GAC Student from Vietnam Qualifies for Group of High Achievers

A student from Vietnam has joined an elite group of high achievers in ACT’s Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) program.

Pham Minh Triet, a graduate of Singapore International School@Saigon South (SIS@SS) in Ho Chi Minh City completed the GAC program with an overall 4.0 GPA, which is the highest achievement level. Since 2003, only 12 GAC students from China, Korea, and Vietnam have achieved an overall 4.0 GPA.

Pham Minh Triet, a graduate of Singapore International School@Saigon South in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, gives a speech during the Global Assessment Certificate graduation ceremony. He recently completed the GAC program with an overall 4.0 GPA.

“This is the first time that a student in the Southeast Asia region has achieved a perfect grade point average,” said Paul Greenway, regional academic manager of the ACT Education Solutions, Limited, office for Southeast Asia.

The GAC is a university preparation program taught and evaluated in English. The program gives international students the skills they need to enroll in and succeed at English-speaking colleges and universities. Students take the ACT at the conclusion of the program. Upon successful completion, they can continue their studies at GAC Pathway Universities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The GAC and SIS@SS curriculums played a significant role in Triet’s accomplishments.

“The GAC program has been a huge success at Singapore International School. The staff and students have the utmost confidence in the program’s ability to prepare students for university abroad. Triet is just one example of success, as all of our 2008 and 2009 graduates have been accepted at universities around the world,” said Janelle Baker, GAC coordinator at SIS@SS.

Triet showed exceptional enthusiasm for knowledge and dedication to his studies at SIS@SS. He also exhibited leadership qualities and teamwork skills by helping to organize school activities and participating in sporting events. He has applied to several U.S. universities, including the University of California in Irvine, The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Indiana University. He plans to pursue a double major in political science and economics and become involved with social outreach projects.

Pham Minh Triet, center, celebrates his accomplishments in the Global Assessment Certificate program with his classmates.

The GAC program has prepared him well for university study. “The GAC program made me aware that between theories and applications there exists a very distinct gap which demands learners to rack their brains to solve complicated problems,” he said.

“For example, the social science module’s assessment events required me to engage in the topics that are currently pressing in Vietnamese society. I could not judge the circumstance by my own point of view, but had to elaborate upon it with the support of relevant evidence obtained from both primary and secondary research. GAC also enabled me to enhance my time management skills so I could handle a multitude of assignments at the same time.”