Vietnamese student admitted to Tsinghua with application essay in classical Chinese poems

Nguyen Tuong Anh, a Vietnamese student, has been admitted to Tsinghua University's Chinese-language program with a scholarship, distinguishing herself with an innovative application essay that incorporated classical Chinese poetry. The essay, designed to maximize the limited character count, artfully wove in lines from Du Fu's poetry and quotes from the Tang Dynasty statesman Wei Zheng to express her passion for the language and her study plans. Anh, a former Chinese major at Hanoi's High School for Gifted Students in Foreign Languages, demonstrated exceptional academic prowess. Growing up with a Chinese-language lecturer mother, she developed an early affinity for the language, achieving the highest HSK 6 level before graduating from junior high. Her academic achievements include winning awards in international Chinese language competitions and national contests in Vietnam. Tsinghua University, consistently ranked among the top global institutions by QS World University Rankings, has a rigorous admission process. Anh also excelled in the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, a standardized entrance exam introduced in late 2025, scoring 85 out of 100 in mathematics and 98.75 in Chinese. Her performance in the university's interview, where she calmly navigated situational questions, further highlighted her linguistic agility and honesty. Beyond Tsinghua, Anh has also received direct admission to the Business Analytics program at Vietnam's National Economics University and has gained entry to the Foreign Trade University for International Business and Data Analytics. Her success exemplifies the high quality of Vietnamese education and the broadening international outlook of its students. Information source: VnExpress International