Female student passed the world's top 10 university entrance exam thanks to her passion for Philosophy

Talking about how to overcome the inferiority complex of being criticized for being obese and having dark skin, as well as the process of changing perception with philosophical thinking, Nhu Phuc won a place in the world's top 10 universities.

Cao Hoang Nhu Phuc received news of his admission to the Philosophy program at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), on the afternoon of March 31. This school is ranked 10th in the world's best university rankings in 2024, according to QS .

Previously, a female student of class 12E specializing in English at Quang Trung High School for the Gifted, Binh Phuoc , received admission letters from 11 other schools, all in the top 50 of the US and Canada. Among them, the University of Toronto (top 1 in Canada), California Los Angeles (top 15 in the US), Florida, California San Diego and California Davis (tied at 28 in the US).

Cao Hoang Nhu Phuc in Canada, August 2023. Photo: Character provided

On the first day of 10th grade, Nhu Phuc read many documents and watched videos about Philosophy, practicing analyzing events from the perspective of modern Western Philosophy. He felt the closeness of this subject to social issues, such as racism or discrimination. Philosophy also helps him practice good thinking and analytical skills, to develop himself later.

"I once read about a woman who became a Philosophy professor after being sexually abused at the age of 13. How she overcame her difficulties is also a philosophical issue," said Nhu Phuc, who assessed that many American universities are strong in this field, so she started preparing her study abroad application from the middle of 11th grade.

Phuc said she had experienced body discrimination in the past. She was teased by everyone and her friends because she was fat, had dark skin and lots of acne. At that time, people often gently reminded her to use sunscreen, tone up her skin or lose weight, which made her feel inferior and try to hide herself. But when she lived with her sister and interacted with many friends in the big city, Phuc realized that she was not at fault and did not deserve to be teased.

"I did a community project, posting a series of articles on social media to convey the message to everyone around me that your uniqueness and personality are what make you beautiful, not your skin color or appearance," Phuc said.

This was also the topic Phuc chose for one of his four essays to UC Berkeley. The school’s question asked about personal contributions to the betterment of the surrounding community, in addition to his academic record and extracurricular activities.

In her second essay, which asked about her ability to solve problems as a leader, Nhu Phuc recounted the process of creating a podcast and organizing plays on the topic of women's dignity. She noticed that many male students left rude comments about women's bodies and personalities, believing that she had the right to make such comments. Phuc and her group members wanted to change this perception.

The final two essays asked students to describe their special abilities and the greatest challenges they have faced. Nhu Phuc shared about her volunteering trip to the border commune of Dak O, which helped her develop her deep listening skills and the challenge of being a mediator in arguments. Having watched her father and sister argue, she wrote a letter, hoping that people would understand that hot tempers sometimes hurt family relationships.

"The four essays talked about the process of changing perceptions, affirming who I am and helping the school better understand my journey of maturity," said Nhu Phuc. "This is also a point that fits the philosophical 'spirit'."

In the extracurricular activities section, in addition to school projects, the female student talked about her internship experience and online training at two large financial companies in the US, JPMorgan and Accenture, in the summer of 11th grade. She happened to know about these two programs when searching for internship opportunities online.

In the extracurricular activities section, in addition to school projects, the female student talked about her internship experience and online training at two large financial companies in the US, JPMorgan and Accenture, since the summer of 11th grade.

At JPMorgan, I participated in customer research, analyzing potential for business expansion plans. At Accenture, I was responsible for customer care and financial modeling.

To do this, Nhu Phuc had to rely on the help of her family and her sister who is studying for a Master's degree in Business Administration. The biggest difficulty for the female student is balancing her time for these activities with her studies.

"Many nights I had to stay up all night, once it took me two days to complete a report. But in return I got to meet many people from many countries, improving my communication skills, time management and work experience," Nhu Phuc shared.

Phuc attends the AYIMUN Model United Nations Conference in Malaysia, August 2023. Photo: Character provided

Ms. Ho Thuy Hang, the English teacher who trained the national excellent student team of Binh Phuoc province, said Nhu Phuc is a rare student in the history of Quang Trung High School to pass the entrance exam to a top university in the US. Previously, the female student won third prize twice in the national excellent student exam in English, with an average score of over 9.6 for three years, and an SAT score of 1,490/1,600.

"Phuc has outstanding abilities. As long as he sets a goal, he can achieve it," Ms. Hang commented.

Supporting Phuc in the application process, Dinh Tien Dat, 22 years old, founder of Arinet Education, noticed that the female student had a high level of discipline. Although busy studying for the excellent student exam, Phuc still arranged to participate in social activities and was the head of the English club at school.

"The highlight and difference in Phuc's profile is the essay," Dat assessed. "When writing the essay, he knows how to string together lessons and experiences in life to express his own personality."

Nhu Phuc said preparing documents for studying abroad is a long journey, requiring investment and seriousness. "Everything happens for a reason, I believe that I can achieve what I want if I try hard enough," the female student said.

The female student wants to enroll in UC Berkeley, planning to work part-time to cover living expenses and reduce the burden on her family. However, she also wants to wait for the financial aid results from the University of Toronto before making a decision.

"In the future, I will continue to study for a Master's degree in Law," Phuc shared.

Doan Hung

Source: https://vnexpress.net/nu-sinh-do-dai-hoc-top-10-the-gioi-nho-dam-me-triet-hoc-4731340.html