Vu Tram Anh is currently a 12A3 English major student at the Foreign Language High School, Hanoi National University. The school she was admitted to is currently ranked 25th in the list of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, according to US News. The school said that Tram Anh was one of 25 candidates to receive the scholarship, selected from 12,500 applications.

"I screamed with joy," Tram Anh recalled the moment she heard the news on February 24. In addition to Richmond, she was also accepted into five other schools in the early admissions round.

Teacher Pham Van Thanh, homeroom teacher of class 12A3, was not surprised about his student. According to him, Tram Anh studied well, excelling in some subjects such as Literature, English and Physics.

"Tram Anh deserves this scholarship," said Mr. Thanh.

Tram Anh has had the dream of studying abroad since grade 9, but it was not until grade 11 that she started preparing her application with the advice of her aunt. Tram Anh's main essay was about the sweater her grandmother gave her. Her family has a tradition of weaving and making to order. When she was still in the business, her grandmother gave Tram Anh a sweater every year.

When I was 5 years old, I received my first turquoise sweater. The sweater fit me well and was beautiful, but it was so worn and itchy that I only wore it once and then put it away. I didn’t dare tell her because I was afraid my grandmother would be upset. Every year after receiving the sweater, I tried it on and put it away in the closet.

At the age of 16, when she received her 11th shirt, Tram Anh noticed the difference in material and color. The shirt was fashionable, comfortable to wear, and no longer itchy. Looking at the pile of sweaters in the closet from previous years, she realized that her grandmother had switched from natural materials to new materials such as synthetic fibers and cotton.

"My grandmother had to change to create products that meet market needs, even though the materials were less sustainable," Tram Anh shared.

The 11th sweater taught me many things, especially the lesson of supply and demand. She is the supplier, always having to meet the needs of the users, but doing so means giving up the values ​​that she wants to worship, such as protecting the environment.

"From the story of the sweater, I want to develop other products that are both fashionable and sustainable in the future," Tram Anh said.

In addition to the main essay, the University of Richmond requires applicants to write a supplementary essay if they want to apply for the scholarship program. The question requires applicants to tell about an unexpected lesson learned from a certain event. Tram Anh shared about her flight to Da Nang to take two AP courses, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics, last year. It was also the first time she was away from home alone, renting a hotel and traveling without her parents.

When she went to the photocopy shop to print out revision materials, Tram Anh was surprised because the shop owner did not charge her and encouraged her to do well on the exam. Because they realized she was from the North, and had come alone to a strange place to prepare for two important exams.

Up until now, the female student thought that only her family and friends cared about her. Therefore, the story made Tram Anh realize that kindness and goodness are always present everywhere, and have a strong influence. That time, she got the maximum score of 5/5 in both AP subjects (advanced program, equivalent to the first year of university in the US).

From this experience, Tram Anh believes that when writing an essay, candidates should choose the most familiar topic and accurately express themselves.

In addition, Tram Anh also has an IELTS certificate of 8.5, SAT 1500/1600, and an average score of 9.5. She participated in a research group on an application in the treatment of insomnia and won the gold prize in the IPITEX scientific research competition in Thailand.

Tram Anh also actively participates in volunteer club activities at school, raising funds for patients at the Central Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital.

In the congratulatory letter, the University of Richmond rated Tram Anh's application as "one of the best". Thanks to that, she was one of 80 candidates to enter the final interview round. The online interview lasted about 20 minutes with a panel of 6 people.

"I was a bit nervous but then I felt less scared because the teachers were friendly," Tram Anh said.

The questions revolved around her high school activities and her plans when she enrolled in college in the US. In response, Tram Anh said she would continue volunteering and helping children in the area near the university with their studies, as well as sharing her knowledge and passion for Economics.

Before enrolling in the fall, the school will pay for Tram Anh to visit the US for three days, starting March 21. The student plans to explore the facilities, take a trial class, and meet professors in the Economics department.

Dawn