Dong Nai female student passionate about F1 cars accepted into 30 American universities

An essay about her passion for watching Formula 1 (F1) cars racing on the screen helped a female student in Dong Nai win a valuable scholarship from the University of California-Irvine (Top 10 public schools in the US) and more than 30 other schools in the US.

Recently, Vo Bao Thy, a 12th grade student at Pacific Secondary School (IPS, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai) received a letter of acceptance from more than 30 American universities to study Business Analysis. Of these, 23 schools awarded scholarships with a total value of more than 2 million USD (nearly 60 billion VND).

Vo Bao Thy, grade 12, Thai Binh Duong School, Dong Nai . Photo: NVCC

Talented students are sought after by many schools.

"I was shocked when I received so many valuable scholarships," Thy shared. In addition to receiving admission letters and scholarships, Thy was also a candidate awarded by many schools with the Honor Program (Advanced Program for the most outstanding students), Accelerated Master (4+1) (opportunity to study for a Master's degree after 5 years) and the highest scholarship for international students. This result confirms that Bao Thy not only meets the admission requirements, but is also among the top talented students who are given priority by schools for maximum financial support.

Bao Thy will spend 4 years at the University of California-Irvine (UCI) with a scholarship of 15,000 USD per year. This is a "very rare" and competitive scholarship that this university gives to international students.

Starting to cherish the dream of studying abroad in the US since grade 5 after an experience trip with her family, Bao Thy proactively built her personal profile by actively participating in clubs, competitions and international connection programs at school. She was a speaker at the TEDxYouth program when she was in grade 10, winning a series of awards in many domestic and international academic competitions.

Thy's Sweet & Savory social project raises funds to support orphans, helping me understand more about the process of running a business - contributing to my decision to choose my future major.

Thy's Sweet & Savory project raises funds to support children at Be Tho Shelter, Dong Nai. Photo: NVCC

Dream of becoming commercial director for F1 racing team

Sharing her passion for F1 cars, Thy said she was fascinated by the dramatic speed and strategies that change in milliseconds. In her essay, she told about the process of using Excel and Python with a group of friends who shared the same interest to analyze racing data, from how to apply braking and acceleration strategies depending on the track to weather conditions, and then cleverly linked it to the decision to choose Business Analytics, where data becomes language.

“I want to prove that my analytical thinking is not only a passion but also an applicable skill.” From that passion, Thy aims to become the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for an F1 racing team, applying Business Analytics to forecast the market, optimize operations, and research solutions to reduce costs and carbon emissions, building a sustainable business model. Further, she hopes to expand these initiatives to the entire automotive industry, contributing to the balance between development speed and environmental responsibility.

“F1 Highlights” helped Thy's essay stand out, being rich in imagery and emotion, while clearly demonstrating analytical ability and long-term vision.

Bao Thy (first from left) and her group of friends from IPS School attended the FRSIS 2023 International Conference in Malaysia. Photo: NVCC

Recalling the preparation phase, Thy shared: “I built a diverse application strategy by grouping schools based on suitability and competitiveness, prioritizing schools with strengths in Business Analytics/Data Science and internship opportunities in the automotive - technology field.” At the same time, Bao Thy said that personalizing each essay, instead of using a common template, is an important point to help the application stand out and score points with universities.

Bao Thy is eagerly preparing to enroll in the US in early September. In addition, she is currently spending time reviewing for the 2025 High School Graduation Exam, celebrating her meaningful 18th birthday, and preparing a speech for the Coming of Age and Gratitude Ceremony. “I hope that through my speech, I can inspire students studying at IPS on the journey of nurturing and conquering their dreams.”

Khoi Nguyen

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/giao-duc/202505/nu-sinh-dong-nai-dam-me-xe-cong-thuc-f1-trung-tuyen-30-truong-dai-hoc-my-6381cb2/