HANOI, 17 October 2026. Concordia International School Hanoi announced on 8 September that two of its Class of 2026 graduates were entering Seoul National University (SNU) in September, a double acceptance the school attributes to its students' work and to its counselling support for Asian universities.
The school explained that applying through South Korea's standard university admissions process from an international school requires a specialised approach. To support it, Concordia builds direct relationships with Korean university admissions offices, sending its counselling team to Korea for on-site visits and hosting Korean admissions officers on campus. In the past year it hosted both Korea University and Sogang University.
The first graduate, Chanyoo, was born in South Korea and lived in Hong Kong before arriving in Hanoi for his Junior and Senior years. While many classmates focused on applications to the United States or the United Kingdom, SNU remained his first choice. He submitted his application in March and, in late May, received acceptances not only from SNU but also from Yonsei and Korea University.
During his two years at Concordia he carried out independent research in data analytics, programming and machine learning, and presented at CIRCH, the academic research conference directed by his big data and machine learning teacher, Dr. Santos. At SNU he is entering the four-year Liberal Studies programme, combining Biology, Maths and Computer Science, with plans to focus on digital healthcare.
“What really makes Concordia special is that you're able to make such strong connections with your teachers because you're essentially all in one building”
Chanyoo, Class of 2026
The second graduate, Olivia, joined Concordia in fifth grade after moving from Ho Chi Minh City. She will study Communication and New Media at SNU. The school notes that she chose her AP courses strategically, which helped her discover an interest in communications, and that TEDx and Model United Nations sharpened her public speaking and leadership. She credits teachers including Mr. Sanders, Ms. Hien and Mr. Creek, and an alumna who acted as a role model.
At SNU, Olivia intends to study how news is distributed and consumed, with a focus on making information channels fairer and more accessible to the public. Her advice to younger students aiming for competitive Korean universities is to keep a strong GPA, identify a target field early and build a record of extracurricular activities that shows continuous growth and leadership.
About Concordia International School Hanoi
Concordia International School Hanoi is an international school in Hanoi with Elementary, Middle and High School divisions, alongside athletics, fine arts and after-school activity programmes. High School students can take AP courses and take part in activities such as TEDx, Model United Nations and the CIRCH research conference.
The school publishes its community news in The Thunder Bolt. Its theme of the year is chosen by rising Seniors through a process that also engages faculty and staff.
What this means for families
For Korean and other Asian families in Hanoi, the two acceptances show that an international school route can lead to leading universities in Asia as well as in the United States or the United Kingdom. The school's direct contact with Korean admissions offices, including campus visits from Korea University and Sogang University, is relevant to students planning to apply through the Korean system.
Families comparing options can also consult the best international schools in the Ha Tay region, which includes Hanoi.
