An international student from Vietnam’s dream of “lying on the beach between classes” in Florida is shattered when she realizes she has applied to Miami University in Ohio
- Valerie Do thought she had applied to Miami University in Florida. She later realized that there was another college with the same name in arctic Ohio
- In a series of TikToks, she told the world her story but explained that the mistake was a blessing in disguise
A Vietnamese student who dreamed of enjoying the beaches of Florida at the University of Miami ended up at an institute of the same name in Ohio.
Valerie Do, a current student, thought she applied to Miami University in Coral Gables, Florida, but it turned out to be Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Her dream of lying under palm trees on the sun-kissed beaches of the warmer state was shattered when she received her acceptance letter.
But some research into Ohio College’s business school convinced her to accept, and Do quickly realized that the mistake was actually a blessing.
Valerie Do, a current college student, thought she had applied to Miami University, but never knew there was another college with the same name in cold Ohio.
The video currently has nearly two million views and reads: “When someone says ‘go to hell’ but I’m studying abroad at Miami University of Ohio.”
Valerie Do, a current student, thought she had applied to Miami University. But she actually applied to Miami University in Ohio and ultimately accepted her position there
Do told Insider: “I realized there are no beaches; It’s just a cornfield in the middle of nowhere in the American Midwest.’
While Do has made many people on campus laugh with her story over the past two years, it wasn’t until last week that she shared her story on TikTok for the world to know.
The video currently has nearly two million views and reads: “When someone says ‘go to hell’ but I’m studying abroad at Miami University of Ohio.”
“I thought it was Miami, Florida and didn’t know.” “There are no beaches here, it’s just cornfields and in the middle of nowhere.”
While many viewers expressed confusion, others wrote “Love and Honor” – an ode to Miami University’s slogan.
One British user wrote: “No, because I’m from a city in the UK called Boston and international students showed up at the college thinking it was the one in the US.”
Another chimed in and said: “I did the same thing and applied to the wrong college by mistake. It wasn’t until I had my mom read the application essay that I realized she was crazy lol.”
Some even called Do’s fall a scene from “Hannah Montana” or something Kelly Kapoor from “The Office” would do.
After the video went viral, she posted another one on TikTok in which she made it clear that she loved her university and it was the best decision she ever made.
“First of all, I love my school and I love it here. Miami offers the real American college experience I was looking for, just like the films.
Because I grew up watching movies like Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Bring It On, Animal House and stuff like that hoping to experience stuff like that and Miami has the perfect stuff for me.
“Plus, the people here are really friendly and I feel like I don’t have to change to fit in, if that makes sense.”
“This aspect is really important for international students because we came here and have a big language and cultural barrier. “Miami has great resources for international students,” she said.
She told Insider that she didn’t expect the video to blow up like it did and that the criticism didn’t bother her.
Do also opened up about her spring trip to Florida, telling the publication that she felt unsafe there and was extremely happy to be in Ohio instead.