One year later, he followed in his sister's footsteps, securing a scholarship to China's premier institution.

Nguyen Vu Tue Giang and her younger brother Nguyen Khoa Vu are alumni who majored in English at the High School for the Gifted under Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Separated by one year in age, both siblings selected Tsinghua University for higher education, although their journeys to the institution differed significantly.

For Giang, her passion for the Chinese language developed during childhood. In third grade, Giang enjoyed exploring Chinese history, culture, and films. At the time, lacking formal language instruction, Giang listened to character dialogue while reading subtitles to deduce meaning, steadily accumulating vocabulary with every movie. 

Recognizing her strong memory retention, Giang grew increasingly enthusiastic about Chinese. She browsed online platforms to transcribe Tang poetry until memorizing character forms, while watching gameshows and reading stories in Chinese. Language learning transitioned from a standard academic subject into a personal hobby.

In high school, Giang targeted Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University. Holding an HSK6 certificate, an IELTS score of 7.5, a SAT score of 1540/1600, and multiple awards in Chinese language competitions, she received a 50 percent scholarship to Tsinghua University's Xinya College in 2025.

Unlike his sister, Vu harbored no initial intentions to study in China during early high school. At one point, he aimed for institutions in the UK or US. A turning point occurred when Vu accompanied his family to Beijing for his sister's enrollment.

As a sports enthusiast, Vu felt particularly impressed by the university's basketball, football, and ice-skating facilities. Modern, continually updated academic infrastructure prompted him to envision studying at the campus.

Efforts to enter Tsinghua University

Upon deciding to target Tsinghua University, Vu had approximately one year for preparation. A major hurdle involved advancing his Chinese proficiency from HSK4 to HSK6 within six months.

Daily, Vu dedicated at least five to six hours to language acquisition, vocabulary review, and practice examinations. The intensive schedule occasionally produced feelings of burnout due to limited rest.

"At certain points, I experienced intense self-doubt, questioning whether I possessed sufficient capability or if my efforts were adequate to achieve results," Vu recalled.

His family, particularly his mother, provided crucial support during that phase. Vu credited his mother with influencing his decision significantly - offering guidance, evaluating academic environments objectively, and assisting throughout portfolio preparation. 

Drawing from her experiences after a year at Tsinghua, Giang also shared the university's educational philosophy and motto with her younger brother, along with strategies for presenting himself effectively to the admissions board.

Giang admitted difficulty in imagining her brother maintaining high focus toward an ambitious objective like Tsinghua within a single year.

"Vu's admission to Tsinghua University surprised me while filling me with immense pride," Giang said.

To Vu, his elder sister represented both a role model and an source of pressure. "Since childhood, I told myself that 'if my sister can do it, I can too.' As I grew older, I transformed that pressure into motivation upon realizing we possessed distinct strengths," Vu noted.

Rather than making comparisons, Vu focused on leveraging his own strengths. Alongside achieving HSK6, Vu passed the CSCA, the entrance examination for international students. In his personal essay, Vu detailed his choice to set aside dreams of becoming a professional basketball player to dedicate himself to academics.

"Perhaps my willingness to pause something meaningful to pursue Tsinghua University impressed the admissions board," Vu reflected.

Ultimately, his efforts yielded results when Vu secured a 50 percent tuition scholarship to Tsinghua University's Zhizhi College.

While his sister selected Chinese Language and Literature to deepen her research into Chinese linguistics and culture, Vu plans to pursue Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE).

For both Giang and Vu, attending Tsinghua University together offers companionship while living away from home. The siblings plan to explore Beijing on weekends and study at university libraries to experience the campus academic atmosphere.

For Vu, his freshman year at Tsinghua will serve as a period to adapt to the new environment, adjust to daily routines, and maintain academic standing. He prefers not to draft overly rigid career plans.

"Society is evolving rapidly, which makes long-term planning difficult. However, I maintain strong interest in economic and social issues, which represents a direction where I can maximize my capabilities," Vu said.

Thuy Nga