Nguyen Tuong Anh, 18 years old, a former Chinese language student at Foreign Language Specialized High School, recently received news of her admission to the Chinese language major at Tsinghua University with a 50% tuition scholarship. Tsinghua, one of China's most prestigious universities, is currently ranked 14th globally by QS.

She also secured a Chinese Government Scholarship to Beijing Normal University, covering tuition, dormitory fees, and living expenses.

Nguyen Tuong Anh in her graduation photo. Photo: Provided by subject

Tuong Anh's exposure to Chinese and its culture began at a young age, influenced by her mother, a Chinese language lecturer. She started formal studies in 5th grade, achieving the highest HSK 6/6 certification in the summer of 9th grade. This accomplishment led her to become the top-scoring student for admission to the 10th-grade specialized Chinese class at Foreign Language Specialized High School.

Late last year, Tuong Anh started preparing her application for overseas study in China. Her strong academic record, including a GPA above 9, an HSK certificate, and an IELTS score of 7,5, meant she had little concern about her qualifications. Additionally, she won second prize in the "Chinese Bridge" International Competition at 16, and a national second prize in Chinese.

Given her strong credentials, Tuong Anh focused her efforts on the application essay, which required outlining her achievements, plans, and academic motivations. Faced with a limit of under 1,000 words, she conceived the idea of integrating classical poetry to convey extensive meaning with concise language.

To illustrate the subtle influence of her mother's profession, she cited the phrase "nhuan vat te vo thanh" from Du Fu's poem "Spring Night, Delighting in Rain." This metaphor conveyed her natural affinity for Chinese and the teaching profession, likening it to "silent rain falling and gradually permeating."

Similarly, when detailing her first-year study plan, Tuong Anh incorporated the verse "Cau moc chi truong gia, tat co ky can ban" (If you want a tree to grow lush and long-lasting, you must make its roots firm) from the "Jian Tai Zong Shi Si Shu" essay.

"I thought using poetry would also be a highlight of my application," Tuong Anh said.

For presentation, Tuong Anh designed a unique framework for each essay, incorporating colors, logos, and famous university emblems to enhance visual appeal. She developed simple design skills through participation in school projects and club activities.

Tuong Anh and her mother. Photo: Provided by subject

Furthermore, international students applying to Chinese universities must pass the CSCA entrance examination, which includes two major-specific subjects. Tuong Anh chose Chinese in addition to the compulsory Mathematics.

The CSCA exam has only been administered for two years, resulting in limited study materials. Tuong Anh and her study group proactively sought practice questions and resources from Chinese social media platforms and older students. She achieved scores of 98,75/100 in Chinese and 85/100 in Mathematics.

Tuong Anh noted that the Mathematics content was similar to Vietnam's high school curriculum. She believes that a solid grasp of fundamental concepts and mathematical terminology in Chinese is key to success.

During the interview round, Tsinghua University examiners presented situational questions and sought her perspectives on various issues, including those outside her primary major.

"My experience is to stay calm because the nature of these questions is not to find right or wrong answers, but to test language reflexes and the honesty of the application," the student said.

Associate Professor, Doctor Pham Ngoc Ham, a former senior lecturer in Chinese and Han Nom at the University of Foreign Languages, commended Tuong Anh's robust Chinese foundation, accurate pronunciation, love for literature, and articulate, vivid expression. He was particularly impressed by her eagerness to learn and her respectful demeanor.

"I was not surprised by her admission to Tsinghua and the Beijing Normal scholarship. This is a deserving outcome for a student with a strong foundation and who always strives step by step," Professor Ham stated.

Currently, Tuong Anh is weighing her options between studying in China and pursuing higher education domestically. She has already received direct admission to the Business Analytics program at National Economics University. At Foreign Trade University, she scored 29,9/30 on her entrance exam, applying for the International Business and Data Analytics programs.

Tuong Anh's Journey to the West dubbing performance at the 2024 Chinese Bridge competition. Video: Provided by subject

By Thanh Hang