Nguyen Phuc Luong, a 12th-grade student in the elite Math 1 class at Ha Tinh Province High School for the Gifted, has received offers from 12 prestigious US universities - three of them granting full-ride scholarships with a combined value of over VND 16 billion (approx. USD 640,000).

Among the schools that offered Luong full scholarships and financial aid are the University of Alabama, the University of Tulsa, and Duke Kunshan University. Tulsa, a top 20 US university for STEM, even sent a personal congratulatory letter to commend him on winning one of its most competitive scholarships.

Speaking with VietNamNet, Luong’s father, Nguyen Van Tinh (b. 1982), shared the family’s deep pride. Both he and Luong’s mother are teachers - of physics and English respectively - and Luong is their eldest son. His younger brother is currently in grade 10, also specializing in physics at the same high school.

“Luong could already read simple words by age four,” Mr. Tinh recalled. “He excelled in math and English throughout school and recently won second prize in Vietnam’s national math competition.”

For Luong, math wasn’t just a subject - it was a passion. As early as middle school, he self-studied beyond the curriculum. But it was his college application essay, titled “The Orange Tree and Math”, that truly stood out.

“In my essay, I reflected on growing up in a poor countryside without proper learning tools,” Luong said. “Yet that struggle taught me resilience, and math became my constant companion, leading me toward bigger dreams.”

The orange tree served as a powerful metaphor for his journey.

“I wrote about an orange tree from my childhood,” he explained. “It may shed its leaves in winter, but it always blooms again in spring and eventually bears fruit. Like the tree, I’ve endured setbacks, but I’ve never stopped growing.”

Balancing his final year in high school, Luong juggled preparation for the national math team, the SAT, IELTS, and US college applications all at once. Thanks to relentless discipline and support from teachers and family, he scored 1500 on the SAT and a 7.5 in IELTS.

He was also one of three Ha Tinh students granted exemption from Vietnam’s high school graduation exam this year after placing 25th nationwide in the national math competition and entering the national team for the International Mathematical Olympiad.

“During the application process, there were times I wrote 30 English essays in just two weeks,” he said. “Some interviews happened at 1 a.m. due to time zone differences, and I’d often stay through lunch breaks at the national math team office to finish documents.”

These challenges, he added, taught him time management and balance.

Luong plans to major in computer science once in the US.

“Technology plays such a vital role in life. Pioneers in this field create tools and platforms that empower humanity,” he said. “I hope one day to contribute research or innovations that improve lives and give back to society.”

Luong’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Tran Dinh Huu, praised his student’s dedication.

“Phuc Luong is exceptional,” he said. “He’s intelligent, self-driven, and highly talented in both math and English. We’re all extremely proud of him.”

Thien Luong