Love reading books, studying law since childhood

"The admissions committee was convinced by your passion, determination, achievements and heart. You are a great fit for Stanford," was a passage in the acceptance letter that Stanford University sent to Dang Khanh Linh.

With an admission rate of less than 4%, Stanford is one of the three most difficult universities to get into in the US (along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard).

Dang Khanh Linh, 18 years old, a student at Olympia High School, has just received notice of admission to Stanford University (Photo: NVCC).

"Early in the morning of March 28, even though I knew that Stanford University's results would be out, I didn't dare open the letter to see. My mother encouraged me, telling me not to worry too much, to just prepare a comfortable mentality because I already had very good results from other schools, and if I didn't get into Stanford, it would be very normal.

And when I opened my mailbox and saw the fireworks (a typical feature of American universities when announcing admission) and the words "Congratulations Khanh Linh", I thought this was a dream. Until now, after receiving so many congratulations, I still think I'm dreaming," Khanh Linh shared.

Khanh Linh's profile is strong in academics and scientific research. Thanks to early goal setting, the female student achieved an SAT score of 1,540 in grade 10, an IELTS score of 8.0 and an excellent predicted IB (International Baccalaureate) score.

He also won a gold medal in the World Scholar's Cup (international debate competition) essay writing finals at Yale University, USA; and individual and team gold medals in the World Scholar's Cup regional round in Bangkok, Thailand.

Notably, Khanh Linh is the founder of an internal magazine, researching and publishing more than 30 policy analysis articles on children's rights.

Law and public policy are the fields that Khanh Linh pursues. Her activities, research and projects throughout her high school years as shown in her university application all revolve around this field.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh - Khanh Linh's mother - shared that the girl has loved reading books since she was little. She was born in France when her parents were doing PhD research in law there.

Khanh Linh has loved researching and learning about law and policy since she was a child (Photo: NVCC).

"Loving research and learning about law and policy must be in your genes. So when approaching and writing about these topics, your thinking ability sometimes surprises and impresses your parents.

"She is a good girl, affectionate and compassionate, with excellent writing and language skills. I was very touched when I read the letter from the Stanford Admissions Board to her, when they recognized her achievements, passion and heart," said Ms. Binh.

Participating in debate teams in many countries, national and international English debate competitions help Khanh Linh have multidimensional thinking and methods of researching and evaluating complex political and social issues on a global scale.

This process helped me pay early attention to policies and laws protecting vulnerable groups in society including women, children, LGBT people, ethnic minorities...

One of Khanh Linh’s essays submitted to Stanford University recounted her debate with her parents over the topic of same-sex marriage. The student said that despite the differences in views between the two generations, she and her parents understood each other better and reached an agreement on how to behave.

"Every revolution begins with a single stitch"

In her main essay applying to an American university, Khanh Linh opened with the image "Every revolution begins with a single stitch".

From learning embroidery with her mother, Khanh Linh realized that to have a complete picture with complex lines, it is necessary to start with each stitch.

The entire essay is Khanh Linh's journey of discovering her passion, learning about it, building it and starting to devote herself to it one thing at a time, from small to large, like each stitch.

Khanh Linh at the World Scholar's Cup finals, USA (Photo: NVCC).

"I ended my essay by saying that I am currently pursuing activities related to law and public policy for disadvantaged groups, like each thread and stitch to create the big picture in the future," Khanh Linh shared.

Khanh Linh is part of the first class of students studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Olympia. This program requires students to choose at least three advanced subjects and three standard subjects. Linh challenged herself with four advanced subjects, including mathematics, biology, business administration, and English literature.

"By choosing many advanced subjects, I want the admissions board to see that I am not only capable of studying, but also not afraid to challenge myself.

I think Stanford accepted me because they evaluated me from an academic perspective and saw my passion for the field I wanted to pursue," Khanh Linh expressed.

Dr. Le Thi Tram Huong, academic instructor of the integrated program at Olympia School, said that the biggest challenge for Khanh Linh in the process of preparing her study abroad application was arranging her time.

According to her, the program requires high academic standards, with strict regulations on study time and practice. To balance, Linh always has to proactively plan and promptly discuss with teachers any difficulties encountered to get support.

"Teachers often call Linh the steel rose. She is always gentle, sociable and modest in the group, but inside she has a strong will, determination and rare courage," said Ms. Huong.

Master Tran Minh Son, IB teacher, Khanh Linh's math teacher commented that the student is excellent in math, especially in the ability to read and study on his own.

"Khanh Linh has a natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning that extends beyond the classroom. She approaches complex issues with calm determination and never hesitates to ask questions or seek additional resources for deeper understanding.

I remember one time Khanh Linh missed a Math class on the topic of differential equations because she had to write a lot of essays. But during the few hours between classes, Khanh Linh read the materials and did the exercises herself to catch up with the class's progress."

In addition to Stanford University, Khanh Linh also received admission notices from top universities in the US (Michigan, Virginia); Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Monash).

In particular, Khanh Linh received a full Trustee Scholar scholarship from Boston University, USA worth nearly 8 billion for 4 years of study.

This is a very rare scholarship that the school only gives to nearly 20 of the most outstanding students out of the total of more than 11 thousand students that Boston University accepts each year. Students who receive this scholarship will be called Boston University Scholars and will participate in special training courses and scholar exchanges.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-sinh-viet-trung-tuyen-dh-stanford-bang-dam-me-nghien-cuu-quyen-tre-em-20250402154140032.htm