"Rejected Offers From Ivy League Schools and Seoul National University" ... Vietnamese Genius Girl Chooses an Unexpected Korean University

[Financial News] A Vietnamese “genius girl” who scored a perfect SAT score, achieved top-level results on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and also ranked first nationwide on her country’s college entrance exam is drawing attention after choosing to study in Korea.
According to local media including VnExpress on the 10th, Hoang Huong Giang, a 12th-grade math student at HNUE High School for Gifted Students, tied for first place nationwide in Vietnam’s 2026 high school graduation exam, which also serves as a college entrance test.
In the A01 track, a key combination for science and engineering majors covering math, physics, and English, Giang posted an overwhelming 29.75 out of 30. She earned perfect scores in physics and English, and 9.75 in math.
Even before the entrance exam, she already had standout credentials, including a perfect 1600 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and an IELTS score of 8.0. That drew offers from top universities in Vietnam and abroad. She received a full-scholarship admission offer from the prestigious Vingroup university founded by Vingroup, as well as from Seoul National University.
In the end, however, Giang chose the Department of Computer Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Explaining her decision to move to Korea, she said, "I want to keep challenging myself in a new educational environment," and added, "My ultimate goal is to contribute to technological progress for humanity through future research in Artificial Intelligence (AI)."
Giang’s study method, which stunned people across Vietnam, was not blind memorization or excessive problem-solving. She said, "The most important thing is to deeply understand the essence of knowledge," and explained, "When I encounter a new math formula, I try to prove for myself why it works under certain conditions rather than memorizing it blindly."
She also kept a strict pace, limiting her average study time to eight hours a day instead of staying up all night before exams. In her free time, she managed academic stress by enjoying yoga, reading, drawing, and games.
Her teacher, Truong Trong Khanh, praised her highly, saying, "She is a student with both outstanding thinking skills and strong self-directed learning ability, and she is very mature not only in her studies but also in her attitude toward life." He added that "this top-ranking result was entirely expected."
Unlike the past, when global talent often insisted on heading to the United States or Europe, more students are now choosing KAIST in Korea, which has been strengthening its world-class capabilities in advanced fields such as AI and semiconductors, drawing close attention from academia.


moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter