Vietnamese student gives up Western plans to follow his sister to 'China's MIT'

Once set on either the U.K. or the U.S., a Vietnamese student changed his mind and went on to win a place at China's Tsinghua, one of the country's most prestigious universities.

Nguyen Khoa Vu, a graduate of Hanoi's Foreign Language Specialized School, has won a 50% tuition scholarship to Tsinghua University's Zhishan College. Tsinghua, often dubbed "China's MIT", ranks 14th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

Zhishan, a social sciences college Tsinghua launched in 2024, charges CNY26,000 (US$3,900) a year in tuition.

Its majors include economics, sociology, political science and public administration, international politics and statistics.

Vu's older sister, Nguyen Vu Tue Giang, was admitted to Tsinghua on a scholarship in 2025.

Used to Western culture and passionate about basketball, Vu flatly refused when his mother suggested he follow his sister to Beijing.

"At one point I told my parents straight out: "either the U.K. or the U.S., or I stay home," he recalled.

In August 2025, he traveled to Beijing with his family for his sister's enrollment.

The modern classrooms, swimming pool and basketball courts, along with time spent with Vietnamese students there, won him over.

"Everything felt right, and I realized this was the environment for me," he said.

Nguyen Khoa Vu and his sister, Nguyen Vu Tue Giang, at Tsinghua University in September 2026. Photo courtesy of Vu and Giang

Vu's application included his transcripts, language certificates, recommendation letters, a personal essay and a self-introduction video.

He also submitted math and Chinese results from the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), a new standardized test for international undergraduate applicants.

He kept an average above 9 out of 10 throughout high school. His language scores include IELTS 7.5 and HSK 6, the highest of the Chinese proficiency test's six core levels.

In his essay, Vu wrote about setting aside his dream of playing professional basketball to focus on academics and economics.

"I wanted to show that however passionate I am about sports, I can set it aside and excel at another goal," he said.

"A sports career is a huge challenge because it requires substantial resources and the right environment to develop," he added.

He picked economics because he inherited his mother's head for business, he said. While still in school, he imported trendy toys and sold sneakers online.

After clearing the application review, Vu advanced to an in-person interview.

Three professors spent 15 minutes questioning him on a range of topics and even had him solve math problems on the spot. Candidates must keep the interview content confidential.

"At one point I admitted I didn't know anything about a topic the professor raised and asked for a different question," Vu said, crediting honesty for his success.

Vu handled pressure remarkably well, moving from HSK 4 to HSK 6 in six months, said Hoang Lan Chi, a lecturer at Hanoi's University of Languages and International Studies who guided him through the application.

"Vu proved he meets the university's admission criteria. He is well-rounded, from academics, music and sports to determination, perseverance and discipline," she said.

Giang, self-motivated and a natural student, mostly needed support from the sidelines, said their mother, Mai Dung.

Vu was capable but sometimes distracted, she said, so she watched him more closely, often pointing to successful role models and steering him toward his sister's example.

"I let my children experience things, take responsibility and face failure early, while quietly creating situations that spark their passion," she said.

She believes that bringing Vu along to his sister's enrollment, and letting him mingle with Tsinghua students, helped him find his own goal.