In mid-December, Vu Ngoc Lan Nhi, a 12th grade student at the Foreign Language Specialized High School (under the University of Foreign Languages ​​- Vietnam National University, Hanoi) received an acceptance letter from two early admissions schools in the US. Nhi received a scholarship of 95% of her tuition when studying at Grinnell College (top 11 Liberal Art College). With an SAT score of 1520/1600 and IELTS 8.0, Nhi was worried because she thought there would be many more excellent applications than her. Therefore, the female student majoring in Foreign Languages ​​was surprised by this result.

Vu Ngoc Lan Nhi, 12th grade student, Foreign Language High School

Nhi's dream of studying abroad began to grow since she was in 7th grade. At that time, Nhi was studying at Ngo Si Lien Secondary School (Hoan Kiem). She was one of the school's students selected to participate in the International Science Competition (ISC). In the 2 years of participating in the competition, in addition to the awards, the most valuable thing Nhi received was the opportunity to interact and exchange with friends from many countries. "I was impressed with my Singaporean friends, maybe because of the competitive learning environment, they were very talented and excellent. The experience in that multicultural environment made me want to reach out to the world." Therefore, when she was in high school, Nhi began to plan to gradually realize this dream. Having "plowed" to pass the entrance exam to 3 "famous" specialized schools in Hanoi, understanding the concerns and worries of secondary school students when preparing for the 10th grade exam, Nhi participated in a project to advise and provide more information to secondary school students. In grade 11, Nhi played the role of deputy organizer of the project, directly organizing "tours" to each secondary school to advise and share information with parents and grade 9 students. "When talking to students and parents, I saw images of my parents before. Many parents confided that they were worried because studying for the entrance exam to a specialized school would be very difficult, costly, and laborious, and they were not sure if they would pass the exam. They even thought that this was a big gamble. Therefore, the project will help parents and students make the right choice, and at the same time provide students with materials to review if needed." Up to now, this project has had more than 60,000 followers on social platforms. Nhi said that what made her happy was that after the project, she met many friends who had concerns, but after being advised, they chose and passed the exam to enter the school. In addition, Lan Nhi also participated in the Natural Science Fun Festival organized by the Foreign Language Specialized High School as the Head of the House. This is an annual sports festival organized with many competitive activities and experimental practices to help students easily access knowledge about natural subjects. For the first time managing more than 400 people, Nhi was worried about how to maintain the excitement and happy atmosphere for everyone participating. Overcoming these concerns, those nearly 2 months helped Nhi mature and realize many valuable lessons about management. This "maturity" was also included in Nhi's main essay. She talked about how every day her mother made her a glass of unsweetened orange juice, which was very difficult to drink. It was similar to her orange house at the sports festival and her participation as a manager, which was sometimes very difficult. "One day when I was very stressed, my mother made me a glass of orange juice with sugar. When I received a glass of orange juice from my mother, I suddenly realized that being “sweet” to people, knowing how to listen and creating a happy atmosphere will bring unexpected results. And indeed, that spirit helped us win the championship”. In the essay, Lan Nhi talked about how her changes through experiences have brought positive results. “I think this is in line with what the school is looking for. My profile is not too polished, but it really shows who I am”. Lan Nhi started writing her essay quite late, at the end of September. The person who always accompanied and supported her during this process was a classmate. “We often sat and talked about topics that could be included in the essay, and finally realized that the most meaningful essay was “be yourself” - be yourself and tell your own stories”. In addition, according to Nhi, a plus point for her when “applying” to the US profile is her initiative. Because she loved the school, when she heard that the school's admissions representative was coming to Vietnam, even though she had not yet submitted her application and the school did not require it, Lan Nhi still asked to interview with the admissions committee. "During the interview, I was asked many questions such as why I loved the school, about my hobbies, the subjects I was interested in and wanted to learn about at university... Before that, I did not know what to prepare, so I just was myself. The things I showed were consistent, showing my journey to why I was able to achieve my desired plans at university." According to Nhi, when talking directly like that, the school representative will also understand more about the candidate and what the candidate can do for the school. "If you create things that are not yourself, it will not be suitable when entering the school. Therefore, I think each person's story will be different, the important thing is that the candidate needs to be honest with themselves and show their journey." Nhi also believes that there is no general formula to enter American schools. The most important thing is the right connection with the school. “Suitability is important when applying to American schools. When you express your thoughts through activities and essays, the school will see whether your orientation, ideology, and thoughts are suitable for the school or not. Therefore, whether you pass or fail does not depend only on whether your application is strong or weak, but also on what the admissions committee sees that you will contribute when entering the school.” Therefore, for those who do not pass in the early round, according to Nhi, this will be an opportunity to help you have more time to find your favorite school. “Being rejected will sometimes be a reorientation. When you look back later, you will feel lucky that you did not pass that school, because the school you passed is the place you love and are more suitable for.” In August 2024, Lan Nhi will leave for the US. Nhi said she plans to study Public Policy. “I used to ride a motorbike taxi and realized that a policy can directly impact the lives of many people. Therefore, I hope to be able to participate in the policy-making process after graduating in the US,” Nhi said.

Vietnamnet.vn

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