MA Media Arts and Studies Student Trung Nguyen from Vietnam Shares His Journey of Studying at Ohio University, United States

My name is Trung Nguyen, and I am a Fulbright Scholar from Vietnam. I’m currently finishing my Master of Arts in Media Arts and Studies at the Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University, graduating this May 2026. My graduate studies are fully funded by the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (FFSP).

Before becoming a student again, I spent over 15 years working in communication across different countries, mostly in branding and media. It was a career I genuinely loved, despite the long hours, tight deadlines, and a phone that never really goes silent.

In late 2023, I was part of a project celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam. Being close to that milestone, hearing scholars’ stories, and understanding what the program truly stood for made me realize I didn’t just admire it from the outside. I truly wanted to become part of that network, to contribute, and to grow in ways my career alone couldn’t offer.

And while a Master’s degree wasn’t strictly necessary for where I was professionally, it gave me something I had quietly wanted for a long time: the ability to teach, to mentor, and to share what 15 years in the real world had taught me with the next generation of Vietnamese communicators.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program Details

I am a recipient of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (FFSP), sponsored by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Our program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), hosted at Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication.

Through IIE’s placement process, the program applied on my behalf to four U.S. universities, securing admissions and negotiating funding. Eventually, I was appointed to join Ohio University for two years, beginning Fall 2024.

While I’m not able to disclose the exact total value of the award, the FFSP is a comprehensive, fully-funded scholarship. It covers 100% of tuition and fees, a monthly living stipend (the Monthly Maintenance Rate, which typically ranges from $2,831 to $4,300 depending on the cost of living in your university's location), health insurance, and a round-trip international flight. For anyone wondering what “fully funded” truly means, this is it!

Educational Background

I hold a Bachelor of Arts with Second Class Honours (First Division) in Advertising Communication from LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore, accredited by The Open University, UK. It is equivalent to a 3.6 GPA on the US 4.0 scale.

After graduating, I stayed in Singapore for nearly a decade, building my career in communication and branding before returning to Vietnam in 2017. Looking back, studying abroad was one of the most formative decisions of my life, not only academically, but also personally. Being far from home, immersed in a new culture, and figuring things out on your own has a way of showing you who you really are.

When I was preparing my Fulbright application, I kept coming back to those years in Singapore. While not giving me an advantage, they showed me, and I hope, showed the selection committee that I could genuinely thrive in a foreign academic environment, and I was ready to do it again.

How Did You Find Information About Fulbright Foreign Student Program and Ohio University?

My path to becoming a Fulbrighter is really shaped by one person: my close friend and a Vietnamese Fulbright alumnus, Tada Le Thang. He was the showrunner of a project celebrating the 30th anniversary of Fulbright in Vietnam that I was part of. He has always embodied the Fulbright spirit in everything he does, and working with him on that project made the scholarship feel less like a distant dream and more like something within reach for me. The more I learned about the program, the more I felt I didn’t just want to support it from the sidelines. I wanted to be part of it myself. From there, I did my own research on the scholarship, and the rest followed naturally.

For the standardized English tests, I had to take two different exams. For the initial Fulbright application, I chose the Duolingo English Test, as it’s fast, affordable, and flexible if you need to retake it. I spent about two days, four hours per day, preparing, mostly getting familiar with the format. I scored 140 overall.

After being awarded the scholarship, IIE assisted me in applying to four U.S. universities. Since some of them didn’t recognize the Duolingo test, I had to sit for the IELTS. I had about four weeks to prepare. For the first 25 days, I averaged about an hour a day, mostly refreshing my memory on the test format. In the final four days, I pushed that up to four to five hours a day. I got an 8.0 overall band.

Part of that result came from the IELTS knowledge I absorbed through the Fulbright finalists in my cohort, and from my work as a producer, writer, and casting director on IELTS Face-off, a national Vietnamese TV program for young learners. Thinking back, I had been surrounded by IELTS experts for longer than I realized.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program?

The Fulbright application requires two core essays, a Personal Statement and a Study Plan, along with three reference letters. It sounds straightforward on paper, but in reality, it took months of reflection, honest conversations with mentors, friends, and colleagues, and more than a few moments of self-doubt before everything came together.

I tackled the reference letters first. It’s easy to underestimate how much time and coordination that part takes. You’re essentially asking people who believe in you to sit down and articulate why, on your behalf. Giving them enough time to do that thoughtfully is important.

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

don’t do it alone. The people around you often see things in you that you might not see in yourself yet.

How is Your Experience at Ohio University?

For my case, I'd like to share my experience with two separate entities, IIE and Ohio University, as both played distinct roles in my journey.

IIE, the U.S.-based implementing partner that administers the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, has been my main point of contact from the very beginning, from the university placement process while I was still in Vietnam, all the way through my two years of study in the U.S. Overall, IIE has been a genuinely supportive partner throughout. It's worth noting that early 2025 brought some significant disruptions when DOGE impacted federal funding and furloughed IIE staff. Even through that period, the IIE team remained communicative and helpful.

As for Ohio University, I was placed here by IIE based on program compatibility with my study plan and funding availability, and it turned out to be a great fit. My program, Media Arts and Studies at the Scripps College of Communication, is recognized as one of the top 50 media programs in the United States. Academically, it has been transformative. It genuinely feels like an upgrade, for my thinking, my knowledge, and my career advancement. My focus has been on two areas: emerging technologies in communication and media representation.

During the funding disruption period, Ohio University stepped up in ways I won't forget. The university provided Fulbright students with a portion of our stipend to help cover expenses (which was later returned once funding resumed). And through a wonderful initiative, the Restaurant, Hospitality, and Tourism program from the Patton College of Education organized weekly Monday meals for us. Sitting down together over a good meal during a stressful time was genuinely comforting.

What Did You Pursue After the Fulbright Foreign Student Program?

As part of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, all grantees are required to return to their home country upon completion of their studies. I'll be heading back to Vietnam this summer, and honestly, I'm looking forward to it.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Looking back, what I think truly mattered was the clarity of my intention. I wasn't applying because a Master's degree was the next logical career step. I was applying because I had a genuine reason to be there: to bridge my professional experience with academic thinking, to contribute to the Vietnam-U.S. cultural conversation, and to eventually give back by teaching and mentoring the next generation of Vietnamese communicators.

I also believe the personal journey helped. Being part of the 30th anniversary Fulbright project in Vietnam wasn't just a line on my application, it showed that I already understood what the program stood for, and that I genuinely wanted to be part of that community, not just benefit from it.

The Fulbright Program doesn't just look for smart people. It looks for people with purpose. I'd like to think that came through.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

The one thing I genuinely wish I had done sooner was apply. I was already close to the Fulbright world. I had the connections, I understood the program, and I had a story worth telling. But like a lot of people, I kept talking myself out of it, wondering if I was the right fit, if my background was too unconventional, if the timing was right. It never feels like the perfect time. At some point you just have to trust yourself and submit the application.

If you're reading this and sitting on the fence, that's the thing I'd want you to take from my answer.