MBA Handicapping: Public Policy & NGO Applicants — Some Great Tips

Tiia has a singular goal: To land a spot in Harvard’s dual-degree program and ultimately graduate with an MBA and a Master’s in Public Policy.

Getting accepted at both Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School is no small feat. Those master’s programs are among the most selective in the world.

A 27-year-old entrepreneur, Tina brings a 3.4 GPA in business administration at Jyvaskyla University of Applied Science and a 315 GRE score on a practice test. Originally from Finland, she now lives in Iceland, running two businesses from there, a coaching and training business and a marketing agency.

Her post-MBA objective: “Immediately after graduation,” she writes, “my goal is to work as an international tri-sector consultant to facilitate innovative public policy that also serves private and third-sector needs. Additionally, to work with and build NGO and for-profit ventures to provide long-term access to microfinance and economic empowerment education for underprivileged women and their communities. In the long term, I plan on pivoting to the political and/or diplomatic space within Finland and investing in new social impact start-ups.”

In this episode of Friday’s with Sandy, HBSGuru.com Founder Sandy Kreisberg and Poets&Quants Founder John A. Byrne offer analysis and advice that many candidates will find helpful.

If you would like to participate in a future Fridays With Sandy webinar, you can contact Sandy and Poets&Quants John here.

DON’T MISS PREVIOUS FRIDAYS WITH SANDY EPISODES

A 4.0 GPA & A 770 GMAT: WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

MILLION DOLLAR ADVICE — A CHANGED OUTCOME FOR THIS APPLICANT?

BREAKING INTO RENEWABLE ENERGY WITH AN MBA

LOW GRADES & COMPANY FOUNDER. IS HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL IMPRESSED? 

BREAKING INTO FINANCE FROM GOVERNMENT CONSULTING

HOW TO DEAL WITH CLASSY JOBS AND A LOW GPA

WHAT DOES A 3.17 GPA DO TO A 780 GMAT AT H/S/W?

EXPLAINING FOUR JOBS IN FOUR YEARS

WHO SHOULD RETAKE A 730 GMAT?

BYU MAGNA, MCKINSEY, CHILEAN: WHAT GRE DOES HE NEED FOR HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL?

780 GMAT–HOW COME SHE’S NOT APPLYING TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL?

CAN THIS NASA SUPERSTAR MBA CANDIDATE TALK TO EARTHLINGS ADMISSION OFFICIALS? 

HOW POWERFUL IS A 750 GMAT AT KELLOGG, BOOTH, STERN & ROSS?

IN FROM AFRICA: CRACKING HARVARD AND STANFORD

FASHION DESIGNER TO THE METAVERSE WITH A 750 GMAT

HOW TO MAX OUT AN APPLICATION FROM AN UNDERREPRESENTED COUNTRY

B-SCHOOL TIPS FOR CONSULTING TYPES OUTSIDE THE U.S.

APPLYING FROM BRAZIL, SPAIN & PORTUGAL

2+2 IS HARD — WILL LOW GRE STOP THIS SPANISH SUPERSTAR? 

FORMER PRO GOLFER PARS & BOGIES SOME HBS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS  

BREAKING OUT OF THE PACK: APPLYING FROM FIDELITY & OTHER MONEY MANAGERS

HOW TO BREAK OUT OF THE DESI MALE COHORT

APPLICANTS FROM WELL-KNOWN ‘BRAND-COMPANIES: WHAT B-SCHOOL INTERVIEWERS EXPECT YOU TO KNOW  

IB STAR IN GHANA — LOW GRADES, GREAT EVERYTHING ELSE. WHADDA WE GOT?

APPLYING FROM LESS-REPRESENTED COUNTRIES

ARMY CAPTAIN WITH A GREAT STORY & LOW STATS. HERE’S WHAT YOU DO 

INDIAN APPLICANTS NOT FROM IIT

THIS INDIAN MALE BREAKS WITH THE STEREOTYPE: WILL H/S/W BE IMPRESSED?

