Interviewing Vietnamese applicants without misreading them

An admissions interview is a cultural instrument as much as an academic one. Applied without adjustment across markets, it produces consistent errors in a predictable direction.

Four conventions worth knowing

• Modesty is the norm. A Vietnamese candidate may understate achievements that a candidate elsewhere would lead with. Read the transcript alongside the answer.
• Deference to the interviewer. Fewer interruptions and fewer challenges are politeness, not passivity.
• Prepared answers are respect. Rehearsal signals that the candidate took the interview seriously, and penalising it as inauthentic misreads the intent.
• Family involvement is normal. "I discussed it with my parents" is a sign of a considered decision, not a lack of independence.

What to assess instead of style

Whether the candidate knows what the programme contains, can say why it fits, and has a realistic picture of the cost and the environment. Those are answerable regardless of interview convention, and they predict enrolment success better than confidence does.

One practical adjustment

Send the question areas in advance. It removes the advantage held by candidates coached on interview technique, and produces answers about substance rather than performance.

Interview preparation in-market: VNIS Recruitment Center (VRC) →