Many teachers at The Dewey Schools Hải Phòng still remember the sixth grader from Montreal class years ago — the boy with the surname Wu who impressed everyone with his confident English presentations and a series of scholarships awarded by the school.
Six years later, that student — Wu Tuấn Đạt from class 12 Washington DC — has successfully gained admission to the University of Sydney, a university ranked among the top 1% in the world. In addition, Đạt received scholarships totaling more than VND 2.5 billion from several prestigious universities such as the University of California, Davis; the University of Ottawa; and British University Vietnam.
Behind this achievement are many years of accumulated experiences and personal milestones. In his application profile, Tuấn Đạt stands out as an active student with rich experiences, a thoughtful inner world, and a broad understanding of the world around him. Beyond academic accomplishments, he also served as Secretary-General of Dewey MUN (Model United Nations), Vice President of the Student Council, and is the author of the book collection Winter Echoes. These roles helped him develop critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills — key qualities that make an application stand out among thousands of candidates.
Throughout this journey, Đạt also received dedicated support from the school’s Career Counseling Department. From selecting suitable universities and preparing application materials to navigating the admission process, teachers were always by his side. “The school introduced, connected, and guided me carefully so that I could prepare my applications and apply to universities that matched me well. The University of Sydney was one of the universities suggested by the Career Counseling team.”
Looking back on his journey, Tuấn Đạt believes that the learning environment at Dewey helped him build a strong foundation to step into the doors of international universities. The bilingual program, U.S.-transferred courses, and Dewey’s experiential education philosophy not only strengthened his language abilities but also developed essential skills such as independent learning, research, teamwork, and leadership.
One of the experiences Đạt remembers most is the theatrical projects based on literary works — an activity that has become a tradition among Dewey students. “Designing costumes, developing characters, organizing knowledge, and transforming it into vivid performances was a very meaningful experience. Sometimes the projects lasted several weeks or even a month, but creating a polished final product made all the effort worthwhile,” Đạt shared.
Although he has achieved remarkable success, Tuấn Đạt believes that “the University of Sydney is not my limit.” It is simply one of many doors waiting for him to choose and continue forward on a journey of “going beyond the mold.” At Dewey Hải Phòng, students are not confined to a single path. They are given opportunities to try, to make mistakes, to explore, and to grow through truly meaningful learning experiences. Beyond the acceptance letters from prestigious universities, what Dewey ultimately aims for is a generation of young people with independent thinking, strong self-learning abilities, the courage to shape their own paths, and the confidence to pursue their own choices.
