How to apply to us

Applying to Fulbright: Your guide

• Admissions Requirements

  Applicants must be Vietnamese citizens or international individuals who have graduated or will graduate from high school or an equivalent program* (such as IB Diploma, A-Level Certificate, etc.) before the start of their studies at Fulbright, and meet the following criteria:

  • Academic Ability: A minimum GPA of 7.0/10 in high school under the Vietnamese national curriculum or an equivalent standard.**
  • Characteristics: Participation in at least one extracurricular activity that demonstrates potential in one of the three qualities that Fulbright seeks: Intellectual curiosity, Pioneering spirit, and/or Care for others.
  • English Proficiency: A valid English test score with a minimum score of IELTS 6.0 (or TOEFL iBT 70, or Duolingo English Test 95, or equivalent).

  *For applicants who have studied a high school curriculum other than the Vietnamese national curriculum:

  • Academic requirement is determined as follows:

  – International Baccalaureate (IB): Predicted IB score of 24 or higher

  – UK Curriculum (A-Level): A-Level Predicted Grades with an average of 7.0/10 or higher across 3 subjects. E.g., C, D, D, or

  AS-Level Certificate/ Statement of Result with an average score of 7.5/10 or higher across 3–5 subjects. E.g., C, C, C (Conversion scale: A*= 10, A = 9.25, B = 8.5, C = 7.5, D = 6.75, E = 5)

  – Australian Curriculum: GPA 70/100 (or a minimum of 8 passing “C” grades or higher in Grade 11 units)

  – U.S. High School (Unweighted GPA/ Standard GPA on a 4.0 scale): GPA 2.5/4.0

  • High school graduation requirement is defined as follows:

  – International Baccalaureate (IB): IB Diploma

  – UK Curriculum (A-Level): A-Level Certificate/ Statement of Result with an average of 7.0/10 or higher across 3 subjects. E.g., C, D, D (Conversion scale: A*= 10, A = 9.25, B = 8.5, C = 7.5, D = 6.75, E = 5)

  – Australian Curriculum: High School Diploma from one of the following states/territories: WACE, SACE, VCE

  – Applicants who do not hold a High School Diploma but have been awarded degree/diploma within after highschool education systems: Associate Degree from accredited community colleges in the United States, Diploma from polytechnic schools in Singapore, or other equivalent credentials may also be considered by Fulbright on a case-by-case basis.

• English Requirement

  Additional Notes on the English Proficiency Requirement

  • If applicants have not met the English Proficiency requirement at the time of submitting their admissions application, they may still (1) submit an eligible English test score at a later time & during a designated period to be announced by the Admissions Committee, OR
    (2) they will be invited to take the Cambridge English Placement Test administered by Fulbright (free of charge).
    Applicants who meet the requirement through either way will be considered as having fulfilled the English Proficiency requirement.
  • Applicants are exempt from the English Proficiency Requirement if they meet any of the following criteria:

              – Are native English speakers; or

              – Have completed at least two consecutive years of high school/university & college education entirely in English; or

              – Have won Third Prize or higher in the English subject of a Provincial (or Municipal, in the cases of Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Can Tho) or Regional Academic Excellence Competition at Grade 10 level or above; or

              – Have been selected to represent their province or city in the National Academic Excellence Competition in English at Grade 10 level or above.

  • List of recognized English Proficiency Test Scores:

               – 95 DET (Duolingo English Test)

               – 6.0 IELTS (Academic) (International English Language Testing System)

               – 6.0 IELTS Indicator (International English Language Testing System)

               – 70 TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

               – 169 TOEFL iBT Home Edition (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

               – 498 TOEFL PBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

               – 498 TOEFL ITP (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

               – 46 Pearson PTE (Academic)

               – 169 Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) or Cambridge Advanced (CAE) Cambridge English First (FCE)

               – Other English test scores: may be accepted at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, on a case-by-case basis.

               Note: Test scores must be dated within two years prior to the official enrollment date.

