Hoang Thi Hoai Thanh, 22, is a graduate of the Business and Management Institute at VinUniversity (VinUni), a private, non-profit university in Hanoi founded by Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private corporation.
“Getting into Harvard required not only academic achievements but also guidance from my boss and support from good friends and teammates,” Thanh said.
Typically, MBA programs require applicants to have work experience, but Harvard’s Deferred MBA program allows final-year students to apply early. Harvard Business School is currently ranked among the top three globally for MBA education, according to the 2025 QS World University Rankings.
Hoang Thi Hoai Thanh in a photo she provided to Read. |
One of Thanh’s recommendation letters came from Kenneth Chong, a Harvard Law School alumnus and CEO of Arrowster, a U.S.-based educational company. He noted that gaining admission to a school with an acceptance rate below 10% is a testament to her abilities, describing her as decisive and adept at translating market insights into actionable business strategies.
“I was immediately impressed after speaking with Thanh last year and offered her a job on the spot,” Chong said.
Thanh graduated from Tran Phu High School for the Gifted in Hai Phong, excelling in English. She won first prize in a national English competition in 12th grade and earned gold medals in the Northern Delta and Coastal Student Competition in grades 10 and 11. She holds an IELTS score of 8.5 and an SAT score of 1580/1600, securing a full scholarship to VinUniversity four years ago.
Originally, Thanh did not plan to pursue graduate school, aiming instead to gain work experience. However, during a student exchange program at Cornell University, she was reminded of her postponed study-abroad dreams and resolved to pursue them.
 |
Hoang Thi Hoai Thanh (R) pose with two friends during her exchange program at Cornell University. Photo courtesy of Thanh |
While in the U.S., she prepared her MBA application, scored 720/800 on the GMAT, and secured an internship. Her application reflected not only high academic performance and extracurricular involvement but also her co-founding of UpYouth, a student organization supporting young Vietnamese in entrepreneurship.
Thanh obtained two recommendation letters, one from Chong and the other from her university president, who had supervised her on an extracurricular project. “Recommendation writers should be both familiar with the applicant and reputable,” Thanh said.
The application required three essays, each 200-250 words, exploring how life experiences shaped her leadership skills.
Thanh’s essays included a story about her mother. Born in a poor rural area and never finishing high school, her mother would visit construction sites to learn about materials and suppliers. Teaching herself construction skills, she eventually became a respected contractor.
Witnessing her mother’s perseverance taught Thanh that a good leader must lead by example, inspiring her own leadership style in running “UpYouth.” Thanh completed her essay in over a month, drafting 28 versions.
In her other essays, Thanh shared her personal background and the lessons she learned from her educational and work environments. She emphasized her understanding of Vietnam, rather than merely highlighting her strengths over other candidates.
In her interview, when asked, “If young Vietnamese were to start a business, which industry should they focus on?” Thanh answered, “Education.” She explained that Vietnamese parents highly prioritize education, making it a competitive field for entrepreneurs. However, she recommended that young startups consider a B2B (business-to-business) model over B2C (business-to-consumer) for revenue stability.
Thanh can defer her admission to Harvard for up to four years to gain work experience. She currently represents education consultancy agency Arrowster in Vietnam and plans to begin her MBA studies after gaining the experience she desires.
The tuition for Harvard’s MBA program is approximately US$76,000. Thanh mentioned that financial aid options will be evaluated when she enrolls.
Comments are closed.