A student from Ho Chi Minh City has received a $320,000 scholarship to attend Dartmouth College, a prestigious US Ivy League university, after submitting an essay on making affordable steak tender. In the essay, the student drew a parallel between tenderizing steak and overcoming difficult challenges by changing one’s perspective.
Nguyen Bentley Minh Nhat, a 12th-grade student from class 12B3 at Vinschool The Harmony, received his admission result to Dartmouth’s Film & Media Studies Department and Business School on December 14. Dartmouth ranks 15th in the US this year by US News & World Report.
Bentley was accepted by Dartmouth University into the Film & Media Studies Department and the Business School on December 14. The scholarship will significantly decrease his family’s financial contribution to $11,000 per year.
When I read the word ‘Congratulations’, I stopped reading because I was certain I had been accepted,” Bentley recalled. “I shared the news with my grandmother and father, and then went around the house to tell my best friend, who had also been accepted to an Ivy League school, congratulating each other with ‘We did it’.
The university admissions director commended Bentley’s application and his overall accomplishments, noting his creativity and unwavering motivation.
A lesson from steak
Bentley’s main essay started by describing his attempted experiments to make affordable flank steak tender, including using methods like pounding the meat, sprinkling it with baking soda, and marinating it in pineapple juice. Nonetheless, the steak remained tough.
His father finally showed him a straightforward yet efficient technique: turning the steak 90 degrees and slicing it against the grain. This experience taught Bentley a valuable lesson – that challenges, like tough steak, often require a change in approach to be overcome.
He applied this lesson to other areas of his life. In his 11th year of study, Bentley cared for his 90-year-old great-grandfather, initially feeling the task was overwhelming. Inspired by his father’s steak teaching, he changed his approach by spending more time talking to his great-grandfather. Through their conversations, he gained insights into his great-grandfather’s life as a wartime medic and his simple pleasures in times of peace, which helped Bentley see caregiving as a rewarding experience rather than a burden.
Visionary pursuit and cinematic craftsmanship journal.
Raised in Canada, Bentley moved to Vietnam with his parents when he was in the first grade. He spent most of his childhood between the two countries before ending up in Vietnam during sixth grade. Although his family thrived in the restaurant industry, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected their income, prompting Bentley to strive for a full scholarship.
I put aside my time with friends, gaming and filmmaking to focus solely on studying,” he said. “Given that my family couldn’t cover all the expenses, I set my sights on securing the highest scholarship available.
He excelled academically, achieving 4 A grades in the Cambridge International AS-level program and scoring 1530 out of a maximum of 1600 on the SAT.
Despite his demanding schedule, Bentley also pursued his interest in filmmaking. Influenced by action and superhero films such as “Inception,” he took the initiative to teach himself the skills of film production, including shooting, writing, and editing, using an iPad to create short films that have received awards in both domestic and international competitions.
In a supplementary essay submitted to Dartmouth, Bentley expressed his ambition to accurately portray Vietnamese folklore in films. He expressed regret that contemporary interpretations of traditional stories often neglect their educational and cultural significance, pointing out an adaptation of “Tam Cam”, a folk tale about a stepmother’s cruelty, as an example, noting that it was incorrectly transformed into a ghost story.
“I wish to create films based on Vietnamese folklore and portray them with the utmost authenticity,” Bentley stated.
In a conversation with Dartmouth, Bentley spoke about his filmmaking career path and his goals for the future. The interviewer stated, “I really admire you. You possess the characteristics of a Dartmouth student.”
Looking ahead
Bentley’s communications teacher, Vi David Nguyen, who wrote his recommendation letter, praised his self-motivation and talent. “I am familiar with Dartmouth’s standing, but I am also well-versed in Bentley’s profile,” Nguyen said.
Bentley plans to depart for Dartmouth in August of next year. Once he has graduated, he intends to combine his pursuits of business and film-making in the United States.
“Now that I’ve achieved my goal of being accepted into college and earning a scholarship, I can now devote more time to spending with friends and pursuing my favorite film projects,” Bentley stated.