• Admissions Timeline

  Fulbright implements different admissions cycles throughout the year. Timelines for each admissions cycle for the Class of 2030:

  Priority Cycle

  • Applications Open: September 21, 2025
  • Applications Close: 5PM on December 29, 2025

  *Applicants will be exempt from the application fee if they submit during the Priority Cycle.

  Regular Cycle

  • Applications Open: January 5, 2026
  • Applications Close: 5PM on May 28, 2026

  Please note:

  • Each applicant is allowed to submit only one application during the 2030 Cycle.
  • Applicants are required to pay a 2,000,000 VND application fee. You may also use an application fee waiver code if you or your family participated in previous Fulbright admissions events or activities where such a code was provided.

• Application Process

  Step 1: Applicants begin their application to Fulbright by creating an account and completing the online application at https://apply.fulbright.edu.vn.
  The admissions application includes the following key sections:
  01 – Applicant Information
  02 – Academic Information
  03 – Activities and Awards
  04 – Additional Information (Optional)

  Step 2: Applicants must submit their application and pay the application fee (or apply a fee waiver code provided by the Admissions Office) in order to complete the submission process.

  Step 3: After the application review process, the Admissions Committee will notify applicants of their final admissions decision. (In certain cases, applicants may be invited to an interview before receiving a final decision.)

  Step 4: Applicants confirm their enrollment and complete the required enrollment procedures.

  Please note:

  • Applicants are also required to complete the Scholarship Application if they wish to be considered for scholarships.

  • Not all applicants are required to participate in the interview round. It is only for those whom the Admissions Committee needs to further assess before making a decision. Others will receive their admissions results without an interview.

• Important notes

  1. The application is to be completed online on our application portal. We do not accept any application in paper form via post or direct submission.

  2. Integrity Policy:

  • Applicants are asked to submit photos or scanned copies of the official transcripts, certificates, and any documents with regard of the application. The University reserves the right to request original or notarised copies of the submitted documents in case comparison is necessary.
  • In case Fulbright is skeptical about an applicant submitting misleading information, purposely getting rid of important details, or providing fraudulent or edited documents/photos, the University will investigate the situation. Depending on the investigation results, the University might terminate the applicant’s candidacy or cancel the admissions decision (if applicable).

  3. Important Application Notes

  • Scholarship Intent

  Please carefully consider and self-assess your academic performance, achievements, and family financial circumstances before choosing Yes or No to apply for the Merit-based Scholarship and/or the Special Financial Support through the options provided in the “Scholarship Intent Form.”

  If you do not choose to apply for any scholarship in the “Scholarship Intent Form,” you will be considered an applicant for the Full Tuition program.

  • Two Separate Applications

  Your application to Fulbright is divided into two main sections: the Admissions Application and the Scholarship Application (if you choose to apply for scholarships). These sections are displayed under the “Admissions” and “Scholarships” tabs for you to complete. Each section has its own separate “Submit” button.

  • Sequential Application Submission Process

  For applicants who choose to apply for scholarships, you must first complete and submit the Admissions Application in the “Admissions” tab. Only after successfully submitting the Admissions Application will you be able to submit the Scholarship Application in the “Scholarships” tab to be considered for scholarships.

  * Although you can only submit the Scholarship Application after submitting the Admissions Application, you are still encouraged to enter information and prepare your Scholarship Application in the “Scholarships” tab from the beginning.

  • Submission Notes

  The deadlines for submitting both the Admissions Application and the Scholarship Application are the same. Therefore, please manage your time wisely to complete and submit your Admissions Application (in the “Admissions” tab) first, and ensure you have enough time to complete and submit your Scholarship Application (in the “Scholarships” tab) before the deadline.

  • Application Fee

  Upon completing the Admissions Application (in the “Admissions” tab), you will be required to pay a 2,000,000 VND application fee. You may also use an application fee waiver code if you or your family participated in previous Fulbright admissions events or activities where such a code was provided. Please contact the Admissions Team for further guidance regarding the application fee or fee waivers.

  *If you submit the Admissions Application but fail to submit the Scholarship Application(s) before the deadline, your application will be considered for the Full Tuition Program (in which families are responsible for all tuition fees).