Vietnamese High School Student Secures STEM Scholarship at Top Chinese University

Nguyen Quy Bao, an 18-year-old Vietnamese high school student, has secured a full scholarship in engineering at Tsinghua University, one of China's premier institutions. A former student of the specialized Foreign Language High School under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Bao impressed the admissions committee by linking his unique passion for building boats from scrap materials with his involvement in a research project on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder. Tsinghua University, ranked 14th globally by QS World University Rankings, is a leading university in China. Bao will receive a full scholarship for his first year, covering tuition fees of 30,000 RMB (approximately 116 million VND). Scholarships for subsequent years will be awarded based on academic performance. Bao has harbored a strong interest in Mathematics and Physics since childhood. His enthusiasm for studying abroad grew after participating in cultural exchange programs in Suzhou and Shanghai during high school. "People in China are very enthusiastic in supporting international students, from teachers to sales staff. That experience has strengthened my belief in studying abroad," Bao shared. Applications to Chinese universities typically require academic transcripts, language proficiency certificates, essays, self-introduction videos, and the results of the CSCA, an entrance exam for international students. Bao meticulously planned his application, maintaining a GPA of around 9.6-9.8. As a student specializing in Chinese, he achieved the highest level of the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) certification, HSK6, and also scored 7.5 in IELTS, enhancing his application's competitiveness. In his essay, which required self-introduction and a study plan, Bao began by recounting his childhood fascination with assembling and crafting foam boats using fan motors and scrap materials. He also detailed his participation in an online research summer camp at Tsinghua, where he served as a group assistant for a project on integrating AI in diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this role, he was responsible for finding materials, summarizing information, and writing the introductory section, thereby connecting his interests and experiences with the engineering field at the university. For the CSCA exam, Bao chose Mathematics as a compulsory subject and Physics as his elective. The exam, conducted online under the supervision of two cameras, covered advanced topics relevant to Vietnamese high school curricula for grades 11 and 12. He noted that the Mathematics section focused heavily on applied knowledge, while Physics was more challenging, with approximately 30% of the questions related to kinematics. During the interview round, professors posed a series of questions not only about his major but also about broader societal, cultural, historical, economic, and financial topics. "The professors demanded a comprehensive societal perspective. I believe my confident responses, without much hesitation, helped persuade them," Bao stated, noting that the university requires confidentiality regarding interview questions. Ms. Nguyen Mai Chi, Bao's application advisor, praised his early and clear định hướng (orientation/direction), highlighting how his proactive participation in competitions and activities provided valuable experience and learning opportunities, giving him an edge in his application. Bao himself emphasized the importance of early preparation, concluding, "You must truly understand what you want and understand the field you choose to create a complete application." Source: VnExpress