VietNamNet Bridge – Harvard has been well known as one of the few universities in the world which set high requirements on students. However, this way frightens small Vietnamese girls.

 

The Vietnamese Harvard’s girls

 
In late March 2011, Ton Ha Anh, received invitations to study at five universities with full scholarships, including the reputable Harvard University. In 2011, Harvard had a record high number of candidates with 35,000 students applying for studying at the school.

 

According to Tien Phong, Ha Anh not only is good at natural sciences, but she also has deep knowledge of social sciences, which has helped Anh “go farther” on her path of learning. The important knowledge helped Anh obtain the highest marks in the history of St. Andrew’s School for her composition. The result is really an important achievement, which helped Anh easily enroll in the prestigious universities.

 

Ha Anh is now the Chair of the St.Andrew’s former foreign students association, head of the organization board of the earth week program at St.Andrew’s 2010, member of the organization board of Aids Walk-- the event which aims to raise a fund for HIV/AIDS patients in Delaware State.

 

In 2006, the Nguyen family and local residents in the small hamlet Cau Do, in Ha Dong district in Hanoi, felt so happy when hearing that Nguyen Le Van, a small girl, became the second person of the Nguyen family and of the small hamlet who was accepted to study at Harvard University. Prior to that, Van’s cousin, Nguyen Tien Anh, also joined Harvard in April 2003. Therefore, local residents called Nguyen family “Harvard family”.

 

The day when Van received the news that she was accepted to study at Harvard University was also a happy day for the Vietnamese community in Poland, where Van and her family live. Many Polish newspapers and Vietnamese newspapers in Poland reported the important news, calling Van a perfect girl, because Van is not only very intelligent, but she is also very beautiful. She once won the title “Miss Elegant” of the Vietnamese community when she was in the 10th grade at Kopernik School in Poland.

 

The two Harvard’s girls who want to return to Vietnam

 

In 2009, Nguyen Bich Ngoc became the first student of Harvard University. She got the invitation to study at the school in April 2009, with a full scholarship of 50,000 dollars a year.

 

When asked about the recipe for success, Ngoc said that she spent four years in Singapore, which she considered a very important time that helped Ngoc improve her English.

 

After that, Ngoc became more mature and became more independent in her thoughts. Those were the characteristics that Harvard University wanted to see in its students.

 

Ngoc said on Dan Tri, that she will return to Vietnam after she graduates the school. “I decide to return to Vietnam because my father always says to me that the most important thing in going studying abroad is to return after the graduation to serve the home country,” Ngoc said. “He said there are many talented persons in the US. I would be able to contribute more to the building of the country if I work in Vietnam. Vietnam is my homeland”.

 

Tran Phuong Ngoc Thao has become a familiar portrait to Vietnamese students after local newspapers reported her outstanding learning achievements.

 

According to Phu nu Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh newspaper, Thao only had 1.5 years to fulfill the curriculum of high school. However, she still could  finish high school superbly. With such a great achievement, Thao was accepted to study at Oxford University when she was 16.

 

Four years ago, Thao excelled in completing Oxford University and she was invited by five reputable universities to study further to get a master’s degree. Thao has chosen to study at Harvard, with a full scholarship worth 50,000 dollars.

 

Thao’s friends believe that she will stay to work in the US after she gets a doctorate. However, Thao said to everyone before leaving: “I will certainly return to Vietnam”.

 

Tu Uyen