INDISPENSABLE ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA APPLICANTS 

IMPACT INVESTOR WITH A GREAT STORY SO FAR 

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW:20 FUNDAMENTAL  INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASKED & ANSWERED IN THIS ROCKING MOCK  

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW: COKE, PEPSI & OTHER BIG CONSUMER BRANDS TO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

BLOWING AN HBS INTERVIEW: SANDY POINTS OUT SEVERAL WAYS IT CAN HAPPEN

HBS INTERVIEW TRAPS FOR THIS 780 GMAT TYPES

3.2 GPA — HOW DAMAGING FOR THIS MEXICAN STAR (740 GMAT!)?

THIS SUPERSTAR APPLICANT NEEDS TO POLISH HIS STORY

IF THIS DING, DING, DING RE-APPLICANT CAN GET AN 80/80 GRE, HE IS GOLD 

CAN A ‘BIG FOOT’ MENTOR HELP YOU OVERCOME A 2.9 GPA?

HOW DOES A GREAT MBA APPLICANT OVERCOME A 3.2 GPA?

IS WORKING FOR TOBACCO & BOOZE COMPANIES A BLOT ON YOUR MBA APP?

MOCK INTERVIEW: HOW TO ANSWER THE MOST COMMON MBA INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

HOW THIS CONSULTANT BATS ABOVE HIS SO-SO STATS

SUPER-STAR AFRICAN WITH A 630 GMAT–HSW???

30-YEAR-OLD, AFRO-AMERICAN, NAIROBI-BASED, 5 JOBS — SANDY SAYS TOP 10 CAN HAPPEN

APPLYING TO B-SCHOOL FROM BIG ENERGY

MINORITY CANDIDATE, 550 GMAT, WAIT LIST AT MIT — ADVICE ON SEVERAL FRONTS 

APPLYING FROM MYANMAR WITH A 3.26 FROM San JOSE STATE

BIG 4 CONSULTANT: 33, 2.9 PGA….KEEP READING\]\

HBS WITH A 2.9 & AN INDIAN MALE? WHY THIS GUY COULD BE THE ONE  

DOA? DOES THIS TED TALK SUPERSTAR SOUND SCRIPTED?

DO WHITE MALES NEED BETTER STATS THAN SCHOOL AVERAGES TO GET IN?  

HOW TO USE YOUR INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND TO GET INTO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS AFTER B-SCHOOL: SOME GREAT TIPS 

HOW TO OPTIMIZE A ‘WOMEN IN TECH’ STORY FOR B-SCHOOLS

SURGEON JOINS FAMILY BUSINESS — BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN WHY

WHY HARVARD, STANFORD & WHARTON LIKE PILOTS

HBS INTERVIEW TIPS FOR NON-LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS 

EGYPTIAN VC GUY — GREAT START FOR H/S/W . . . AND THERE IS MORE

CORE ANSWERS FOR COMMON B-SCHOOL QUESTIONS

WHEN DOES A 710 vs. A 730 GMAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

GOOGLE, FACEBOOK, MARINES: HOW TO EXPLAIN TRANSITIONS IN YOUR B-SCHOOL INTERVIEWS

SANDY TRIES TO FLUSTER THIS SUPER START 3.9/770 CHINESE PR WOMAN WHILE JOHN GOES GA-GA

H/S/W ADMIT TIPS FOR FINANCIAL GUYS 

2+2 SUPER APPLICANT — CAN HE GET AROUND A LOW GRE

H/S/W TIPS FROM THIS DESAI AT EXXONMOBIL 

SANDY’S TOUGH LOVE FOR A SUPER STAR WITH A 650 GMAT

HOW TECHIES & ENGINEERS BEAT OUT THEIR PEERS AT TOP MBA PROGRAMS 

HOW DO ACCENTURE CONSULTANTS GET INTO WHARTON?

APPLYING FOR HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S 2+2 FROM ABROAD

HBS WITH A 3.4 & A 770? WHARTON?

5 YEARS OF FINANCE + 4 YEARS OF MARINES = HBS?

APPLYING AFTER 30: DO’S & DON’TS

MOCK HARVARD 2+2 MBA INTERVIEW: SANDY GRILLS THIS GUY (FOR HIS OWN GOOD)

HBS WITH A 3.2 GPA??? IT COULD HAPPEN.

