First student to graduate with perfect score from Vietnam's top economics university

Tran Anh Ngoc, 22, majored in auditing, represented nearly 5,000 new graduates to make a speech at the graduation ceremony on August 26.

Ngoc went to the Natural Sciences High School for Gifted Students at Vietnam National University in Hanoi. Her class specialized in chemistry, and thus her family expected her to enter a medicine university and become a doctor.

But Ngoc had her own plans: while she continued studying extra biology, she also focused on physics to open herself to other options.

By the 12th grade, Ngoc decided to give up her medicine pursuit.

"I chose auditing because I like to work with numbers and care about details and accuracy. The requirements in this field suit my personality," she said.

Tran Anh Ngoc (C) holds a certificate of merit and flowers given to her by Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Chuong, Rector of the National Economics University (R), and Associate Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Chairman of the University Council, at a graduation ceremony on August 26, 2023. Photo by the university

Unlike many other freshmen, Ngoc had no problem in her first year at university. She caught up quickly with lectures and enjoyed extra self-study.

Ngoc said she loved studying, and she did not take any part-time jobs during the course so she could focus on her academic programs. She did not feel bad about focusing on her main classes and not taking extra curricula at school.

"Besides professional knowledge, the teachers also talked about the job market, shared real business stories, and their own experience in life. You can learn a lot of things," she said.

In her third year, Ngoc passed several rounds of selection including a professional test and interviews to earn the internship at auditing giant Ernst & Young.

Ngoc said she had heard about the work pressure at the corporation and got to experience it firsthand during the four-month stint from December 2022.

As an intern, she had to make a work trip outside the city at least once a week, and regularly had to stay up late to meet the deadlines.

Ngoc now works for a major bank in Hanoi as an assistant for its internal auditing department. She plans to study a master's degree in fintech.