Vietnamese students keep winning Canada's toughest scholarships despite fierce competition – VnExpress International
Speaking at a recent global education fair organized by Summit Education in Hanoi, Harriet Pham, an admissions officer at the University of Toronto, said the scholarship is the school’s most competitive award.
Toronto is currently ranked Canada’s No. 1 university and 21st worldwide, according to the Times Higher Education rankings.
Pham noted that the university offers around 5,000 types of scholarships for international students annually, depending on the program and major. Award amounts range from a few thousand Canadian dollars to CA$180,000 (US$131,500), covering up to 70% of tuition over four undergraduate years.
However, there is only one full scholarship available for international undergraduates: the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, which grants 37 awards each year. It covers full tuition, books, living expenses, and incidental fees—estimated at CA$65,000–83,000 per year, according to CollegeVine, a counseling platform.
Roughly 2,000 candidates compete for the Pearson Scholarship annually. To be selected, students need a well-rounded application, demonstrating outstanding academics, leadership, and distinctive personal qualities through activities and essays. They must also receive a nomination from their high school, which can put forward only one student.
“The acceptance rate is under 2%, yet every year one or two Vietnamese students receive this scholarship,” Pham said.
Regarding general admissions, Pham explained that the University of Toronto primarily evaluates academic performance: “the higher the grades, the better.” Specific subject requirements vary by program. For instance, engineering programs require Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, while environmental science-related majors require Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology.
“Even with excellent grades, if a required subject is missing, the application will be rejected,” she added, advising students to identify their intended major early to take the appropriate courses.
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto excels across multiple fields, particularly health sciences. It has 46 subjects ranked in the global top 50 in the THE World University Rankings by subject—the most of any university.
Of its more than 102,000 undergraduate and graduate students, nearly 30% are international. Typical tuition is around CA$50,000 per year, with living expenses of approximately CA$23,000, according to CollegeVine.
Canada hosted over one million international students in 2024, ranking alongside the U.S. as one of the world’s top destinations. Indian nationals made up 41% of that total, Chinese students 12%, and more than 17,000 were from Vietnam.
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Communications, September 22, 2021
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