High School Study Abroad in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

I love MEI. I could go on for hours about how truly amazing my time with them has been. I will always be a fan of theirs and will always recommend who I can to go on one of their adventures. I was lucky enough to go on two separate summer trips. I did adventure down under in 2016 And international Business in 2017 or 2018. I have always struggled with some aspects of school and was nervous about attempting university-level courses while being abroad as I did not usually take university-level classes but I found it easy not because it was easy but because of how it was taught. I’ve never liked English as I’m a creative person and I’ve never seen English as anything but essay writing. On my first trip on Mei, I loved English. for the first time in my life, I understood so much of a subject I never felt I knew before. The teaching approach was amazing and engaging. I wish all schools taught how they did. Besides great teaching, the programs are set up amazingly where you truly get to experience being on your own (in groups of three) and build your independence abroad. I feel if I went back to the places I’ve travelled that I would be confident in knowing my way around because of the independence I gained with Mei. The teachers down to the people in the office are amazing. A helpful group of friendly people. I had a few teachers between both trips who were so great but one teacher who stuck with me through it all was Simon. Simon is awesome and is someone I grew a connection too. He can be your teacher and friend all at once. He is someone I will always remember. Also if you do require any extra help or accommodations they are very helpful! I have ADHD and a learning disability and I always felt I had help when I needed it. If you are thinking of sending your child away on Mei do it!! It will impact them in the best way possible & give them so many memories and Friendships. I still talk to a good handful of people from my trips to this day who I make sure I see at least once a year. If I could of paused time and stayed in high school just so I could go on more adventures with MEI I would

This experience was incredible for our son. It really was life changing for him and I highly recommend this experience for anyone with a high school aged child. MEI is an incredible school and we appreciate everything they have done for our family immensely.

Our family would highly recommend MEI International Academy. Several of our family members have joined with MEI over the years since 1999, and the MEI family of educators are second to none. Most recently, we aimed to send our Gr.12 daughter but travel was hindered by COVID-19. Without missing a beat, MEI staff arranged for engaged online learning, which allowed for the children to receive their credits without compromising the integrity of the education they received. While learning from home was not the plan, MEI sought to engage the children and took care to support them through a difficult time. Student safety and wellbeing never wavered from the primary objective of the staff. Knowing this, gives me the confidence as a parent to trust them with my child. When it's safe to travel, we look forward to our daughter heading out to complete the second leg of her MEI journey to see the world. Thank you to Joe & Rita Mei for all your hard work and dedication, and to your staff for working so hard to support the kids through their learning experience.

This trip was the best experience of my life. I have never felt so immersed and interested in what I was learning. Having the opportunity to be in the exact locations that the information I was learning about took place made it so engaging. The teaching is amazing and cant compare to being in a regular classroom. I felt challenged in my school work and my views on the world and was able to change so much in just three months. My favourite part of MEI is the people you meet. The friends I made on this trip are my family. It's been over two years since I have seen most of them but we still all keep in touch. Everyday is a new and incredible experience and I cannot recommend this trip enough. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about it and miss it so much. 110% Recommend!!!

I could not recommend MEI enough. It’s such an incredible growth experience in all aspects of life. You meet AMAZING people, are guided by incredibly passionate teachers and are shown a different way to learn and view our world. I have to say that the biggest thing I gained from that experience was a totally new perspective and appreciation for education. The way the subjects are taught along with the inspirational teachers and destinations make you so excited to attend lessons. You learn to view the world and the people around you in a different way that lights a real and exciting spark of life long curiosity inside you. I didn’t think that feeling was even possible in high school. Still today I carry the lessons I learned. I’m now in university and notice myself using the thinking skills I gained from MEI in my classes. I also still talk to and meet up with the friends I made there who are some of my best friends. I’ll never forget that life changing year!

Attending this trip was truly one of the best decisions I have ever made. MEI had the best locations and had exceptional teachers that delivered an unforgettable experience.The one thing that separates MEI from other programs is the ability to create a family during this short period of time. I’ve met some of my best friends through this trip and created life long memories that I could never forget.

My time traveling through South East Asia with MEI was extremely transformative and inspiring to say the least. I have never met such attentive and invested teachers who teach through engaging and passionate narratives and lessons. I felt the perfect balance of being challenged in my ideas and pushed in my learning, yet having the freedom to be curious and experimental in my work while simultaneously developing the tools for success. I got to see things I could only dream about previously: The beautiful temples of Angkor Wat and the booming Pub Street in Siem Reap, war tunnels, breathtaking beaches, and cafes in Vietnam, a huge gold reclining Buddha statue in Thailand, and so much more that I treasure to this day. The social environment created by MEI is not one of a typical high school. MEI preaches inclusivity and family-like bonds in every moment. Because of this, I met my very best friends and formed bonds that have lasted far past the trip itself. I know now, thanks to MEI, that traveling and attaining holistic knowledge about the world is what I want to do for the rest of my life.