Nguyen Duc An Phu has successfully won over the VinUni Admissions Committee thanks to his outstanding academic performance, an impressive essay, and a standout face-to-face interview.

An Phu, a student from class 12G2 in the Bilingual Global Citizen program, first discovered VinUni during a career orientation field trip organized by Greenfield School. Realizing that VinUni’s facilities, curriculum, and faculty were on par with world-class universities, he confidently submitted his scholarship application.

With his excellent academic record, compelling essay, and strong interview performance, An Phu was awarded the "Discipline’s Honor" scholarship—one of the university's most prestigious merit-based awards, reserved exclusively for students with exceptional academic achievements, outstanding mindsets, and high potential in their chosen fields.

The scholarship covers 70% of his tuition fees, equivalent to over 2.2 billion VND, for four years of study in the Banking and Finance program at VinUni’s College of Business and Management.

Securing a scholarship with an unconventional dream

An Phu faced severe health challenges from a young age. His school years were far from typical; he spent three years during elementary school hospitalized for a critical illness. Although his education was interrupted at times, An Phu never spent a single day without yearning to return to his studies.

An Phu shared this experience in his essay to VinUni. However, instead of recounting life's hardships as a pretext for requesting a scholarship, he demonstrated his resilience and deep-seated desire to learn to the VinUni Admissions Committee.

"Returning to school in sixth grade, I was one of the weakest students in class. The only two English words I knew at the time were 'apple' and 'banana'. I felt deeply ashamed and promised myself I would catch up with my peers, no matter how long it took," An Phu wrote in his essay.

He gave well over 100% effort every day to relearn the basics. While his classmates rested, he stayed up late studying. After class, he would stay behind to ask teachers for help or finish his homework. That relentless dedication paid off when he earned the Excellent Student title at the end of sixth grade and went on to maintain the highest GPA in his class from eighth grade through the first semester of grade 12.

Years spent in the hospital witnessing the plight of underprivileged patients sparked a grand ambition in An Phu: to establish a social enterprise aimed at improving treatment access, living conditions, and educational opportunities for pediatric patients across Vietnam.

"It will not be a charity, but a profitable business capable of self-sustaining and scaling up," An Phu explained. "A charity stops when funding runs out, but a business with a stable profit stream can continue to reach and save the next child."

This vision was a major factor in his decision to major in Banking and Finance. "I have a natural strength in mathematics and numbers, and I've been exposed to the field since childhood through my mother. I believe that with my skills and knowledge, I can help disadvantaged communities," he said.

Uncovering "rough diamonds" beyond the report card

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." This famous quote by American historian and philosopher Will Durant, which An Phu cited in his essay, served as both his inspiration and his driving force.

An Phu's academic track record is exemplary. He achieved a GPA of 9.44 in grade 10, 9.51 in grade 11, and 9.57 in the first semester of grade 12, alongside an IELTS score of 8.0 and an SAT score of 1550. Yet, his approach to learning is far from that of a conventional bookworm.

Instead, he balances his studies with a rich portfolio of extracurricular activities. He has served as the Head of Finance for the Greenfield Basketball Club, Head of Events for the Greenfield Volunteer Club, and Head of HR for the Talktopus student speaker competition. He has also won several school awards, including a Silver Medal in STEAM, a Gold Medal in Basketball at the Greenfield Olympics, and Second Prize at the Greenfield Music Festival.

"When participating in extracurricular activities, I choose things that align with my interests, but I also want to build a bridge to my future major and showcase my authentic self," An Phu said.

During his interview with VinUni, An Phu was caught off guard by an unexpected question: "If you could choose a fruit to represent yourself, what would it be?" After a few seconds of thought, he gave a concise answer: "I would choose a watermelon. On the outside, it looks quite ordinary, but once cut open, the best part is found within."

His response surprised and delighted the Admissions Committee with its simplicity and honesty. Instead of trying to present a flawless, manufactured persona, he chose to show his true identity and a deep understanding of his own value.

VinUni employs an unconventional admissions process, particularly during the face-to-face interview round. Utilizing a questioning system developed under the consultation of the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, professors deliberately probe deeper into various facets of applicants. This holistic approach looks well beyond report card grades to identify genuine talent.

Following his stellar performance across both the portfolio review and interview rounds, VinUni decided to grant An Phu the maximum award for the Discipline’s Honor program, covering 70% of his tuition fees for the Banking and Finance major.

Reflecting on his three years at Greenfield School, An Phu expressed his deep gratitude to his "second family." "Greenfield School provided me with a friendly, joyful environment, alongside highly qualified and dedicated teachers. Here, I found invaluable friends who always supported each other. The academic and extracurricular experiences at the school have helped me develop holistically, creating a solid foundation and motivation for my future journey," An Phu said.