Ams student admitted to a top 5 computer science school in the US

An essay on photography and a skincare assistant app helped Dieu Anh gain admission to Georgia Institute of Technology, a leading computer science institution in the US.

In late 3, Truong Dieu Anh, a 12th-grade IT specialized student from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted (Ams), received an acceptance letter from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Despite having already been admitted to six other universities, the student was overjoyed, shouting excitedly throughout her home.

"My dream has come true", Dieu Anh said.

Georgia Tech is a major player in technology education, ranking among the top 9 public universities in the US. Specifically for computer science, the major Dieu Anh is pursuing, the university ranks 5th, on par with Princeton University (according to US News). The university's overall acceptance rate is about 9%, but for competitive majors like computer science, it is lower, at only 6-7%.

Truong Dieu Anh. *Photo: Provided by subject*

Dieu Anh recounted that in the post-Covid-19 period, witnessing a surge in basic information technology needs, she decided to apply for the 10th-grade IT specialized class. After being admitted to Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, she immediately began developing a study plan and participated in many extracurricular activities to build her study abroad application.

The student was a member of the school's programming, robotics, and photography clubs, and a volunteer for Friends of Vietnam Heritage, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and researching Vietnamese culture. Additionally, she served as president of the Photography Club. This experience inspired her main essay, which she submitted to about 20 American universities.

According to Dieu Anh, the four to five months of essay writing were the most stressful period, involving nearly 40 drafts and at least ba changes in ideas. Some drafts seemed complete, but after receiving feedback from her mentor, she rewrote the entire structure of the essay.

Initially, Dieu Anh wrote about her activities at the school's photography club. However, after much deliberation, she delved deeper into the origin of her passion: the camera her mother saved a month's salary to buy as a gift. Through this, she realized it was not just a tool for preserving memories but also a means of expressing her self-worth. Dieu Anh conveyed herself as someone who always lives life to the fullest, cherishes every moment, and does not take what she receives for granted.

Although choosing computer science as her major, the student did not want to force her main essay to be about this topic, as photography had a more significant impact on shaping her personality and mindset.

"This is a personal statement, so I had to look into my deepest self, revealing myself in the most detailed way", Dieu Anh shared. "Photography helped me express that best".

Academically, the IT specialized student achieved excellent grades during her ba years of high school, studied competitive programming and AI, and won awards in several informatics competitions. Dieu Anh also achieved a perfect score of 5/5 in hai AP subjects (an advanced program for high school students): computer science and calculus.

Furthermore, the student entered the top 30 of the Future Blue Innovation competition, organized by the Hanoi Youth Union, with an app idea to convert waste into organic dish soap. This idea sparked when she was studying computer vision. Users simply take a photo of a type of waste, such as orange peels or kumquats, and the app assesses its potential for creating dish soap and provides a formula for making it.

Dieu Anh also developed a skincare assistant app because she saw her best friend "struggling" with acne. With daily facial photos, the app analyzes skin condition, compares it with previous days to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and care. The app also summarizes information on actual temperature and humidity to suggest suitable skincare routines.

"Although this is a personal project and has only been tested on a small scale, I included it in my supplemental essay to Georgia Tech to demonstrate my passion and innovative thinking", Dieu Anh said. "For me, the essence of technology is to support humanity. I want to study it in depth to create solutions that apply various technologies".

As her mentor, Ms. Vu Thi Hong, Director of Hola Academy, observed that Dieu Anh's application profile is both diverse and uniquely personal. "That, combined with her intelligence, quick wit, and effort, helped Dieu Anh conquer this demanding university", Ms. Hong said.

With about four months remaining before enrollment, Dieu Anh plans to study an additional AP Statistics course to be exempt from some general education credits at the university. The student is also exploring networking and research opportunities at Georgia Tech to adapt quickly when studying there.