Tran Nam, 17 years old, was awarded a 6.3 billion VND scholarship by Rice University after his achievements in Math, Physics, and a project to screen poor women for thyroid cancer.
Nguyen Tran Nam, a 12th grade Physics 1 student at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, received the news that he had been accepted to Rice University, USA, in mid-December. This is the 17th ranked school in the US, according to the US News rankings, with an acceptance rate of only 9%. In addition to being accepted, Nam was also awarded a scholarship worth more than 260,000 USD, equivalent to 6.3 billion VND for four years of study, by Rice University.
"The journey of making the application helped me gain more emotional experiences. I realized that I should dare to dream and work, and try my best to make that dream come true," Nam expressed.
Nguyen Tran Nam, class 12 Physics 1, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. Photo: Provided by the character
The Hanoian boy set his goal of studying abroad in the US in 2018, when he participated in the final round of the WSC (World Scholar's Cup) competition at Yale University. The tour of famous universities in the US and meeting international friends motivated and inspired Nam's dream of studying abroad.
"From then on, American education became a clear aspiration in my mind, and I devoted more than 100% of my effort to making that dream come true," Nam said.
In 10th grade, Nam began studying for and taking standardized tests. However, due to the impact of Covid-19, the SAT (a widely used test for college admissions in the US) was repeatedly postponed, prolonging Nam’s preparation time. It was not until the end of the school year that Nam was able to take the test and scored 1,500/1,600.
Nam also studied for the TOEFL iBT English certificate by himself, achieving 109/120 points. Of which, Nam's Listening skill reached 29/30 points, the remaining three skills fluctuated from 25-28 points. In addition, Nam participated in many domestic and international academic competitions. The Physics major student won a gold medal at the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition (IAAC), an excellent prize at the Euclid Mathematics Competition in 2023, a silver medal at the Asian Mathematics and Science Olympiad (ASMO) 2021...
Besides academic competitions, Nam has many extracurricular activities. He is most interested in LotusMed - a volunteer project on promoting ways to prevent and fight thyroid cancer.
Nam said that his hometown is in a poor commune in Nghe An province, where people do not pay attention to health care conditions and are not equipped with knowledge about common diseases. Through research, Nam found that thyroid cancer is a common malignant disease in Vietnam, but it can be completely cured if detected early.
The LotusMed project was launched in September 2022 with the aim of supporting screening and early detection of thyroid cancer in disadvantaged women, while promoting public awareness of the disease. Nam is the founder and chairman of the project, and is also responsible for working with local authorities, sponsors, and hospitals to implement LotusMed's activities.
Earlier this year, the project screened and provided early treatment for thyroid cancer to nearly 100 disadvantaged women in two districts of Nghe An province. LotusMed plans to expand its scope of medical examination and treatment to people in localities outside Nghe An.
In the main essay of his application, Nam mentioned an incident that helped him gain a deeper understanding of the love of his family and the luck in life. Nam said that it helped him change his perception of his responsibility to society. This was also one of the motivations for Nam to found LotusMed.
Nam at his study corner. Photo: Character provided
The biggest challenge for the Physics major is the number of supplementary essays he has to complete. Normally, in addition to the main essay that tells a special story that creates a turning point in the applicant's life, many American universities will require 2-5 additional essays. In this application, Nam had to complete a total of more than 50 supplementary essays.
To complete the application on time and maintain his studies, Nam had to make a strict schedule and strictly follow it. Working at a high intensity, Nam often had to stay up until 2-3am to write his thesis.
"Luckily, thanks to following the plan, I completed everything effectively," Nam said.
Nam sees his profile as portraying a holistic picture of a candidate who is strong academically, but also cares about the community and has taken concrete actions to demonstrate that care.
"I think that is the highlight of my profile, showing that I am someone who can make changes in my hometown or the land where I live," Nam said.
Ms. Tran Phuong Hoa, Nam's advisor during the process of preparing his study abroad application, commented that he is intelligent, modest, and determined. Although he did not have an outstanding starting point in terms of academic achievements, English, or leadership ability, Nam persevered in improving himself and accumulating skills to make his application more comprehensive.
"Perhaps this progressive spirit was clearly demonstrated by Nam through his essay and interview with Rice, helping him to be chosen among countless other excellent candidates," said Ms. Hoa.
Nam will move to the US in August 2024 to pursue a dual major in Astrophysics and Computer Science at Rice University. After studying abroad, Nam wants to return to Vietnam to work in both fields and develop new community projects.
Thanh Hang
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