CAN THIS INDIAN MALE WITH A 3.4/710 LEAPFROG HIS COHORT?  

CAN THIS PGA ANALYST LAND AT HBS?

HOW TO MOVE FROM PURE TECH TO STRATEGY CONSULTING

THREE ODDBALL JOBS NEED EXPLAINING, INCLUDING DOG DNA

WITH INTERNSHIPS AT TESLA, TWITTER, SPACEX & THE CIA, DOES HE HAVE A SHOT AT HBS?  

WHICH LATIN AMERICAN PASSPORT HELPS THE MOST AT HBS?

GREAT STATS, PUBLIC IVY DEGREE & FANG JOB. WHY HE’S GOING TO GET DINGED ANYWAY

2+2 WITH LOW STATS: SANDY SAYS IT COULD HAPPEN

SUMMA, 780: HBS LIKES THAT, WHARTON LOVES THAT, DOES STANFORD WANT MORE? 

ARE ALL OF INDIA’S ITT’S CREATED EQUALY?  MAYBE NOT FOR ELITE MBA ADMISSIONS

BIG 4 — LAUNCH PAD FOR H/S/W?

HOW THIS POWERFUL CANDIDATE SCREWED UP HIS FIRST HBS APP

4.0/760, CALTECH: MINEFIELDS FOR 2+2

YES AT HBS WITH A 3.0 & A 680 — THIS GUY’S ‘TWIN’ DID IT

2+2 POSITIONING FOR FINANCE TYPES

40% QUANT YET HIGH ODDS FOR HBS 2+2. FIND OUT WHY 

SALES GUY, 31. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL? HERE’S HOW

THE BASICS OF GETTING AN MD-MBA

CAN THIS BAND LEADER JAZZ HIS 3.3 GPA INTO HBS 2+2? WORKING AT MCKINSEY HELPS

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL WITH A 670? HERE’S HOW

TOO YOUNG FOR HBS, EVEN WITH A 750 GMAT?

MEXICO, MASTERCARD, MAESTRO: 3 HOOKS FOR AN M7 ADMIT?

AVERAGE GMAT & GPA? CHECK. SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BUST INTO BOOTH & KELLOGG? 

OVERCOMING TWO STRIKES: A LOW GPA & A LOW GMAT

720 VS. 740 GMAT: THE SLIM DIFFERENCE CAN BE HUGE 

HOW TO MAXIMIZE A 320 GRE AND A 3.4 GPA

HOW ASIAN IB/PE APPLICANTS SHOULD PRESENT THEIR STORY TO H/S/W

CAN THIS WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN GUY CRACK STANFORD & HARVARD?

APPLYING TO H/S/MIT FROM LATIN AMERICA WITH A 770

WHERE SHOULD THIS BMW ROCK ‘N’ ROLLER GO TO B-SCHOOL?

CIAO!!! EURO ADMISSIONS FOR BIG 4 TYPES 

DON’T SCREW YOURSELF IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF AN ADCOM INTERVIEW

CAN THIS MULTI-RACIAL MAP MAKER FIND HER WAY TO AN ELITE MBA?

UNEMPLOYED POT EXEC GOES FOR TOP MBA. WE SAY MAYBE. ARE WE SMOKING SOMETHING?

A 770 GMAT & TWO NO-NAME EMPLOYERS EQUALS WHAT?

CAN THIS INDIAN MALE GET INTO HARVARD IF HE DID NOT DO HIS UNDERGRAD AT IIT?  

WILL THIS GUY’S FAST FOOD EXPERIENCE GET HIM BLACKBALLED AT HBS DESPITE A 770 GMAT & 4.0 GPA?

CAN THIS BLACK FIRST-GEN ENGINEER GET INTO HARVARD OR STANFORD?

GETTING INTO WHARTON & HARVARD WITH A 720 GMAT & A 3.6 GPA 

WHAT ENGINEERS NEED TO DO TO GET IN

HOW DOES AN INDIAN APPLICANT STAND OUT AT THE M7?

CAN SHE TURN SILVER INTO GOLD FOR WHARTON & COLUMBIA?

CAN THIS 32-YEAR-OLD FORMER PRO RUGBY PLAYER GET INTO H/S/W?

