Vu Ha Chau, 23, a senior majoring in Computer Science at Pomona College, received admission offers from the three Ivy League universities in late February, each including full financial support covering tuition, insurance and living expenses for five years, valued at around US$460,000-650,000 per school.

“This is both the result of four years of persistent effort in university and also feels like confirmation that I truly belong on the path of scientific research,” Chau said.

Chau taught herself programming while studying in the English-specialized class at the Foreign Language Specialized School under Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She recalled how excited she was after uploading her first products online and seeing people use them.

However, after entering university in 2022 by securing a full scholarship worth $260,000 to Pomona following one gap year, she realized she wanted to pursue not only software engineering but also research.

From her first semester, Chau proactively approached professors to gain experience in robotics engineering research. She soon recognized that while technology is advancing rapidly, it also carries risks, prompting her to explore how innovation could continue while remaining safe.

By her second year, she had joined a new project and quickly became drawn to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), a field combining engineering, cognitive science and design.

“I want to contribute to society by building human-centered systems,” she said.

One of her studies, titled “The Timeliness of Reviewing Data in Infant Health Monitoring Applications,” listed Chau as co-lead author. In 2025, the project ranked among the top 5% of outstanding papers at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, the world’s premier conference on human-computer interaction.

The same year, Chau collaborated with research teams from Pomona College and Stanford University on another project that received a Best Paper award (Top 1%) at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology. The research focused on designing AI algorithms that provide feedback to digital artists to help improve drawing skills.

Thanks to these achievements, Chau was honored in February by the Computing Research Association as one of eight Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers across North America, becoming the first student from Pomona College to receive the distinction.

Chau said these research projects helped her application stand out because they demonstrated persistence and the ability to tackle complex problems, qualities essential for a researcher.

Alongside strengthening her programming skills throughout university, she secured internships at major technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon and Qualcomm. She later worked as a software engineering intern in Microsoft’s computer graphics optimization division, an experience she said sharpened her analytical thinking and research skills in a leading technology environment.

Vu Ha Chau on the campus of Harvard University, U.S. Photo courtesy of Chau

Associate Professor Alexandra Papoutsaki, who has mentored Chau since her sophomore year, said the Vietnamese student possesses both exceptional technical ability and sharp thinking in human-centered research.

According to Papoutsaki, human-computer interaction is not simply about building products, but also about “the ability to tell a story around that product.” She said Chau is highly capable of connecting with people, analyzing data and producing persuasive research writing.

“Chau’s skills are equivalent to those of a third-year PhD student,” she said.

Chau admitted she faced enormous pressure balancing coursework, programming practice, research and internship applications. She maintained a strict schedule with detailed weekly planning, while also making time for exercise, daily piano practice and sufficient sleep.

At the same time, she actively networked with professors and researchers whenever opportunities arose, such as attending international conferences, both to expand her connections and motivate herself.

“This research community is not only talented and creative, but also deeply cares about developing technology for people. Every time I meet them, I feel greatly inspired,” she said.

That was also one of the reasons Chau chose to pursue a PhD after graduation despite receiving offers from technology companies.

When considering her options, Chau said she applied to Ivy League schools because of their interdisciplinary strengths. She believes these universities provide environments where technology is widely applied across multiple fields, creating ideal conditions for pursuing human-computer interaction beyond the boundaries of pure computer science.

Reflecting on the journey that brought her to this stage, Chau said her favorite part has always been exploring projects, developing her own ideas, then personally programming and testing products. She sees research as a combination of many activities she is passionate about, further motivating her to continue along the scientific path.

Chau is still deciding between her three “dream schools.” Regardless of her final choice, she said her future direction will remain focused on building safe interactions between humans and AI.