The Key to Achieving American Scholarships from the Champion of English Contests - Dinh Nam Anh
Dinh Nam Anh is an A-Level student from class 12H3, Hoang Van Thu campus, VAS. During his 12 years of study at VAS, Nam Anh’s constant national and international achievements have earned him the title, ‘Champion of International English Contests’.
On December 2018, Nam Anh was accepted and given a full scholarship worth $294.000 for four years of tuition (2019-2023) to attend The University of Chicago, in the USA. This prestigious University is ranked 3rd among America’s National Universities (after Princeton and Harvard, sharing the same place with Yale, MIT, and Columbia). It’s also the alma mater of 89 Nobel Prize winning authors, scientists and economists.
Let’s all look back at Nam Anh’s impressive achievements during his 12 years at VAS:
- VAS Talent Scholarship 2018
- Full Scholarship for Summer Session at The University of Chicago, summer 2017
- Pride student to attend Math & Science Summer Program 2018 in Hanoi, along with the other 50 most excellent students of the country.
- Scored 1550/1600 on the SAT;
- SAT Subject – Math Level 2: 800/800
- SAT Subject – Chemistry: 800/800
- Scored 119/120 on the TOEFL
- Scored 8.5 on the IELTS (Grade 9)
- Completed the music diploma ABRSM Piano, Grade 8
- Top in the World on the IGCSE, English as a Second Language (Grade 10)
- Top in Vietnam on the IGCSE, Integrated Science subject (Grade 9)
- Winner of the National TOEFL Junior Challenge Contest 2014 (Grade 8)
- Incentive Award for the HCMC Handwriting Contest, 2007-2008 (Grade 1)
Nam Anh was also the Winner of the VAS Science Research Contest and a potential young film director at the VAS Student Film Festival in 2018.
This September 2019, Nam Anh will start off his study at The University of Chicago with a major in Computer Science to follow his dream of becoming a professional developer.
According to Dinh Nam Anh, the chance of achieving scholarships will significantly increase if you are determined and have long-term preparation, and keep in mind these 3 main keys:
Get your application ready early and apply in Round 1. American Universities will assess your academic results on your school reports from grades 9-12. Therefore, you need to maintain good study results and attain the required standardized test scores on the SAT, SAT Subject, TOEFL or IELTS tests. The probability of being successfully accepted in Round 1 (deadline November 1st) is usually better than Round 2, especially when you choose the Early Decision program.
Extra-curriculuar activities should not just be limited to charity only, but should extend to activities that genuinely reflect your personality and your long-term aspirations. It can be music, arts, sports, programing, teaching, translating activities or helping out your family - in order to pursue your passion or contribute to the community.
Pro-actively research information about the school, the career you choose, and how to submit your application via the VAS Career Guidance Programme, guidebooks, Facebook group pages or online communities such as www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege and www.reddit.com/r/IntlToUSA
VAS takes pride in Nam Anh and believes that his journey at VAS is a solid foundation for Nam Anh to climb higher on the ladder of success.
