Hanoi, Vietnam Report of what it's like to live there - 04/22/25
Personal Experiences from Hanoi, Vietnam
School Name:
UNIS Hanoi
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
G6-G8 (2022-2025)
3. What years did you live here?
2022-2025
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
U.S. Government
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Yes, there are several international schools with different educational offerings to choose from including U.S.-style (AP), IB, British, and French schools. We chose UNIS Hanoi for several reasons including: 1) Larger student body than other international schools. With twins, it was important for me that my children would not be in every class together. At UNIS, they had enough students in their grades to keep them in separate classes except for two electives (both took advanced French and orchestra); 2) Strong academics and extracurricular programs; 3) Diverse student body.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes. The admissions counselor / staff assigned to us was very communicative and responsive. She clearly emphasized the need to get materials in early so we could be considered before slots for U.S. citizens were all filled.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
High. Our relocation was delayed so we arrived one month into the school year. I found the UNIS team to be especially welcoming and attuned to our family to ensure both children and parents felt welcomed.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
I have found the communication to be strong. There is a lot of information the school shares each Friday in its weekly newsletter. You have to read it to find it. To help ensure information isn't missed, the school asks parents to volunteer as Grade level parents. That volunteer is responsible for reading the weekly newsletter and pulling out key pieces of information to share with grade parents via a WhatsApp Chat. I also get important school information from my Social-Cultural Organization rep.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Uniforms we paid for included: gym clothes required for physical health & education (PHE) classes; polo shirts for orchestra performances; team sports gear for the travel teams. A team travel polo shirt cost 350,000VND.
In middle school, UNIS Hanoi provided each student with a laptop.
Both children played instruments but we did not have to buy them.
Modest expenses for some of the service learning / experiential learning trips to cover snacks and incidentals.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
There is a counselor assigned to each grade level. In Middle School, the counselor is available to the students and works with them during home base or other sessions on emotional and social learning. That counselor can also be a resource for the children to bring issues of concern.
For high school, the counselors also help with post-secondary planning and organize job fairs and university days.
The school advertises sessions with universities from countries around the world so seems to have built relationships with academic institutions in Australia, South Korea, EU, UK, Canada and U.S.
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
Not sure. The school offers activities that run before and after school, but this is not what I consider daycare.
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Yes. The library is fantastic! It is open to the school community so parents can also borrow books and can also visit the library on Saturday mornings. The book selection is solid with current bestsellers and books on "best of" lists, as well as classics in adult and children's literature.
4. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
In Middle School, students are assigned a MacBook at the beginning of the school year. If they are enrolled for the following school year, they are allowed to keep the laptop over the summer.
Technology is integrated into all classes and assignments.
The school is serious about the use of AI and integrating it - when appropriate - into the classroom.
5. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
I don't know if there a computer lab given that all students in MS have laptops assigned to them. In High School, I believe students must purchase a computer.
6. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
There are great PE resources / sports facilities at the school. There is a large indoor gym for basketball / volleyball / badminton. There is an outdoor, covered swimming pool and outdoor, covered sports courts which are in the process now (Spring Semester of 2024-2025 academic year) of becoming enclosed so they can be used year round, even when the AQI is high or temperature is high. That will be amazing. There are tennis courts and turf fields for soccer/football plus a grass field. There is no outdoor track, but the indoor gym has a small track running around the 2nd floor.
7. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
1:12
8. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
UNIS Hanoi follows the IB curriculum.
The full IB diploma is not required of all students; there is a non-IB high school diploma they can pursue if they choose.
9. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
Yes, my children are generally challenged by the curriculum. There is a lot of emphasis on analysis, interpretation, and explanation through written and oral communication.
The math curriculum is where my children had some concerns that they shared with me. When they started Grade 6 at UNIS after doing elementary school in the U.S., the math classes were teaching concepts they had been taught in Grade 4. I know there were many parents who were concerned with the math curriculum and standards UNIS Hanoi was using and whether students were leaving UNIS well prepared in math. As a result of these concerns, the school commissioned an outside assessment and has shifted towards a new math standard / curriculum.
10. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
In my opinion, yes. I do not want my middle school children to come home after a full day and have another 3-4 hours of homework, which is often the case in U.S. public schools for middle and high school. I appreciate they are often given time in class to start an assignment and ask questions of the teacher and their classmates. It is not that they never have homework, it just isn't overwhelming and generally they manage to complete it on time.
11. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
Strong fine arts program.
Music: Orchestra, band and choir are offered both as electives beginning in Middle School and then also as "extras" for more skilled / dedicated musicians. For example, students can elect to join Chamber Orchestra and practice 1-2 times per week outside of the classroom.
Drama: There are elementary, middle school, and high school performances that any student can audition for in addition to offering drama as an elective. For middle school, there one drama performance each year - a musical with try outs in the beginning of the first term. For elementary and high school, there are two performances per year - one play and one musical. The drama teachers are amazing and I have loved watching my kids perform in the musicals each year and also watching the high school performances. If a student doesn't make the cast, they are still able to engage and be involved in set design and lighting.
Visual arts: Yes. I don't know what electives there are in visual arts for High School, but MS visual art teachers have been great.
12. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
English is the language of instruction at UNIS, so yes.
13. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
There are enrichment opportunities offered for those students who are gifted / accelerated. At the beginning of the school year, the enrichment coordinator (might not be the exact title) will reach to the student who has been identified for these services and begin a dialogue about where they want to go deeper / explore more.
14. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
I do not have any first hand experience. Overall, these types of services are quite limited in Hanoi.
UNIS Hanoi administrators have been frank in community meetings that while they strive to offer services for students with special needs - and do -- they also are constrained by staff resources. They have said they cannot hire enough specialists to meet the needs for literacy, speech, occupational therapy, etc.... and therefore have to turn away some students with learning disabilities / special needs.
15. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
There is a very strong extra-curricular program at school. Over the three years of Middle School, my children participated in the school swim team, Middle School musical, MS football, music lessons for violin and guitar, rock climbing, kick boxing, pickleball, crochet, tennis, and running club / cross country. There are many, many more options! Some of these require try outs / auditions, others are open on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. What is the climate for children with special needs? Is there a general attitude of inclusion for children with special needs?
It seems to be welcoming with resources for students and parent, but limited, so that there are children turned away by admissions if the school does not think it can adequately meet the needs of the child.
2. What is the climate for LGBT+ kids at this school? Are there resources they can draw upon? Does there appear to be any exclusionary behavior?
It seems to be welcoming with resources for students and parents.
3. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Good question. I think the answer is that it depends. As with many large schools, sports teams and other group activities can bring together kids from different backgrounds and build friendships. Some of the cliques / friend groups are formed based on the length of time a student has been at the school, so children of diplomats who rotate in / out every 3-4 years may have a harder time making friends with the children of teachers who have grown up in Hanoi. Children whose families pay tuition directly (vs having tuition paid by their employer) are often quite well-off and there can be socio-economic differences that can be harder to overcome. Despite all of this, the school works hard to build camaraderie through experiential learning trips and through home base assignments.
For my children, they have each found friend groups - that flex and welcome new kids or say goodbye to friends - and are socially engaged with healthy friendships.
4. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
In my own experience, the school has been responsive to concerns my children have raised about bullying they have witnessed or experienced themselves and taken steps to address it.
5. What is the climate for students who identify as ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious minorities at this school? Are there resources they can draw upon? Have your children had any experiences in this area?
In the 2023-2024 school year, there were a number of reported incidents where MS and/or HS students used racist language. Some of these incidents my MS children knew about and shared; others the school leadership shared with the community and indicated a zero tolerance policy. The Secondary School Principal was very direct in his communication about what he was doing to meet with the student body to address the issue and the steps the school was taking to address this problem. In the 2024-2025 school year, I have not heard about similar issues.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
Grade A
And yes, I would choose this school again.
2. Please describe some of your child's/children's highlights and challenges during their time at this school.
Highlights = annual school trip by grade level. Not only did the children get the chance to explore more of the beautiful country of Vietnam and learn about the culture and history, but they bonded with their peers.
Highlight & Challenge = Design class. Design is what I might have called "Shop" or "Woodworking" class back when I was in high school...except it has moved into the 21st century and they use laser and 3-D printers and other cool technology to create and build. The class at times was overwhelming for each of my kids, especially in grade 6, because it was a crash course in project management. However, each of them has learned so much and discovered some new strengths.
3. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
UNIS Hanoi is a great school but it is not the only great school in Hanoi. Do not be afraid to shop around and explore the offerings. Just because the majority of your Embassy / Company or NGO sends their children to UNIS Hanoi does not mean it is the right school for your child.
Volunteer at the school - it is a great way to meet the faculty and staff and other parents.
