Tran Ngoc Van Anh, a 12th-grade student at VNU ULIS Foreign Language Specialized School, has gained admission to both China’s leading universities, Peking University and Tsinghua University.
This year, Van Anh secured a full Chinese government scholarship, earning her admission to Peking University after an interview round. The full scholarship covers tuition, dormitory fees, and a stipend. She also gained admission to Tsinghua University with a partial scholarship for the first academic year.
These two universities alternately hold the top 1 and 2 positions in China. According to the latest QS rankings, Peking University is ranked 14th globally, while Tsinghua University holds around 17th or 18th place.
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Anh believes her standout Chinese language skills likely contributed to her acceptance by the admissions committees.
Starting to learn Chinese in 8th grade, Van Anh was the top scorer in the entrance exam to the 10th-grade Chinese major and the entire cohort at the High School for Gifted Students in 2022. In 11th grade, she won third place in the national Chinese language competition for high school students.
She also earned notable achievements in Chinese, including a gold medal at the competition for gifted students from coastal and northern delta gifted high schools and a second-place prize at an Olympic competition organized by Vietnam National University.
She won an HSK6 Chinese proficiency certificate in 11th grade and an IELTS score of 7.5.
Beyond academics, she actively participated in extracurricular activities and several business-related competitions.
In her personal statement, Van Anh shared her journey with the Chinese language and her dedication to academic pursuits.
She explained that her love for Chinese motivates her to improve her skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing whenever possible.
Van Anh finds combining study with entertainment effective. “I enjoy watching Chinese movies and see them as a channel, even a resource, to support my learning,” she said.
She also uses Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and Weibo to engage with native language use and learn new vocabulary.
Before exams, Van Anh focuses on practicing with sample tests and reinforcing grammar and vocabulary.
Over her three years at high school, she explored various fields to discover her true interests and the major she wants to pursue in university.
“When participating in extracurricular activities, I tried different roles like human resources, logistics, and finance. This helped me identify my strengths and passions,” she said.
Van Anh plans to pursue advertising at Peking University with the full scholarship. “I think this is a dynamic field where I can explore new areas. In China, the media sector is vibrant and globally influential. I hope to learn more to prepare for my future career,” she said.
