In 2004, she received the highest score in the entrance examination of The Academy of Theater and Cinema, majoring in Directing, and won the 322 scholarship. In order to apply for studying abroad, in 2005, Duc received a score of 657 in TOEFL and a third-highest SAT score of the semester. The same year she was accepted by Columbia College Hollywood (CCH) in Los Angeles for undergraduate studying, sponsored by Vietnamese government.

Columbia College Hollywood is a film school established since 1952 in Los Angeles. They accept no more than a few dozens students each year, with each class containing no more than 12 students. Their 4-year program is divided into 12 quarters, with 5 majors: producing, directing, screen-writing, cinematography, and editing.

Duc finished her undergraduate study with a Magna cum laude diploma and a GPA of 3,95/4 (98,75%). In June 2009, she was inducted into CCH's Laurel Society (with 5 other fellow students graduating with the highest GPA), named Valedictorian for the class of 2009 and gave a speech at the Graduation Ceremony at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles (June 28, 2009.)

Extracurriculum Activities:
Despite being an international student at CCH, Duc has participated in many extracurriculum activities and was highly praised by her instructors and classmates.

• Starting in 2007, Duc volunteered to tutor her classmates in Math and Earth Science.
• In Spring 2006, Duc was referred to intern at ICM as a script reader. ICM (International Creative Management) is a company specialized in script coverage for actors, directors and producing companies. Usually only graduate students are accepted for this internship, but Duc was an exception.
• In 2008, she was chosen by CCH's instructors to be in a film crew to produce an advertising campaign for the school. These commercials were aired on channels such as MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, ect. and subsequently won the Bronze Addy Award (an award for student advertising campaign).
  Screenwriting

During her study, Duc finished two feature-length scripts, each at approximately 120 minutes in length.

Translation
From 2005 to 2009, in order to improve her writing skill, Duc has translated books from English to Vietnamese with Kim Dong Publishing House and Nha Nam Publishing and Communicating JSC. So far 15 books Duc translated have been printed, totaling in over 5000 pages (see list). Books translated by Duc were highly praised by renowned authors of Writer's Society Publishing House. Nha Nam considers Duc to be a talented young translator.

Recommendation letter
Quoted from the recommendation letter written by Andrew Kesler, CCH's Dean of Students:

"Duc Le (Le Minh Duc) is an extraordinarily gifted and diligent student, a richly skilled and richly creative filmmaker, and an exemplary human being.

I have known Duc since she began her studies at Columbia College Hollywood in 2005. As Dean of Students I have had the opportunity to observe her in many academic and professional contexts.

Duc has distinguished herself in both the most theoretical and the most practical areas of film study. But her 4.0 average is an inadequate reflection of her abilities, because her academic performance and her extracurricular contributions to the College have gone far beyond what is required for ‘A’ work.

Most recently I have had the real pleasure of working closely with Duc in the creation and production of television advertising for our college. In directing two of the commercials and producing two others, her individual performance and her collaborative skills have been more than remarkable. It may seem an odd quality to attribute to a student filmmaker in action among her peers, but Duc wields moral authority. Her knowledge both of principle and of the job at hand, her lack of egotism, her quiet but direct manner, together with infallible good humor, impel students to follow her instructions swiftly and happily.

In navigating the vagaries and vicissitudes of production, Duc shows unflappable sangfroid and a natural political savvy unsullied by even the least tinge of cynicism. She is as flexible and focused in getting things done as she is focused and creative in conception and planning."

Accepted into the Screenwriting Master of Fine Arts program by the New York Film Academy (Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza Drive Bldg. 9128 Ste., 179 Universal City, CA 91608)
The New York Film Academy (NYFA) is a top-ranking film school in the world, with campuses in New York City, Universal Studios in Los Angeles, as well as all over the world such as Florence (Italy), Paris (France), London (UK), etc. NYFA has accepted Duc into their Screenwriting MFA program. This is the first, essential step in the process of film making, a field in which Vietnam is in need of professionals.

Duc has applied for a government scholarship for graduate study with the goal of finishing the program with the highest result possible, in order to return to work in Vietnam and help developing our nation's movie industry.