Student awarded scholarship to top 5 US university for essay on teen’s romance with AI

The 20-year-old was awarded the prestigious Robertson Scholarship on March 16. Offered by an independent foundation, the scholarship supports students with leadership potential and a commitment to community service. Only 25 to 30 are selected each year to receive full tuition, accommodation and summer project funding to study at either UNC or Duke University.

The scholarship will fully fund all four years of Kien’s undergraduate education at UNC. According to the university’s website, the estimated cost for the 2025–2026 academic year is around $65,000.

He was also offered the ASEAN scholarship to study data science and artificial intelligence at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. UNC is ranked among the top 5 U.S. public universities by U.S. News & World Report, while NTU is 15th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025.

Kien says: "The joy multiplied four or five times. I was most surprised by the Robertson Scholarship."

Le Trung Kien. Photo courtesy of Kien

A former student of the English-specialized class at Hanoi–Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, he received a Singapore government ASEAN scholarship for high school after his first semester of 10th grade. He then spent two years in high school and two years in pre-university education in Singapore.

He began researching U.S. universities in mid-2023. The most demanding period, he says, was October and November, when early admission deadlines overlapped with high school graduation exams.

He made use of every available moment. He spent 30 minutes before school writing essays, completed assignments during recess and lunch and reserved his evenings for exam preparation. To relieve stress, he took 15-minute walks with friends or lifted weights for 40 minutes each day.

"I slept about five hours a day," he says.

His discipline paid off. He graduated from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program with a score of 43 out of 45, earning top marks in economics, chemistry, and beginner Chinese. He also achieved an IELTS score of 8.5 and 1550 in the SAT.

To be eligible for the Robertson Scholarship, applicants must be admitted to either UNC or Duke. The UNC application required three essays. His favorite was a 250-word story about making a positive impact on others.

"I wrote about coffee," he says. He owns a coffee machine in his dorm room and hosts weekend coffee sessions with friends.

"It is like a little café.

"You bring me your emotions, and I will make you a cup of coffee to balance things out and help you relax at the weekend.

"It is double the joy and half the sadness," he says.

He was accepted to UNC at the end of January. For the Robertson Scholarship, he submitted academic records, extracurricular achievements and a 500-word essay on leadership qualities that AI cannot replicate. He then attended three rounds of interviews.

In the essay, he discussed a case in the U.S. in October 2024 of a 14-year-old boy forming a romantic bond with an AI chatbot. The chatbot expressed a desire to be with him, causing the boy to become deeply attached. Eventually the influence led to the boy taking his own life. From this, he concluded that the ability to evaluate one’s actions through a moral lens is uniquely human, a critical trait for leaders in an age of rapidly advancing AI.

Kien (fourth from left, front row) with members of the Vietnamese Student Association in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Kien

He initially applied for the scholarship as a learning experience but became more determined as he progressed through each round. While the interview content is confidential, he says the sessions focused on understanding each candidate’s story, character and perspective.

He credits his role as head of communications for the Vietnamese Students Association in Singapore with teaching him to balance responsibilities, manage teams and build connections.

"This experience helped me better understand a leader’s role.

"If I am going to be a leader, I would focus more on building connections and strengthening each member’s expertise."

He was also awarded the undergraduate ASEAN scholarship at NTU after submitting his transcripts and achievements in February without having to write essays or attend interviews.

Kenneth Wee Oon Heng, his IB Math teacher, calls the scholarships "an outstanding achievement." "These opportunities will bring Kien closer to major global innovation hubs, just as he hoped. I look forward to seeing how he grows and succeeds in these environments."

Wee describes Kien as a well-rounded student with a strong command of academic knowledge, a love for learning and the ability to inspire classmates.

Kien won third prize in the 2024 Singapore International Math and Informatics Competition and received two special awards for artificial intelligence and science communication at last year’s Singapore Science and Engineering Fair.

He is currently leaning toward UNC and plans to major in economics and data science. To prepare, he is learning programming and reading economics books.

"I plan to pursue higher education and then work in technology, banking or education to gain experience before returning to Vietnam," he reveals.