Nguyen Trang Linh (grade 12 student, Olympia High School (Hanoi) has just received the results of being admitted to 3 top universities in the US, including: Amherst College, University of Richmond and Mount Holyoke College, with a total scholarship value of up to 23.5 billion VND.

Notably, Amherst College holds the No. 2 spot in the 2025 ranking of America's top liberal arts colleges.

I am Nguyen Trang Linh. (Photo: NVCC)

Hair Salon Story

When she was a child, the ground floor of the house where Trang Linh lived was rented by a hair salon. She often came down here, sitting quietly observing life unfolding before her eyes. The salon was not only a place for beauty treatments, but also a miniature Vietnamese society, a place where all classes, occupations, and simple yet profound everyday stories converged.

That seemingly small space became the "first class of her life", helping to awaken in the female student a love for Political Science. In her essay sent to universities, the 10X recounted her journey growing up in the hair salon downstairs - where she learned to listen and understand people and the world around her. All of this was skillfully described by Trang Linh into a very real, very real story, profound enough to impress the admissions committee of the schools.

“Thanks to the years of working at the hair salon downstairs, I have developed a passion for researching Vietnamese policies and society,” Trang Linh said.

In addition to the story about the hair salon, the 10X girl said that her study abroad application made a good impression on the admissions committee thanks to the way she presented herself as someone who is eager to learn and has a colorful research mindset.

“I myself do not hesitate to ask questions, delve into issues and explore multi-dimensional aspects of life. That is very consistent with the spirit of a liberal education environment, which promotes independent thinking and the comprehensive development of each individual ,” the female student said.

Trang Linh has just won scholarships worth more than 20 billion from three American universities. (Photo: NVCC)

Regarding learning methods, Trang Linh believes that allocating and effectively utilizing time plays a key role. “ Every day in class, I always try to concentrate to fully absorb the lectures from teachers and proactively ask questions on unclear parts. Thanks to that, when it comes to the exam review stage, I don’t need to re-study too much ,” the 10X shared.

The Hanoi female student always promotes the spirit of self-study and proactively explores outside of regular school hours. With a reasonable schedule and disciplined learning attitude, Trang Linh's average score in high school has always been maintained at an impressive level, from 9.6 to 9.8. She also has 1540 SAT points and 8.5 IELTS points. While in grade 10, the 10X was also the youngest representative of Vietnam to participate in the International Economics Olympiad and brought home a bronze medal.

Always ready to contribute

In addition to her outstanding academic achievements, Nguyen Trang Linh actively participates in many extracurricular activities, community projects and academic competitions to practice comprehensive skills.

Since her high school years, 10X and her friends have carried out a project with the goal of connecting highland students in Lao Cai with more open learning and development opportunities. Within the framework of the project, Trang Linh and her colleagues organized fundraising activities, creating a source of funding for scholarships for nearly 80 high school seniors.

Most recently, in 2023, Trang Linh was the founder and chief organizer of an educational research project called LearnThrive. The project provides online learning methods and resources to help students across the country learn better in school subjects while promoting a spirit of self-learning.

The group has organized many online/offline classes and sharing sessions in many provinces and cities to support students in disadvantaged areas with limited opportunities for extra classes, so that they can easily access knowledge, contributing to narrowing the gap in learning opportunities.

In addition to her outstanding academic achievements, the Olympia school girl also actively participates in many extracurricular activities and community projects. (Photo: NVCC)

According to Master Tran Quoc Dan, Vice Principal of Olympia High School, the LearnThrive project is a testament to Trang Linh's excellent working ability. From her own experience - having encountered many difficulties with traditional Math learning, the female student strives to find solutions to support and help her friends learn Math more effectively.

“Despite her busy school schedule, Linh still arranges time to carry out projects that benefit the community. It can be said that Trang Linh is a typical example of dynamic young people who dare to think, dare to do and are always ready to contribute,” commented Master Dan.

In 2024, Trang Linh was awarded the title of Outstanding Student of the Capital for her outstanding achievements in studying and community activities. Master Pham Le Thuy, Trang Linh's 12th grade advisor, assessed that the little girl always has clear goals and directions and is not afraid to create pressure to improve her own abilities and overcome her own limits.

“The valuable point of Trang Linh is her modesty, always supporting and sharing with everyone. Perhaps that is why no matter what project she participates in or develops, she always aims for social values. And Trang Linh has shown herself to be a multi-talented person with diverse inner thoughts and personal colors,” commented Ms. Thuy.

After much consideration, Trang Linh decided to choose Amherst College as her destination for four years of university. She chose to pursue two majors: Political Science and Economics. For the Hanoi student, these are not only academic majors, but also open doors to opportunities to delve deeper into social issues, people, and policy systems - concerns that have been burning since childhood.

Kim Nhung

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bai-luan-ve-salon-toc-giup-10x-gianh-hoc-bong-23-5-ty-dong-vao-dai-hoc-cua-my-ar939719.html