Thanh Hoa D01 valedictorian: 5 years old learning English, top 1% SAT score in the world

Trinh Mai Linh, an 18-year-old female student from Trieu Son 3 High School, Hop Tien Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, has excelled in becoming the valedictorian of group D01 of Thanh Hoa Province with a total score of 28 (math 9.5; English 9.75; literature 8.75) in the 2025 high school graduation exam. This achievement puts her in the top 4 nationwide and top 3 in the North in terms of group D01 scores.

Sharing about the results, Mai Linh said she was not surprised by the exam scores, but becoming the top student at the provincial level and ranking 4th nationwide was beyond her expectations.

Nữ thủ khoa D01 Thanh Hoá: 5 tuổi học tiếng Anh, top 1% điểm SAT thế giới - 1 — Trinh Mai Linh, valedictorian of block D01, Thanh Hoa province in 2025 (Photo: Provided by the character).

"At 11am on July 16, I went to the Ministry of Education and Training 's website, scrolled through my phone and found out that I was the valedictorian at the provincial level. At that time, I was happy and called my friends and teachers to tell them," Mai Linh confided.

Evaluating this year's exam, Mai Linh said that the "block 10" questions of the math test were very difficult and there was not enough time to solve them. The English test was longer and more difficult than expected, there was one question she could not do. On the contrary, the literature test was assessed as "very good, with many aspects to exploit".

Born into a family with parents who were both high school teachers, Mai Linh was always an excellent student throughout 12 years of school.

I am an excellent student of Trieu Son 3 High School with 3 second prizes in provincial English competitions (grades 10, 11, 12) and achieved 7.5 IELTS.

Notably, in the SAT exam, Mai Linh scored 1,510/1,600 points, in the top 1% of the highest scores in the world in 2024.

In grade 10, I was also honored to receive the title of "3 Good Students" awarded by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Regarding her study method, Mai Linh said she has no special secret, she mainly studies by herself and does not take extra classes. She also does not study too late at night, she only goes to bed at 11pm.

"I have a passion for English. I have listened to English tapes and radio since I was 5 years old. Growing up, when I was stressed, I listened to music and watched TV shows to relieve pressure and accumulate more language," Mai Linh shared, adding that she often uses AI to support her studies.

With this impressive result, Mai Linh plans to apply to the Foreign Economics Department of Foreign Trade University.

Mr. Trinh Quoc Phuong, Mai Linh's father, expressed his pride: "I am extremely touched because my child always tries, makes efforts, and uses the spirit of self-study to build her future. I hope she will always maintain her form and study well at university."

He also said that even though he is a teacher, he does not force his children to study but always encourages and motivates them to be independent.

Mr. Le Van Quynh, Principal of Trieu Son 3 High School, said this is the first time in more than 40 years of establishment that the school has had a student achieve valedictorian status at the provincial level.

“Mai Linh is a female class secretary and exemplary, responsible English club president. Mai Linh’s success comes not only from her personal abilities but also from the dedication and experience of the school’s teachers,” emphasized Mr. Quynh.

In recent years, Trieu Son 3 High School has continuously maintained its top position in the province in terms of graduation quality and excellent students and this year was proposed to receive the Government's Emulation Flag.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-thu-khoa-d01-thanh-hoa-5-tuoi-hoc-tieng-anh-top-1-diem-sat-the-gioi-20250718074800182.htm