French major student admitted to Stanford University

The article in English, suggesting solutions to improve Hanoi's air pollution, helped Tung conquer the 5th ranked school in the world .

Nguyen Duc Tung, a 12th grader majoring in French at the Foreign Language High School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi , submitted 31 applications for this year's US university admissions season. He received 10 acceptance letters, including from Stanford University.

"It feels like a dream," Tung said, adding that two days after knowing the results, he still occasionally opens his school's mail to read.

According to QS 2024, Stanford ranks 5th in the world, with tuition fees of more than 65,000 USD (over 1.6 billion)/year.

Nguyen Duc Tung took a yearbook photo at school in January. Photo: Character provided

The male student said his family had thought about studying abroad, but at the master's level. In the summer of 10th grade, Tung met many former students of the school and was motivated to start.

Tung's biggest challenge is scheduling time. The busiest time is the summer of 11th grade when he has to study for his B1 French certificate, improve his SAT score (a standardized test used for university admission in the US), take the IELTS test, and participate in extracurricular activities, charity, and research.

"Everything piles up. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed," Tung said, sometimes stressed, unable to concentrate, thinking about something else while doing one thing. He uses Google Calendar (a time management application) to make a to-do list on his phone. Thanks to that, he knows what to complete first and achieves his goal of 8.5 IELTS, 1,540/1,600 SAT points and B1 French.

With extracurricular activities and research papers, Tung determined to focus on the topic of environmental and community protection. This is also the passion of Tung's grandfather - casting, metallurgy and environmental expert Chu Duc Khai, and he participated very actively.

"I always admired him and also wanted to do such meaningful work," Tung said.

Reading about the mass fish deaths in Nghe An or air pollution in Hanoi, Tung thought about contributing to improving the situation. He searched for research articles on air pollution or urban development on Google Scholar (a source for searching for academic articles) to learn more. In June 2023, Tung wrote an article on solutions to combat air pollution in Hanoi, under the guidance of a mentor at Oxford University.

The first time writing a research paper in English, Tung was confused because there were many technical terms. Many contents were difficult to understand, so he translated them into Vietnamese and asked his grandfather and father to explain. Occasionally, his grandfather gave professional comments, suggested documents, and gave comments and suggestions.

The article was published in the English version of the Environmental Magazine five months later. The male student suggested a number of solutions such as planting trees and applying modern waste treatment technology in Europe instead of burning as is currently the case. He also assessed where these solutions are appropriate and where they are not appropriate compared to the characteristics of the capital.

Tung has also been a member of the Striped Project since grade 10, organizing events such as collecting paper, clothes, books, etc. to raise awareness about environmental protection and recycling. They also organize fairs and sell used items to raise funds to buy gifts for students at disadvantaged schools. In addition, the male student participates in tree planting activities on Cat Hai Island, Hai Phong.

Finally, Tung began writing nine essays. Stanford required eight supplementary essays, ranging from 50 to 250 words. The student said the most difficult assignment for him was to write a letter to his future roommate, so that they and the admissions committee could get to know him better.

"The difficulty is that I'm not really writing for you, but for the admissions committee. I have to maintain a standard writing style but also express my personality," Tung admitted. In the essay, Tung said he likes meeting new people and talking to them. For example, every time he takes a taxi, he often chats with the driver, learning that they used to run a restaurant or play the stock market.

Tung also talked about his passion for photography and videography. At Stanford, he hopes to take many beautiful photos of sunsets or interesting things at school like the lecturer's writing on the board.

At the end of the letter are "interesting facts", Tung shared that he has a playlist of 700 songs, of all genres. The male student said that he is always open to new suggestions, not only music, but also with other people or environments.

"The admissions committee had 7 other essays to evaluate me, so this essay shows my approachable, talkative, and humorous side," Tung shared.

Tung was also impressed by an essay prompt that asked him to list five important things in just 50 words. The student had to consider and change many times to choose a short but meaningful word. Important things to Tung include family and cats; community and relationships; memory capacity; watching the sunset and Google Sheets.

Tung (middle, back row) and his friends collect paper in Hanoi in October 2023. Photo: Provided by the character

Dr. Dang Ngoc Khuong, homeroom teacher of 12C, is the one who wrote the letter of recommendation for Tung. Mr. Khuong said that his student is always full of positive energy, intelligent, strong-willed and determined.

"Tung always tries his best and is proactive in his study abroad plan," said the teacher, adding that his average grade point average is 9.4. In class, Tung connects his friends through many activities, often taking photos and videos to capture memorable moments.

From his experience, Tung believes that candidates should start early to avoid being overwhelmed with work. Extracurricular activities should have their own color and be consistent with the direction of the major. In addition, the appropriate time to complete certificates and standardized tests is grade 11.

The male student will go to the US to study Environmental Science at Stanford in August.

"I plan to get a master's degree and return to Vietnam to work in this field," Tung said.

Dawn

Source: https://vnexpress.net/nam-sinh-chuyen-phap-do-dai-hoc-stanford-4729029.html