#HomeOfTheEagles applied for scholarships from prestigious universities with confidence

For every student, high school is an important milestone in their journey of learning, growth, and shaping their future. The knowledge and skills accumulated throughout the years will help them confidently apply to their dream universities.

After over 3 years of operation and development, PennSchool has witnessed successive generations of graduates currently studying at well-known universities in Vietnam and worldwide. The ADP students in the academic year 2023 – 2024 continue to achieve impressive results, receiving early acceptance letters and valuable scholarships from various universities.

One of the outstanding students is Le Nguyen Gia Han, an ADP-12 student who received scholarships from 3 U.S. universities:
– DePauw Distinguished Scholarship of 128,000 USD from DePauw University, Indiana
– Scholarship of 80,000 USD from Stony Brook University, New York
– Scholarship of 80,000 USD from DePaul University, Illinois

To achieve those proud accomplishments, Gia Han meticulously prepared and gained valuable experiences during the study abroad application process.
“Fortunately, I have been accepted into most U.S. universities that I applied to from November until now. To achieve this result, I had to prepare from the beginning of Grade 11. However, this is still considered late in comparison to my peers. If I had a chance to go back in time, I would probably research the study abroad process and start earlier from Grade 10.

Based on my experience, we should focus on taking necessary certificates such as IELTS, SAT, AP, and so on, and more importantly, understand the requirements of the university or the programs you want to pursue before determining the certificates to achieve. Besides the required certificates, we need to find an appropriate balance between academic studies and extracurricular activities to maintain good grades and attain achievements, as well as receive certificates of participation in extracurricular activities, showcasing our strengths when submitting applications. With my experience, my advice to everyone is to “start as soon as possible,” not only in the process of researching universities or taking certificates but also in preparing essays and exams along with submitting applications on time.

I would like to sincerely thank my teachers and close friends at PennSchool who have always supported me throughout my study abroad application process.”
Le Nguyen Gia Han – Class ADP-12

Like Gia Han, Pham Hoang Minh Thu is also a high school student who has received Early Action from many universities in USA with high scholarships:
– Chancellor’s Award of 64,000 USD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts
– USF Green & Gold Presidential Award of 44,000 USD from the University of South Florida, Florida
At the same time, Minh Thu also received the Acceptance letter from the University of Houston, Texas.

Minh Thu prepared her study plan from Grade 10, along with accumulating experiences, to create an impressive academic profile for the study abroad scholarship application.

“I started planning to study abroad in Grade 10 in order to improve my foundation in English. And I also started SAT preparation at the beginning of Grade 10. I was also advised that in order to get a U.S. study abroad scholarship, besides having good academic results, I also need extracurricular activities to strengthen my academic profile considering that the admissions committee is always looking for the most well-rounded applicants. They don’t want students to focus solely on academic achievements while neglecting soft skills that are important to society. Therefore, I actively participated in Clubs, projects, and activities. I also actively look for those opportunities on online platforms and through friends. I started as a member or collaborator, and after accumulating experience, I had the confidence to apply for higher positions such as leading a group or leading a project. Therefore, right from my first year of high school, I tried to maintain good grades while actively participating in extracurricular activities.

Particularly in Grade 11, I became the President of the Student Council at Pennschool. This was not only an interesting experience that I dedicated a lot of effort to, but it also helped strengthen my study abroad application. Also this year, after a period of SAT preparation, I took the test and achieved the desired score. Despite being quite busy with the above two goals, I still maintained my participation in extracurricular activities and started implementing charity projects, although less often than usual.
Summer is a useful time for me to find the university that I want to apply to and participate in internships to add points to my application. Thanks to the connections from the projects I had implemented and the experiences I had accumulated before, I got the opportunity to work as an intern to gain practical experience in a professional environment, which is also a strength for my profile.
During the summer, I also took the time to find a university based on the 3 criteria to which I was advised, which include my Dream school, my Reach school and my Safe school.

I also prepared for the scholarship essay. At first, I was not sure what topic I should write about. So, I wrote 4 essays with different topics and then chose the best one. Even though the process is quite time-consuming, it was still useful and helped me understand myself better.
Finally, at the beginning of Grade 12, I was supported by my counselor to organize and enhance my profile. I also asked him for advice on financial matters before being ready to submit my application to the chosen university.”
Pham Hoang Minh Thu – Class VAP-12

Gia Han and Minh Thu are among the students who have successfully received early acceptance letters from U.S. universities. To assist students in preparing their applications, the Career Counseling program implemented by PennSchool in recent years continues to play a crucial role in guiding and helping students fulfill their dreams of conquering new knowledge after their high school journey. The success of these students is also something the School is always proud of.