Phan Linh Lan, a 17-year-old student at Concordia International School in Hanoi, recently received her acceptance letter to Harvard, one of the eight Ivy League institutions and a university consistently ranked among the world’s best.
The school is currently ranked third globally by Times Higher Education and has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the U.S., at just 3%.
Phan Linh Lan, a senior student at Concordia International School Hanoi. Photo courtesy of Phan Linh Lan |
For Lan, the news is the culmination of a dream that began in sixth grade, when she set her sights on studying in the U.S. To align with her ambitions, she transferred from a school focused on preparing students for the U.K. to Concordia International School. Among her top university choices, Harvard stood out for its prestige and status as the oldest university in the U.S.
A well-prepared journey
Lan began preparing early to craft a competitive application. During her first three years of secondary school, she focused on the ACT (American College Testing), achieving an impressive score of 35 out of 36, which she considered the minimum requirement for Harvard.
At school, Lan pursued the Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum, completing 12 courses while maintaining near-perfect grades.
Her academic advisor, Ben Compton, described her as an “A-grade student” with a clear passion for history and politics.
Lan’s main application essay highlighted her desire to study Vietnam’s history and its place in the global landscape, with the goal of preserving her country’s cultural heritage. This interest extended to her extracurricular activities, including playing traditional Vietnamese instruments like the zither, alongside piano and violin.
“Lan is an exceptional historian and a deeply patriotic Vietnamese,” said Compton, pointing to her involvement in social science research, political studies, and the school’s National History Day competition.
Lan’s passion for languages has been another standout aspect of her journey. Using English as her primary language at school, she learned Spanish as part of the curriculum while teaching herself French and Chinese. She is now proficient in all four languages.
Her interest in languages began at the age of 12, inspired by her family’s restaurant business. Frequently accompanying her parents to meetings with international partners, Lan often served as an interpreter and occasionally helped negotiate deals during business trips.
“These experiences made me proud to contribute to my family while teaching me the importance of global integration and the advantages of multilingualism,” she said.
Lan’s leadership skills shine through her role as president of DECA Vietnam, a chapter of an international nonprofit organization focused on preparing students for business and leadership. Since early 2023, she has led initiatives, organized competitions, and managed team progress, honing her organizational and motivational abilities.
“Brainstorming ideas, organizing events, and leading my team taught me invaluable lessons in leadership and teamwork,” Lan shared.
She also excelled in technology and innovation, winning two first prizes in the AI-JAM competition in Silicon Valley. Her projects used AI to detect animal sounds for preserving endangered bird species in Vietnam and to prevent traffic accidents by identifying road defects.
Disciplined and well-rounded
Lan’s mother, Do Thuy Linh, described her as disciplined and multi-talented.
From a young age, Lan loved reading, particularly books in English, to deepen her understanding of law and politics.
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Phan Linh Lan (L) at an event in late November 2024 in her role as President of DECA Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Lan |
Despite living over 20 km from school, Lan maintains a rigorous daily schedule. She leaves home before 7 a.m. and returns around 8 p.m. She does exercises regularly, from running on busy days to gym workouts when time allows.
Lan has also earned numerous medals in football, basketball, track and field, and swimming at U13 competitions organized by FOBISIA, an association of British international schools. Though she has scaled back her athletic commitments during her senior year, she continues to focus on basketball.
With her college application process complete, Lan plans to maintain her academic performance and finish ongoing projects. She also looks forward to learning new languages and enjoying sports while preparing for her next chapter at Harvard.
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