Background & High School

I studied at Archimedes Domain School, which is located in the suburban area of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. My high school was relatively new, as it was only around 4 years old. So it's new compared to other high schools in Hanoi. I got in with a full scholarship because I fulfilled the necessary requirements. I scored 7.0 on IELTS and had a GPA of 9.3 out of 10. So they gave me a full scholarship. I decided to study at Archimedes because they also prepare students for the SAT and IELTS exams, along with providing classes for the Vietnamese curriculum. It was an opportunity for me to take those exams prepared by the school.

We have a total of 13 subjects in the curriculum. We have Vietnamese literature, math, English, history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, PE, etc.

In the last year of high school, 12th grade, we can choose which subjects we want to sit exams for. We can choose from 2 groups: those in natural science, like biology, chemistry, and physics, or those in social science, with history and philosophy. I chose the social one because it was easier. Because of that, I sat exams in geography, history, and philosophy. Apart from the chosen subject group, we also have to take literature, math, and English, because these are the core classes, and that makes a total of six exams a student has to sit.

Stats

When applying to Case Western, I submitted my term grades from 12th grade, without any predicted grades. Because in Vietnam we use a GPA scale from 1 to 10, I converted that to a US 4.0 scale, and I had a GPA of about 3.7 on that scale. I also submitted my SAT score - I got 1480. In my 11th grade, I retook the IELTS exam, getting an 8.0 score.

Why Case Western?

Case Western was one of my friend's brother's recommendations. He's studying there and enjoys it a lot, so he said that it would be a good choice for me. I did some research as well as a fact-check to ensure I would enjoy this place too. It was also the highest-ranked school on my list. Case Western also gave me a scholarship, and out of $94k, I only need to pay $10k a year, which is okay for me.

Case Western is very good at teaching natural science subjects, like chemistry and biology, and, to be honest, I always wanted to try studying those, but it was too hard for me. I think it's a good idea for me to try once again at Case Western and see if I can understand it there. Although I want to major in marketing and minor in psychology, at Case Western I will have the chance to try out those subjects, which I really appreciate.

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Extracurriculars

I was in the core team of the student council. I've been working in the student council since my secondary school, so it's been a long process. I later had the opportunity to be the leader of the student council. It was actually a highlight in my application to Case.

I was also working in the media department of a dance club and a photography club in my high school. Outside of those high school clubs, I was also working with Golden Apples, which is a nonprofit organization that aims to help autistic kids as well as their parents. We held workshops and ran charity funds.

I was the vice president of Connected World, which is also a nonprofit organization where we work with orphans and kids who live below the poverty line. On some special occasions like the Autumn Festival in Vietnam, or New Year's Eve, we would throw a little party for them so that they could feel more engaged and connected. We also had trips to remote areas in Vietnam to give little gifts to kids, because they have limited access to things. So we gave them notebooks or backpacks so they could go to school in better conditions.

More about my activity in Vietnamese: https://vietmy.net.vn/viet-nam-dat-nuoc-con-nguoi/van-hoa/tet-sum-vay-chia-se-nhung-yeu-thuong-492775.html

Education abroad from my perspective

I wanted to be honest that studying abroad was not my first choice, nor my parents'. In their opinion, as a girl, I should study only in Vietnam because it's safer. But I really made up my mind in the last three months and completed my applications in those three months only, and surprisingly, I was successful.

I think I only live once, and I thought I was going to regret it later if I didn't do it. So I just invested all of my time and strength in it to have the best outcome. Now I am able to go to a totally new place and have a great adventure there; it is something different from just studying in Vietnam for another couple of years.