4) Capstone Education has joined the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). We have the distinction of being the only educational consulting company in Vietnam that is a member.
If you know anyone who might like to receive this periodic update, please send them this form. I’m happy to welcome more colleagues to our growing community.
Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, formerly Twitter. My LinkedIn account is here.
For your reading pleasure, here’s the English version of a December 2021 article I wrote about Christmas as the kickoff of a long holiday season that culminates in Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration: Christmas in Vietnam: bookending a long festival season. The second bookend is what Vietnamese are starting to think about and prepare for. I’ll then have the chance to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year. 
Stay tuned for the New Year’s edition of my Update from Vietnam!
All my best in 2024,
Mark (link to Facebook account)
Mark A. Ashwill, Ph.D. (link to biographical sketch)
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Hanoi & HCMC