Male student passed 16 American universities

Le Minh Bao, 17 years old, was accepted into 16 universities in the US, including the University of Connecticut, which awarded him a full scholarship worth nearly 6.4 billion VND.

Le Minh Bao is currently a 12th-grade student at Viet-Australian Primary, Secondary, and High School, located in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. He received news of his acceptance into the Engineering program at the University of Connecticut with a full scholarship worth nearly $258,000 (6.37 billion VND) at the end of January.

The scholarship covers all tuition, books, room and board, and insurance for four years of study. In addition, Bao is given an additional $12,000 to attend seminars and leadership courses.

In a letter sent to Bao, the school's admissions representative stated that she was the only Vietnamese student among the five scholarship recipients this year, selected from over 50,000 applications worldwide.

The University of Connecticut (UCONN) is currently ranked 58th in the US university rankings, also in the top 26 best public schools. For Engineering, the school is ranked 69th, according to US News & World Report.

In addition, Bao was accepted into 15 other American universities, most of which are in the top 100. Of these, 8 schools offered scholarships ranging from $40,000 to $105,000 for four years.

Le Minh Bao at the school library. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Since grade 6, Bao has dreamed of studying abroad to explore the world. Bao's father, an expert in the electrical industry, has taken him to many fairs and exhibitions in fields such as economics , education, engineering, construction, technology, mechanical engineering, medicine, information technology, and energy. During a visit to an automatic packaging line, Bao became curious about its operating mechanism. From then on, he decided to pursue a career in Engineering, specializing in the design and manufacture of industrial machinery.

After identifying her passion for a particular field, Bao began choosing a school. She wanted to go to the United States because she believed there were many opportunities to learn and find work in the engineering field.

"I'm aiming for highly ranked universities because they usually have many research achievements and a strong student community. In addition, the research labs at top universities have strong connections with each other and attract many companies for recruitment," Bao shared.

Based on his academic performance, the male student chose schools that required SAT scores of 1450/1600. He also filtered other information such as tuition, scholarships, acceptance rates, school locations, and employment rates after graduation... Finally, the male student narrowed down his application list to 16 schools, divided into top 30-50, top 50-70, 70-100, and outside the top 100.

With the support of his parents, Bao meticulously planned out the tasks and specific goals from the end of 10th grade (May 2022) to the beginning of 12th grade (October 2023).

Academically, the male student maintained A and A* grades in all subjects in the A-Level program (international secondary school program). Bao's GPA for all three years was 9.4, along with an IELTS score of 7.5 and an SAT score of 1510/1600.

Besides studying, Bao is involved in many sports . Since 2019, he has been running regularly, participating in many marathons in the 10 and 21 km distances, and running for charity. The student also founded the Unstoppable Feet group, which currently has 17 students training together.

"Running is a physical activity that offers many mental benefits, such as perseverance in achieving goals," the 18-year-old male student shared.

Bao chose to write her main essay about sports, specifically running. However, she realized she hadn't yet connected it to her motivation and desire to pursue a career in engineering.

So, Bao rewrote his essay, describing the process by which he researched, discovered and developed his passion for industrial robots. He saw Robotics as the perfect combination of mechanics, technology and automation programming.

He recounted his internship experience at a 110kV transmission transformer manufacturing plant in Nhon Trach, Dong Nai , while in 11th grade. Every day, the male student woke up early and traveled two hours by car to the factory. There, Bao was introduced to, observed, and learned about the transformer manufacturing process. He was guided by factory engineers on how to read manufacturing design drawings, how to present technical design documents, and how to use design software...

In addition, the male student participated in a research group with students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education to build a robot that runs on a course. Bao also participated in the design and construction of a three-axis robotic arm under the guidance of Dr. Tran Duc Thien, from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering department of the university. To achieve this, Bao diligently studied courses on technical drawing software (ACAD, SolidWorks) and robot motion programming.

Bao participated in the development of a robotic arm at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education in August 2023. Photo: Provided by the subject.

"Perhaps the quality that gives Bao the best advantage for studying abroad is his ability to balance life, studies, and extracurricular activities," commented Shella Amba, Bao's physics teacher.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Mi, Bảo's homeroom teacher, also assessed Bảo as having developed comprehensively in academics, sports, and community activities. At school, the male student is sociable and very responsible in carrying out assigned tasks.

"Bao's success is also largely due to the unwavering support of his family. His family has never missed any extracurricular activities that encourage parental involvement," Ms. Mi commented.

According to Bao, throughout the application process, he did not try to show off but tried to demonstrate his passion, thinking ability, ethics, and health to make his dream come true, helping to improve the lives of others in the community.

Based on his experience, Bao believes that candidates need to answer key questions such as: reasons for choosing the major and school; a story or event that demonstrates leadership qualities; vision for the next 5-10 years; and the ability to contribute to the school and society.

The male student will arrive in the US in August, intending to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics at the University of Connecticut.

Thoai Giang - Le Nguyen

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