Admitted and Graduating Student Attributes (AACC and EXCEL)

1.  Definition

Admitted Student Attributes: The VinUniversity admissions process is designed to select talented students with (1) Outstanding Abilities, (2) Strong Aspirations, (3) Creativity, and (4) Commitment and develop them to become talents for the future. (In short, AACC).

Graduating Student Attributes: VinUniversity graduates for all academic programs are expected to have (1) Empathy, (2) Exceptional Ability, (3) Creativity, (4) Entrepreneurial Mindset, and (5) Leadership Spirit, which enable them to create ideas, services, systems, solutions, and products that can contribute to a better life for people and society. (In short, EXCEL).

The AACC and EXCEL attributes have been registered at the Copyright Office of Vietnam, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

2.  Principles

  • The AACC attributes are used as part of the holistic review of applicants during the admissions process.
  • The EXCEL attributes are used as the guiding framework for the entire academic journey of students including curriculum development, extra-curricular activities, and campus and residential life.

3.  Description of AACC

Attributes Definition Examples / Observed Evidence
Outstanding Ability Outstanding capabilities in academics or other skills that are proven determinants of success
  • Good GPA from a reputed school;
  • Success in national and international competitions;
  • High marks on standardized tests such as SAT, AP, and national exam;
  • Outstanding non-academic skills: strong analytical and problem-solving skills, quick learning capability, imagination skills or excellence in language, sports, arts, and other skills and competencies that are proven determinants of success;
  • English language competence.
Aspirations An understanding of major issues in the local community, society, Vietnam, and the world, and a strong aspiration to find ways to solve them.
  • Meaningful hobbies;
  • Ambitious plans but believe that they can become reality;
  • A positive, influential role in one’s community or acquaintances, and can inspire and motivate people to do good things for less advantaged people
  • A big dream to go beyond one’s living conditions, and help others out of poverty
  • Be kind, step forward, and volunteer to lead or take on challenges
  • Seek to collaborate with those who can inspire and motivate others
Creativity The ability to have a different mindset, high curiosity to discover the root cause of issues, manage and adapt to change, and be open-minded with ideas or solutions that do not yet exist.
  • Think differently, demonstrate critical and divergent thinking, be open to new ideas and solutions
  • Show curiosity, and ask questions but do not wait for other people to provide readymade answers
  • Be creative, show one is an innovator, creator, and norms-breaker with a healthy rebellion for good causes
  • Take clear positions, present ideas sharply, make compelling arguments, and debate fairly and logically
Commitment A strong belief in what one can do and the ability, determination, and strong mental and physical concentration to pursue one’s goals.
  • Resilience. Do not easily give up because of failure or if the task seems too difficult
  • Perseverance. Stay true to one’s promises and show a commitment to tasks, projects, people, and causes
  • Determination. Give 100% of one’s effort to tasks in order to attain the best outcome

4. Description of EXCEL

Attributes Definition Examples / Observed Evidence
Empathy The ability to understand what someone else might be thinking or feeling, without judgment, and the desire to help to make a better world.
  • Be grateful for, and respectful of, one’s identity, family, community, society, Vietnam, and the world;
  • Be curious to discover and care about major issues in a community, society, Vietnam, and the world;
  • Listen sincerely, be open to change attitudes and perspectives, and find commonalities with others;
  • Have the desire to help others, and actively support, and make consistent efforts and contributions towards making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Exceptional Ability Exceptional capabilities and competencies are proven determinants of future success.
  • Demonstrate intelligence in multiple dimensions: subject matter expertise, logical and analytical thinking, quick learning, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal ability.
  • Exceptional academic achievements: Good GPA, success in competitions positive outcomes in internships, research projects, and other academic activities at the national and/or international level;
  • Exceptional non-academic skills, imagination, and/or excellence in language, sports, arts, and other activities not related to one’s academic programs.
Creativity The ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions and turn imaginative, new ideas into reality.
  • Ask good and creative questions;
  • Seek to understand when there is ambiguity or
  • Be open to new ideas, solutions, and different mindsets;
  • Foster connections and pathways to explore and enable new possibilities and solutions to problems or challenges;
  • Courage to take risks and turn imaginative ideas into reality;
  • Create or develop products, services, or solutions. Develop prototypes, conduct research, write blogs, and create multimedia or other forms of creative output.
Entrepreneurial Mindset The way of thinking enables people to seek challenges, be resilient in overcoming them, make informed and quick decisions, accept responsibility, adapt and persist in the face of adversity, and create value and impact in society.
  • Analyze and evaluate problems and challenges with critical thinking, evidence-based data, with respect to both economic and social impact;
  • Make informed decisions with confidence and be able to make decisions even when there is ambiguity or risk of failure
  • Accept responsibility for one’s decisions and hold themselves accountable for them;
  • Be humble, willing to learn lifelong, and have a growth mindset.
Leadership Spirit The ability to influence and motivate people to maximize their efforts toward achieving a common goal.
  • Act with absolute personal and professional integrity;
  • Actively develop and promote team members, build trust, and have their growth and best interests at heart;
  • Have a vision, dream big, be disciplined, and be committed towards setting and achieving impactful goals;
  • Effectively collaborate and communicate with others to achieve a common purpose;
  • Be able to lead oneself, lead others, and lead the community.

Status and Details

This guideline is intended to describe the characteristics of VinUni admitted student attributes and graduating student attributes. (*) The AACC and EXCEL attributes have been registered at the Copyright Office of Vietnam, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Reference Number:

VUNI.12

Document Type:

Guideline

Issuing By:

Provost Office

Issuing Date:

Sep 29, 2020

Applying for:

All VinUniversity

Security Classification:

Public

Record of Changes

Revision Date Author / Editor Description
V01 Sep 29, 2020 Reviewed by: Deans and Vice-Provost
Approved by: President and Provost
First release