Last week in mid-April, Vo Huynh Kim Ngoc - a student of KUV's class of 2015, officially  transferred successfully  to the University of South Florida (USF) to continue studying Business Analysis and Information Systems after completing Year 1 and Year 2 of Business Administration in Vietnam. Of course, Kim Ngoc was also easily granted an F1 visa by the US Consulate  to continue  studying Year 3 and Year 4 at this prestigious school.

Like many students from KUV, Ngoc easily transferred to and studied her last 2 years at the University of South Florida - one of the top 3 universities in the state of Florida; TOP 124 National Universities according to US News rankings and one of the very few universities in the R1 group in the US. Getting admitted to USF is not easy, but with an impressive academic record of GPA 3.84/4.0, Kim Ngoc has conquered her goal.  Last year - 2018, Ngoc was also a student of KUV who was honored at the Graduation Ceremony in Florida, US.

Returning to visit the school before starting her new journey in America, still with a bright smile, Ngoc said she was 100% ready for her upcoming studies with confidence in her language skills, maturity, and independence.

When asked about the secret to achieving a score that not every student can achieve: 3.84/4.0 in a learning environment that requires 100% English, the new USF student shared 4 things that she considered most important to her:

First: English is extremely important

After graduating from high school, Ngoc was also a candidate who did not have enough points to get into the university she loved when she was a high school student. After nearly a year of focusing on studying IELTS to switch to studying in the US with her brother, Ngoc realized that just focusing on studying and techniques to achieve a high IELTS or TOEFL certificate is really not enough to be able to study well in the American university environment. Our students need more than that, for example, how to apply their English ability in thinking, debating, how to read and filter tons of information from books and news in English, how to write a multi-page essay with rules of presentation, citation, specialized terms, and many other things. She smiled and said: "Now I know why foreign schools often teach the University Preparation program!"

Second: Set goals for yourself

Ngoc shared: “If you have a clear goal, you will always know what you need to do and how to achieve that goal. This is what American teachers taught me when I studied at KUV. This is really good for Vietnamese students, especially those who need to get an F1 visa to transfer to the US to continue studying like us.”

Third: Focus on studying and community activities

If you want to get into a good school, you must have a good foundation. High-ranking schools in the US always require students to have a very high GPA, so students need to pay attention to their subject scores. Along with that are community and social activities. This is a plus if you want to get into a good university and get a scholarship.

Finally: Be confident!

I know there are many students who can get into very good schools like students at other KU International Centers around the world, but because of lack of confidence they miss the opportunity. Ngoc thinks that if she can do it, you can do it too, just believe in yourself and follow your goals.

This coming July, Ngoc will start her new semester at USF. I wish Ngoc good health to continue studying for her own new, bigger goals! Hopefully, Ngoc's story will be a motivation for those who are aiming to own an F1 visa to transfer to a good university in the US to soon achieve it.