Female English major student wins full scholarship to Harvard

Hanoi Le Tue Chi, 12th grade English major, Foreign Language High School, received a full scholarship of more than 8 billion VND from Harvard University.

Tue Chi said she woke up at 4am, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because she knew that today was the day Harvard announced the results of the Early Decision. At 7am, when she opened her email and saw the words "Congratulations", Chi was shocked and speechless.

"I was mentally prepared and accepted that I might fail, so this result was beyond my imagination," Chi shared. This afternoon, Chi, her brother, and her parents returned to her paternal hometown to burn incense for their grandfather and tell everyone the good news.

Harvard ranked fourth this year in both THE and QS world university rankings. It has the lowest acceptance rate among the eight elite universities in the United States (Ivy League).

Last admissions season, only nearly 2,000 candidates were admitted out of 57,000 applications, a rate of 2.4%. In this year's early admissions round, Harvard announced 692 candidates were admitted, out of more than 7,900 applicants.

Le Tue Chi at Foreign Language High School, morning of December 15. Photo: TN

Chi said she started preparing her application to study abroad in the US at the end of 11th grade. She said it was quite late compared to her friends, but she was not worried because she had participated in many social activities before. Moreover, she did not set a goal of studying abroad at all costs, and submitted her application with a relaxed mindset.

Despite her good academic performance, with an average score of 9.6 in grades 10 and 11 - second in her class, Chi hardly participates in academic competitions and has no IELTS score. Her passions are photography, filming, design, dancing, and singing. In August, Chi used her strengths to make a short film about war with her friends, and the ticket sales were used for charity in Y Ty, Lao Cai. Chi also researched the cultural customs of the Muong people and ethnic minority costumes.

Chi said Harvard requires five supplementary essays, a major essay, and an interview. The major essay prompts applicants to write about something they feel attached to and to express their own personality. Initially, Chi intended to write about her career as a makeup artist, but after many rewrites, Chi decided to talk about Dinh Thon, where she lives, because she likes to talk to people around her.

"The people where I live give me artistic inspiration," Chi shared. After about two months of writing, editing, and consulting with her brother, Chi completed the essay.

During the interview, Chi also emphasized her passion for art. According to Chi, candidates must show consistency and a genuine love for the activities they do. Harvard applicants are all very strong, the admissions committee may not pay attention to achievements but will be impressed by the candidates' passion and determination.

"The interview and application were connected, revealing my passion, so maybe that's why the school found me special and awarded me a scholarship," Chi shared.

Ms. Pham Thi Hanh, Chi's mother, said that during the early admissions period of American universities, Chi only applied to Harvard.

"This morning, Chi asked her mother to ask permission to skip the first period to wait for an email from Harvard. She said that whether she passed or failed, she needed time to calm down. When she opened the email, Chi and the whole family were overwhelmed with happiness," said Ms. Hanh.

Ms. Hanh said this is the sweet fruit after a long journey with many efforts of her daughter. Chi's brother was admitted to Yale University 6 years ago.

The mother said she always values ​​independence and supports all of her children's decisions. Before Chi made her choice, she talked to her and shared that her economic situation was not good. If she wanted to study abroad, she would have to try to get a good scholarship or she could study domestically because the quality of university education has improved a lot.

Tue Chi and teacher Ngoc Chi, morning of December 15. Photo: TN

Ms. Do Thi Ngoc Chi, Vice Principal of the Foreign Language High School, Hanoi National University, who has also been Chi's Literature teacher for 3 years, said that this morning's class was as fun as a festival. When the news of Chi's admission to Harvard was announced, the whole class clapped their hands in congratulations, the atmosphere in the classroom was unusually exciting.

Chi is considered by her teacher to be an intelligent, warm and simple student. She studies all subjects equally, especially excellent in Natural Sciences and English.

Chi also impressed her teachers because she not only studied well, but also took on many roles in skits and directed school programs and projects. She took beautiful photos, knew how to design, and was always different in the way she chose topics and presented each time she gave a presentation. Her English teacher praised her for presenting and speaking English as well as a native speaker.

Chi shared that her journey to prepare for studying abroad was greatly supported and inspired by her brother Le Manh Linh. Six years ago, he applied to Harvard but failed, then got into Yale University. The two brothers often exchange online, commenting on current events and social issues.

"People always think that having such a great brother will put me under a lot of pressure, but I don't because I don't compare myself to others," the female student said.

Chi is planning to major in Chemistry but still leaves open the possibility of changing majors because Harvard allows students to choose their major after two years of study.

Dawn - Le Nguyen

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