At Penn State University, Michael racked up a solid 3.8 GPA while majoring in finance. He completed an internship at the Boston Consulting Group. And the Honors College student has embraced a full and active college life, serving as president of the Sapphire Leadership Academic Program, chief of staff for student government, chief engagement officer for the Nittany Lion Consulting Group, and program leader for guidance from Penn State.
Although he has yet to take the GMAT or GRE, there is plenty of evidence that he will do exceptionally well on a standardized test. After all, Michael climbed into the 94th percentile of all high school ACT test takers.
With that kind of record, he’s aiming high, hoping to secure deferred admissions to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, or Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His goal? To pursue a doctorate in management and return to consulting or teaching at a business school.
In this episode of Friday’s With Sandy, HBSGuru.com founder Sandy Kreisberg assesses his chances of being admitted.
DON’T MISS PREVIOUS FRIDAYS WITH SAND EPISODES
HBS WITH A 2.9 AND AN INDIAN MAN? WHY THIS GUY MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE
DO A? DOES THIS TED TALK SUPERSTAR SOUND SCRIPTED?
DO WHITE MEN NEED BETTER STATS THAN SCHOOL AVERAGES TO ENTER?
HOW TO USE YOUR INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND TO ENTER HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
YOU WANT TO CREATE YOUR OWN BUSINESS AFTER B-SCHOOL: SOME GOOD TIPS
HOW TO OPTIMIZE A ‘WOMEN IN TECH’ STORY FOR B-SCHOOLS
SURGEON JOINS FAMILY BUSINESS – BE READY TO EXPLAIN WHY
WHY HARVARD, STANFORD AND WHARTON LOVE PILOTS
HBS INTERVIEW TIPS FOR NON-LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS
EGYPTIAN VC GUY – GOOD START FOR H/S/W. . . AND THERE’S MORE
BASIC ANSWERS TO COMMON SCHOOL B 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 CANDIDATE – CAN MOVE TO A LOW GRE
H/S/W TIPS FROM THIS DESAI AT EXXONMOBIL
SANDY’S HARD LOVE FOR A SUPER STAR WITH A 650 GMAT
HOW TECHNICIANS AND ENGINEERS BEAT THEIR PEERS IN THE BEST MBA PROGRAMS
HOW DO ACCENTURE CONSULTANTS ENTER WHARTON?
APPLY FOR HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2+2 FROM ABROAD
HBS WITH A 3.4 & A 770? QUARTON?
5 YEARS OF FINANCE + 4 YEARS OF MARINES = HBS?
APPLYING AFTER 30: DO’S AND 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 JUMP HIS COHORT?
CAN THIS PGA ANALYST LAND AT HBS?
HOW TO GO FROM PURE TECH TO STRATEGY CONSULTANCY
THREE ODDBALL JOBS NEED EXPLAINED, INCLUDING DOG DNA
WITH INTERNSHIPS AT TESLA, TWITTER, SPACEX AND THE CIA, DOES HBS HAVE A HIT?
WHICH LATIN AMERICAN PASSPORT HELPS HBS THE MOST?
GREAT STATISTICS, PUBLIC DIPLOMA IVY & FANG JOB. WHY HE WILL GET FELT ANYWAY
2+2 WITH LOW STATS: SANDY SAYS IT COULD HAPPEN
SUMMA, 780: HBS LIKES IT, WHARTON LIKES IT, IS STANFORD WORTH MORE?
ARE ALL ITTs IN INDIA CREATED EQUALLY? MAY NOT FOR ELITE MBA ADMISSIONS
BIG 4 — LAUNCH PAD FOR H/S/W?
HOW THIS POWERFUL CANDIDATE SCREWED HIS FIRST HBS APP
4.0/760, CALTECH: MINEFIELDS FOR 2+2
YES AT HBS WITH A 3.0 AND A 680 – THIS GUY’S “TWIN” DID IT
2+2 POSITIONING FOR TYPES OF FUNDING
40% AS TO STILL HIGH CHANCES FOR HBS 2+2. I FOUND WHY
COMMERCIAL, 31 YEARS. HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL? HERE’S HOW
THE BASICS FOR OBTAINING AN MD-MBA
CAN THIS GROUP LEADER JAZZ HIS 3.3 GPA IN 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 CITY, MASTERCARD, MAESTRO: 3 HOOKS FOR AN ADMITTED M7?
AVERAGE GMAT AND GPA? CHECK. SO WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR BOOTH & KELLOGG?
OVERCOMING TWO STRIKES: A LOW GPA AND 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 CANDIDATES SHOULD PRESENT THEIR AH/S/W STORY
CAN THIS WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN GUY CRACK STANFORD & HARVARD?
APPLY TO H/S/MIT FROM LATIN AMERICA WITH A 770
WHERE SHOULD THIS ROCK ‘N’ ROLLER BMW GO AT B-SCHOOL?
CIAO!!! EURO ADMISSIONS FOR BIG 4 TYPES
DON’T SCREW IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF AN ADCOM INTERVIEW
CAN THIS MULTIRACIAL MAPPER FIND HIS WAY TO AN ELITE MBA?
