Since childhood, Vu Thu Hang (born 2002, Hai Duong) has been passionate about foreign languages. After winning first prize in the national English competition, Hang was admitted directly to 3 universities: Foreign Trade University, Hanoi Medical University and Foreign Language University (Hanoi National University).
During her studies in English Pedagogy at the University of Foreign Languages, Thu Hang not only stood out as the valedictorian of the entire school with a near-perfect GPA of 3.97/4.0, but also because of her impressive list of achievements ranging from academics to extracurricular activities.
In April 2023, she received an acceptance letter from Oxford University. “For me, Oxford University is truly a dream come true,” Hang said emotionally.
According to the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 rankings, Oxford University is the top university in the world and has held this position for 8 consecutive years. The Vietnamese girl will fly to the UK to start studying from October 2024.
“I will surely always remember the days of diligently preparing documents, the late nights coming home past midnight, and the long diary pages written in anxiety,” Hang said, looking back on her journey to conquer the scholarship.
Determined to pursue a master's program abroad since her first year of university, she always prioritized maintaining the best possible academic results at school, while actively participating in scientific research activities.
According to Hang, GPA and research experience are important criteria in the application for a master's degree at Oxford University. In addition to studying and researching, Hang tries to participate in extracurricular activities with the Youth Union - Student Association and volunteer education programs combined with internship activities to gain experience.
Thu Hang is an outstanding youth representative of the University of Foreign Languages, achieving the title of 5-good student at the Central level in 2023, and a typical young face of Hanoi National University for two consecutive years in 2022, 2023...
“The experiences in extracurricular activities, especially programs with the Youth Union - Student Association, although not directly related to the master's application, have contributed significantly to helping me become more mature in thinking, skills and sense of responsibility to the community,” Hang shared.
She also found that linking personal development goals to social responsibility was an important element in her essay and overall application.
The application for a master's program at Oxford University includes a transcript, a personal essay, two academic papers, three letters of recommendation from teachers and a foreign language certificate. To complete all of this content, she needed nearly 3 months of focused preparation.
In particular, GPA and foreign language certificates are two "hard" requirements of almost all master's programs, so candidates can start preparing early.
Regarding the recommendation letter, when contacting teachers for recommendations, Hang also prepared a description of the qualities and characteristics, hoping that the teachers would help emphasize and specifically demonstrate each of those contents.
A meaningful experience during the application process according to Hang is to boldly ask for help. In the end, she admitted that she was very lucky to have received a lot of support from teachers, seniors and friends in terms of expertise, experience and spirit.
“At first, I was very shy about asking for help from everyone and was not confident in sharing my dream. But after a while, I realized that if I was proactive and brave enough to express my wishes and sincerely ask for support from teachers and friends, I could receive a lot of encouragement and meaningful help," she confided.
For the master's program Thu Hang applied for, Oxford University also required candidates to submit two additional academic papers on topics related to their field of study and to demonstrate the abilities the program was looking for in candidates. In this section, Hang focused on demonstrating her ability to write academically, build arguments, and gain professional knowledge.
Finally, the Personal Statement describes the candidate’s motivation, specific areas of interest, academic and research experience, and future plans. From the first outline to the final submission, Thu Hang wrote and revised about 15 versions in nearly 2 months.
Thu Hang attended the 2023 Beijing Sister City Youth Summer Camp and the BRICS+ Youth Exchange Program in China in September 2023.
Thu Hang's essay to Oxford University started directly. She stated in the first sentence that her two biggest motivations for applying were her passion for educational research and her goal of becoming an influential expert in the field of education, making positive contributions to educational policies and programs in Vietnam.
In the next part of the article, Thu Hang shares her academic and research experiences and emphasizes how those experiences have prepared her with specific knowledge and skills to conquer the upcoming master's program.
In the final part of the article, Thu Hang shares her future plans and explains why the master's program in education at Oxford will help her realize her goals.
An important factor that helped her convince the admissions officers in her essay to Oxford University was her goal and determination to contribute to Vietnamese education. “My goal after completing my master’s program is to return to work in Vietnam and participate in educational activities, such as being a teacher,” Hang shared.
Dr. Tran Thi Lan Anh, Deputy Head of the Faculty of English Pedagogy, University of Foreign Languages, has known Thu Hang since 2022 and taught in the class "Scientific Research Methodology".
"From the beginning of the course, Hang impressed me with her eagerness to learn and her active participation in the course content. She always proactively contributed and asked questions, reflecting deeply on her previous research experience. With her academic excellence and research ability, Hang will shine at Oxford University," Dr. Lan Anh assessed.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/co-gai-viet-trung-tuyen-vao-dai-hoc-danh-gia-nhat-the-gioi-ar886430.html
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