My name is Bao, and I’m an international student from Vietnam. I was accepted to Florida International University (FIU), and I decided to attend FIU to study civil engineering. However, my decision wasn’t simply about choosing the school I liked the most. Financial practicality and finding an academic pathway that worked for me were two of the biggest factors in my decision.

My Academic Journey

In my first year of high school, I attended Vinschool, a Vietnamese private school offering international qualifications. For my junior and senior years, I decided to transfer to Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Wayland is a small private boarding school, and I really liked the close-knit environment. Because the school was small, teachers and students were able to form closer relationships, and teachers had a better understanding of their students’ strengths and weaknesses.

The teachers played a big role in helping me stay on top of my academics. They would notice when I wasn’t doing well and hold me accountable. Going to Wayland gave me a support system that I might not have had at a much larger school. That individual attention was one of the things I appreciated most about my experience there.

After graduating from Wayland, I decided to return to Vietnam for university. This wasn’t really a traditional gap year because I was still enrolled in school and continuing my education while figuring out what I wanted to do next. I studied for three semesters at RMIT Vietnam, while simultaneously applying to U.S. universities.

The Application Process

I applied to U.S. universities as a first-year student rather than as a transfer student, even though I had already completed university coursework at RMIT. I was still able to include my RMIT academic experience as part of my application.

For the college application process, I worked with an educational agency. This is something I think is fairly common among Vietnamese students applying to universities abroad. The agency was probably my biggest resource throughout the process. They gave me lists of schools, information about GPA and course requirements, and mentors who provided guidance throughout the process.

Of course, I still wrote my own application materials. I wrote my own essays, and the agency reviewed them, gave me feedback, and helped me improve them. They also helped organize information about my GPA, classes, extracurricular activities, and other parts of my application.

I worked with the agency for more than two years, and the total cost was roughly $10,000–$15,000. It was a significant investment, but I felt that it was worth it, especially considering the financial aid I eventually received from my university.

What I brought to my application

Academically, my high school GPA was around a 3.4/4.0 weighted. I don’t consider my GPA to be the strongest part of my application. Part of the reason it wasn’t higher was that I received a particularly low grade in one subject during my junior year.

My academic performance at RMIT was stronger. My GPA there was approximately 3.8/4.0, and I was able to include that university coursework in my application. In high school, I also took AP courses including Calculus BC, Physics C, and Computer Science.

I took both the SAT and ACT, scoring a 1380 and 29, respectively, but I ultimately chose not to submit either score to the universities I applied to. For English proficiency, I took the IELTS and scored an 8.5/9.0, which I was pretty proud of.

While my academics were an important part of my application, I think the strongest part was my extracurriculars.

During my time at Wayland, I played varsity football and baseball. I had also played baseball in Vietnam before moving to the U.S. Outside of sports, I participated in Honors Choir and had been involved in musical theater for years, both in the U.S. and Vietnam.

Volunteering was another big part of my experience. I participated in charity activities in Vietnam and traveled to mountainous and underserved areas to support local communities and conduct research. Looking back, I think having experiences across sports, performing arts, and community service helped me show different sides of myself beyond my grades.

My college essays were also pretty unconventional. I wrote one about fries and another about hair, and both are essays I’m proud of. Instead of trying to make my essays sound overly impressive, I wanted them to reflect something personal about me.

Why I chose FIU

Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons I chose FIU was the financial aid they offered me. As an international student, financial aid and scholarships can be limited, and not every university offers financial packages that make attendance realistic.

I estimated my total cost of attendance at FIU to be around $50,000, while the financial aid I received was more than $40,000. That meant the package covered more than 80% of my estimated cost.

Finances weren’t the only reason I chose FIU, though. I was also missing some course credits, and some of the other universities I considered would have required me to spend an additional year making up those requirements. FIU offered a special pathway that allowed me to complete the necessary requirements more efficiently.

The location was another bonus. I really like Florida, and I think it’s a nice place to study. The environment also feels somewhat familiar to me, which made the idea of moving there more appealing.

I was also accepted to schools in Australia, but the United States had always been my goal. For me, the biggest appeal of studying in the U.S. is the opportunities and flexibility. I want to be able to explore things beyond my major rather than feeling like my degree has to determine everything I do in the future.

What comes next

Now that I’ve chosen FIU, I’m looking forward to studying civil engineering and exploring everything the university has to offer. I also want to look into opportunities like on-campus work, internships, and potentially becoming a TA in the future.

I recently completed an internship at a travel booking and ticketing agency in Vietnam, which paid fairly well. Experiences like that have also shown me how valuable internships can be, both for gaining experience and potentially helping with the cost of my education.

For me, choosing FIU ultimately came down to finding the right balance between what I want to study, what opportunities I want to pursue, and what makes financial sense for me as an international student.