UNEMPLOYED POT EXEC GOES FOR TOP MBA. WE SAY MAYBE. DO WE SMOKE ANYTHING?
ONE 770 GMAT AND TWO NO-NAME EMPLOYERS EQUAL TO WHAT?
CAN THIS INDIAN MALE ENTER HARVARD IF HE HAS NOT DONE HIS UNDERGRADUATE AT IIT?
WILL THIS GUY’S FAST FOOD EXPERIENCE MAKE HIM BLACKBALL AT HBS DESPITE A 770 GMAT AND 4.0 GPA?
CAN THIS FIRST GENERATION BLACK ENGINEER GET INTO HARVARD OR STANFORD?
ENTERING WHARTON & HARVARD WITH A 720 GMAT AND A 3.6 GPA
WHAT ENGINEERS MUST DO TO ENTER
WHAT DOES AN INDIAN CANDIDATE STAND OUT AT M7?
CAN SHE TURN SILVER INTO GOLD FOR WHARTON AND COLUMBIA?
CAN THIS 32-YEAR-OLD FORMER RUGBY PRO PLAYER SWITCH TO H/S/W?
A FAKE HBS INTERVIEW WITH A UNICORN TECH GUY
HARVARD/STANFORD/WHARTON FOR THIS SILVER CV, NOT GOLD?
IS STANFORD AND HAAS A GRAVE MARY FOR THIS 33-YEAR-OLD CANDIDATE?
HOW DO HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL & STANFORD GSB VIEW HR TYPES?
IS THIS ENGINEER SUITABLE FOR BERKELEY HAAS & MIT SLOAN?
IS 2+2 HBS POSSIBLE WITH A 680 GMAT
HOW A WHITE MALE WITH LOWER STATS COMES TO COLUMBIA AND WHARTON
CAN YOU JOIN STANFORD FROM YOUR FOURTH JOB?
WILL STANFORD & HARVARD BUY THIS STORY?
FULLBRIGHT, FAMILY POULTRY BIZ, PAKISTAN + HBS?
HOW TO EXPLAIN SIX PROFESSIONS IN FIVE YEARS AT A BUSINESS SCHOOL
SHOULD SHE RUSH TO APPLY NOW OR WAIT FOR NEXT CYCLE?
HOW TO ENTER HBS WITH A 3.2 GPA
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2+2 DEFERRED ADMISSIONS PROGRAM AT HARVARD
ENTERING KELLOGG & MCCOMBS FROM PLUTO (NOT THE PLANET)
HOW DOES THIS MCKINSEY ANALYST NOT FIT INTO HBS & STANFORD?
A HIGHLY RANKED MBA FOR THIS CONCERT PIANIST?
SWIMMER, TECH FOUNDER, BANKER, COMEDIAN TRIED FOR H/S/W
BAINIE, BYU ATHLETE = H/S/W?
INTERVIEW TIPS FOR MILITARY CANDIDATES – AND OTHERS
A 770 GMAT & A 4.O FROM THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS – WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FOR HARVARD’S 2+2
FAANG CANDIDATES AT STANFORD & HBS OFTEN SUCCESS. THIS GUY SHOWS WHY
GROUPON TO HBS? THIS GUY COULD DO IT
WHAT NEEDS FOR A NON-IIT FROM INDIA TO ENTER HBS 2+2
OLD WHITE MALES WITH A CHANCE AT HBS?
Mock MBA INTERVIEW: MORGAN STANLEY EMPLOYEE GETS A DRILL
GRE FOR 2+2 SUPERSTARS: HOW LOW CAN IT GO?
SAY “YES” TO SILVER OR “HOLD” FOR GOLD?
WHEN WHITE MEN SHOULD RE-TAKE THE GMAT
3.4 GPA, 700 GMAT & HISPANIC: CAN IT GET INTO HARVARD, MIT, KELLOGG?
CAN THIS LIFE SCIENCES CONSULTANT ACCESS COLUMBIA & KELLOGG?
DO INDIAN TECHNICAL WOMEN HAVE EASIER TIME WITH ADCOM HBS?
CAN THIS INDIAN IT MALE ENTER HBS WITH A 3.4 GPA BUT A 750 GMAT?
WHERE RETAIL BUYERS AND BRAND SPECIALISTS GET MBAs
CAN THIS EX-AIR FORCE OFFICER TURNED SOFTWARE ENGINEER SPIT OUT THE MBA CODE?
CAN THIS TARGET PERSONNEL ACCESS 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 HEADING FOR HBS?
ENTER IF YOUR STATS ARE BELOW THE MEDIAN
WHAT GMAT DOES THIS LATINA GOVERNMENT ANALYST NEED?
REAL GOOD CHANCES FOR THIS INDIAN DO-GOODER. HERE’S WHY
MILITARY-BANKER-HARVARD TRADE SCHOOL?
HOW TO AVOID LANDMINES IN YOUR 2+2 INTERVIEW
THE REAL HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL INTERVIEW 2+2