Le Ha Anh, valedictorian of the English major at Ams School, was accepted into three Ivy League universities in the US, a "particularly rare" group in Vietnam.
The 12th grade English 1 student at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted received a series of acceptance messages on March 29, also known as "Ivy Day" - the day when top US universities announce admission results.
Ha Anh was accepted to study Economics at 3/8 Ivy League universities (elite schools), including Pennsylvania, Cornell and Dartmouth. These three schools are ranked 6th, 18th and 12th respectively in the US university rankings. Dartmouth University alone awarded Ha Anh a scholarship of nearly 280,000 USD (about 7 billion VND) over four years.
"I opened the email from Dartmouth University first and cried when I saw the results," Ha Anh recalled.
In addition, the female student was accepted to 11 other universities in the US, such as Northwestern (top 9), North Carolina at Chapel Hill (ranked 22), Georgia Institute of Technology (ranked 33)...
Le Ha Anh, grade 12 English 1, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. Photo: Provided by the character
Ha Anh decided to study abroad since she entered 10th grade. She chose the US because she believes the learning environment here is open and flexible, allowing students to experience many majors and fields.
In the main essay, I wrote about my journey of pursuing my passion for music, even though my family had no tradition in this field.
Studying piano since the age of 4, Ha Anh passed the intermediate level, Piano department of Vietnam National Academy of Music, at the age of 9; at the same time, maintained the cultural study program at high school.
Ha Anh said that when she first entered the conservatory, she was "overwhelmed" because most of her friends were "musicians" and had been exposed to music intensively from an early age. It took her longer to get used to the curriculum than her friends.
"There were times when I felt insecure because I felt the music I created was not the same or equal to everyone else's, always behind my friends," Ha Anh recalls.
When Covid-19 hit, Ha Anh stayed at home and had more time to play the piano. She realized that music is not just about right and wrong, but also a combination of many factors, in which emotions play an important role.
"I look back and see that when I really put myself into music, I can create a product with my own color, without having to be like anyone else," Ha Anh said.
Although she had decided to write an essay about her music education journey, Ha Anh spent months selecting and arranging the details within the 650-word limit. The student had a satisfactory essay with only a few days left before the application deadline.
Ha Anh (playing piano) performs Concerto with the orchestra at the Rising Stars International Arts Festival. Photo: Provided by the character
Regarding academic achievements, the female student was admitted to the IT and English specialized class, and was also the valedictorian of the English specialized class at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, three years ago. In two national English competitions, Ha Anh won second prize; her average score (GPA) was 9.9; IELTS 8.5 and SAT 1,560/1,600.
Ha Anh said that she learned English from kindergarten, so it was easy for her to learn this subject in high school. She only invested a little more in learning grammar, and mainly spent time learning knowledge in other subjects. She also rarely went to extra classes, because she felt that the amount of time in class was enough.
"I don't force myself to study, nor do I often stay up late. If I'm tired, I'll go to bed and wake up early in the morning to do homework," Ha Anh shared.
The Ams student strengthened her profile with two scientific studies. The first study was conducted at the beginning of grade 10, on the mental health of minors during the Covid-19 pandemic, with two other friends.
For the first time doing research, Ha Anh was excited because everything was new, but there were also many difficulties. She and her friends created a survey, collected data, then analyzed and found the relationship between economic factors, family conditions and psychological impact. For content that required deeper specialized knowledge, the group of students had to seek support from lecturers at the University of Public Health. After half a year, the group completed the research and was selected to present at the International Conference on Health Sciences (ICOPH) in 2023 in Malaysia.
Interested in economics, Ha Anh did another study in 11th grade, on the impact of immigration on the economy, under the guidance of a graduate student at the University of Michigan, USA. The female student also joined a business club, organized summer camps and related competitions to show consistency in her profile about the field she wanted to pursue in college.
Mr. Myo Min, Academic Director of Summit Education Organization, assessed the female student's profile as "exceptionally comprehensive". In 18 years of consulting on studying abroad, Mr. Myo has not met many candidates who have excellent academic results, are also active and have artistic talent.
"Top American universities often want students who not only study well, but also care about the community, ideally with additional talents in other fields. Therefore, Ha Anh's profile is very strong," Myo shared. "The number of Vietnamese students admitted to 3 Ivy League universities is especially rare."
Ms. Bui Thanh Huong, Ha Anh's homeroom teacher for English 12 class, commented that her student is humble, never flaunting her abilities but always exudes confidence and certainty. As class secretary, Ha Anh is exemplary and has the ability to unite people.
"What I appreciate about Ha Anh is her sense of responsibility, carefulness and meticulousness in everything. Once she decides to do something, she will try her best to complete it in the best way possible," said the teacher.
Poster introducing Ha Anh at the 2023 International Conference on Health Sciences in Malaysia. Photo: Character provided
Ha Anh is torn between Pennsylvania and Dartmouth, so she is doing more research on the curriculum, internship and job opportunities before making a decision. Ha Anh said that although she majored in Economics in college, she will continue to pursue music, hoping to expand her genres, not just focusing on classical music as she has in the past.
The female student believes that besides the results, the important thing she received after preparing her study abroad application was understanding herself, changing and learning more.
"From a shy girl, I gradually dared to try new experiences such as scientific research, confident in my ability and the value of the music I created," Ha Anh said.
Thanh Hang - Vnexpress.net
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