Vietnamese teen secures $300K Johns Hopkins scholarship after shifting focus from math to English

Nguyen Duc Bao Khoi, a 12th grader at Ho Chi Minh City’s High School for the Gifted, received the news at 3 a.m. in late December.

“I was half-asleep when I opened the email. Then I saw the congratulations and the 80% scholarship. I couldn’t believe it. My mom kept asking if it was real, and then my whole family cheered,” Khoi recalled.

The offer from Johns Hopkins University, ranked sixth in the U.S. and number one in Biomedical Sciences by U.S. News & World Report, brought immense relief and joy to Khoi and his family. With an acceptance rate of just 7%, the university exceeded their expectations by providing significant financial aid.

Johns Hopkins’ annual tuition is $64,730, with total costs, including living expenses, amounting to around $90,000.

Khoi credited his success to a cohesive application showcasing his academic achievements, research, extracurricular activities, and essays reflecting his passion for Biology and Medicine.

“Since I was little, my parents told me medicine is a challenging field. At first, I saw it as a conquest, but later I realized it’s a noble profession,” he said.

In middle school, Khoi excelled in Math, Chemistry, and Biology, affirming his aspiration to pursue medicine.

However, in high school, he opted for the English specialization class at the High School for the Gifted, part of Vietnam National University, HCMC as he believed English was essential for studying abroad and adapting to life overseas.

In 10th grade, Khoi self-studied the 11th-grade curriculum, completing his high school knowledge ahead of schedule. He balanced schoolwork, SAT preparation, AP courses, and extracurricular activities, achieving a GPA of 9.8, an IELTS score of 8.5, a 1560/1600 SAT score, and top AP scores in Math and Chemistry.

Khoi’s research experience also strengthened his application. He gained hands-on experience in neuroscience at the Vietnam National University’s labs during 10th grade and later joined a research team at the Stem Cell Institute.

In the summer of 11th grade, Khoi undertook a project at the Institute of Applied Materials Science, studying the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties of fishtail palm (Caryota is gentle).

Khoi recalled that at the start of the project, he had no clue what a fishtail palm was.

He was totally new to the equipment and had no idea how to measure anything. There were days when he spent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. just peeling stuff, mixing chemicals, and running tests that kept failing. The worst part was the 20-km commute to the lab in the city’s outlying district of Hoc Mon every day.

It was during this time he wouldn’t get home until it was dark and had to grab dinner on a bus before heading to his tutoring classes.

Despite all the challenges he persevered. “When I felt like giving up, I reminded myself to push a little further. I didn’t want to regret not giving my all,” he said.

For his personal essay, Khoi had been preparing since March, but five days before the submission deadline, under the guidance of his teachers, he decided to change everything. He chose to recount his journey of realizing the importance of silent contributions to society.

Khoi begins his essay with the image of his mother’s fingerprint – a unique mark that identifies and locates an individual in the vast expanse of society. Due to dry and peeling skin, his mother is almost unable to use her fingerprint, even for simple tasks like unlocking doors or phones. Yet, she still manages to “locate” herself through her contributions to society and as a caring family member, exerting a profound influence on all of his choices.

He then drew inspiration from his mother’s hardworking hands, which bore the signs of sacrifice, and his volunteer experience at an orphanage in the Mekong Delta, where he witnessed the value of small, unnoticed acts of kindness.

Tran Nam Dung, Deputy Principal of the High School for the Gifted, praised Khoi’s persistence and intellectual curiosity. “Khoi’s commitment to improvement and excellence is remarkable,” he said.

While Khoi is nearly certain to attend Johns Hopkins in the fall of 2025, he remains focused on preparing for Vietnam’s national high school graduation exams and applying to Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University as a backup.