How I Secured a Full Tuition Bachelor’s as a Vietnamese Student at Aalto University, Finland Through Scholarship A

Hi, I’m Le Huu Huy, and I’m from Viet Nam. I came from a lower-middle-class family where both parents are high school teachers. My parents were very attentive to my education, and I competed and won my place in schools for the gifted as a result.

In my last year of high school, I won Scholarship A for the International Business Bachelor’s degree programme at Aalto University in Finland. Three reasons drove me towards this program. First, I was deeply aware of my family’s limited economic means, which both motivated me to pursue a business degree and to apply for one that offered a full scholarship. Second, in my high school, the majority of students aimed to study abroad, which influenced my decision. Lastly, in Viet Nam, Finland sounded like a utopia in the news, which piqued my curiosity.

Scholarship A Details

The Scholarship I won was Scholarship A for the International Business Bachelor’s degree programme at Aalto University in Finland, specifically the one for the Mikkeli campus. The scholarship covered the full tuition fee for 3 years of Bachelor’s + 2 years of Master’s (if conditions were met). The scholarship’s conditions for the Master's were a minimum grade point average of 4.00 for Bachelor’s and graduating with a Bachelor’s in normative time.

The total amount is EUR 36 000 for 3 years of Bachelor’s + EUR 30 000 for 2 years of Master’s (EUR 66 000 in total)

Educational Background

My academic background before this scholarship was that I attended schools for the gifted in my secondary and high school years. My GPA was routinely in the 9.0 to 9.6 out of 10 range. I also attended a specialised class for English in high school, and won two second prizes in English in the Vietnamese National Academic Competition. This background helps me immensely with the English and math skills needed to apply for and get the scholarship

How Did You Find Information About Scholarship A and Aalto University?

I found out about the scholarship when I was browsing for Finnish universities and their scholarships online; also, other alumni and students in my high school went to or planned to go to Aalto as well.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

Yes, I took the SAT, which is the only requirement for both getting into the programme and for the scholarship. The scholarship required a higher SAT score than the one needed to get in. I prepared for the SAT solely by working through a huge SAT workbook gifted to me by a friend. Just doing the exercises and mock tests every day, reading through answers to understand where I went wrong, and occasionally asking my parents to explain what I still don’t understand.

Technically, you also needed IELTS for immigration into Finland, and the IELTS score needs to be at least 6.5. My IELTS preparation is lots of speaking practice with my mom and just studying in high school.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for Scholarship A?

It is the same process as the application for Aalto.

How is Your Experience at Aalto University?

Both the Bachelor’s and Master’s are very decent. While professors’ quality may vary, in general, they are competent, helpful, and kind people. The Bachelor’s programme in Mikkeli does not have as nice a facility as the one for the Master’s in Espoo. Of special recommendation is the option to do an exchange for the final year of Bachelor’s and Master’s; for my Bachelor’s, the exchange was cancelled due to Covid, and for the Master’s, I did not pursue the exchange since I didn’t apply for the CEMS programme (double degree).

How Do You Rate Aalto University Academically?

I would say 8 out of 10 since some professors have real-life working experience on top of a deep academic background. They know their field and communicate that knowledge well. You just have to be attentive in class and actively ask more questions if you want to know more.

How Does Aalto University Support International Students?

The school staff are well-versed in English, all software, programmes, and materials are in English, and there are students’ associations and clubs whose main language is English. The university also has guides in English on where and how to rent accommodations.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or Finnish?

All classes are in English.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Not Knowing Finnish?

None at all

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe my SAT score is what got me the full scholarship.

Looking Back, Would You Have Done Anything Differently During Your Time in the Program?

I’m not sure since I got the full scholarship already.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

My advice for applying now would be to check the requirements and details of the programme, scholarship, and immigration, since many details may have changed since I applied.