Would you like to eat lunch with a Harvard graduate and then dinner with the Director of Admission from Cambridge? If you would, then look no further than Project Access (PA) Finland. PA is a non-profit international organization that helps students apply to universities abroad (US, UK & EU). PA Finland is responsible for running local events and webinars, one of which is an annual bootcamp that I attended last weekend. Though I had to take one day off school and travel for a total of 5 hours, I freaking loved the event! Here are highlights from last week and why I think it was such a valuable experience.
After the Spring Competition, I had never been in a room with so many ambitious and talented high school students in Finland. Most of them were from Helsinki, with only a couple from Turku and Lahti. I did discuss university plans with some other participants but was not focused on establishing any strong connection because my attention was all on the speakers.
The bootcamp started strong with a short but practical workshop by Boston Consulting Group on how to communicate more effectively, which is important for personal statements and essays, In short, instead of talking about all the details and then the conclusion/main point, you should state your conclusion/main point first, then leave space for the details. The readers will understand you more easily that way. I will add a picture of their pyramid approach.
Kalle Heikkinen, Chair of Interview from Harvard, was there to talk about what Harvard is looking for from applicants. The amount of insights he gave me was equivalent to the countless hours that I spent on the internet. The 3 most important elements according to him were academics, contribution to dorm/campus life, and prestige. He also emphasized how important it is to be your own person and bring a unique story to the admission officers. Pro tip: don’t try to highlight your diverse background. Talk about your culture/tradition.
Now, I’m not sure if my (and your) application will be placed in the pool of applicants from the country of citizenship (Vietnam) or the country of residence (Finland). Last year, only over 20 students from Finland applied to Harvard while the number could have been over a hundred from Vietnam, so obviously it would be easier to stand out if your profile is placed in a smaller group. However, one thing for sure is that if you’re applying from Finland, you will be interviewed by Kalle. He’s a quite funny and relaxed guy.
Kalle’s information was most useful for me, but Jenni Tuomaala was my favorite speaker. She gave off a very elegant, sophisticated, yet powerful vibe. Jenni used her own experience to demonstrate how very well-paying it is to study abroad at a world-class university. In 2010, over two hundred thousand applications were sent to a position at HSBC London. To process the huge number of applicants, the bank only considered those from the top 4 universities in the UK, including LSE, the school that Jenni went to. She got the position. Many doors in her later career were also opened by her education at LSE. Jenni is now a managing director at Danske Bank and one of the best bankers in the country.
Jenni’s story substantiates my motivation to continue studying abroad. Finnish universities such as Aalto and Uni of Helsinki are good-quality and popular, but they are not prestigious and top-notch. An employer outside of Finland might not immediately recognize the name. Moreover, companies in Finland need an international workforce that will come up with novel solutions. Finnish universities do offer short-term exchanges abroad, but Jenni said that these exchanges are more like holiday trips that don’t bring any important value. Most of my readers are Vietnamese students who are studying or planning to study in Finland. I understand that for you, moving to Finland is already such a big step forward. Nevertheless, please don’t limit yourself to this country. Finland will always be there, and after you finish your degree abroad, you can return to work with a much higher salary and pursue a more impactful career.
In 2021, another LSE graduate, Alexander Stubb (current president of Finland) was a speaker at the bootcamp. This year, he’s busy running the country, so the Mayor of Helsinki and former Member of the European Parliament, Nils Torvalds, were our star speakers. The Mayor went to Stanford, and Nils studied in Moscow. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much from their speech except the Mayor saying that students should bring back a bf/gf after studying abroad :). I then asked him how he’s making Helsinki an attractive place for students to return. The answer lies in Finland’s safe and quite optimal environment for starting a family and raising children. Some US cities even ban kids on the street without an adult.
Now comes the exciting part of the bootcamp: the country-specific tracks. There were three tracks with workshops run by students studying in that country: US, UK & EU. Over 30 university students from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Oxbridge, and other top schools were there to answer every question. I spent most of my time in the US track with Rosanna, Patrik, and Oskari and only switched to the UK track at the end for the Finance bros. The most useful part was listening to their stories to learn what they did to achieve that acceptance letter. I wish I had spent more time in other tracks, though. I’m so familiar with applying to the US that I think I would have benefited more in the UK track. For example, everything Emily, the Director of Admissions from Cambridge, said about the UK application process was new to me.
The Finance Bros was a fun highlight from the event. You could basically tell they work in finance just by looking at their outfit :) The bros talked about studying Economics, Finance, and Business Management in Cambridge and LSE. They also compared the differences between studying economics in Finland and the UK. UK universities will go straight into teaching you Macro and Microeconomics whereas Finnish universities will play around and teach you leadership or management first.
Another personal favorite of the bootcamp was the food served by Hannes Snellman and the unlimited snacks and drinks. Their office was so lovely with a terrace looking over Esplanade. The PA Finland team was exceptionally helpful, creative, and open to suggestions. Hands down, they organized the best event in August.
Finland doesn't have a big population studying abroad, so the alumni community is very close-knit. I’m particularly grateful for all the speakers who took their time to inspire and help us, the younger generation, to follow in their footsteps. The next bootcamp will be next year, unfortunately, but PA still has a lot of resources that can help you with your application. Please check out their Instagram (@projectaccess.fin) and Website.
Very good, Thank you for sharing