Tran Bach Nguyen (12C1, Cambridge International Program) has just marked a brilliant milestone in his 12-year academic journey by receiving a series of admission letters from the most prestigious universities in the United States. Especially, he successfully conquered Chemical Engineering – a major that is always in the group with the most rigorous entry requirements and the fiercest competition rates in the United States according to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report rankings. The list of prestigious universities naming Bach Nguyen includes:

• University of Delaware: #88 National Universities, Top 4 Undergraduate Engineering programs in the US. Scholarship of 60,000 USD/4 years.
• Purdue University: #46 National Universities, Top 8 Undergraduate Engineering programs in the US.
• University of Minnesota Twin Cities: #59 National Universities, Top 12 Undergraduate Engineering programs in the US. Scholarship of 40,000 USD/4 years.
• Stony Brook University: #59 National Universities, scholarship of 60,000 USD/4 years.
• Drexel University: #80 National Universities, scholarship of 164,000 USD/4 years.

Although still waiting for responses from other prestigious universities on his aspiration list, as of the present time, the total value of scholarships Bach Nguyen possesses has exceeded 324,000 USD (equivalent to more than 8.2 billion VND). This is an impressive figure, a clear testament to the excellent academic capacity and competitive personal identity of the Greenfield School boy.

Setting clear goals early and persevering in pursuit

As the first generation of Cambridge International students at Greenfield School, Bach Nguyen was early tempered in an environment rich in experience. Right from primary school, being encouraged by teachers to participate in extracurricular activities at school such as competitions, clubs, etc., built for him confidence and a steady mettle before crowds. Entering grade 6, his passion for numbers and scientific experiments began to manifest clearly through an inquisitive and exploratory mindset.

With a love for natural science and engineering subjects, entering grade 9, he further affirmed his chosen path through the career orientation form of the Career Guidance subject at Greenfield School. From there, he determined to pursue Chemical Engineering and spent hours self-researching on digital platforms and artificial intelligence to understand the essence of the major.

Gradually, he realized that Chemical Engineering is not simply mixing chemicals in a laboratory; it is the foundation of life, from pharmaceutical and cosmetic production processes to solving global energy crises. Deep understanding of the importance and challenging nature of the industry helped Nguyen determine that the US is where he could access pioneering knowledge. From there, he determined to choose the "land of stars and stripes" to pursue his dream, and Chemical Engineering is the destination after high school graduation.

To realize his dream, Nguyen began to outline a clear academic roadmap. Benefiting from the school's Cambridge International system with the A-Level program implemented early, Nguyen had the conditions to access and practice to achieve impressive results. Especially, with the close companionship and guidance from teachers at the school, Nguyen completed the A-Level Mathematics exam one year ahead of schedule and excellently achieved an absolute A* score. Besides, he also achieved an A in IT. These impressive achievements, along with an IELTS score of 7.0 and SAT 1530/1600 - belonging to the group of 1% of candidates with the highest scores in the world, created persuasive highlights in his study abroad profile. Owning a solid academic foundation, Bach Nguyen built a platform of confidence, ready to conquer the admissions boards of prestigious universities.

The "variable" in the essay and the spirit of a true engineer

Bach Nguyen understood that an application profile for the Engineering major in the US would become dry if it lacked the breath of practical experience. Therefore, he spent time participating in extracurricular activities to enrich his profile. With the position of President of the Greenfield School Editorial Club for 2 consecutive terms, Nguyen coordinated the creative "Y Linh" project – applying 3D printing technology to craft ancient costume models and landmarks, evoking cultural pride for primary students.

Especially, to "touch" professional reality, Nguyen excellently won an internship at the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in the summer of grade 11. Under the guidance of Doctors, he directly participated from culturing bacteria (creating "biological factories" producing pharmaceuticals), performing PCR genetic code cloning techniques to electrophoresis (a technique to read DNA results as accurately as fingerprint analysis). Those hours of high concentration in the Lab taught Nguyen the most valuable lesson: Engineering is meticulousness, patience, and the courage to be ready to accept failure to find the optimal solution.

That spirit fully crystallized in the main essay – the "key" to opening the doors of the world's leading universities. Bach Nguyen began the story from his father's honey jars, jars that were stored and preserved even before he was born. There was a time when Nguyen mistakenly thought the old honey jars that had crystallized into blocks were spoiled items to be thrown away, until he heard his father say: “Son, honey never spoils; it only changes over time.” At that moment, he realized he had misunderstood both the honey and himself, because at that time he could not yet imagine how change could lead to brilliant transformations.

Throughout the essay, Nguyen recreated the journey of maturity after years of constant experience. Instead of painting a perfect portrait with a glowing record of achievements, he chose honesty when writing about moments of self-doubt or experiments that did not yield expected results. Nguyen wrote: “To me, change is not always decay; it is a signal to try a different method. Now, the honey jars on the kitchen shelf are no longer a symbol of perfection, but a reminder of patience."

The images of honey jars, jars used to make tea, jars spread on bread, cloudy jars, clear jars became symbols for slices of Nguyen's life. An exhausted runner, a tired experimenter, or an exhausted paper drafter; all are not failures or reasons to give up. He realized that challenges are not barriers, but a "variable" that needs to be adjusted. It was the sharp scientific mindset combined with a unique, non-stereotypical personality that helped Nguyen's profile shine brilliantly among thousands of candidates.

Looking back on the 12-year journey, Bach Nguyen gives deep gratitude to the two biggest "launchpads" of his life. First of all is his family, the "solid support" that has always understood, respected, and created all conditions for him to freely pursue his passion. Accompanying that support is Greenfield School, the "great teacher" on the journey to conquer knowledge. From the inspiring words about opportunities in the US from his grade 6 Math teacher, to the dedicated companionship of homeroom and subject teachers, to the close support from the Career Guidance Office teachers, all resonated to create a solid launchpad.

Nói Talking about the future, the 12C1 boy still maintains calmness and long-term vision: "My dream is to become an engineer who creates positive values for the sustainable energy field. After learning and accumulating experience in the US, I desire to bring that knowledge back to Vietnam, contributing to the development of the country in the period of innovation."

Congratulations to Bach Nguyen on the brilliant results. Hope you will always maintain the spirit of a talented engineer, one who is not only good at solving specialized problems but also knows how to turn every variable of life to reach success!