Persist in making your dreams come true
Nguyen Phi Ha An is a 12th grade English student at Ha Tinh Specialized High School. She made an impression when she achieved IELTS 8.0, and was an excellent all-round student for many years. From grade 9 to grade 12, she won first prize at the provincial level in English.
Living in Ha Tinh city, her parents created conditions for Ha An to learn English at a very young age. The dream of studying abroad also formed in her early.
“The process of conquering my dream of studying abroad had many difficulties, but I never gave up. With the desire to study in the US, I tried my best to learn English well, improve my knowledge and life skills. At the same time, I learned from my seniors about the experience of winning scholarships as well as the learning environment in the US,” said Ha An.
Ha An, a 17-year-old female student, won scholarships from 16 schools in the US.
In grade 11, having accumulated a comprehensive knowledge base, Ha An confidently sought scholarships to reach out to the world. The female student focused on researching schools, building and completing her study abroad application, starting to write her own recommendation letters, essays, extracurricular profiles, and taking the IELTS exam.
Ha An's criteria for selecting schools is not based on rankings, but rather prioritizes schools with suitable environments and communities, job opportunities after graduation, and financial support for international students.
Ha An said that the time she applied was also the time she participated in the national English team, so she was under a lot of pressure, had to study all night, review for the national exam, find materials to write essays, and participate in interviews.
Talking about the difficulties in "hunting" for scholarships at American universities, Ha An said that the number of scholarships offered by schools for international students is very small and the requirements are strict. In addition to a high IELTS score, candidates need to have a good transcript and good academic performance.
“The applicants are all very good in both academics and extracurricular activities. I always ask myself, among thousands of excellent applications, what attracts the admissions officers? I have spent a lot of time not only researching about universities and the US but also about myself. When you understand yourself, you can develop your strengths and show your best to the admissions officers,” said Ha An.
The requirements of the schools are very high, Ha An had to go through 2 rounds - the application round and the interview round. In the application round, Ha An needed to prepare an essay as well as related documents required by the American university.
To complete the essays to send to universities in the US, Ha An had to stay up many nights, writing and rewriting many times. She painstakingly prepared no less than 300 essays, from 50-word essays to essays longer than a thousand words. Many of the essays had to be written up to the 21st time before she was satisfied.
In the essay, there was a requirement: "Choose something, an event or an achievement that changed you..." , instead of listing achievements, Ha An chose to write an essay with the title "Namo Amitabha Buddha".
“In my opinion, it is not the big stories or outstanding achievements that have influence. Sometimes, small stories and simple things that happen every day are the most genuine stories, touching people's deepest emotions. In my essay, I linked the influence of chanting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" with music. This has helped me change myself and become calmer,” said Ha An.
“I want to use my music to soothe the pain of unfortunate lives. Even if it is only for a moment, they can somehow feel the comfort, just like the chanting of Namo Amitabha Buddha has helped me in life,” a passage in Ha An’s essay was highly appreciated by the admissions committee.
Won many American scholarships
With her tireless efforts over the past 13 years, Ha An has been awarded scholarships for 4 years of study by 16 prestigious universities and colleges with the lowest sponsorship ranging from 3 billion VND to 6.2 billion VND. The total estimated value of the scholarship is up to more than 2.3 million USD, equivalent to 55.5 billion VND.
Among them, there are schools such as Dickinson College, Augustana College and Gettysburg College that have agreed to support 100% of tuition fees... Recently, Ha An's joy was multiplied when she received a notice of 100% scholarship funding from Agnes Scott College worth more than 6.2 billion VND.
Each year, Agnes Scott College only awards a full scholarship to one international student. Ha An is the only Vietnamese student to receive this honor.
Ha An is the only female student in Vietnam to receive a full scholarship from Agnes Scott College.
Ha An decided to study at Agnes Scott College with a full scholarship covering tuition, living expenses, and accommodation for 4 years of study in the US.
For the 17-year-old female student, achieving the sweet fruit today is the result of persistent efforts and perseverance in pursuing the set goals. Her study abroad application was prepared and polished over a long period of time. In addition to studying at school, she actively participates in volunteer activities and extracurricular programs to expand her English vocabulary, improve communication skills, life skills...
Having reached her dream, Ha An continues to strive to become a better person, do good deeds, and spread kindness.
(Source: Vietnamnet)
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