Mentor Nhi Tran is a recipient of the highly selective, full-ride Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, which supports her studies at UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Her application stood out not because of national or city-level awards or a high IELTS score. She had neither. Instead, she focused on strong academic achievement, a compelling personal story, and meaningful community involvement. With the guidance and support of many mentors throughout her journey, she built a powerful and authentic application.
Grateful for the mentorship she received, Nhi is now passionate about giving back and supporting others on their educational journeys. She believes that purpose, resilience, and heart can make any application truly stand out.
AA in Biotechnology – MiraCosta College
BS in Chemical Engineering – University of California, Berkeley
MS in Chemical Engineering – Stanford University
PhD in Chemical Engineering (in progress) – Stanford University
Currently a PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University – ranked No. 1 in the world for technology and innovation.
Graduated with honors in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley – the No. 1 public university in the U.S.
Recipient of a full-ride scholarship worth over USD 315,000 (~VND 9+ billion) from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, covering all tuition and living expenses for both undergraduate and doctoral studies.
Received 6 admission offers from prestigious universities: UC Berkeley, UCLA (Top 50 worldwide), UC San Diego (Top 100 worldwide), UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly Pomona.
Other awards & scholarships:
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UC Berkeley College of Chemistry Summer Research Stipend Award (USD 4,000)
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Cal Alumni Leadership Award (USD 2,500/year)
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MiraCosta Medal of Honors (2019)
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First Team – All-California Academic Team (2019)
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Top 2% in ACS Organic Chemistry II Exam (2018)
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And many other scholarships, awards for research, leadership, and community service.
Mentorship achievements: Successfully guided mentees to win the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship (worth over USD 55,000/year).
Over 10 years of study, research, and work in engineering, technology, and materials in the United States.
Specialized research in reducing CO₂ emissions through electrochemical reactions and advanced materials synthesis, with a focus on sustainable technologies.
Work experience:
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Procter & Gamble (P&G) – process optimization and product innovation.
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Zymergen – biotechnology and advanced materials.
Research experience: Laboratories at Stanford University, UC Berkeley – College of Chemistry, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and UC San Diego.
Community engagement and leadership experience in mentoring, tutoring, scholarship advising, and career guidance for high school and university students.
Other Mentors
