The set of 'normal' documents that bring male students to the top schools in the US

 The set of 'normal' documents that bring male students to the top schools in the US

No national or international excellent student award, Minh Tri still entered Rice University with a "simple but highly consistent" profile.

When most of the 12th graders are busy preparing for the high school graduation and university entrance exams, 18-year-old Hoang Minh Tri, a physics student at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, is relatively relaxed. In the early enrollment round of American universities, taking place in November 2021, Tri entered Rice University (USA). According to US News & World report, Rice ranked 17th in the list of the best universities in America.

Compared with friends, Tri decided to study abroad quite late. In the 10th grade, I "closed" this plan seriously and began to study it methodically. The male student said that if he could go back, he would start earlier, because many extracurricular activities are difficult to do in a short time. Tri spends 10th grade studying, and in 11th grade will take the certification exam and complete the essays. During the two years, I maintained extracurricular activities.

Hoang Minh Tri, a student of the Physics class, Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, entered Rice University (USA). Photo: Character provided

Hoang Minh Tri, a student in the Physics class, Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, entered Rice University (USA). Photo: Character provided

Having been invested in English by his parents since childhood, Tri had no difficulty in studying for IELTS and achieving 8.0. As for the SAT, Tri considers the Reading section quite difficult, the readings are relatively academic, academic expression. Starting to study for the SAT from October 2020, I registered for the exam after a month to check what threshold my strength was at and reached 1450/1600. Not satisfied, Tri continued to study more to improve his score. Thanks to improving vocabulary and better time management, 5 months later, Tri scored 1520 points.

In the application, the essay is the element that the candidates invest the most. With Tri, I spend the last 1-2 months of my 11th grade year sketching out many ideas, referring to my experiences in different fields. "Finally, I "closed" ideas related to teaching.

In the essay, the male student talked about his experience of teaching his first-grade cousin. When looking for teaching methods, Tri realized that if she was psychologically comfortable, she would study much more effectively. Looking back, the male student also "forgotten that studying can be fun, it doesn't have to be stressful and rigid all the time". From there, Tri arranges a schedule, balances study and extracurricular activities to achieve better results.

To learn about words and how to write essays, the guy born in 2004 consults other essays. While many songs are "like movies", there are knots, climax and very dramatic, Tri finds her essay nothing too special compared to others. A momentary uneasiness appeared, and I was a little worried that my essay would fall short. After consulting with advisors and brothers and sisters who have been admitted to American universities, Tri is more stable. "I realized that the essay is about who I am, not anyone else's, so I just need to focus on my essay," the male student said.

Minh Tri (center, top row) actively participates in sports activities. Photo: Character provided

Minh Tri (center, top row) actively participates in sports activities. Photo: Character provided

The essay topic is simple but consistent with the extracurricular activities that Tri participates in, in which the experience that makes her most proud is organizing an online class for nearly 30 students. When the fourth outbreak of the epidemic broke out, Hanoi students stopped going to school from May 2021 and almost did not complete the test at the end of the second semester (school year 2020-2021). Afraid that they might forget their knowledge, Tri invited four other friends to organize online Math and English classes for elementary students.

After asking her parents to connect and introduce her, Tri's class was established with nearly 30 students in grades 3 and 5. Every week, a one-day class was taught by five "teachers" who took turns teaching. To understand the method of communication, Tri had to watch video lectures on social networks. During the lessons, Tri and friends give students practice exercises, sometimes teaching new ones, and then organize games through various online platforms to consolidate their knowledge.

"Sometimes, I talk to my aunts and uncles who are parents. They share with their parents that they enjoy studying with friends and siblings. I think this is the most meaningful achievement that I and my friends have achieved. ", Tri said. After half a year of operation, the online class was forced to stop because the "teachers" were busy taking exams and applying to study abroad. This assessment and experience helps children learn organization, management and communication skills, understanding both parents and primary school students.