Male student wins 6 billion VND scholarship after half a year of applying

Tien Dat was accepted into the gifted class, with a scholarship to a top 60 school in the US, even though he had just decided to study abroad in the US and take the SAT and IELTS 6 months before.

In mid-December, Dinh Tien Dat, class 12A1, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, Hanoi , received the results of his admission to Brandeis University - a top 60 school in the US, with financial support of 260,000 USD (more than 6 billion VND), equivalent to 80% of tuition fees.

Dat said in the email that the school sent him three letters, including an acceptance letter, financial aid, and a notice that he was accepted into the talent program. This means he will experience benefits such as studying straight to a master's degree in one year, being given priority for an internship position, etc.

"Because I only started preparing my study abroad application 6 months ago, this result exceeded my expectations," said the Hanoi boy.

Dinh Tien Dat, class 12A1, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, Hanoi. Photo: Provided by the character

While many of his friends had planned to study abroad since grade 10, Dat was not interested at that time because he felt that studying and working in the country was more suitable. However, in the middle of grade 11, his grandmother passed away. The student said that he was always rewarded by his grandmother every time he got high scores or had good achievements. This had become familiar to him growing up, so her passing left Dat feeling lost and depressed.

"After a not-so-bright period, I wanted to choose a new direction, a new environment that could help reshape myself. So I thought about studying abroad," Dat said.

At that time, Dat was about to finish 11th grade, which meant he only had about 6 years left before the early application deadline in the US, while he had nothing in hand, including the standardized test scores.

"It was really too late so everything was urgent and like a gamble for me," the male student recalled.

First, Dat studied for the SAT (a standardized test widely used in college admissions in the US and many other countries). The male student had taken the SAT a few times before, but only scored around 1,340-1,460/1,600, which is not safe for a scholarship. Therefore, the male student set a goal of scoring 1,500 or higher this time.

Dat spent more than a month in the summer studying for the SAT, practicing 3-4 Math questions and 2-3 Reading questions every day. In the final exam in August, Dat took the exam and received the desired result of 1,500. After that, the male student continued studying for the IELTS exam at the end of September. This certificate made the male student more worried, because this was a mandatory criterion for the application and he had never taken the IELTS exam before.

However, the male student did not rush to practice the test immediately, but spent a lot of time researching to choose the method that was suitable for him. After spending more than a month with IELTS, the male student achieved 8.0 and was satisfied with the result.

The main essay - the important element of the study abroad application, is what Dat invested and pondered the most. The Hanoi student thought about the essay topic since he was studying for the SAT, but only started writing it after completing the certificates.

At first, Dat wrote about the time when his spirit was down, needing support from teachers and the school's psychology department, and then gradually overcoming it. When he finished, Dat was quite satisfied, but after a week of rereading, the male student felt that this essay was heavy, dark, and did not accurately represent the change in his perception and the abilities he had.

In just a few days, Dat had to find another story for his main essay and he decided to tell about the process of making money and how to balance his life when he had an income.

Since grade 10, Dat started taking on 2D graphic interface design and 3D models for games. His initial wish was to exchange his products for money and items in the game. Gradually, Dat's products became more known, and he received more orders. The money paid started to be calculated in USD, not just converted in the game as before. At its peak at the beginning of this year, there were months when Dat's income reached tens of millions of VND.

The attractive income made Dat spend a lot of time earning money, neglecting his studies and gradually distancing himself from his friends, talking less with family members. The male student only looked back at himself after a friend asked him to support a charity project by designing a media publication. Dat asked "How much will you be paid?", his friend was stunned, saying "I didn't think about it because I thought that charity projects were free for participants".

"When I got home, I thought a lot about this story. I felt ashamed and remembered my original goal: earning money was just to avoid having to ask my parents for money and I always wanted to help others," Dat said.

After that, the male student proactively reduced his working hours and talked to friends and relatives more. Work was no longer Dat's top priority. Even when receiving messages from customers, he did not rush to reply, but only responded when he finished his homework and had time. His income decreased 3-5 times, but Dat said he was happier and more relaxed.

In his extracurricular activities, Dat has participated in many social and artistic projects. Since first grade, he and his family have participated in charity activities and currently cook porridge for patients at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion every weekend. In addition, Dat is also a member of the communications team of The Anthurium Project (TAP) which talks about women's rights. His ability to play the piano, Rubik's cube, and his love of reading also help Dat balance his studies with other activities.

Dat supports pediatric patients at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: Provided by the character

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dang, Dat's homeroom teacher for grades 10 and 11, commented that his student is brave, mature, and has many thoughts that are far beyond his age. This is clearly shown in the process of stabilizing his mind and overcoming the shock of losing a loved one.

In addition, Mr. Dang highly appreciated Dat for his modesty. Dat is also self-disciplined and responsible in his studies. Once he has determined a goal, he will follow the discipline to achieve it. The male student also has the ability to initiate and lead movement activities.

"Dat is intelligent, emotional, and has both IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient). He is one of my most special students," said Mr. Dang.

Dat will go to the US and enroll in Brandies School in August 2024. In the coming time, the male student determined that he still needs to complete his study program at the school with good results. Along with that, Dat wants to find more opportunities to rub shoulders, experience design work, supplement essential skills when living away from home such as cooking, using maps...

"I will study two majors: Business and Computer Science , and dream of building a company specializing in providing technology and design solutions," Dat shared.

Thanh Hang

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/nam-sinh-gianh-hoc-bong-6-ty-dong-sau-nua-nam-lam-ho-so-4692995.html