MOE Taiwan Scholar, Linh Nhi (Nessa) from Vietnam, Pursues a Bachelor’s Degree at the International College of Innovation (ICI) at National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan

How I Ended Up Studying Abroad (When I Never Planned To)

Growing up, I didn’t expect to ever see myself go for the term “study abroad.” Even though, since the day I was born, people would look at my birthday and somehow predict that I’d one day make it out of the country’s borders, I never really dared to think of that idea until senior year came.

My name is Linh Nhi, also known as Nessa or 玲兒, from Vietnam, a 2025 MOE Taiwan Scholarship winner, and a freshman at ICI @NCCU.

Looking back at my high school years, GPA and exams were the things that always made me believe I couldn’t make it abroad. For me, or maybe for many of us, studying overseas felt too expensive, and the only way to make it affordable was through something that sounded extremely exclusive and hard to reach: a scholarship.

I started preparing for my profile from the moment I stepped into high school, in grade 10. I knew that GPA and impressive academic awards weren’t my strong suit, so I chose a different way to build my story: projects and organizations. Everything I did followed one personal motto: “I may not be a smart, crazy academic achiever, but I can still leave an impact in my community.”

I began with something small, a charity club. Luckily, our high school didn’t have many clubs back then, so my opportunity came, and I got my moment to shine. The journey was tough, but I knew this was how people found their “element” to develop their personal statement. Our club earned its first success, being honored as the Most Active Club of the 2022–2023 School Year, which I think was quite impressive for a first-time president. And yes, it was also my first time ever joining a club. That story quickly became my favorite “bragging section” in every personal statement I wrote. It wasn’t the only project I built, but it became the foundation for every one that followed.

My goal was to impress the admission committee through the extracurricular side of my profile. But that didn’t mean joining as many things as possible. I only listed four organizations on my CV. What made them stand out was the role I played and the story behind each one. Everything connected naturally, like pieces of a puzzle that told the story of who I am and the footprint I left in my community. I only joined a charity club, student council, and an economics online newspaper project — yet in each, I took roles with the words “founder” or “president.” I’ve always believed in quality over quantity. Sometimes, doing too much can make you look lost in your own mess.

Still, we are students, and being good at studying will always be part of the admission criteria. I didn’t try to become “crazy good” at academics, but I aimed to stay consistent, keeping my GPA between 8.9 and 9.5. I knew academics weren’t my strongest area, but maintaining that standard was necessary to stay eligible for scholarships. It was definitely hard to balance both academics and leadership roles, but I told myself to think of it as training for college, because you’ll need that balance later.

People always say senior year is the most important year because of the graduation exams. In Vietnam, that exam decides your entry into national universities. Since I wasn’t confident with that path, studying abroad and earning a scholarship became my top priority.

When application season arrived, I followed what I call the YOLO mindset: go for everything. Don’t overthink, don’t limit yourself, just apply. You never know where destiny might lead you. Be the one who controls your journey, not the one who just follows it.

That mindset didn’t just give me the MOE Taiwan Scholarship. I also received the 2025 Dean’s Asia Scholarship from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, which covered 100% of tuition. When I applied, I didn’t even realize there were only three slots for all of Asia. I just went for it — and somehow, I made it. That’s what YOLO gave me, and I’m sure it can give you something too.

To sum up, my strategy for profile building was simple: use your first two years of high school to focus on extracurriculars and build your profile while you still have time. Senior year will be academically crazy, so prepare early. I’ve told many people that advice, yet ironically, my own senior year didn’t go by the plan either. I still held my position as Vice President of the Student Council. Why? Because doing those activities had already become my hobby.

High school isn’t just about studying or preparing for college. It’s also about enjoying one of the best times in your life. Don’t forget to do that too, or you’ll look back and realize how much you missed.