Video : Linh Lan plays the zither

In mid-December, Phan Linh Lan, a student at Concordia International School Hanoi, received news that she had been accepted to Harvard University, which was also the only school she applied to in this year's early admissions round. According to the 2025 THE rankings, Harvard University is ranked 3rd in the world . Linh Lan is the first Concordia student to be accepted into Harvard since the school's founding.

“I was surprised because the admission rate to Harvard University is very low every year. Failing this school is quite normal, so I was mentally prepared if I failed,” Linh Lan said.

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Phan Linh Lan is a student at Concordia International School Hanoi . (Photo: NVCC)

With her parents focusing on education, Linh Lan studied at international schools from a young age. Loving America through many movies, after 6th grade, Lan transferred from British International School BIS to Concordia International School Hanoi to "fully" pursue the American dream. Also during this time, the female student began to learn about standardized tests and decided to study for the ACT. Most recently, the female student conquered this certificate with a score of 35/36.

For many people, the beginning of secondary school may be too early to prepare for a study abroad journey, but according to Linh Lan, "I always feel more secure when I have a plan and roadmap early on."

Among the American schools, Linh Lan aimed for Harvard University - where top professors teach and also "produce" many successful alumni. To be more certain of her choice, at the end of 10th and 11th grade, the female student applied to participate in Harvard University's 7-week summer camp program.

Here, high school students from around the world have the opportunity to take some of the most intensive college-level courses. During these two trips, Lan took classes in Law and History, and experienced what it’s like to live in a college dormitory like a real college student.

“These are all valuable experiences that help me become more determined to conquer Harvard,” Lan said.

Linh Lan has just been admitted to Harvard University. (Photo: NVCC)

Linh Lan started preparing her application from the beginning of grade 11, but she built her foundation quite early. In addition to always maintaining her grades at the top of her class, the female student also participated in research and won a number of international awards such as 2 first prizes in the AI Science and Technology Olympiad (AI JAM) with the topics "Conserving endangered birds in Vietnam by using AI technology to detect animal sounds" and "Preventing traffic accidents with AI detecting road errors".

The female student is also the high school president of DECA Vietnam - a member of DECA International. This is a non-profit organization with many activities to promote business and entrepreneurship capacity of students.

In her main essay to Harvard, Linh Lan mentioned her love for history and her desire to preserve culture and national identity. That is also the reason why she learned to play the zither, stemming from her desire to preserve Vietnamese cultural values in the midst of modern life.

However, the supplementary essay that Linh Lan was most satisfied with was the one she wrote about her family business. Since she was 12 or 13 years old, Linh Lan had often traveled abroad with her parents to meet with partners as an interpreter. Thanks to that, Lan gradually understood more about her family business and appreciated her parents' efforts.

“There are years when on the first day of Tet, my parents still work with partners in Canada. Being able to accompany my parents helps me feel like I have a contribution and also realize the importance of learning a foreign language.”

For that reason, after the trips, Linh Lan learned a new language. Currently, in addition to English and Spanish at school, the female student also learns Chinese and French. Linh Lan uses all four languages fluently to communicate.

The female student is currently the president of the high school division of DECA Vietnam. (Photo: NVCC)

At school, Linh Lan is also famous for being "multi-talented" as she can play many musical instruments such as the zither, piano, violin, flute... and has won many medals in domestic and international sports such as swimming, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf...

Even Ms. Do Thuy Linh, Linh Lan's mother, was surprised when she "didn't know where her daughter got so much energy". "In addition to studying at school, she participated in many competitions and interacted with friends from other schools. She still maintains the habit of reading books and going to the gym. She always plans everything by week, by day and maintains discipline. Sometimes, when I want to pull her away from work, I have to 'schedule' in advance", Ms. Linh shared.

Mr. Ben Compton, the college counselor at Linh Lan's school, was impressed with the female student because of her curiosity, always wanting to explore many fields, especially history and politics.

“Linh Lan is very passionate about history. Many of her research and activities focus on this field. She is a very talented student,” said Mr. Ben.

Having received an acceptance letter from her dream school, Linh Lan will leave for the US next August. She plans to study Law at Harvard University, a major she has long dreamed of pursuing.

Handsome 9X travels to 48 countries, recognized as Global Talent With the Global Talent certificate, Huy Hien will be allowed to work and reside permanently in the UK, without any further constraints.