AN HBS MOCK INTERVIEW WITH A UNICORN TECH GUY

HARVARD/STANFORD/WHARTON FOR THIS SILVER, NOT GOLD RESUME?

IS STANFORD AND HAAS A HAIL MARY FOR THIS 33-YEAR-OLD CANDIDATE?

HOW DO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL & STANFORD GSB VIEW HR TYPES?  

IS THIS ENGINEER A FIT FOR BERKELEY HAAS & MIT SLOAN?

IS 2+2 HBS POSSIBLE WITH A 680 GMAT

HOW A WHITE MALE WITH LOWER STATS GETS INTO COLUMBIA & WHARTON

CAN YOU GET INTO STANFORD FROM YOUR FOURTH JOB?

WILL STANFORD & HARVARD BUY THIS STORY?

FULLBRIGHT, FAMILY POULTRY BIZ, PAKISTAN + HBS?

HOW TO EXPLAIN SIX JOBS IN FIVE YEARS TO A BUSINESS SCHOOL

SHOULD SHE RUSH TO APPLY NOW OR WAIT FOR THE NEXT CYCLE?

HOW TO GET INTO HBS WITH A 3.2 GPA

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HARVARD’S 2+2 DEFERRED ADMISSIONS PROGRAM

GETTING INTO KELLOGG & MCCOMBS FROM PLUTO (NOT THE PLANET)

HOW DOES THIS MCKINSEY ANALYST NOT GET INTO HBS & STANFORD?

A HIGHLY RANKED MBA FOR THIS CONCERT PIANIST?

SWIMMER, TECH FOUNDER, BANKER, COMEDIAN TRIES FOR H/S/W

BAINIE, BYU ATHLETE = H/S/W?

INTERVIEW ADVICE FOR MILITARY CANDIDATES — AND OTHERS  

A 770 GMAT & A 4.O FROM LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS — WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FOR HARVARD’S 2+2

FAANG APPLICANTS TO STANFORD & HBS ARE OFTEN SUCCESSFUL. THIS GUY SHOWS WHY 

GROUPON TO HBS? THIS GUY MIGHT DO IT

WHAT IT TAKES FOR A NON-IIT FROM INDIA TO GET INTO HBS 2+2

OLD, WHITE MALES WITH A CHANCE AT HBS?

MBA MOCK INTERVIEW: A MORGAN STANLEY STAFFER GETS A DRILLING

GRE FOR 2+2 SUPERSTARS: HOW LOW CAN IT GO? 

SAY ‘YES’ TO SILVER OR ‘HOLD OUT’ FOR GOLD?

WHEN WHITE MALES SHOULD RETAKE THE GMAT

3.4 GPA, 700 GMAT & HISPANIC: CAN HE GET INTO HARVARD, MIT, KELLOGG?

CAN THIS LIFE SCIENCE CONSULTANT GET INTO COLUMBIA & KELLOGG? 

DO FEMALE INDIAN TECHIES HAVE AN EASIER TIME WITH THE HBS ADCOM?  

CAN THIS INDIAN IT MALE GET INTO HBS WITH A 3.4 GPA BUT A 750 GMAT?

WHERE RETAIL BUYERS & BRAND SPECIALISTS GET MBAs

CAN THIS EX-AIR FORCE OFFICER-TURNED-SOFTWARE-ENGINEER CRACK THE MBA CODE?

CAN THIS TARGET STAFFER GET INTO HARVARD OR STANFORD?

HOW PETRO ENGINEERS CAN GET INTO A TOP MBA PROGRAM

LONG DISTANCE CALL: HOW DOES AN AUSSIE TELECOM GUY GET INTO STANFORD?

IS THIS 30-YEAR-OLD ENERGY GUY HEADED FOR HBS?

GETTING IN IF YOUR STATS ARE BELOW THE MEDIAN

WHAT GMAT DOES THIS LATINA GOVERNMENT ANALYST NEED?

REAL GOOD ODDS FOR THIS INDIAN DO-GOODER. HERE’S WHY

MILITARY-BANKER-HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL?

HOW TO AVOID LANDMINES IN YOUR 2+2 INTERVIEW

THE REAL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2+2 INTERVIEW