Nguyen Vu Tue Giang, a 12th-grade English major student from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, secured a 50% tuition scholarship to Xinya College at Tsinghua University last week.

Established in 2014, Xinya College is a residential college offering a liberal arts education with small class sizes and increased faculty-student interaction. After their first year, students can choose any program at Tsinghua University except for medicine and arts and design majors. Tuition is currently 26,000 CNY (approximately 95 million VND) per year.

"I am very happy and surprised because I didn't think I could get into such a prestigious university. I am excited about my student life here for the next 4 years," Giang said.

Tsinghua University is ranked 12th globally and first in Asia in the 2025 THE World University Rankings. Giang also previously won a full scholarship from the Chinese government to study at Beijing Normal University.

Nguyen Vu Tue Giang. Photo provided by the subject.

Nguyen Vu Tue Giang. Photo provided by the subject.

Giang's interest in Chinese history and culture began in 3rd grade, fueled by watching Chinese dramas like "Sui and Tang Dynasties" and "Water Margin." She would rewatch them on YouTube, listening to the dialogue, reading the Vietnamese subtitles, and guessing the meaning. Initially, before learning to write, she would simply listen, imitate, and memorize some vocabulary.

In 5th grade, upon discovering phone apps, she downloaded "Hello Chinese" to learn writing. With a good memory, she learned quickly and her interest grew. She sought out Tang Dynasty poems online, copying them until she memorized the characters. She also watched game shows and read stories in Chinese, gradually building her knowledge and vocabulary.

Her family encouraged her to focus on English, leading her to attend an international kindergarten and take extra English classes. After completing lower secondary school, with a solid foundation, she decided to pursue English as her major in high school. After being accepted, she chose Japanese as her second foreign language.

While initially not considering studying abroad, the high school environment, with many peers preparing scholarship applications, inspired her to try for universities in China.

Giang identifies Chinese as her passion. Having traveled to China, she found the life convenient, the environment safe, and the people friendly.

At the end of 11th grade, she planned to take the HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test), participate in competitions, and engage in extracurricular activities. She had already achieved an IELTS score of 7.5 and an SAT score of 1540/1600.

After two months of preparation, she achieved the highest level of HSK (level 6) with a score of 268/300. That summer, she attended a summer camp in Suzhou for further experience. She also participated in the Chinese speaking contest at the Foreign Trade University, reaching the top 15. In two separate Chinese language Olympiads organized by Vietnam National University, Hanoi, she won second and third prizes.

Additionally, Giang holds a Grade 7 piano certificate from Trinity College London, UK, and has won first prize in backstroke and second prize in butterfly swimming in the Nam Tu Liem district.

For extracurricular activities, she serves as the head of communications for her school's Chinese club and volunteers at the Hanoi Center for Disabled People.

The most stressful time, Giang recalls, was the application deadline in 10/2024, which coincided with her national defense education program in Hoa Lac. With numerous documents to prepare, she had to utilize evenings to complete everything.

Her Tsinghua application included certificates, transcripts, resumes, recommendation letters, and a study plan. She plans to utilize the university's vast online resources, join clubs, make friends, and build strong relationships with professors in the first two years. In her third year, she aims to seek internship opportunities and develop a thesis topic for her final year.

Two months after submitting her application, she was invited for a 15-minute interview. The interview content remains confidential. Giang had anticipated questions and practiced speaking alone to improve her fluency. She was most surprised by the interviewer's question, in English, about her predictions for Tsinghua University's development alongside the rise of AI.

According to Giang, Tsinghua is increasingly integrating AI into teaching and research. This enables students to stay current with technological advancements, enhances their skills, and further elevates the university's global standing.

Giang and her mother at the end-of-year ceremony. Photo provided by the subject.

Giang and her mother at the end-of-year ceremony. Photo provided by the subject.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, Giang's homeroom teacher, expressed confidence in her student's ability to achieve her dream upon learning of her application to Tsinghua. According to Ms. Hoa, Giang has an excellent academic record, with a GPA of 9.8, consistently ranking among the top students in her class and grade level.

Giang will begin her studies in China this August. She expressed minimal concern, having been to China before and familiar with life there, including using delivery apps. She is currently researching the curriculum through resources from previous students.

"After graduation, I plan to pursue a master's degree and a research career," Giang said.

Binh Minh