Not possessing a "huge" academic record, "massive" extracurricular activities like other friends, and only having a short time to prepare study abroad applications, Nguyen Tran Hai Ha (12G2, Global Citizen Bilingual System) still made a miracle.

In this year's university admissions season, Hai Ha applied to 5 prestigious Australian universities and received a "nod" from all 5. Among them, Monash University (#42 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2024) and The University of Queensland (#43 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2024) are both members of the G8 (Group of Eight - the alliance of 8 leading universities in Australia).

In addition, Hai Ha also received admission letters and generous scholarships from 3 other prestigious universities, including: University of Technology Sydney (#90 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2024); Macquarie University (#130 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2024), scholarship of 20,000 AUD/3 years and Deakin University (#233 in the world, QS World University Rankings 2024), scholarship of 25,000 AUD/3 years.

Determined to study abroad from the "fall" of failing the dream high school

Since her secondary school years, Hai Ha has nurtured the dream of studying abroad. At the end of 9th grade, she set a goal to take the entrance exam to a specialized school to challenge herself. Luck did not smile when she did not get into the desired school. However, Hai Ha believes that each journey is a milestone for her to move forward, and the goal of studying abroad is a challenge she must overcome.

"This failure is the motivation that urges me to step out of my comfort zone to find new opportunities. I believe that one exam does not determine who you are, but it must be the whole long journey you get up after stumbling. Therefore, I always believe that as long as I try, I will achieve what I dream of," Hai Ha confided.

The female student began to learn and see the opportunities that the specialized school could not give her. "In the Global Citizen Bilingual System at Greenfield School, I learned subjects like College Writing, Personal Development Skills that helped me develop myself and learn how to write essays. In addition, the IELTS subject helps me practice tests and approach tactics to do the test. Extracurricular activities are also no longer difficult when the school has a diverse club system for students to participate in according to their interests."

Studying abroad is an option chosen by many excellent students, because when studying abroad, you will have the opportunity to develop yourself. Usually, students will prepare study abroad applications from the beginning of 10th grade to ensure everything goes smoothly. But Hai Ha prepared her application at the end of the first semester of 12th grade because she was hesitant between studying abroad or studying in Vietnam. Her parents oriented her to study at an international university in Vietnam because they were not reassured when she had to be independent abroad.

Hai Ha convinced her parents and started "rolling up her sleeves" to prepare her application from the end of December. Hai Ha chose Australia because Australia does not focus on extracurricular activities but requires more academically. She also likes the environment, climate and finds that Australia does not have a long geographical distance from Vietnam like other countries. Finally, she was welcomed by all 5 universities.

A strong profile is not as important as a suitable one

Sharing about her application journey, Hai Ha said that she spent time carefully researching the admission requirements of each school and major, using the "tactic" of applying to many schools to increase her chances of admission. She also constantly adjusted and designed her application to suit the characteristics of each school.

"SAT score just reached the usable level, IELTS 7.5, GPA from 9.2 - 9.4. My profile is not 'huge' like other people's, but my background is quite normal. But it was the careful and dedicated preparation that helped me achieve results. I conquered the Admissions Committee with an essay about my journey of 'breaking out of the cocoon' of shyness," Hai Ha said.

According to Hai Ha, the essay is an aspect that shows her passion and dreams that the Admissions Committee can consider very carefully, so it should not be ignored. In the essay, Hai Ha mentioned the process of overcoming her limits during 3 years of high school and she associated that process with the life cycle of a butterfly. From a shy person, she boldly asked questions, exchanged ideas with teachers more and enthusiastically participated in extracurricular clubs.

However, Hai Ha believes that a personal essay is not a personal story but needs to intertwine personal stories with demonstrating academic ability and aspirations. She showed her passion for the Business subject she learned at school, the volunteer activities she participated in with her dream major and future career orientation so that the examiners understand that giving her the opportunity will bring many values ​​not only to herself but also to the community.

Faced with many open opportunities, Hai Ha plans to choose the Business Department of Monash University. This is the only faculty in the G8 group that is recognized for its quality by three prestigious organizations in the world: AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. Hai Ha expressed her love for Marketing because of the impact that brands can bring through the messages they convey in their campaigns.

"I like Marketing because Marketing has two sides, one side is about business, the other is about society. Marketing not only includes promoting products, understanding customer tastes, but also impacting society by conveying meaningful messages in campaigns," Hai Ha said.

Recently, Hai Ha continued to receive good news when she was granted a scholarship worth 10,000 AUD by Monash University. Hearing the news that her student won the scholarship, Ms. Truong Ai Nhi (IELTS Teacher) also burst into happiness and realized that it was indeed a worthy result for Hai Ha.

Ms. Ai Nhi excitedly said: "Hai Ha is an intelligent, agile student with a high sense of self-study. She always sets short-term and long-term goals to help herself constantly strive and achieve progress on her long-term learning journey. I believe this is an important quality that helps her reap sweet fruits like today."

Currently, Hai Ha is making efforts to complete the National High School Graduation Exam in the coming time. She also tries her best to learn about teaching methods in Australia so as not to be surprised when she enters school. When she goes to Australia, Hai Ha will try to study well and always be ready to accept all changes with positive energy.

Congratulations to Hai Ha and wish her to continue to reap much happiness and success on the journey ahead!