Applying to 7 univerisities in the US, Nguyen Mai Anh was offered 6 scholarships

The 17-year-old student with an impressive application

After applying to 7 universities in the US, Mai Anh has been offered 6 scholarships, including one from the Parsons School of Design, which is currently ranked #1 in Fashion & Design in the US (according to USA Today), and is 2nd among global higher education institutions in fashion (according to Fashionista.com).

The school is located at the center of Manhattan, New York, and is known as “the Harvard of fashion”. The school boasts many globally-acclaimed designers such as Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Anna Sui…as alumni.

                       Nguyễn Mai Anh during her internship at Recology (USA) when she was in 11th grade

In 2018, under the support of Vinschool’s GATE Center, Mai Anh successfully won a Silver medal at the GENIUS Olympiad competition with a short film entitled “Awakened”. In addition, Mai Anh was the youngest intern at Recology – one of the largest and most enduring environmental business in the US, when she was just in 11th grade.

“To successfully apply for a scholarship, academic excellence is not enough”

To successfully apply to universities in the US, Mai Anh made very rigorous preparations, including: GPA report cards, SAT, IELTS scores, personal essays, and exposure to extracurricular activities.

“For special fields such as Fashion and Arts such as at the Parsons School of Design, academic excellence is not enough. Candidates must prove to the admission board that they are truly talented in their area of application. The board also wants to know how passionate you are about the particular field, as well as your enthusiasm for it”, Mai Anh shared.

                                                              A page from Mai Anh’s portfolio sent to the universities

Mai Anh was required to send her artistic portfolio, including projects such as designs from recycled materials; and provided introductions to the admission board about the traditional ao dai designs to which she had cut, sew and dressed herself in. The Portfolio also showcased Mai Anh’s understanding of fashion trends and included her presentation of a business plan for redesigning old clothes, and a video clip about her plan.

Mai Anh did not expect to receive a scholarship from the Parsons. “Because I thought I’d never be accepted into the Parsons School of Design – the Alma Mater of many of world-famous designers, I applied to another affiliated school with the hope that after a year, I’d be able to transfer there. However, the Dean of the School contacted me, and encouraged me to apply to Parsons. If it wasn’t for that day, I’d never have been able to realize my dream”.

“Stepping into the Parsons School of Design, I just wanted to be a student there immediately. The school is full of innovation and the products of talented students are on display everywhere in the school. That only made me want to try harder to become a student there” – Mai Anh recounted her feelings when she set foot in the Parsons School of Design for the interview with the school’s admission board.

Not only that, Mai Anh also left a good impression on the board with her unique qualities and personality: “I had made a handmade bag – a collage put together from Vietnamese ao dai pieces, as a gift for the admission board, which surprised them. Right after the interview, they wrote me an email thanking me for the special gift”.

Aside from her confidence and capability in English, it is her unique way of thinking and clear identification of goals and priorities that has brought Mai Anh these great results. We hope that the things that Mai Anh shared will serve as inspiration for us all to never limit our dreams and choices. Be brave and pursue your dreams persistently. You will surely succeed one day!