Vietnamese girl got perfect score at Harvard, decided to "transform" from boredom with studying

(Dan Tri) - After her first year of study, Nguyen Do Thu Phuong, a medical master's student at Harvard Medical School, made a strong impression with a perfect 4.0 GPA - a dream number for many students.

GPA 4.0 is the set target

Graduating from the nursing major at VinUni University and a second degree in foreign economics at the Foreign Trade University, Nguyen Do Thu Phuong (24 years old, Lam Dong) applied for a master's program in global health delivery at Harvard Medical School.

Without any prior planning, she only started preparing her application documents at the end of her third year of university. After hastily researching, completing documents, and writing essays in the final weeks, Phuong entered Harvard Medical School with a very unique story.

The magic happened when she was accepted into the prestigious Harvard University, the third oldest medical school in the US, founded in 1782.

Here, Phuong became the first Vietnamese and the youngest student in the master's program offering global health .

After two semesters, the Vietnamese girl achieved a perfect average score of 4.0/4.0. This is not an easy achievement, when the learning environment requires critical thinking, in-depth analysis and high academic level.

Phuong doesn’t use any special study tips or strategies. She says she studies like any other student: attends class regularly, does her homework carefully, and follows the requirements of the assignments. The only difference is that she studies with a focused focus.

“I decided from the beginning that I wanted to get a 4.0. Since it is a goal, I will try to achieve it,” Phuong shared.

Although she had set her goals, the midterm and final exams were still very stressful, so Phuong had to study hard day and night. Phuong said that there was a time when she studied so much that she spent every day in the library, finishing her classes and then studying in the library until late at night, then returning home to sit at her desk to do her homework. There were days when she studied all night, but she only dared to do so during exam season.

Thu Phuong (middle) actively participated in many activities while studying in the US (Photo: NVCC).

The female student said that during the month of waiting for her score, she was worried about whether her essay was on point and whether her teachers would be satisfied. When she found out she got a perfect score, she was really happy.

Despite her excellent achievements, Phuong does not think scores are everything. She believes that this number should be seen as a foundation, not a measure to compare students.

According to Phuong, 3.8, 3.9 or 4.0 are not really that different, each person studies different subjects, different teachers, different conditions. But for her, 4.0 is a way to affirm personal efforts, a stepping stone to do greater things.

Inspired by Hmong children

Thu Phuong recounted that she grew up in Bao Loc city ( Lam Dong ), attended high school at Bao Loc High School for the Gifted, then went to university with two majors at the same time. That was also the time when she began to feel herself caught up in a cycle of learning overload to the point of boredom, fatigue and confusion.

The turning point came during a summer when she was “so bored I didn’t want to go home”. Phuong signed up for a volunteer program teaching English to Hmong children in Sa Pa (Lao Cai). During her time living with the highlanders, Phuong saw clearly the difference in living conditions and healthcare for the first time.

“The height and build of the children there were much smaller than mine. At that time, I began to think that the health situation in this area was really not guaranteed,” Phuong said.

Not only do they lack nutrition, many families give birth at home and do not vaccinate their children. These seemingly small things make a nursing student worry a lot.

“When I saw that situation, I felt the need to study further, to understand better and be able to do something. The experience in Sa Pa was a catalyst, a turning point that shaped the field of study I would pursue later,” the female medical master student shared.

It was this trip that helped Phuong pass the first round of the Harvard University admissions process. Based on her real-life experience, she chose to major in global health delivery, a field of study that she believed could directly contribute to improving what she had witnessed in Sa Pa.

Phuong confided: “At that time, I thought that if I learned, and later had a voice and expertise, I could come back and help the people there. Not helping everyone, but helping a few people would be enough.”

Now, after her first year at Harvard, Phuong is in Sapa to conduct a public health research project. She will continue here until the end of August before returning to the US for the next academic year.

Thu Phuong and Hmong children in Sa Pa on her return after her first year at Harvard (Photo: NVCC).

When asked about her plans after graduation, Thu Phuong did not hide her desire to return to Vietnam to work. However, she also frankly shared about current barriers such as the research system lacking stable financial resources and limited opportunities to work in the right field in remote areas.

Phuong confided: "Wanting to go home is one thing, but going home to do what you want requires enough resources."

Not starting with the Harvard dream, Nguyen Do Thu Phuong went through university with a lot of doubts, fatigue and worries. But it was the pause in Sa Pa, among dirty children and a meal of only vegetables that helped her determine the most important thing: "What is the purpose of studying?".

Khanh Ly

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/co-gai-viet-dat-diem-tuyet-doi-o-harvard-quyet-dinh-lot-xac-tu-chan-hoc-20250719064349629.htm