Hi, my name is Ha Vy, I am from Vietnam and this year I got into Case Western Reserve University.

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.